Terror Attacks in Mumbai - III

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 29 Nov 2008 13:16

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/

Four Mumbai terrorists 'had links with Britain'
Kashmiri separatists prime suspects for attacks

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/w ... 254371.ece

Bombay: wealthy owe lives to hotel’s cummerbund heroes
Staff shielded guests from gunmen’s bullets
A hotel worker is helped by a colleague after jumping from a higher floor

Rhys Blakely in Bombay
They were heroes in cummerbunds and overalls. The staff of the Taj Mahal Palace hotel saved hundreds of wealthy guests as heavily armed gunmen roamed the building, firing indiscriminately, leaving a trail of corpses behind them.

Among the workers there were some whose bravery and sense of duty led them to sacrifice their own lives, witnesses said.

Prashant Mangeshikar, a guest, said that a hotel worker, identified only as Mr Rajan, had put himself between one of the gunmen and Mr Mangeshikar, his wife and two daughters.

“The man in front of my wife shielded us,” Mr Mangeshikar said. “He was a maintenance section staff member. He took the bullets.” For the next 12 hours, before Mr Rajan was finally taken out of the hotel, guests battled to stop the bleeding from a gaping bullet wound in his abdomen. It is not known if he lived.

Actor left for dead then arrested as suspect
Minister: Britons are among those detained

The Taj Mahal had been renowned for its sublime service for decades. Few of the hotel’s wealthy patrons would have predicted, however, that the men and women who delivered their meals and carried their bags – people earning a fraction of the sums of those they served – would display such courage and composure as the death toll quickly rose around them.

As the terrible events of Wednesday night unfolded, the staff of what had been Bombay’s finest hotel leapt into action. Scores of tales later emerged of unnamed workers hiding guests, barricading doors, tending the vulnerable and issuing orders.

Dalbir Bains, a British businesswoman, was with friends beside the hotel pool when the first crackle of automatic gunfire was heard a short distance away. “We heard shots and saw a man who’d just been shot. The terrorists were just behind us as we ran,” she said.

She made her way upstairs to Sea Lounge, a café on the first floor of the hotel, where the guests were still unaware of the fast-approaching threat. “Within seconds the staff had locked the doors, turned off the lights and told everybody to get on the floor,” she said. “They were fantastic. They saved lives.” Yesterday, as the most sophisticated terror attack to be mounted in India moved into its third day, Indian special forces from the crack Marine Commando Force (Marcos) gave an account of their mission to liberate the Taj – and the scenes of horror that staff and guests had witnessed.

The soldiers said that they were led by a hotel employee as they fought a sequence of running battles with gunmen in corridors and rooms strewn with dead bodies and seriously injured guests.

They also described the ferociousness of the gunmen. “They were the kind of people with no remorse – anybody and whomsoever came in front of them they fired at,” said a senior Marcos officer, clad in black, his face masked to protect his identity.

Faced with conditions that the troops, India’s toughest soldiers, said had tested them to the limit, the staff of the Taj Mahal remained astonishingly composed, witnesses said.

With the gunmen only metres away, a waiter at the Golden Dragon, the hotel’s Chinese restaurant, barricaded the doors. The staff then led the diners to the hotel’s business centre, which became a makeshift bunker for hundreds of guests. Parizaad Khan, 26, who sheltered there, said: “They handed out blankets, drinks. Despite the chaos all around they didn’t stop working for a second. They were amazingly calm.”

Before the attacks, the Taj Mahal was possibly one of the most civilised places on earth, largely thanks to the people who worked there.

Everything about them was just so, from the impressive moustaches of the impeccably dressed porters who opened guests’ car doors, to the perfectly pressed waistcoats of the bartenders and to the silk saris of the female concierge staff.

This army of workers had been brought together from the four corners of the world – Japanese sushi specialists served daily delicacies; there was a Turkish head chef at the famed Lebanese restaurant, Souk, an establishment favoured by the wealthy Arabs who regularly pass through. For an ordinary citizen of Bombay, a city where half the population lives in slums, a trip to the Taj would leave a memory that would last a lifetime. The hotel staff prided themselves on serving maharajas and princes, heads of states, tycoons, captains of industry and modern-day corporate nomads.

The Taj’s architectural influences are Moorish, Oriental, Indian and Florentine. Public areas have vaulted alabaster ceilings, hand-woven carpets and crystal chandeliers. And the staff were just as classy as the décor.

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 29 Nov 2008 13:16

Indian Forces Comb Taj Mahal After Deadliest Attack Since 1993
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid= ... mmrhi_hdrU

By Vipin Nair and Stephen Foxwell

Nov. 29 (Bloomberg) -- Indian forces combed the luxury Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai looking for survivors of the nation's deadliest attack in at least 15 years after commandos killed the remaining terrorists to end a 60-hour siege.

At least 195 people were killed in the attacks on the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower and Oberoi-Trident hotels, a Jewish center, railway station and restaurant, S Jadhav, an official at the city's disaster management unit said.

Two blasts were heard inside the Taj Mahal Hotel after the National Security Guard said in a public announcement it would set off controlled explosions. Firemen who were putting out a blaze that started shortly after daybreak pulled back from the building. Ratan Tata, Chairman of Tata Group, which owns the Taj Hotel, visited the site with officials from the group.

Busloads of commandoes moved in earlier to do a room-by-room search after gunshots and blasts that had rocked the building in the early hours of today subsided. The siege on the hotel is over, Press Trust of India said in a news flash.

The NSG wasn't declaring an end to the crisis until all rooms at the Taj Mahal hotel were searched, J.K. Dutt, director general of NSG commando unit, said at a briefing, adding some guests may still be in the complex.

Foreigners Killed

More than 295 people were injured as the attackers moved through India's financial hub, Jadhav said.

Most of those who died were Indians and a final death toll hasn't been officially released. Five Americans died in the attacks, the U.S. State Department said in a statement. More U.S. citizens are missing. A German, two Australians, two Frenchmen, a Briton, a Japanese, a Canadian, a Singaporean and an Italian were among the dead, the Associated Press said yesterday.

Two rabbis from New York were among five hostages and two attackers who died at the Jewish Chabad-Lubavitch Center in Mumbai when it was stormed by Indian commandos.

The attack is the deadliest in India since a series of bomb blasts rocked Mumbai's commercial landmarks, including the Bombay Stock Exchange building, killing more than 250 people in 1993.

The 1993 blasts were blamed by the police on members of the Mumbai underworld, belonging to Dawood Ibrahim's gang. India says Ibrahim is hiding in Pakistan, a charge the neighboring country denies.

A little-known Islamist group, the Deccan Mujahedeen, claimed responsibility for the shootings and explosions across the western coastal city that started late on Nov. 26, Indian Home Ministry official M.L. Kumawat said.

The attackers began planning their assaults six months ago, India's NDTV reported, citing an account from a captured terrorist. A seized global positioning system showed some of the group left Karachi, Pakistan, as early as Nov. 12, NDTV said.

Advance Surveys

Lashkar-i-Taiba or Jaish-i-Muhammad, two Muslim extremist terrorist groups from Pakistan that have attacked India in the past, may be involved, MSNBC reported on its Web site, citing unidentified analysts and counterterrorism officials. The groups are linked to violence in Kashmir, a region over which India and Pakistan have fought.

The attackers were familiar with their targets and had probably done surveys in advance, a leader of Indian commandos said yesterday in a video on the Times of India Web site.

``We came up against highly motivated terrorists,'' Vice- Admiral J.S. Bedi, whose commandos led the assault against the militants, said in televised comments. He showed pictures of recovered hand grenades, tear-gas shells and AK-47 ammunition.

Multiple Attacks

Multiple attacks have hit cities in India, which is mostly Hindu, with bombs planted in markets, theaters and near mosques this year, leaving more than 300 people dead.

India will ``go after'' individuals and organizations behind the attacks, which were ``well-planned with external linkages,'' Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said in a televised address, without identifying nations.

Pakistan's government turned down India's request to send the chief of the military intelligence agency to investigate the Mumbai terror attacks, CNN-IBN television reported today.

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari said earlier he will send the intelligence head to India for the first time to counter claims that the attackers are linked to his country.

Pakistan's ``government will cooperate with India in exposing and apprehending the culprits and the masterminds behind'' the Mumbai terrorist attacks, according to a statement by the president's office, citing Zardari's phone conversation yesterday with Singh.

The attacks in Mumbai show a militant movement among Indian- born followers of Islam is aligning its campaign with those from majority-Muslim countries, while seeking to hit economic interests, B. Raman, the former counterterrorism director of India's intelligence agency, said in a telephone interview yesterday.

To contact the reporters on this story: Vipin V. Nair in Mumbai at vnair12@bloomberg.net; Stephen Foxwell in Mumbai at sfoxwell@bloomberg.net.
Last Updated: November 29, 2008 02:13 EST

milindc · Post by **milindc** » 29 Nov 2008 13:18

Eshwar wrote:
Bharadwaj wrote: I think she refused from all politicos.... but of course this is barkhatv....
In any case, I think Modi showed a lack of discretion here, for the first time, from my limited knowledge. He should have waited until the mil ops were over. He might have lost some political stock here.

On the other hand, he was the first politician who came out and outright accused Pakis. Requested the PM to take war to Pakis. There was a strong message and thunder in his voice unless 'Deer caught in headlights' speech by MMS.
The guy who can't decide on Afzal Guru can't inspire a nation... at these hard times.

If Shri Karkare's wife decides to refuse compensation from Guj Govt, she has that pejorative and might have her reasons. It no way diminishes Modi's leadership...

trivedi · Post by **trivedi** » 29 Nov 2008 13:19

JimmyJ wrote:
And I think that is the one big reason to tell that the terrorist have failed in their ultimate aim. Rather than dividing the people of India, this one incident has brought many a people together, with each and every people joining their hands together. It proves one important point that even when when there is lot of differences, any danger against the Nation will be dealt with unity.

Yes. It's easy but wrong and destructive to vent our anger at Indian Muslims when the focus should be Pakistan. In my personal experience most Indian Muslims are more patriotic than some of our current Hindu leaders.

MJ Akbar ripped the current admin a new one in the guardian yesterday: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree ... cks-india3

R_Kumar · Post by **R_Kumar** » 29 Nov 2008 13:21

Just wondering if they have intercepted new threat or its just precautionary measure.
Ahmedabad to be barricaded

AHMEDABAD: In the coming week, the city will begin to look like a war zone. Looking at the threat perception on the city after the Mumbai
terror
attack, top police officials have charted out a plan to increase manual surveillance which includes barricading entry points to the city and having Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans patrol the streets.

At least 25 strategic points in the city will also have men with machine-guns stationed in sand bunkers.

According to senior city police officials, in an unprecedented move, city police will erect several watch towers on roads as well as entry points near SG Highway, Narol-Naroda stretch, Chandkheda and other roads and will strengthen the existing force with new weapons and bullet-proof jackets. ...

trivedi · Post by **trivedi** » 29 Nov 2008 13:26

R_Kumar wrote:Just wondering if they have intercepted new threat or its just precautionary measure.
Ahmedabad to be barricaded

[/quote]

They would attack Ahmedabad just to cause Modi loss of face but two other things make an attack on Ahmedabad even more likely:

- After Mumbai, it is perhaps India's most volatile city in terms of communal riots and if that happened now it would please Porkies to no end.

- In the past they have adopted the strategy of targeting cities serially, like the serial blasts in 3 cities just a few months ago.

Eshwar · Post by **Eshwar** » 29 Nov 2008 13:27

milindc wrote: On the other hand, he was the first politician who came out and outright accused Pakis. Requested the PM to take war to Pakis. There was a strong message and thunder in his voice unless 'Deer caught in headlights' speech by MMS.
The guy who can't decide on Afzal Guru can't inspire a nation... at these hard times.

If Shri Karkare's wife decides to refuse compensation from Guj Govt, she has that pejorative and might have her reasons. It no way diminishes Modi's leadership...

He could have done everything he has done even after the operations were over. He would not be facing these accusations then.

Lalmohan · Post by **Lalmohan** » 29 Nov 2008 13:28

SHQ used to work at the Taj, many staff are dead, quite a few known personally by her. It seems Taj staff have been tremendously brave in saving lives. Also, one piglet pretended to be staff and herded guests into a room in order to kill them. Similar story in Oberoi.

I remain very angry

Anabhaya · Post by **Anabhaya** » 29 Nov 2008 13:32

a string of meetings and chai-biskoot.

- high level security agencies meet with PM today.
- CWC meet today evening
- all party meeting tomorrow.

home minister skipped in all important meetings.

veejey · Post by **veejey** » 29 Nov 2008 13:33

R_Kumar wrote:Just wondering if they have intercepted new threat or its just precautionary measure.
Ahmedabad to be barricaded

AHMEDABAD: In the coming week, the city will begin to look like a war zone. Looking at the threat perception on the city after the Mumbai
terror
attack, top police officials have charted out a plan to increase manual surveillance which includes barricading entry points to the city and having Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans patrol the streets.

At least 25 strategic points in the city will also have men with machine-guns stationed in sand bunkers.

According to senior city police officials, in an unprecedented move, city police will erect several watch towers on roads as well as entry points near SG Highway, Narol-Naroda stretch, Chandkheda and other roads and will strengthen the existing force with new weapons and bullet-proof jackets. ...

I live in Ahmedabad. On Thursday on my way to office, I was passing through Panjrapole to LD College Road. On this road University Police has put up a Barricade. But guess what - 3 cops were sitting on chairs on one side of the road. 2 cops were busy having their morning cup of tea and one was reading morning news paper. None of them were on guard or even looking at the moving traffic !

I guess drastic Police Reforms are required not only in terms of training and equipments but also in terms of mind set.

Rahul Shukla · Post by **Rahul Shukla** » 29 Nov 2008 13:35

ISI has not been napping. I wouldn't be surprised if there are sleeper cells in every major Indian city. Besides, the interrogation might have revealed something relevant to Ahmedabad.

Finally, the authorities are never going to truly disclose how many girlie-boys have decided to foresake their houries either voluntarily or otherwise. There's follow up cleaning to be done and they dont want the handlers tipped off prematurely...

trivedi · Post by **trivedi** » 29 Nov 2008 13:35

No indication of our staff involved in terror attacks: Taj (from IBN)

Still can't rule it out till authorities confirm but having seen a friend struggle to get a job at Taj (effectively as a waiter) after a masters in hotel management from a decent college, I would be surprises if a porky got through. Then again, faking credentials isn't that hard.

vera_k · Post by **vera_k** » 29 Nov 2008 13:36

Eshwar wrote:
milindc wrote: On the other hand, he was the first politician who came out and outright accused Pakis. Requested the PM to take war to Pakis. There was a strong message and thunder in his voice unless 'Deer caught in headlights' speech by MMS.
The guy who can't decide on Afzal Guru can't inspire a nation... at these hard times.

If Shri Karkare's wife decides to refuse compensation from Guj Govt, she has that pejorative and might have her reasons. It no way diminishes Modi's leadership...
He could have done everything he has done even after the operations were over. He would not be facing these accusations then.

Delhi was about to vote and the opportunity to influence voters would have been missed if Modi had waited. IMO In this case the need for political change is too great and the potential benefits outweighs any possible negative consequences. Those who are complaining about Modi now would have complained no matter what.

milindc · Post by **milindc** » 29 Nov 2008 13:38

Eshwar wrote:
milindc wrote: On the other hand, he was the first politician who came out and outright accused Pakis. Requested the PM to take war to Pakis. There was a strong message and thunder in his voice unless 'Deer caught in headlights' speech by MMS.
The guy who can't decide on Afzal Guru can't inspire a nation... at these hard times.

If Shri Karkare's wife decides to refuse compensation from Guj Govt, she has that pejorative and might have her reasons. It no way diminishes Modi's leadership...
He could have done everything he has done even after the operations were over. He would not be facing these accusations then.

boss, there was tremendous leadership vacuum from the existing UPA clowns at this crisis hour. Both HM/PM were hiding under their desk unable to face the wrath of common folks. He jumped in to fill the vaccum.
What accusations? If a lady refuses a compensation, why blow it up out of proportion and feed to anti-national drivel from NDTV

trivedi · Post by **trivedi** » 29 Nov 2008 13:38

veejey wrote: I live in Ahmedabad. On Thursday on my way to office, I was passing through Panjrapole to LD College Road. On this road University Police has put up a Barricade. But guess what - 3 cops were sitting on chairs on one side of the road. 2 cops were busy having their morning cup of tea and one was reading morning news paper. None of them were on guard or even looking at the moving traffic !

I guess drastic Police Reforms are required not only in terms of training and equipments but also in terms of mind set.

If anyone can reform them, it's Modi.

I'd say places like TGB off S.G. road and MM around C.G. road are places to watch. They could also go after Akshardham again. Are there any new places the cool kids are hanging at these days?

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 29 Nov 2008 13:39

Carnage planned a year ago!Training by Paki navt at Karachi.
Time to destroy Karachi again.They must taste '71 again.Navy Day is fast approaching too.

IF the IB did give an alert,then who buried it under a mountain of paper? Isn't the NSA clown in charge responsible for this catastrophic failure?

http://news.in.msn.com/national/article ... id=1710704

Militants booked into Taj six days back to stock up
New Delhi: Two Pakistani suicide attackers, part of a group of 20-25 alleged Lashkar-e-Tayyeba operatives that launched a deadly attacks in Mumbai on Wednesday night, had checked into the Taj Mahal hotel four days earlier. This is what two of the apprehended terrorists now in Mumbai Police’s custody told Intelligence Bureau (IB) officials.

“One of the two terrorists who had checked into the Taj Hotel on November 22 was Ajmal Amir, a resident of Faridkot, Multan. The other could have been shot dead in operations,” a senior IB officer told HT after the suspects’ debriefing. “The two used false identities and checked into room number 630,” he added.

“The duo received several visitors between Saturday, November 22 and Wednesday, when the attacks began. These visitors carried bags probably filled with weapons and explosives.” The officer said Manjar, who was also held by police, told interrogators the group was in telephonic contact with mentors in Karachi throughout the attacks.

The suspects allegedly revealed the plan to attack Mumbai was formulated by the LeT brass a year back. They also claimed the group of men “specialised in terror training at Muzaffarabad in PoK and naval training in Karachi” from Laskhar trainers, another interrogator said.

An IB alert issued last January had claimed that a team of LeT terror team had been assigned to strike in Mumbai from sea.

© Copyright 2008 HT Media Ltd. All rights reserved.

Anabhaya · Post by **Anabhaya** » 29 Nov 2008 13:41

request all to keep a tab on the wiki pages. attempts made to register the girlie-boys native as B.D.

p_saggu · Post by **p_saggu** » 29 Nov 2008 13:42

This is a perfect situation for pakistan.
Kiyani orders this attack, Zardari and Gilani are the fall guys who have to call up MMS and talk of democracy and victims of terror - joint investigations etc.

In ABV's time when the parliament attack took place Mushy's tushy was set on fire because there was no passing the buck - he was in charge. So he just HAD to come on TV and be ashamed for a while.
Whatever Zardari or Gilani promise doesn't matter at all - these two couldn't go to the loo in the morning if Kiyani or the ISI disapprove.

Now there is obviously no need for such niceties even. Manmohan Singh can ramble on and on about india being a victim, (He is hoping Britain and the US - specially GWB will help him out !!!) only to get a middle finger shown to him by the pakistanis.

The west will support us if we take action - BUT WE HAVE TO TAKE THE INITIATIVE HERE AND TAKE ACTION. Manmohan Singh is rapidly taking the retaliation aspect out of the equation here.

His opening gambit has fallen flat - Now ISI chief is not coming - probably the PA of the ISI Chief's chaprasi is coming to waste some time and be a sarkari guest in India who will listen to what GOI has to say to him and then say, "Hmmm, but this evidence is circumstantial, there are Hindu terrorists all over, our info is that your RAW staged this..."

And so you have it, MMS plans on using the National Security Act on these guys, He plans on having Police reforms, He agrees on the need for a more "Tougher" anti terrorism law...

We've been had.

trivedi · Post by **trivedi** » 29 Nov 2008 13:42

milindc wrote:
Eshwar wrote:

I actually agree with you. From a civilian perspective it seemed like India had run out of leaders till Modi spoke.

OTOH let's not pretend the lady refused the money just because. Advani had called Karkare anti-national for his role in the Sadhvi debacle.

Shivani · Post by **Shivani** » 29 Nov 2008 13:43

Rahul M wrote:
milindc wrote:2 terrorists stayed at Taj per News24.
Lot of local folks came to meet them and brought bags.
some bengali TV channels reporting that one terrorist was at taj for 10 months working as a chef.

This can be a good source of intelligence. The hotel staff should look into the HR records and hand over the data to investigating authorities.

Staff should also be encouraged to provide any other information in private interviews, and their identity should be protected.

One can only wish some leads might open up and more people are caught alive.

Anabhaya · Post by **Anabhaya** » 29 Nov 2008 13:45

Clearly the PA/ISI put their foot down and said no going to India business. Not at the level of ISI Chief. Why would they do that unless they smelt trouble? After all, MMS only said we wanted to 'share certain information'. Somethings up.

Eshwar · Post by **Eshwar** » 29 Nov 2008 13:46

I am not talking about NDTV drivel, everyone knows about NDTVs loyalties. I am not sure if he really conveyed a message that fills the political vacuum you mentioned. He is going to move to important positions at the center soon. And he has the ability and leadership qualities to really unite the nation which is the need of the hour. He has the substance, he needs the image also.

Raju · Post by **Raju** » 29 Nov 2008 13:47

the chef who was the terrorist 'insider' was from Britain and working in Taj on apprenticeship as trainee chef.

not an actual employee per se. this is being reported in news along with other tidbits

Vikramaditya · Post by **Vikramaditya** » 29 Nov 2008 13:48

toll likely to double - barkha/ndtv

VRao · Post by **VRao** » 29 Nov 2008 13:50

It's all over...for now!

See pictures of the terror attacks from day 1 till the final assault
Link: http://www.bharatchronicle.com/final-st ... st-attacks

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 29 Nov 2008 13:52

time for some introspection:

it seems certain that the terrorists had local support.

I just hope our idiotic intelligentsia doesn't turn the post-attack investigations into another "security forces targeting minorities" saga.

many muslims have also perished in this attack. The fight is against Islamic pakistan backed terrorism but our psecs would like to pretend that it is against all muslims.

in equating terrorist=muslim they not only are responsible for the lack of progress in terror investigations (and thereby for the deaths) but are also guilty of painting the whole Indian muslim community as terrorists.

If any class is anti-muslim in India it is this very p'sec community.

p_saggu · Post by **p_saggu** » 29 Nov 2008 13:53

I don't see another attack happening just yet.
The ahmedabad thing is probably a result of what girlie boy babbled out or some new info.
Pakistan will ask its sleeper cells to sleep for a while and awaken if for instance India attacks Pakistan - There is a real danger of that happening in the initial week or so.
There will be attacks closer to the election with an aim to cause a Hindu-muslim polarization to affect the outcome of the elections. At current setting, in Delhi who ever I speak to - Delhi is going into polls today - is dissing Congress like hell.
Chances are that its very close to game over for the Congress in Feb-Mar 2009.

Hey my post count reads : 786. Sacred Number - Its god's will whatever is in this post...

sum · Post by **sum** » 29 Nov 2008 13:54

Shivani wrote:
Rahul M wrote: some bengali TV channels reporting that one terrorist was at taj for 10 months working as a chef.
This can be a good source of intelligence. The hotel staff should look into the HR records and hand over the data to investigating authorities.

Staff should also be encouraged to provide any other information in private interviews, and their identity should be protected.

One can only wish some leads might open up and more people are caught alive.

This might very well be happening...

Also, never discount the power of disinformation by the Indian agencies since they are the only ones knowing the true picture...
Few reported as dead might be squealing away in a dark dungeon(while the still free conspirators breathe easy that they cannot be pointed out by anyone)...
Also, any turd reported still missing/unknown status might have been dead/captured and this info not passed so that the Handlers continue trying to contact those turds, the info of which our agencies will fully utilize(this was done in J&K where a dead Al-Badr terrorist was never revealed to have been killed and the info passed by his handler to the "still alive" terrorist was used by the agencies to hunt down the top brass of the Al-Badr).

trivedi · Post by **trivedi** » 29 Nov 2008 13:54

PM to meet security agencies, Home Minister not invited - IBN

Patil on his way out? The cloud has a silver lining (a F'in faint one at that, but whatever)

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 29 Nov 2008 13:54

Shivani wrote:
Rahul M wrote: some bengali TV channels reporting that one terrorist was at taj for 10 months working as a chef.
This can be a good source of intelligence. The hotel staff should look into the HR records and hand over the data to investigating authorities.

Staff should also be encouraged to provide any other information in private interviews, and their identity should be protected.

One can only wish some leads might open up and more people are caught alive.

The guy should have prepared documentation on some degree/diploma from a catering institute and other ID proofs. We should trace back from where he obtained these fake documents. What else did he reveal in casual talk with colleagues ? Where did he live in Mumbai ? Does Taj provide accommodation ? His telephone contact history etc can be dug up as well as eMails he might have sent/received. There is a wealth of info. to nail down Pakistan here.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 29 Nov 2008 13:56

trivedi wrote:
PM to meet security agencies, Home Minister not invited - IBN
Patil on his way out? The cloud has a silver lining (a F'in faint one at that, but whatever)

After the previous bombing also, he was not invited for one such meeting; but, he has continued blithely.

trivedi · Post by **trivedi** » 29 Nov 2008 13:56

p_saggu wrote: The ahmedabad thing is probably a result of what girlie boy babbled out or some new info.
Pakistan will ask its sleeper cells to sleep for a while and awaken if for instance India attacks Pakistan - There is a real danger of that happening in the initial week or so.

You are probably right. They were probably hoping to start the Hindu Muslim polarization now. Despite having failed, they still can't risk more international pressure for some time.

Good point.

Prasad · Post by **Prasad** » 29 Nov 2008 13:57

p_saggu wrote: Patni,
Could you please make the map?

CNN has a map already at http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiap ... nSTCOther1

Thats a good starting point.

sum · Post by **sum** » 29 Nov 2008 14:00

p_saggu wrote: There will be attacks closer to the election with an aim to cause a Hindu-muslim polarization to affect the outcome of the elections. At current setting, in Delhi who ever I speak to - Delhi is going into polls today - is dissing Congress like hell.
Chances are that its very close to game over for the Congress in Feb-Mar 2009.

Absolutely, the goose of the Kangress has been cooked...Their only voters will be the p-secs and the muslims believing that this entire thing is a RSS arranged thing to get the Sadhvi freed!!!

ASPuar · Post by **ASPuar** » 29 Nov 2008 14:05

Arnab Goswami of Times Now has been asking what has happened to all those people who two weeks ago were questioning why an army man should receive 24 eggs ration or a paltry 1500 rupee Military Service Pay.

The country has tragically learned of what the Army fights every day in Kashmir, and the Northeast. Highly trained, foriegn backed terror.

I think even the most vehement opponents, of whom there are unfortunately some on this board also, of granting the armed forces parity with their civvie counterparts, in terms of pay, promotions and status will understand that to not do so, is self defeating.

I think every Indians eyes filled with tears, seeing the crowds cheer our troops in Mumbai yesterday. Why then, do we forget them in a variety of sophistic arguments once we are safe again, thanks to them?

kobe · Post by **kobe** » 29 Nov 2008 14:05

SSridhar wrote:I update my earlier post:

The training was for a period of at least 3 months in Pakistan and these are LeT operatives
The Pakistani Maritime authorities helped in charting out routes including the return path, all crammed into their navigation equipment
The terrorists started from a remote creek near Karachi and after a day out in the sea, were picked up by a Pakistani mothership
the terrorists came near Porbandar where they then commandeered an Indian trawler, eliminated the fisherman and ordered the captain to take them to Sasoon Docks.
They spent almost 4 days on this trawler, possibly waiting for some signal to reach Mumbai

They were picked up from there by some others, possibly Indians.
They split into at least three groups, one went to CST from where the Versace terrorist who is now spilling the beans was captured. This group also killed the ATS chief
Some terrorists had already occupied the Taj and moved in explosives much earlier (possibly, the same happened in Oberoi but not yet confirmed)
The corner first floor room in the Taj had been converted into the ops room by the terrorists
The idea was to enact a 'JW Marriott' of the Taj & Trident

If I may add to the above:
they must have some local help (for example regarding the jewish center, cafe leopold, etc, westerner hang out areas etc, they also had phone numbers of the TV channels).

another sadly curious event was the murder of ATS chief and others,

seems to point to ISI sleeper cells in the city

ajayv · Post by **ajayv** » 29 Nov 2008 14:08

hi all. Have been an avid reader of the site for the last 6 years. Finally decided to become a poster now. my heart felt condolonces to all the civlians and brave Police and NSG officers and personnel who made the supreme sacrifice for the safety of mother India and her citizens. A few hours back i got to know of my close friends business partner who was evacuated from the oberoi seriously injured with 2 bullet wounds. He had pretended to be dead for over 40 hours untill he was rescued. His condition is now stable and he's given a chilling account of what happened at Kandahar (indian restaurant) at the Oberoi. While dinig with his 2 best friends they suddenly heard gun shots in the vicinity. while they instinctively ducked for cover the terrorists sprayed bullets all over and killed most of the people. The surviors wer asked to stand up with their arms in the air. Then along with some foreigners were then taken upstairs and asked to stand in a line. All of them except for a few foreigner were shot at in cold blood. Cant even imgaine what the man went thro seeing his best friends murdered in cold blood. Bloody animals.

wasu · Post by **wasu** » 29 Nov 2008 14:09

Shivani wrote:
Rahul M wrote: some bengali TV channels reporting that one terrorist was at taj for 10 months working as a chef.
This can be a good source of intelligence. The hotel staff should look into the HR records and hand over the data to investigating authorities.

Staff should also be encouraged to provide any other information in private interviews, and their identity should be protected.

One can only wish some leads might open up and more people are caught alive.

The guy should have prepared documentation on some degree/diploma from a catering institute and other ID proofs. We should trace back from where he obtained these fake documents. What else did he reveal in casual talk with colleagues ? Where did he live in Mumbai ? Does Taj provide accommodation ? His telephone contact history etc can be dug up as well as eMails he might have sent/received. There is a wealth of info. to nail down Pakistan here.

Sridhar/Rahul, as eyewitness who was escaped (Malini something) was on BBC this morning via phone and mentioned that one chef fired and killed the other chef. I'm sure the completely story on this pig will come out.

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 29 Nov 2008 14:14

Sridhar/Rahul, as eyewitness who was escaped (Malini something) was on BBC this morning via phone and mentioned that one chef fired and killed the other chef. I'm sure the completely story on this pig will come out.

I heard it on a bengali channel but didn't post as it was (yet) un-confirmed.

kobe · Post by **kobe** » 29 Nov 2008 14:15

CNN showed the funerals - the headline said "India Salutes its Fallen Heroes"
(roughly).

india has shown the world its courage and bravery.
from commandos, police, and the taj employees.

many clips on CNN flashed showing american couple saying how safe
they felt when they were guided out by the "strong commandos"

the whole world saw the selfless act of the maid at the jewish center
who rescued the child from the monsters

the whole country saw democracy at work, Times-Now questioning the
very intelligence of the ministers, prime minister, the chief minister,
yet the brave commandos followed orders without question

i would like to thank the comraderie and spirit of cooperation among
the jingoes during the past few days, people who don't know each
other but debated and informed intelligently among themselves

more work lies ahead but like the commando said
***** nothing is difficult for us *****