Terror Attacks on Mumbai-II

SriKumar · Post by **SriKumar** » 28 Nov 2008 05:53

CRamS wrote:
Maj Gen R.K. Hooda, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa Area, also said the men feigned their identity by pretending to be from Hyderabad and were conversing in Punjabi. Asked if the terrorists are from any foreign country, he said: “All we can say is that one arrested terrorist is from Pakistan’s Faridkot.” — IANS

Indian officials should present this and shout from their roof tops. Perhaphs even allow gora dork media personnel to see for themselves .

It has already been done, CRams. This is why the video of the terrorist interview is so important (GuruNandan posted the TV interview video in part I of this thread). One does not need a fact-finding govt. commission to tell us what that accent is. Any Indian (who has some familiarity with North Indian accents) will spot it in a second. First and foremost, *all* Indians should know who these terrorists are. Regarding media (foreign or Indian) , given the past record, I am not sure to what extent they are generally concerned with truth (vs. spin). But hey, that shouldn't stop people from trying to get the truth out there...I agree.

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 28 Nov 2008 05:55

Hmmmmmmmmmmm......

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1227814 ... 08_mostpop

Mumbai Attack Is Obama's First International Challenge

By PRASHANT AGRAWAL

I moved to Mumbai six years ago from New York City, and I have seen India change with each terrorist attack. Wednesday night's attack will prove a defining turning point. India will go from being "resiliently defensive" to "resolutely offensive."

To understand the impact on the financial capital of India one needs to know the unique place the Taj Mahal Hotel and the Oberoi Complex (both the Oberoi Trident and the Oberoi) play in the fabric of the city's life, especially for its professionals. The Taj Mahal Hotel and the Oberoi Complex are not just the Four Seasons and Pierre of New York City. They are Mumbai's lifeline and blood.

As a consultant and a hedge fund manager, I, like thousands of Mumbai professionals, could count on being at these hotels two to three times a week. In any given week, more than a dozen conferences are being held at either hotel attended by the city's lawyers, bankers, consultants and entrepreneurs. The hotels are the Ellis Island for foreign firms and foreign professionals. Whole floors of these hotels serve as offices. The first outpost office of any major MNC is the Taj or the Oberoi: McKinsey, Blackstone, Texas Pacific Group, the list is endless.

But the hotels are much more than financial destinations; they are cultural centers. The best bookshop in Mumbai is in the Taj. Out of the 10 best restaurants in the city, half are in these two hotels. After a late night out, the 24 hour coffee shops of both hotels are filled with young people using them as late-night diners. Visit these same coffee shops in the day and you might see two families having a cup of tea discussing a matrimonial alliance. For a Mumbaiker, these hotels serve as a second home.

Every Indian is familiar with the Taj, its iconic red brick architecture façade serves as the backdrop for so many stories and Bollywood movies. So when Sonia Gandhi, the President of the ruling Congress Party, says that these are attacks on India's prestige, she means it.

If the attacks on the two hotels were not enough, the CST train terminal was hit. One out of every 10 commuters uses the CST (formerly known as the Victoria Terminus) daily. And after attacking the CST, the terrorists hit the Cama Hospital, a hospital for women and children. The last major target was a Jewish center. Mumbai has housed an Iraqi Jewish community for centuries. Not once have they been targeted. That has changed.

These attacks are going to serve as a tipping point for India. India has had no less than 10 terrorist attacks over the last five years described as India's 9/11. And so now is the latest assault.

As the Indian landscape changed, so has the Indian attitude. The first Bollywood movie on the attacks highlighted the resilience of Mumbai citizens. But in conversations, writings and film, people have shifted from resilience to wanting revenge. One of the most successful movies of 2008 highlights an ordinary citizen taking revenge. The surprise hit of 2008 in India is a low-budget thriller called "Wednesday." "Wednesday" is a taut thriller where the audience is held in suspense. The person the audience believes is a terrorist hell-bent on releasing his jailed compatriots is actually a vigilante. He doesn't secure the release; he blows them up.

The audience cheers as he tells the police, "We (the people) are tired of being resilient. Our hands are not tied, we too can hit back." Audiences around the country clapped and cheered his soliloquy. And now with these attacks, the attitude hardens even more. CNN-IBN, the local English news channel, not known for hyperbole, is calling its coverage not Terror in Mumbai, but "War on Mumbai." Local anchors refer to the rescue operations as urban warfare.

Last week, at an Indian leadership summit, I watched Shashi Tharoor, the former U.N. Undersecretary General and India's candidate to be Secretary General, ask Henry Kissinger how India should react to Pakistani agents attacking the Indian Embassy in Kabul. Mr. Kissinger said it wasn't his place to answer. Fair enough, but the question remains what should India do?

India faces tough decisions over the next few weeks and months. Every time India has been hit, there has be no counter reaction. The vast majority of Indians believe that the attacks emanate from Pakistan. While most Indians don't blame Pakistanis, they do blame instruments and agents of the Pakistani government, specifically the ISI. With the bombing in Kabul, the U.S. confirmed that the ISI was involved adding an independent credible voice to India's charges of Pakistani involvement.

In his first speech on Thursday to the nation, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said "It is evident that the group which carried out these attacks, based outside the country, had come with single-minded determination to create havoc in the commercial capital." There is little doubt as to which country Prime Minister Singh has in mind.

The people will demand action against the masterminds of the attacks. And perception in India is that it is the ISI guides and masterminds the attacks. Elections in India are in due in the next six months and pressure will mount on the Indian government to act. Joe Biden was right, Barack Obama will face an international test in the first six months. South Asia looks to be that test.

—Prashant Agrawal is CEO of Indipepal.com, an Indian Social Portal launching in December

GuruNandan · Post by **GuruNandan** » 28 Nov 2008 06:01

Three LeT militants arrested from Taj Hotel

Three terrorists, including a Pakistani national, were arrested by the security forces from the Taj Hotel in Mumbai on Thursday night.

Ajmal Amir Kamal, a resident of Faridkot, Multan in Pakistan and two others were arrested from the hotel, official sources said.

The arrested militants belong to Lashkar-e-Taiba, they said.

http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/nov/28- ... m-taj.html

vsudhir · Post by **vsudhir** » 28 Nov 2008 06:03

Deleted

enqyoob · Post by **enqyoob** » 28 Nov 2008 06:03

Rediff dorks report 3 porks nabbed

Three LeT militants arrested from Taj Hotel

PTI | November 28, 2008 | 01:59 IST

Three terrorists, including a Pakistani national, were arrested by the security forces from the Taj Hotel in Mumbai on Thursday night.

Ajmal Amir Kamal, a resident of Faridkot, Multan in Pakistan and two others were arrested from the hotel, official sources said.

The arrested militants belong to Lashkar-e-Taiba, they said.

So what are the other two? I see audios purporting to be from 3 named porks: Shahadullah, Imran and Imran Babar. All names sound bogus.

Well... we can always wait for "their NarcoTests". Though it sounds like the Major General's men have already got one pork squealing everything.

a_kumar · Post by **a_kumar** » 28 Nov 2008 06:04

Eric Margolis on CNN International:

HOST : What do you make of it?
EM : India's 911. Got to blame somebody. First..some of the attackers asked for India to get out of Kashmir...Question of Afghanistan..(India and Pakistan are vying for influence)...India says Pakistan encouraging terrorism in India.

HOST : On ground, it seems extremely sophisticated..what do you make of that?
EM : Seems to be inspired by other jihadist movements in Pak/Afghan. Seems young men and like suiside attackers. Surprised no specific demands were made. Also new is attention on westerners. Voilence in Afghanistan is triggering some of this.

HOST : Should american's be concerned ?
EM : There is intense anger throughout SA muslims about violence in Afghanistan. Karsai wants these ceased. Attacks also in Pakistan also causing some anger.

HOST : What needs to happen to stop this?
EM : India's big cities are wrecked by violence. Recently hindu gangs attacking Muslims and Christians. Certianly lessening of violence and diplomatic settlement in Afghanistan will go great distance in ending a lot of this. Another one is Kashmir issue.

HOST: Thats like saying we need to Arab-Isreali conflict? We cannot wait for it.
EM : This is difficult than that. Nuclear armed Ind/Pak with 3 hair-min trigger. If Pak is proved to be behind Pakistan, IA would be forced to attack pakistan.

HOST : MMS referred to across the border (thinly vieled..)
EM : India always points to Pakistan and there are rogue groups in Pakistan Intelligence. I don't think anybody in Pakistan would decide to kick india on shins and risk getting a thrashing...enrage a nuclear power.

(Actually) India has a home grown problem. The younger gen of 150M muslims feel like third-class citizens and taken page from Bin Ladin and inspite of govt efforts to uplift them.

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 28 Nov 2008 06:04

SriKumar wrote:
It has already been done, CRams. This is why the video of the terrorist interview is so important (GuruNandan posted the TV interview video in part I of this thread).

Someone please cross post that link here please..Download the video.

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 28 Nov 2008 06:06

vsudhir wrote:Horrible thought just passed by moi mind. PM, HM, SG all in mumbai - perfect opportunity for a decap strike, as it were. There should always, 24x7, be one 'high' constitutional functionary in secure undisclosed locationville.

RG would do fine in lieu of these.

enqyoob · Post by **enqyoob** » 28 Nov 2008 06:08

Here goes the same cycle of misinformation: this time from Sheela Bhatt, India A-Bored.

According to highly reliable intelligence sources , two boatfuls of weapons and some 18-20 terrorists most likely came from Karachi in Pakistan.

Intelligence agencies are zeroing in on the Lashkar-e-Tayiba as the agency behind the terror attacks.

The initial interrogation of terrorists captured in Mumbai has yielded some basic information. According to sources, for some time the directions kept coming "live" to the terrorists in Mumbai via satellite phones.

The intelligence sources said information is coming out quite rapidly because some six terrorists, who are in the custody of the Mumbai police, are under interrogation right now. He said the entire operation was led by Pakistani operators of the LeT but he doesn't rule out the involvement of some local youngsters in it.

"They are successful and we have failed," said the police officer with the agency. He said these attacks show that "the terrorists want to show that India is an unsafe place to do business in. The way they have focused on foreigners, they want to make Mumbai unattractive for foreign nationals."

enqyoob · Post by **enqyoob** » 28 Nov 2008 06:11

Now this gets serious: Sounds like an enterprising journalist for once:

Eyewitness says cops have not spoken to her

Wednesday 8.30 pm, Anita Rajendra Udiyar, a resident of Macchimar Nagar in Colaba, south Mumbai, was sitting outside her dwelling when she noticed a dinghy pulling up on the seashore nearby.

A longtime resident of the fishermen's colony, Anita says she has seen some unusual sights in the area, thanks to frequent film shootings nearby. What caught her eye, this time, was that the six youth in the dinghy � whom she describes as being around 25-30 years of age, wearing jeans and t-shirt � left the dinghy behind and started walking away with heavy blue, plastic bags. She recalls them wearing hats, too, and doing a thumbs up on landing.

Curious, Anita says she asked them what they were up to and was told to mind her own business.

Soon after, she said the group split into two, four going in the direction of Taj Mahal hotel [Images] and two going towards Nariman House.

The penny dropped for her when later on in the night she heard about the terror strikes nearby.

Spotting a police patrol after that, she informed them of what she saw but so far, she says, the police have not bothered to question her

When this reporter visited the Cuffe Parade police station, where the dinghy is now kept, she found them quite casual about the whole thing. The duty officer said the dinghy was of the kind that belonged to big boats and is used for evacuation.

Image: Anita Rajendra Udiyar (second from left) outside her dwelling in Macchimar Nagar, Colaba, South Mumbai

Text and photograph: Vaihayasi Daniel

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 28 Nov 2008 06:11

we finally have the tools in the form of standoff missiles to atleast undertake some token
strikes from land and sea on LeT and JeM camps. TSP is already in permanent gubo posture
wrt to missile strikes from the west, we launch and then pass on the new to paki ambassador when the impacts are imminent.

if we dont do this now, I dont think anything is going to be done even if Delhi was taken out by a JDAM dirty bomb.

enqyoob · Post by **enqyoob** » 28 Nov 2008 06:13

I agree, but I think you and I know what is going to happen, GD. I am using the rest of this post to describe what the Indian govt. will do.

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 28 Nov 2008 06:15

From what I can stitch there seem to be three Gemini speed boats and the LeT's "Marine" group was responsible for the operation.

All said and done this is India's second Kargil. And clearly the GoI has not really learned anything so far. They are at best reactive and tend to pay the price after the fact.

I think the Agrawal article is the best I have read so far - clear and to the point.

GuruNandan · Post by **GuruNandan** » 28 Nov 2008 06:15

Here is the links of the audio

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

http://ishare.rediff.com/filevideo-2nd- ... 519881.php

http://ishare.rediff.com/filevideo-Terr ... 519878.php

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 28 Nov 2008 06:17

As per Times Now "Army says Trident (Oberoi) cleared of terorists"

That should leave Nariman.

Confusing scrolling news - one injured Paki terrorist may be holed up in the Taj but it is not clear if he has been able to put his foil wrap and perfume to good use.

Mihaylo · Post by **Mihaylo** » 28 Nov 2008 06:17

vsudhir wrote: The Nariman house standoff is confusing. What is achieved by riling up yahudi and yankee at thsi stage by the jihadi scum?

Does kiyani really want dilli and the world to know TSP did this? What is gained frm such foolishness? What if we really declare war? Relieving pressure on the western border my foot, we'd merge the borders withthe indus then! Or does that possibility of India declaring war not count anymore?

Actually, targeting jews and jewish interests are classic signs of AQ. LeT is the primary suspect, but we at BR always knew that it was an arm of AQ. Kiyani doesn't fear war because he knows it is not an option India (with its present babudom) can go ahead with. He has gambled and looks like gambled well.

MMS better sound a war cry of some sorts, else he is out of office and will forever be bracketed with the likes of WKK Gujral and Sleepy Gowda

Mihaylo · Post by **Mihaylo** » 28 Nov 2008 06:24

Muppalla wrote:Is there a Faridkot in Pakijab. I only know the one in India's Punjab.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faridkot

There is one just west of Indian Punjab. See link below, bottom of the page
http://www.traveljournals.net/explore/p ... idkot.html

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 28 Nov 2008 06:40

Helicopter firing at terrorists in Nariman house right now..

madhum · Post by **madhum** » 28 Nov 2008 06:41

Full fledged operation going on at Nariman house. NSG using a chopper for the attack.

narmad · Post by **narmad** » 28 Nov 2008 06:42

CNND-IBN : Isreali rescue team on standby
Three hostages escaped from chabad house

vdutta · Post by **vdutta** » 28 Nov 2008 06:42

operation started at nariman house. a chopper hovering above the building...

sunilUpa · Post by **sunilUpa** » 28 Nov 2008 06:43

You guys watching CNN? Helicopter being deployed..

chaitanya · Post by **chaitanya** » 28 Nov 2008 06:43

NSG storming through the roof... idiot IBN reporters giving away their position

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 28 Nov 2008 06:43

Choppers are being used to drop in NSG commandos at Nariman House

madhum · Post by **madhum** » 28 Nov 2008 06:44

NSG commandoes launched from the chopper. Looks like a final push.

enqyoob · Post by **enqyoob** » 28 Nov 2008 06:45

Mihaylo:

Kiyani's sponsorship of this terrorist act makes eminent sense because the manufactured 'reality' is that "Al Qaeda" is DIFFERENT from "Pakistani Terrorism".

Time for some explanation to more recent entrants here. Only on BRF and a few places like that, is it understood that there is NO SUCH ENTITY AS 'AL QAEDA' - THE TERM IS AN INVENTION OF THE CIA. It means "Root Directory of Al Computer". See The directory is of the mujaheddin who came to fight the Russians circa 1979, and passed through the ISI safe house around Peshawar b4 heading off into the Khyber Pass. The purpose of the Directory was to have a place to check, when relatives asked later if so-and-so had been seen. If someone went off from here and was not heard from again, it was assumed that the Russians had done another service to humanity.

The terrorism is clearly planned, organized, trained, and operated by the Pakistani establishment. The proper term for the part that ran the "irregulars" was called the Pakistan Army of Islam. As of 1999, the Big Chief of the Pak Army of Islam was General Mohammed Aziz, best buddy of Gen. Musharraf. The conversation published by Indian intelligence as the Kargil war began, was between Aziz in Pakistan and Mush in Beijing, and included the statement from Aziz:

Sir, we have the jehadis by the scruff of the neck. They will do what we tell them to do

This is the point. The "Kashmiri Mujaheddin", the "Taliban", the "Lashkar-e-Toiba", the "Jaish-e-Mohammed", the "Harkat ul Mujaheddin", are all offshoots of the "Pakistan Army of Islam". This is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pakistan Army.

So isn't the Pakistan Army supporting the Global Offensive Against Terrori (GOAT) by fighting the "terrorists" on the the Pakistan-Afghanistan border?

Yeah, to those who smoke the same hashish that the Paki Army exports.

The Pakistan Army's HQ has no compunction whatever in sending poor Pakistani pandus and soldiers and young officers to die fighting the Pakistan Army's other forces - the "Taliban" or vice versa. It's just a mercenary operation, the payment for both sides comes to Pakistan Army HQ.

So what does Kiyani lose by this operation? They will come out bleating:

Bakistan boor country! Victim oph Terrorism! Bliss to provides more baksheesh!

Meanwhile they damage India's business interests heavily, at time when FDI is under extreme stress due to the economic slowdown. Maybe now stupid westerners will say:

What's the difference between Karachi and Mumbai? Security is actually better in Karachi for western interests!

As for the attack on the Jewish family, that is to "prove" to the zero-watt Experts of Dupli City and Foggy Bottom that this is an "Al Qaeda" attack, since the Pakistani Military is all "Secular" - they drink Jack Daniels, after all!

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 28 Nov 2008 06:45

Mi 17 low over Nariman house - Commandos may have rappelled down - but the situation/visuals not clear

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 28 Nov 2008 06:46

what they have done is put a Mi17 chopper hovering 10 ft above the roof. I dont see the
door being open and a 6 barrel gun pointing out, its just hovering. there was a period when
it was not clear behind a tree, so dont know if any people roped down to the roof.

perhaps its a play to freak out the terrorists and keep them on a hook for now.

--
Oberoi is far from clear, more army has been pressed in to create a watertight cordon
on the ground to prevent any escape.

report spoke of 2 pakis cornered on the 8th floor (last explosion at 2am, nothing after that)
and no news of the upper levels.

sunilUpa · Post by **sunilUpa** » 28 Nov 2008 06:47

Singha wrote:what they have done is put a Mi17 chopper hovering 10 ft above the roof. I dont see the
door being open and a 6 barrel gun pointing out, its just hovering. there was a period when
it was not clear behind a tree, so dont know if any people roped down to the roof.

perhaps its a play to freak out the terrorists and keep them on a hook for now.

--
Oberoi is far from clear, more army has been pressed in to create a watertight cordon
on the ground to prevent any escape.

report spoke of 2 pakis cornered on the 8th floor (last explosion at 2am, nothing after that)
and no news of the upper levels.

Commandos slithered...heli mooved away

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 28 Nov 2008 06:48

one tv channel claims 40 sayeret type israeli squad flew in last night and offered to help, but GOI has so far asked them not to take part.

vsudhir · Post by **vsudhir** » 28 Nov 2008 06:49

Wow. Mil Choppers pressed into service!

How many floors in the Nariman building? Is it taller than surrounding structures? could any gyanis plz shed light? TIA.

vdutta · Post by **vdutta** » 28 Nov 2008 06:49

we need another force called "Media control Force"
stupid media is giving away everything. commando opration depends a lot on element of surprize but media just blew their cover.

vdutta · Post by **vdutta** » 28 Nov 2008 06:52

Police just asked media to not telecast it live.
shouldnt they have done it before hand?
our curious public should go home and watch on TV instead of watching it on location. tv channels are showing them live anyways...

they should have deployed RAF to keep the crowd away..

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 28 Nov 2008 06:53

well the Mi17 hovering 10ft over a old 4 storeyed bldg should wake up even the dead.

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 28 Nov 2008 06:55

Live visuals of 8 commandos rappelling onto Nariman house - Times now - 3 minutes ago.

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 28 Nov 2008 06:56

vdutta wrote:Police just asked media to not telecast it live.
shouldnt they have done it before hand?
our curious public should go home and watch on TV instead of watching it on location. tv channels are showing them live anyways...

they should have deployed RAF to keep the crowd away..

No No that was the stupid DDM interpretation. That helo was firing - it is dangerous for people to hang around - leave aloe video the proceedings

enqyoob · Post by **enqyoob** » 28 Nov 2008 06:56

(post deleted by myself)

ajay_hk · Post by **ajay_hk** » 28 Nov 2008 07:01

The CNN-IBN spokesperson says that the Electricity is cut off around the Nariman house area and there is no access to live reporting atleast from the TV. The electricity has been cut off from last night. This was specifically asked by the news reporter. She said they are not aware of any mobile phones, satellite TVs being used by the terrorists inside for information gathering.

Even after media has been specifically told by NSG to NOT show/update the live operations - they seem to not bother and even are mentioning as to how many commadoes are going through various entry points. Sigh! these guys needs to be taught some basics of reporting.

Sudip · Post by **Sudip** » 28 Nov 2008 07:05

i dont wish to sound stupid and immature but i wonder and reiterate why isnt it possible to
1) send a submarine close to pakistan waters and then a commando force to karachi to kidnap dawood/other top bosses (im sure pakistani coast defense is even worse than india's)
2) send covert crack team through NW borders of pak
3) or samjhauta express

I just cant help but arrive at this conclusion. Apart from a Mossad style covert kidnappings/assasinations i dont see any other befitting reply to these deaths. War is out of the question, so better not waste time and resources over it.

Sorry admins if i am breaking any forum rules.

Airavat · Post by **Airavat** » 28 Nov 2008 07:06

narayanan wrote:Now this gets serious: Sounds like an enterprising journalist for once:

Wednesday 8.30 pm, Anita Rajendra Udiyar, a resident of Macchimar Nagar in Colaba, south Mumbai, was sitting outside her dwelling when she noticed a dinghy pulling up on the seashore nearby.

What caught her eye, this time, was that the six youth in the dinghy � whom she describes as being around 25-30 years of age, wearing jeans and t-shirt � left the dinghy behind and started walking away with heavy blue, plastic bags. She recalls them wearing hats, too, and doing a thumbs up on landing.

Curious, Anita says she asked them what they were up to and was told to mind her own business.

There was another eyewitness to the landing. Speaking to the Times Now channel he narrated how the terrorists landed in their dinghy, strapped on the blue bags, and started jogging away. He described them as "chiknay", meaning young and smooth-skinned.

And further when he asked them who they were the pakis said, "We are students." The eyewitness described their demeanour as aggressive.