Blasts in Bangalore - News and Discussions

Muppalla
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Re: Blasts in Bangalore - News and Discussions

Post by Muppalla »

The unsung hero who saved many lives

Hours before the Ahmedabad blasts, Bangalore was stunned by eight blasts that left one person dead. It could have been worse, had it not been for one man.

Bomb diffuser K Sukumar singlehandedly defused a live bomb near a busy mall in Bangalore. It was one of the few acts that helped Bangalore get back on its feet so soon.

First it was fear, followed by nail biting tension, and a few minutes later, a sign of victory. And with a thumbs up, Sukumar was an instant hero.

The proof is the headlines on Sunday morning.

K Sukumar is a 1984 batch constable trained by the National Security Guards and is now attached to the bomb disposal and detection squad of the city's intelligence unit. He had defused a live bomb found a few metres away from one of Bangalore's most popular malls.

Embedded in a concrete cement flowerpot with two wires sticking out, it was a daunting task, even life threatening for Sukumar.

But in less than 10 minutes, Sukumar had defused the bomb by cutting the wire that was connected to the timer and then dismantled the bomb.

Bangalore was ripped apart by eight blasts on Friday night and the live bomb that Sukumar diffused would have been the ninth.

Chief minister B S Yeddyurappa has awarded Sukumar Rs one lakh for his act of courage. But ask Sukumar if he ever thought of his wife and daughter back home in Kerala. And all he says is, he was doing his job.
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Re: Blasts in Bangalore - News and Discussions

Post by Rahul Shukla »

India to review entire intelligence network (Daily Times)
NEW DELHI: The Indian government has decided to review the country’s entire intelligence network following the successive blasts in Bangalore and Ahmedabad.
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Re: Blasts in Bangalore - News and Discussions

Post by Singha »

gurupanpalya - area opp road from jayadeva cardiology hosp on b'ghatta road

Bangalore arrest turns focus back on SIMI
Vicky Nanjappa


July 30, 2008 00:19 IST

The Special Investigating Team probing the July 25 serial blasts in Bangalore picked up an activist of the Students Islamic Movement of India on Tuesday.

An investigating officer told rediff.com that they picked up Sameer Sadiq, a SIMI [Images] activist from the Gurapanapalya area in Bangalore, on Tuesday.

With this arrest, the police say it is becoming clear that SIMI was behind the blasts in Bangalore and were using the name of Indian Mujahideen [Images] to conceal their identity.

The investigating teams say they are probing deeper into the SIMI angle and preliminary investigations show that the banned outfit was behind the blasts.

Sadiq, according to the police, had played a key role in the Surat [Images] riots. He was staying at Gurapanapalya in Bangalore, the area which incidentally housed the SIMI office before it had been banned.

The police have seized Sadiq's mobile phone and are checking the call records of both his cell phone and land phone.

It may be recalled that Sadiq had been questioned following the arrests of SIMI operative Riazuddin Nasir and Yahya Kamakutty in Karnataka earlier this year.

Karnataka Police had cracked down on SIMI operatives and their interrogation led to the arrest of 10 SIMI activists at Indore in Madhya Pradesh
SSridhar
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Re: Blasts in Bangalore - News and Discussions

Post by SSridhar »

IB identifies Pak-based masterminds
Investigating agencies say they were masterminded by two Karachi-based men -- Rasool Khan Parti and Mohammad Sufiya Ahmed Patangiya.

The duo, who currently reside at Farahan Arcade Gulistan in Karachi, are originally residents of Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh. Prior to fleeing to Karachi, the duo were involved in recruitment of youth for jihadi activities in Hyderabad and other parts of the country. They were both allegedly members of the Harkat-ul-Jihad-al Islami, but recruited youth mainly from the Students Islamic Movement of India. Both men are wanted by the Gujarat police in connection with the murder of former state minister Haren Pandya.

An Intelligence Bureau officer investigating last week's blasts told rediff.com the duo planned the attacks during a meeting in Kotli, Pakistan, in May.

The investigating agencies have also got information on the manner in which the blasts were executed. They say the entire operation was carried out by Indians, unlike in past instances where Pakistanis or Bangladeshis were used.

Both Parti and Patangiya handpicked Indian youth working in the United Arab Emirates for the operation. This indicates that the youth had been picked well in advance and sent off to the UAE on the pretext of jobs there. This could have been done to avoid coming under the scanner of the Indian police, the officials say. From the UAE they were flown into Dubai from where they were taken to Muzaffarabad in Pakistan occupied Kashmir.

The youth were divided in two groups and then trained personally by Patri and Patangiya. They were taught how to prepare bombs and execute the attacks. They called it training in alternate explosions. They were specifically taught how to make bombs using ammonium nitrate and directed to pick up the material locally. The use of RDX was ruled out since it was a problem to smuggle it across the border.

After undergoing training for a month, the youth were flown back to Dubai and then taken to Bangladesh. They were directed to cross over into India through the porous border. Investigating agencies say they took this trouble to avoid the police and security agencies. {I am unable to understand why}

Once in India, the two groups split up and undertook the operations in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad separately, although they kept in regular touch. The date and time of the attacks was fixed by Parti.

IB sources say they are concerned by the growing number of Indian youth being lured into terror outfits. They say that intercepts from Pakistan indicate that there are many Indian youth outside Parti's home in Karachi daily.

Investigating agencies are also looking into the statements made by SIMI activist Riazuddin Nasir aka Mohammad Ghouse. After his arrest in Karnataka earlier this year had told the police that he had met Parti in Karachi.
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Re: Blasts in Bangalore - News and Discussions

Post by Rupesh »

Instead of having two threads --blasts in B'lore and Blasts in Ahmedabad, can we not combine both the threads
Sanjay M
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Re: Blasts in Bangalore - News and Discussions

Post by Sanjay M »

We may have to keep combining, as I'm sure there'll be more blasts
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Re: Blasts in Bangalore - News and Discussions

Post by SSridhar »

A Rare Explosive Substance Used
. . .investigations have revealed that traces of a relatively new substance called ammonium picrate has also been found in the bombs.

Ammonium picrate, which is usually found in a powder form, is also known as explosive D. It is used in the military and was used extensively in both the world wars.

It is considered to be least sensitive to shock and friction.

During military operations, it is loaded in a shell and fired through an armour plate. Explosive D was used in the bombs to ensure maximum damage, proving that the police were wrong in assuming that the Bengaluru blasts were only meant to scare people.

. . the ammonium picrate was sourced from another country.

According to the police, it is not easy to purchase ammonium picrate as very few industries manufacture the substance and it is only supplied to the military.
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Re: Blasts in Bangalore - News and Discussions

Post by Rahul M »

Sanjay M wrote:We may have to keep combining, as I'm sure there'll be more blasts
not a very good idea. we can't let these incidents become just statistics on BRF even if GoI does so.
Muppalla
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Re: Blasts in Bangalore - News and Discussions

Post by Muppalla »

Birth Of The Septic Fringe

The educated radical comes to haunt India and its Muslims

Saba Naqvi

* The Radical mind
* Interprets Quranic texts to mean that injustice must be fought with violence
* Has a well-prepared and seemingly cogent argument for justifying terror actions
* Has a pathological hatred of Hindus and heaps abuse on the community and its leaders
* Sees those Muslims who collaborate with the state or get patronage as being part of the enemy
* Believes that the price Muslims will pay for the actions of a few is collateral damage

The days of innocence are over—whether formally abandoned by the state, merely by popular consensus or in moments of introspection. The Indian Muslim, it seems, can no longer be ‘in denial’. After the terror strikes on three Indian cities in three straight days, a great process of churning has begun in the community. In private, among themselves, in low tones with trusted friends, Muslims admit to a growing sense of unease and apprehension. They fear what is loosely referred to as "jehad" is now being practised by a small but lethal group of educated and radicalised Indian Muslim youth. Concrete proof is not the point: it’s a matter of feeling. Many Muslims believe there is more, and perhaps worse, to come.

In a Delhi home, a conversation is taking place between a local cleric and a young nephew earning an excellent corporate salary. Young man: "The old generation of Muslims has failed. Aap log kuchh nahin kar sakte ho (You people can do nothing)!" Stunned and taken aback, the bearded elder responds: "What could we have done? Injustice is suffered by everyone. Not just Muslims. Except for the rich and powerful, everyone suffers in a poor country." Young man: "I laugh at this kind of argument. Especially as a man of religion, you should know that it is our duty to fight against injustice. The Quran instructs us not to tolerate injustice."

The voluble and emotional youth has not become a terrorist. Yet he is arguing in support of the group that now goes by the name of Indian Mujahideen. The elder finally loses his calm: "You are talking rubbish. Ideas like this will bring trouble on the entire qaum (community). You don’t understand the Quran at all. The only way out for Muslims is education."

The irony, as usual, is that it is only a small number of the educated Muslim that has become radicalised. The e-mail sent by the Indian Mujahideen is worth deconstructing. Written in fluent English with several references to the Quran, it does vent ire against Hindus, "the infidels", and mocks at Narendra Modi’s "asmita" (pride). Yet, eventually it is a record of perceived injustice by the courts, lawyers, commissions of inquiry and state governments against Muslims. The group says it is issuing an "ultimatum to all the state governments" but specifically mentions Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra.

It is significant that Andhra and Maharashtra are Congress-ruled while the BSP is in charge of UP. This completely blows to bits the contention that the BJP is the target. {The journos suffer with huge indigestion if they cannot have this deduced spin}What becomes clear is that the ideologues behind the terror strike are keeping a very thorough record of fake encounters, long detention of Muslims on flimsy grounds, and the refusal of lawyers (as happened in UP) to defend them. The Maharashtra government’s failure to punish those responsible for the ’93 Mumbai riots is repeatedly mentioned

For instance: "You try to fool us in the name of fast-track courts made for ’93 riot cases through which you wish to free the actual Hindu culprits like Madhukar Sarpotdar who was caught red-handed with illegal firearms while the innocent Muslims arrested in the bomb blast case are being tried for years and years." And finally a sentence that many young Muslims, who fit the classic urban profile of angry, isolated and unemployed, would relate to. The Indian Mujahideen ask: "Is this the hellish justice you speak of?" Intelligence agencies and the media would do a disservice and mislead the public if they did not highlight the fact that the e-mail is chilling in its purpose and articulation.

This is not the work of what can be dismissed as a loony fringe. The authors have built an intellectual justification for their actions, have cleverly used Quranic texts for their purpose, are fiercely committed to their cause and their political perceptions are keenly evolved (for instance, states where there are no random arrests of Muslims are not mentioned).

Radical Islam seems to have arrived in India. Indeed, the fluency with which both Arabic and English are used in the mail and the level of education the document indicates suggests that the perpetrators are familiar with the ideology of political Islam. The founder of Sunni Islamic fundamentalism was Sayyid Qutb (1906-’66) of Egypt. He took radical thought to a new level when he said the concept of jahiliya (barbarism) applied not only to infidels but also to Muslims who collaborated with an "unjust" state. The Indian Mujahideen’s e-mail also attacks the traditional Indian clergy. The emergence of this kind of force does make the traditional Muslim leader, propped up by conventional political patronage, very nervous. As the late Asad Madani, the legendary leader of the Jamait-e-Ulema-e-Hind, had once said: "It is likely that Muslim leaders of India will be killed by Muslims."

A senior leader of the community, who does not want to be identified, tells me in confidence: "Hamaare kuchh naujawan haath se nikal gaye hain (Some of our youth have slipped out of our control)." He believes most such youth are professionals and relatively well-placed. In fact, most Muslims are clear that the radicalised youth are not products of madrassas alone though they certainly have a thorough grounding in religious education. They follow events across the world with great interest and get angry with the injustices wreaked on Muslims. But they are ultimately operating for stated goals that are wholly Indian. Revenge for the Gujarat riots. Giving warning to lawyers, judges and certain state governments.

However, the bloody means these radicalised youth employ does put the entire community at peril. Till now, all fronts, clerical groups and political parties claiming to represent Muslim interests have operated on the minority principle. This means that though India may have the world’s second-largest Muslim population, the community is a minority here and must always be mindful of this status. No Muslim would go out of his way to invite vengeance on the entire community. Of the 14 crore Muslims in India, 10 crore live in Hindu-dominated areas. Even the 4 crore who live in Muslim ghettos have to eventually operate in a Hindu society.

That is why reprisal and revenge are not tactics Indian Muslims have resorted to in the past. Yes, the Mumbai blasts did take place in reaction to the post-Babri Masjid riots. But it was the powerful Mumbai underworld and Pakistan’s isi that orchestrated the deadly chain of events.

After the bloodbath in Gujarat in February-March 2002, undoubtedly the worst assault on Muslims in independent India, nothing happened. Earlier too nothing had happened after Bhagalpur, Meerut, Moradabad.... {This is the conspiracy, more muslims died here (in 80s) than in Gujarat of 2002. However, these are not highlighted(genocide, facisim etc.) as much as that of Gujarat}
But 9/11 changed the world in ways often hard to quantify. The Indian Muslim may not have been a direct victim of US or Israel action in Iraq, Afghanistan or Palestine. But some of them imbibed the idea and spirit of global jehad. As one Western commentator said tongue-in-cheek, it now increasingly appears that "all the Muslims of the world have gone nuts", and it is because US actions across the globe have left Muslims with a deep sense of victimhood. French commentator Jean Genet had famously stated: "The arrogance of the strong is met by the violence of the weak." In India, too, the mindset of a small section has been changing. Once the idea of jehad went out in the world, it was only a matter of time before a few Indians tried to create their indigenous brand.

One interesting observation coming from Muslims living in riot-prone areas is that they do not expect any immediate communal fallout from the Ahmedabad blasts. This is not only because there is a great weariness with that brand of politics but also because no political party stands to gain directly from it at the moment. But across India suspicions will increase. And although there will be no large-scale rioting, small skirmishes are inevitable as divisions between the communities are increasing. However, what is really bad news for the minority community is that that the policing and intelligence scrutiny of their homes, mosques, schools and neighbourhood will increase. The number of Muslims picked up on mere suspicion will go up dramatically. And that is precisely the sort of state action the Indian Mujahideen is using to justify terrorism.

Meanwhile, as the mujahideen display their articulation, the usual Muslim commentators are at a loss for words. They all say they’re despondent and don’t want to say anything significant on record. Some have begun to suggest conspiracy theories in private. One theory is that Israelis are pushing small arms. Another supposes that the Chinese are behind the easy availability of arms as they want to undermine India, particularly as it is now a great friend of America.

But when the theories are all done with, then the great anger with the US for unleashing this monster on the world is expressed. Then the Indian state is abused for never keeping any promise to Muslims or giving them even one straw of justice. There is, however, unanimity about one thing—they are afraid for the future.
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Re: Blasts in Bangalore - News and Discussions

Post by svinayak »

Forget POTA-type law, Patil tells BJP
Pioneer.com
Kumar Uttam | New Delhi
Gujarat - the latest victim of terror strikes -- and Rajasthan may not be able to enact special laws of their own to counter organised crimes. There are indications from the Union Government that it would not allow the States to have a law of their own on the lines of POTA.

The laws drafted by Gujarat and Rajasthan are akin to the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) in the Congress-ruled State and have been awaiting Centre's nod for many years.

Well-placed sources confirmed to The Pioneer that Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil has told senior BJP leaders LK Advani and Arun Jaitley that after repeal of POTA, the Centre has decided not to allow any new State to formulate anti-terror legislation of its own. Advani and Jaitley, who had called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday evening to discuss internal security situation in the light of the recent serial blasts in two BJP-ruled states, wanted to know from Patil, who was present at the meeting, why the Centre was proving to be a stumbling block for Gujarat and Rajasthan if the States wanted to have a special law for dealing with terrorists.

"When States like Maharashtra and Karnataka have a special law to deal with terrorists, why aren't you allowing it in Gujarat and Rajasthan? Lack of a tough law in these States emboldens terrorists and they strike at will," the BJP leaders had told Patil.

Sources said the BJP leaders also contended the Home Minister's argument that law and order was a State subject, especially when the Centre was not providing them with "enough teeth" to counter organised crime.

National security Adviser MK Narayanan was more forthcoming in admitting that there had been a change in the modus operandi of terrorists and, unlike the operations carried out by terrorists two years back, there was more "local" involvement in such activities in the current scenario
Congress is telling Indians, we will not do anything, we will allow Indian Muslims to kill Hindus till number is under 1000 per case, frequency is every two to three months and they are not touching our family. Good luck Indians, wait for your time.
svinayak
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Re: Blasts in Bangalore - News and Discussions

Post by svinayak »

Rahul M wrote:
Sanjay M wrote:We may have to keep combining, as I'm sure there'll be more blasts
not a very good idea. we can't let these incidents become just statistics on BRF even if GoI does so.
No Choice. There will be threads for each city in India. Good luck BRF
svinayak
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Re: Blasts in Bangalore - News and Discussions

Post by svinayak »

Muppalla wrote:
But 9/11 changed the world in ways often hard to quantify. The Indian Muslim may not have been a direct victim of US or Israel action in Iraq, Afghanistan or Palestine. But some of them imbibed the idea and spirit of global jehad. As one Western commentator said tongue-in-cheek, it now increasingly appears that "all the Muslims of the world have gone nuts", and it is because US actions across the globe have left Muslims with a deep sense of victimhood. French commentator Jean Genet had famously stated: "The arrogance of the strong is met by the violence of the weak." In India, too, the mindset of a small section has been changing. Once the idea of jehad went out in the world, it was only a matter of time before a few Indians tried to create their indigenous brand.
Before 911 India has lost more than 40000 people due to Jihad terrorism.
So Jehad did not go out to world after 911. It was always there in India for several centuries. Direct action day, 1947 and 1971 are the largest such jehad done by the state.
Avinash R
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Re: Blasts in Bangalore - News and Discussions

Post by Avinash R »

SIMI activist arrested
8/2/2008 8:34:00 PM

Karnataka Police today (August 2) arrested a man identified as an activist of SIMI and recovered three CDs with information on bomb-manufacturing and a cylinder filled with chemical gas from him. Tanvir Mulla, found moving in a suspicious manner at Indala tank, was arrested from Shingoli in Belgaum, Superintendent of Police Sonia Narang told reporters.

The CDs recovered from his residence at Kustunagar contained provocative speeches on Jehad, attack on Muslims in Gujarat, besides detailed information and sketches on bomb manufacturing, including chemical bombs, Narang said.

The mini cylinder recovered from him by the police is believed to have been used for making cylinder bombs.

Tanvir confessed that he had plans to trigger explosions in one of the polling booths in Tilakwadi area in Belgaum during the assembly elections in May but could not execute it, Narang said.

His arrest from the Shingoli area near Belgaum follows the arrest of another suspected SIMI activist Liaquat Ali from the same area. He had links with terror suspects -- Liyaqat Ali, Nasir Patel, Imtiaz and Dr Manroz -- whom police had arrested a few months ago. They are currently lodged in Hindalga jail. Police have seized his passport.
In recent days hubli and belgaum are becoming hubs of jehad. last month citizens protested about the illegal bangladeshi migrants who are being sheltered in muslim areas in belgaum.
in hubli the recent arrest of muslim medical students of kims proves the existence of jehadi mentality in the local population.
Muppalla
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Re: Blasts in Bangalore - News and Discussions

Post by Muppalla »

The nation that failed

S. Prasannarajan
July 31, 2008

So it is yesterday all over again, and the sameness of the savagery only adds to the legendary Indian sense of sangfroid. Two spirited cities of India, 23 blasts, more than 50 dead, hundreds maimed, and the predictable Day-After theatre of politics feasting on cadavers strewn across the streets of the world's most fatalistic state.

This overwhelming banality of horror tells one simple truth: we can take a lot more, we can shed a lot more blood, we have a lot more people to spare…

Enterprising jihadists are welcome, and the incentives you get in the great democratic republic where no terrorist worth his nihilistic fantasy is denied the right to kill under an equal opportunity scheme is greater than what you can get anywhere else in the world, may be with the exception of Iraq.

It should be now official: India is a dangerous place to be in, unless you are a god's mercenary for whom this wretched country is the easiest battlefield in the war against infidels or an honourable member of the political class that has already abdicated its responsibility to protect the nation.

The frequency of the attacks and their magnitude say a lot about the jihadist and the victim. The killer is precise; he chooses his target for maximum effect; and he seems to enjoy the kind of freedom that is denied to his brotherhood elsewhere.

Ahmedabad comes just two months after Jaipur which was preceded by Hyderabad 2007, Mumbai 2006, Delhi 2005 and the audacious attack on Parliament in the afterglow of 9/11.

Come to think of it: the most favoured nation for those who want to invest in jihad is not the United States or Israel any longer. It is India. Not that Washington and Jerusalem have ceased to be less satanic for jihadists.

India does not have the political will or consensus to identify the threat of radical Islam and confront it. It does not have that necessary iron in the nationalist soul to ensure that life is not disposable at the diktat of a coward trapped in the make believe of a scriptural Caliphate.

What we have got is an apparition in funereal white floating in Ahmedabad, mouthing platitudinous inanities as if it is just another routine mission for him in just another death zone.

The enormity of our national shame cannot be reduced to the size of the Union Home Minister, but the gentleman is symptomatic of everything that is wrong with those who have the political mandate to act.

"We have information but it is not proper for me to disclose that information at this point of time or blame any organisation because it has implications."

It is Shivraj Patil post-Ahmedabad, and it is as enlightening as what he had said about the threat to national security in a television interview immediately after taking over: "The disease within the body is more dangerous"—whatever it means.

Effete and evasive, he is the home minister in a Government that can do nothing but cry "FBI" in utter exasperation whenever it is under attack.

We don't expect from this Government a department of homeland security or an Indian version of America's Patriot Act or extraordinary rendition or, for that matter, a Gitmo in the Andamans for the higher cause of national security. What about an alternative to the "draconian" Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA)?


State governments like Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan are not even given the permission to pass their own anti-terrorism laws while Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat are awaiting presidential assent to their bills against terror.

A government that allows a terrorist condemned to the gallows to become a living symbol for the perennially disenchanted but the vote-rich minorities is unlikely to identify radical Islamism as a threat to India. So it will go on triangulate in politically correct malarkey, with the home minister as its bumbling interlocutor.

And India will continue to be savaged. Today, in the post-9/11 statistics of terror, India, a liberal democracy, is second only to post-Saddam Iraq, liberated but at war with itself.

This terrifying truth magnifies the failure of the state—and the entire political class which is never united by grief or fear. Sadly, even when the new generation faces of Kashmir—one of the oldest datelines of Islamic terror—went eloquent about 'Being Indian' in Parliament, the war against India in the Valley found no place in their nationalist script.

As long as India refuses to shed its shameful political expediency, we can only wallow in our victimhood. We deserve better.
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