Terror Attacks on Mumbai-II

[Rahul Shukla]

Per NDTV - Interpol will send an investigation team to Mumbai asap.

[shyamd]

[SaiK]

Acharya, for them the NG terrorists, will have a different Genetics marks.. that news link is all imaginations and nukkad.

[svinayak]

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid= ... efer=india


India’s Islamic Militants Shift Target to Foreigners, Economy
By James Rupert

Nov. 28 (Bloomberg) -- The terrorist attacks in Mumbai show India’s home-grown Islamic militant movement is aligning its campaign with those in the broader Muslim world, while seeking to hit economic interests, intelligence analysts said.

Gunmen who stormed hotels and other tourist sites in India’s financial capital -- leaving at least 101 dead and 290 injured -- displayed a greater degree of organization, sophistication and determination than in strikes of recent years, said B. Raman, the former counter-terrorism director of India’s intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing.

The violence “seems to be part of a chain of attacks dating back to last year” by a domestic militant group called the Indian Mujahideen, which in recent statements has “made references to the ‘war of civilizations,’” signaling a mindset close to international groups such as al-Qaeda, Raman said.

After years in which Indian Muslim extremists have focused on the country’s Hindu majority, the militants’ targeting of Americans and Britons gives them common cause with global Islamist groups like al-Qaeda and at the same time strikes the international links that have helped India’s economy grow at 9 percent or more for each of the past three years.

Previously, their aim was “to incite communal strife between Hindus and Muslims,” said Reva Bhalla, director of geopolitical analysts at Stratfor, a private intelligence company in Austin, Texas. The latest attacks were aimed at “spreading fear to Western tourists and businesspeople, hitting at India’s economic lifelines,” Bhalla said.

Riskiest Country

On the night of Nov. 26, militants armed with grenades and rifles stormed into the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower hotel and the Oberoi Trident complex, singling out foreign nationals and taking hostages. The attack has added a new dimension to a wave of bombings that rocked Indian cities this year, killing more than 300 people in markets, theaters and at religious sites.

Hong Kong-based Political & Economic Risk Consultancy Ltd. rates India the riskiest of 14 Asian countries, not including Pakistan and Afghanistan, it analyzed for the coming year.

“One of the reasons was the threat of terrorism,” said the firm’s managing director, Robert Broadfoot, in a telephone interview. “Between January 2004 and September 2008, deaths from terrorist attacks were second only to those in Iraq.”

While “no immediate, definite evidence” showed which group attacked in Mumbai, “this seems driven by the same mind” as the past year’s bombings claimed by the Indian Mujahideen, Raman said.

Spreading Fear

The Indian Mujahideen came to public attention after militants used that name in a video sent to news organizations claiming responsibility for bombings on May 13 in the tourist city of Jaipur. Since then, “the Indian Mujahideen have authenticated claims by including photographs of their explosive devices” and other evidence in their messages, Raman said.

A group called the “Deccan Mujahideen” claimed responsibility for the attacks, an official of India’s Home Ministry said.

The Deccan region of India includes Maharashtra state, of which Mumbai is the capital. The group’s message appeared to include no authenticating evidence, Raman said.

While the scale and ferocity of the Mumbai attack shocked Indians, Broadfoot predicted a limited long-term effect on its economy, which “doesn’t depend on tourism for its livelihood,” he said. “I don’t think it will be more than a temporary disadvantage. They’re already security conscious. Terrorists tried to blow up Parliament already.”

Pakistan Accused

In terms of political stability, it may be “much better that they targeted foreigners in hotels rather than Hindu temples -- the backlash from that would have been horrendous,” Broadfoot said.

Religious riots that killed 2,000 people in Gujarat in 2002 were sparked by the burning of a railcar carrying Hindu activists, allegedly by Muslims.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said in a televised speech yesterday that the Mumbai attackers were “based outside the country,” without saying where or offering any evidence. India has accused Pakistan’s intelligence services of abetting some of India’s deadliest terrorist attacks, including bombs on Mumbai trains that killed at least 200 people on July 11, 2006.

Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi condemned the Mumbai attacks yesterday.

While Pakistan has backed extremist groups fighting India’s rule in the disputed territory of Kashmir, the Indian Mujahiddin are driven “mainly by local reasons, local anger,” said Raman.

More Attacks

Islamic militant groups operating in India “may assume different pseudo names but are driven by the same set of grievances and external abetment,” said N. Manoharan, a senior fellow at the Centre for Land Warfare Studies in New Delhi.

Now, “India’s close relationships with the U.S. and European countries seem to have made them target foreigners for the first time,” he said.

India may not have seen the last of such terror, warned Suba Chandran, the deputy director at the Institute of Peace & Conflict Studies in New Delhi.

“These men are not poor and illiterate,” he said in a phone interview. “They are highly motivated youngsters with grievances real and imagined. There may be more such attacks until we address their grievances and improve intelligence gathering.”

To contact the reporter on this story: James Rupert in New Delhi at jrupert3@bloomberg.net.
Last Updated: November 27, 2008 14:02 EST

[darshan]

It is possible that these pakistani nationals rounded up all westerners and killed only few to gain constant TV coverage in white world.

Are there any reports of sea lanes near somalia being used by D company, drug smugglers, or black market arms suppliers?

I think India should also run a DNA and genetic analysis on these pakistani nationals.

[Raj]

looks same. Also has the same orange hand band. He looks like a bangladeshi.

Really? What makes him look like a Bangladeshi?

[Kati]

From the CCTV pics of those two piglets - I was trying to ascertain the
(sub)ethnicity. Though the indian subcontinent is now fairly homogeneous -
it appears the chubby, short, dark profile of the two may make them
Bangladeshi/bengali with very high probability. Next, most probable is -
Keralite. My rank three probable - Andhra. Four - locals from Mumbai.
May be the the total team had some pakistanis (as the leaders), but
looks like they recruited some from India, and had them trained in the
Mumbai surroundings.

He is not dark.

When I first looked at this image

Raj,
I stand by my analysis. He is relativelh dark, and He doesn't appear to be a
typical punjabi muslim.
Even if he's from pakiland, may be from Karachi, which has a large number of
bangladeshi immigrants among other groups. Couple of years back Karachi DGP sent
an SOS to Islamabad complaining about too many b'deshi immigrants skeaking into this
port city illegally.

[R_Kumar]

For instance, people exiting the hotels were not properly screened thus making it likely that terrorists themselves may have abandoned their weapons and mingled with hostages who were using the various fire escapes.

Same thing came to my mind when i saw no checking at the hotel gate. This is just a common sense. How is it possible to have such an unprofessional police especially in the biggest metro of the country. If this is true, I am afraid many of the terrorist might have already ran away pretending as hostages.

[sampat]

Looks like a bangladeshi to me as well.

[SwamyG]

I don't like the Israelis coming in to try to protect the people inthe Jewish center. That is what CNN is reporting in USA.

[Raj]

Raj,
I stand by my analysis. He is relativelh dark, and He doesn't appear to be a
typical punjabi muslim.
Even if he's from pakiland, may be from Karachi, which has a large number of
bangladeshi immigrants among other groups. Couple of years back Karachi DGP sent
an SOS to Islamabad complaining about too many b'deshi immigrants skeaking into this
port city illegally.

k. Lets wait for more details.

[BijuShet]

...
Raj,
I stand by my analysis. He is relativelh dark, and He doesn't appear to be a
typical punjabi muslim.
Even if he's from pakiland, may be from Karachi, which has a large number of
bangladeshi immigrants among other groups. Couple of years back Karachi DGP sent
an SOS to Islamabad complaining about too many b'deshi immigrants skeaking into this
port city illegally.

Katiji humle request only, why speculate now about the origins of these terrorists when its a matter of days before these characters will be pinpointed accurately by our intelligence?

[Sudip]

Looks like a bangladeshi to me as well.

What if it were indeed some disenfranchised indian guy shifted to pakistan for last few years (and hence the punjabi language) and receiving training there??
or how about the child of a south indian/bihari muslim now married and settled in pakistan

[rgsrini]

why speculate now about the origins of these terrorists

I completely agree. Besides, does the nationality matter. We should still go against the root cause (ISI and TSP military), irrespective of the people who execute the plan.

[BijuShet]

I don't like the Israelis coming in to try to protect the people inthe Jewish center. That is what CNN is reporting in USA.

Civis Romanus Sum.

It seems Isrealis operate on the principle of Civis Romanus Sum when it comes to protecting their subjects and interests. It is also the reason why you see so many of their young willing to serve and die for their ideals and country. Its about time Bharat mata's progrney learnt this from our yehudi brothers.

[svinayak]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,458389,00.html


Former U.N. Ambassador Bolton on Terror Attacks in India

Thursday, November 27, 2008

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity & Colmes," November 26, 2008. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

ALAN COLMES, CO-HOST: Sitting in for Sean Hannity tonight is Rich Lowry. Rich, thanks for being here this evening.

RICH LOWRY, GUEST HOST: Hi, Alan.

COLMES: And joining us now former U.S. ambassador to United Nations, and FOX News contributor, John Bolton.

John, we don't — Ambassador, we don't have a lot of information at this point, but from what we do know, what do you think is the motive and who do you think might be behind this?

• Video: Watch the interview

JOHN BOLTON, FMR. U.N. AMBASSADOR: Well, from the group that claims credit, it appears to be Islamic extremists, the Deccan Mujahideen, Deccan referring to the Deccan Plateau, the big triangle part of India that sticks out into the Indian Ocean.

And they've clearly aimed this attack at the center of India's economic success, the financial capital. Many, many foreigner, investors and traders there designed, I think, to gain maximum international attention, so it looks to have been more extensive than earlier terrorist attacks and I think, clearly, intended to get a global audience.
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COLMES: And why the timing? Why do you think — at this particular time, Thanksgiving in the United States, certain time of the day, 10:00 at night, their time. Is there anything to that?

BOLTON: I don't think it has any association with us. My guess is it's just the timing of this particular operation, but as you say, there's much that we don't know about this for the moment and probably won't until the hostage situation is cleared up and perhaps some of these terrorists are apprehended and can be questioned.

COLMES: What do you think — what does it take to put together this kind of operation? It seemed very highly coordinates, sophisticated, and probably in the planning stages for quite sometime.

BOLTON: Well, you know, many in India believe that a lot of the terrorist attacks that we've seen across the country really have been financed, organized, directed by extremists in the Pakistani government, particularly the Inner Services Intelligence director or ISI.

The main flashpoint between Pakistan and India over the years has been Kashmir, where a lot of these terrorist attacks have occurred. Obviously, it's premature to conclude anything about where this group may have been supported, but this is the kind of suspicion that can lead to an increase in tensions right there on the subcontinent very quickly if this is not cleared up.

LOWRY: Hey, John. It's Rich Lowery. Thanks so much for being with us.

John, so often in recent years when we've had this kind of horrible news from overseas, it's been Al Qaeda attacks involving suicide bombs and attempts to just create indiscriminate massive casualties.

This — although you've had, you know, some indiscriminate shooting, you've also had this very targeted effort to separate out American and British folks.

What does that portend for you? What do you think that means or tells us about the motives here?

BOLTON: Well, again, based on what we know which is hardly complete I this really had a global audience in mind. They wanted British or American hostages, perhaps other foreigners, to indicate that India in current circumstances was not exactly a safe place to travel, to invest, or — to trade.

And I think that's one reason why we can have some confidence this is Islamic extremists. It seems impossible to believe that Hindu extremists would do this unless it was kind of reverse psychology operation.

And I think that will increase suspicion in India that this was directed from outside the country, whether it was Al Qaeda or other — Islamic extremists, this was not a wholly indigenous operation.

Watch "Hannity & Colmes" weeknights at 9 p.m. ET!

[jmaxwell]

shyamd, any captions that go along with the pictures you have posted?

for instance the 2nd last picture in the set shows a guy on the ground with a gun on his hip.

also, the round the clock coverage in the US of these attacks is incredible. its almost as if bombay has become the 51st state.

[A Arun]

Star news is reporting the terrorists were staying at the Nariman House on the 3rd or the 4th floor. The Jewish family lives in the same building, and were held hostage. Before the attacks, the terrorists had ordered 100 kgs of Chicken and lots of dry fruits. People living there got to know about this and got suspicious.

[RavinM]

Can I ask why is everyone calling them homegrown?? so many western reports? even though these are porkis as per the army, how can they be homegrown?

[Ujjal]

As someone pointed out before, these so-called Indian anchors, field journalists/reporters are SO annoying that they fly off-topic with their "ah ahs" - as if they are going to catch a quick train or something.

Good ole DD News pwns them all.


By the way, there's no such thing as MP6! Someone should tell that to PTI, Kapil Sibal and the reporters.

[Muppalla]

I used to like the old boring DD as compared to this stream of stupid news readers with lot of graphics/music and advertizements without any seriousness in their reporting.

[BijuShet]

Just saw Hussain Haqqani (Paki Amb, Washington, US) on CNN saying that India needs to identify with Pakis as victims of terror. He is asking India to not point the finger at Pakistan. Even when asked directly if there are terrorists groups operating in Pakistan he deflects it by saying there are terrorist groups all over the world. He keeps reminding that we need to work together as we are both victims of terror. He is mouthing some BS that Pakistan, Afghanistan and India are all democratic govts and he thinks democraies do not go to war with each other. It seems he is a poor student of history but then he is Paki so twisting truth comes naturally to him.

[jmaxwell]

hussain haqqani getting owned by CNN anchor

He was asked "Are there groups operating in pakistan attacking india?". He answers that there are many militant groups operating in the world. She cuts him off and repeats the question. He answers "well pakinstan is part of the world"

[fanne]

ya, I think he came as a snake oil merchent

[SwamyG]

Husain Haqqani is on CNN claiming Pakisan is a democracy and democracies don't go to war. He manages to bring in Kashmir. Why the heck is nobody from India on any of the news channel. What a bad PR! No vision or planning. Must be waiting for the politicians to spin. It points out the utter lack a mature system to take care of national interests.

[RavinM]

Also this thought just passed through, could this be Chena's masterful ploy to divert investments into chena? remember their growth has fallen to 8-9% now, almost as near to India's 7.3%, Also that bloody forsaken junk trawler came from Chena into Porkistan.

[Kati]

Looks like a bangladeshi to me as well.

Okay, I was focussing on the facial features (and the body profile) so far of that piglet.
Thanks for pointing that redband on the right hand. Very very interesting. If that guy is
a bangladeshi then it is an interesting characteristic. The handband is not orange,
rather = supposed to be red - the typical red threads hindus wear on wrists before
taking up a major assignment/work/promise. Bangladeshi muslims, having adopted
many hundu cultures/rituals, (well, just a few generations ago all were hindus/buddhists)
including the red thread which is worn after offering prayer at mosques or a famous
pir's dargah. I don't know how prevalent is this practice among the muslims in other
places. (Usually dargahs let the devotees wear such red thread, which with water and time,
gets discolored and may look like orange.)

[Jagan]

This photograph was taken at the CST Station - sadly shows two of the police officers killed in the encounter.

[darshan]

Can somebody please tell paki envoy that only reason you have some chair to seat on is due to India and current Indian PM otherwise nobody would even waste a second talking to lowly creatures of this planet?

[SBajwa]

WTF!!! by Kati
From the CCTV pics of those two piglets - I was trying to ascertain the
(sub)ethnicity. Though the indian subcontinent is now fairly homogeneous -
it appears the chubby, short, dark profile of the two may make them
Bangladeshi/bengali with very high probability. Next, most probable is -
Keralite. My rank three probable - Andhra. Four - locals from Mumbai.
May be the the total team had some pakistanis (as the leaders), but
looks like they recruited some from India, and had them trained in the
Mumbai surroundings.\

What is your agenda?

http://ishare.rediff.com/filevideo-Terr ... 519886.php

Does this sounds like Bangladeshi or Hyderabadi to you?

This guy is from naPakistani and he is Pathan/Pashtun from that part. I know for 100% fact because I have known/talked with many such characters. Just analyze his way of speaking/talking.

HE IS NOT A PATHAN FROM HYDERABAD OR DELHI LIKE AZHAR OR SHAHRUKH.

He is a 100% ISI trained Soldier who wants to terrorize the people.

IF THIS IS NOT AN ALL OUT WAR I AM NOT SURE WHAT COULD BE.

By The Way!! Pakistanis from Pakjab are as dark as Blacks from Africa, color and height does not make them non-locals or locals.

[RavinM]

{Useless part of post deleted. This is what remains.}

[brihaspati]

Bangladeshi media just reported about possible release of three militants from prison (possibly Kashmiri) in India in exchange for the life of one hostage, and another hostage has been killed by the hostage-takers. Any confirmation?

[rgsrini]

Kati,
I don't think we can go based on any of these facial and red band on the hand kind of superficial stuff. If I were ISI and if I want to plan an attack against India, then I will obviously do such things to confuse everyone. Why red band. I will make them wear clothes (including underpants) that are stiched/purchased by Hindus in Gujarat by a taylor named "ramachand" something and carry weapons that are Indian made and cellphones that are purchased from a Hindu.

These will tell us nothing. We need to go with other types of intelligence inputs such as conversation with the handlers (including checking the possibility of relayed conversation from within India etc)

[anishns]

That sounds of speculative B.S. if there ever was one!

Bangladeshi media just reported about possible release of three militants from prison (possibly Kashmiri) in India in exchange for the life of one hostage, and another hostage has been killed by the hostage-takers. Any confirmation?

[fanne]

No hostage exchange now, and if they do Congress will pay at the voting booth for it.

[Ujjal]

Looks like a bangladeshi to me as well.

Okay, I was focussing on the facial features (and the body profile) so far of that piglet.......

His wristband just looks like any other Live Strong-type "chalia" band.

Edit.

[darshan]

Kati,
I don't think we can go based on any of these facial and red band on the hand kind of superficial stuff. If I were ISI and if I want to plan an attack against India, then I will obviously do such things to confuse everyone. Why red band. I will make them wear clothes (including underpants) that are stiched/purchased by Hindus in Gujarat by a taylor named "ramachand" something and carry weapons that are Indian made and cellphones that are purchased from a Hindu.

These will tell us nothing. We need to go with other types of intelligence inputs such as conversation with the handlers (including checking the possibility of relayed conversation from within India etc)

I agree it is very easy to create plausibility. It is not a rocket science.

[Muppalla]

Can I ask why is everyone calling them homegrown?? so many western reports? even though these are porkis as per the army, how can they be homegrown?

Time is coming up as Indian politicians, Indian generals and ex-genarals, inteliigence officials will put a clear genetic map of the terrorists in couple of days ( see George J post below). I agree with him that the investigation will be very fast. No politics will come into picture as long as the terrorists are TSPians( in all respect it will be so based on the available info).

It will be dawn on the wetern forces that Indo-Pak thingy is back after a long time since parakram. This will seriously disrupt their short term Afghan based goals and there is a potential collapse of TSP that can be triggered due to any Indian action.

Before India officially names Al-Quaida, ISI and LeT, it is very important that the western media machinery, sack bags of analysts will be pouring their agenda based analysis and change the focus to home grown ones. (All search engines will makes sure this analysis will come as top links). The west is still trying its best to keep TSP together and they think it the single most important thing in this area to keep their clout.

Watch CNN, MSNBC etc after the operation is over and you will see this chorus more in action. Let me also remind one more thing here just for reference. After 911 there are a lot of ex-Sr.Bush admin folks came on TV and started Iraqi angle as opposed to TSP+ISI angle. ( even today 20 pages from the 911 report that belong to this angle still classified).

The game is about to start in few hours.

[darshan]

Okay, I was focussing on the facial features (and the body profile) so far of that piglet.......

Kati, if the rat was a possible Hindu or wanted to obfuscate as a Hindu, he would have wore the thread on his left hand. Girls (Hindus) wear threads on their right hand. His wristband just looks like any other Live Strong-type "chalia" band.

As far as I know everybody wears it on the right hand and not left hand.

[Ujjal]

Yeah, I edited my post. I just realized.

Oh it's nice being an Agnostic sometimes...or not.