India-US News and Discussion

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 21 Dec 2009 00:30

prad wrote: what they did, if true, is inexcusable. and if proven guilty, i also have no doubt that US law is very much capable of dealing with these criminals.
don't generalize for the whole population. for all their evilness, the redknecks have managed their states much better than the so called intellectually superior liberal elites in California and NJ.

prad, what you are talking about are two different things. "Managing their states" (I am assuming you mean, economically) has absolutely nothing to do with xenophobia against foreign-looking/born individuals or blatant racism and the question of tolerance. Having witnessed it first hand in Alabama, Texas, Florida and Georgia, I would be very skeptical about the tolerance or understanding of the church going high school educated Joe and Jane six-pack towards people of other cultures and religions. Go outside the cosmopolitan main cities and one sees the real face frequently (heck, for TX no need to even go outside the main cities). In the end such prejudice has nothing to do with evilness - prejudice of this sort exists mainly in minds of otherwise perfectly good citizens (whether in India or US) and are exploited by those with evil.

Mort Walker · Post by **Mort Walker** » 21 Dec 2009 01:43

Raja,

In the US, both the east and west coast have their share of violent crimes against Indians. True, in the less populated states, there are more xenophobes, but the gun culture of the US coupled with hatred of "foreign" looking persons is an explosive mixture. That said, hatred and discrimination of Indians is much less in the US compared to western Europe.

milindc · Post by **milindc** » 21 Dec 2009 02:00

Raja Bose wrote:
prad wrote: what they did, if true, is inexcusable. and if proven guilty, i also have no doubt that US law is very much capable of dealing with these criminals.
don't generalize for the whole population. for all their evilness, the redknecks have managed their states much better than the so called intellectually superior liberal elites in California and NJ.
prad, what you are talking about are two different things. "Managing their states" (I am assuming you mean, economically) has absolutely nothing to do with xenophobia against foreign-looking/born individuals or blatant racism and the question of tolerance. Having witnessed it first hand in Alabama, Texas, Florida and Georgia, I would be very skeptical about the tolerance or understanding of the church going high school educated Joe and Jane six-pack towards people of other cultures and religions. Go outside the cosmopolitan main cities and one sees the real face frequently (heck, for TX no need to even go outside the main cities). In the end such prejudice has nothing to do with evilness - prejudice of this sort exists mainly in minds of otherwise perfectly good citizens (whether in India or US) and are exploited by those with evil.

So true. Of all the states I visited, TX is up there in overt racism and I'm talking about Dallas.

Rudradev · Post by **Rudradev** » 21 Dec 2009 02:00

Singha wrote:Sikh youth attacked in TexasSat, Dec 19 10:00 AM

Isn't there something we can do in this case? The trouble is not so much that the rednecks attacked him (which is a risk of jobs like pizza delivery or taxi driving). It is that the Cops refused to prosecute this as a hatecrime (which would have got the b@stards much harsher sentences than sheer assault and robbery). THAT is the systemic evil which we cannot countenance.

Why should we leave the battle to the Sikh Coalition and other Sikh groups? He is a desi, we should do all we can to bring the pressure.

Here's what I suggest:

1) We find out what town this incident happened in.

2) We find out the leading local news outlets of the town. There is usually at least one community paper in smaller localities, and if this happened near a big city, there would be at least two or three newspapers, local TV news stations etc.

3) ALL of us in the US start calling, faxing, emailing the news outlets (pick 2 or 3 if available) with messages of outrage that the cops there are so insensitive to the plight of racial minorities that they have refused to prosecute this as a hatecrime. Create awareness. Make a big noise, in concert, as an organized effort. Embarrass the local mayor/sheriff/chief of police.

This CAN work if enough of us do it. Most news outlets are just hungry to run with a story if there is enough aawaaz being made about it. They would not refuse something handed to them on a platter. Right now the "connections" of the b@stards (and the cops involved) may have requested the local news to downplay the incident but one good thing about the US is that supply and demand is generally honoured more than patronage or influence.

If with me on this, please email rudradev D A W T brf A T gmail D A W T com.

Thanks.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 21 Dec 2009 02:16

If there are more details a case can be made for Federal prosecution under the Civil Rights Acts. So need to gather info.

a_kumar · Post by **a_kumar** » 21 Dec 2009 02:18

The Home Ministry has issued directions through the MEA to all missions abroad that any applicant for an Indian visa who has any sort of Pakistan lineage, even if it is two generations back, , must be referred to Delhi for prior clearance.

Welcome step, would have been even better if repeat visits were not restricted, they could severly hamper businesses.

I am trying to see what in the visa application could have been a flag and where it may fall short.. Ofcourse consulate can always look at all the passport stamps, but it could be obscure and slip through!!! Here is snapshot of the visa applicatin from SFO right now.

Here are the relevant questions from the form
10. Nationality at present?
11. Any other nationality held at present/past?
...
22. Nationality of father/husband?
23. Name and Nationality of Mother?

In the light of above entries, Home Ministry's guideline seems vague, unless accompanied by appropriate changes in visa form. How can one flag all possibilities of "who has any sort of Pakistan lineage, even if two generations back"?

They could may be ask the following, but "two generations back"??
- "Have you visited Pakistan"
- "Where were your parens borm and provide their passport numbers" etc.

I hope this resulted in some new visa form entries by MEA rather than passing the showoff "actions" of Home Ministry downstream.

shyamd · Post by **shyamd** » 21 Dec 2009 03:17

In fact India is late to do this, many nations have been doing this for a long time. A friend of mine of Indian origin was asked by Moroccan immigration officer what his origin was because his skin was brown and his name was hindu. Asking why he was asked? Officer replied it was for a different department.

Mort Walker · Post by **Mort Walker** » 21 Dec 2009 10:56

A person like Headley could easily have lied on questions regarding his origin, so those who are up to terrorist or illegal activity could continue on until picked up by the police. When a US citizen applies for an Indian visa, the US government should be asked for his criminal profile; and if the person was naturalized, the case file for naturalization of the individual (with their history) should be provided. Yes it would cost the GoI money, but the fee could be passed on to the applicant. So instead of it being about $125, it would be more like $500+.

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 21 Dec 2009 11:00

US playing own game in sharing intel with India

Is a grand American intelligence game unfurling in India? Is there a motive behind US agencies' regular alerts and inputs on terrorist activities? Is a larger, murkier conspiracy at play?
....
Dependable sources told DNA that almost 80% of the intelligence alerts and leads on Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and other 'foreign' terror groups after the 26/11 attacks last year had originally come from the US. The alerts have mostly turned out be false or unsubstantiated. The latest was last week's warning about Pashtun-looking suicide bombers trained by the Taliban, planning to attack Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai.

In the post-26/11 days, instead of improving its intelligence gathering and analytical capabilities, India let the US 'intelligence pipeline' gather prominence and tighten its grip on the country's terror intelligence, officials now admit. Most of them regret it.

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_us ... ia_1325837

arun · Post by **arun** » 21 Dec 2009 11:20

Vir Sanghvi, Hindustan Times
December 20, 2009

Did America keep mum on 26/11?

Did the Americans have detailed advance information about the 26/11 plot which they did not share with India, only passing on a watered-down warning? And was there an American spy within the Lashkar-e-Tayyeba who kept Washington (or Langley) informed of terror acts planned against India — even if this information was never handed over to us?

It is certainly beginning to look that way. ………………….

hINDUSTAN tIMES

Where it is a case of terrorism originating in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan that is targeting India, it is entirely appropriate to look the US gift horse frequently and thoroughly in the mouth. The US certainly has a demonstrated track record in covering up terrorism originating in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and targeting India calling for such scepticism.

BRFers will recollect the case of the detonators and timers used in the Mumbai 1993 serial bomb blast case which was sent for forensic examination to the US which B. Raman wrote about back in 2003:

When I asked them to return the detonator and the timer as promised by them they replied that their forensic experts had by mistake destroyed them. They did not apparently want to leave any clinching evidence against Pakistan in our hands. This was a bitter lesson to us that in matters concerning Pakistan one should not totally trust the US. They would do anything to ensure that no harm came to Pakistan.

Lessons from the Mumbai blasts

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 21 Dec 2009 16:22

Will the Headley case affect the Indo-US intel cooperation ? - B.Raman

The Central Intelligence Agency's penetration of the Chennai office of the Research & Analysis Wing in the 1980s to collect intelligence about India's role in Sri Lanka, its penetration of the Intelligence Bureau in the 1990s to collect intelligence about its counter-intelligence set-up, its post-2001 penetration of the RAW through Major Rabinder Singh, who was helped by the CIA to flee to the US to avoid being arrested and interrogated by the Indian counter-intelligence, and its post-2004 penetration of the National Security Council Secretariat through the mechanism of the Indo-US Cyber Security Forum created feelings of bad blood and bitterness in the relations between the intelligence communities of the two countries, but this did not last long.

Past instances of misunderstandings and unhappiness in counter-terrorism co-operation between the intelligence communities of India and the US date from the days of Khalistani terrorism in Punjab, the Mumbai blasts of March,1993 and the outbreak of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in Jammu & Kashmir in 1989.

arun · Post by **arun** » 22 Dec 2009 08:20

Given the past record of the US in glossing over the Islamic Republic of Pakistan’s record when it comes to Islamic Terrorism targeting India, it is right for India to be circumspect in this case:

Praveen Swami in the Hindu:

………………. there is mounting concern in New Delhi that the U.S. may prove reluctant to fully explore Headley’s links in the Lashkar—links, which they believe could implicate Pakistan’s military and its ISI Directorate. ………………..

Little progress in U.S.-India liaison on Headley case

arun · Post by **arun** » 22 Dec 2009 08:20

Duplicate self deleted.

Jarita · Post by **Jarita** » 22 Dec 2009 09:53

From Parag Khannas tweets..
What is the NEW MIDDLE AGES
Fascinating lunch presentation/discussion with Zbig Brzezinski and SAIS faculty on the future of geopolitics. New Middle Ages has arrived!
2:09 PM Dec 15th from TwitterBerry

Hari Seldon · Post by **Hari Seldon** » 22 Dec 2009 09:56

SSridhar wrote:Will the Headley case affect the Indo-US intel cooperation ? - B.Raman

Quite obviously, unkil's intell setup cannot be trusted to help India any. What is it they say "fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice..."

Rony · Post by **Rony** » 22 Dec 2009 11:27

The EJ lobby in full force

On religious discrimination, India next only to Iraq: US thinktank

ashish raval · Post by **ashish raval** » 22 Dec 2009 14:29

^^ India should ban all so called abcd chai biscuit think-tanks from collecting any sort of data directly or overtly citing them danger to national interest. These ba$tard$ go to any length to propogate a lie against any country as their heads are filled with empty space and all they can do is write fatansy write-ups. India should make a massive compilation of attacks on hindu's, sikhs, muslims and blacks in USA and rank them on par with below saudi arabia in religious hatred. "In God We Trust" is a constitutional proof that foundation of USA is anti-atheist, anti-rationalist, anti-agnostic, anti-human religious freedom..

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 22 Dec 2009 19:06

Yes,truly did the Native American Indian say that "the white man speaks with a forked tongue".Why,the Pakis are now wanting to cut off noses and ears and probably tongues too of offenders of their "civilised" ways and Uncle Sam is simply sending them more money to burn and arms to burn with!

Yudhajit · Post by **Yudhajit** » 22 Dec 2009 21:39

^^
Not much of original thinking went into the 'think-tanks' report.

Pew Forum researchers combed through 16 widely cited, publicly available sources of information, including reports by the US State Department, the US Commission on ...........

csharma · Post by **csharma** » 23 Dec 2009 02:35

Ashley Tellis is of the opinion that MMS-Obama summit went well and there was a lot of candor and issues of high politics were discussed. He believes one would see differences in US approach would be seen over time.

Listen to the audio for AT's comments. It has more material than what is written in the text.
In fact, the whole discussion is pretty interesting.

Power Realignments in Asia: China, India, and the United States

http://www.carnegieendowment.org/events ... il&id=1501

Future of the new U.S.-India relationship: Tellis was cautiously optimistic after Prime Minister Singh’s visit to Washington.

Indian criticism of the visit’s lack of tangible outcomes was the product of an unfair comparison to Singh’s 2005 visit, which led to an incorporation of India in the global nuclear regime. The “ordinariness” of the visit is telling of its success and of how far the relationship between the two nations has come.
The visit confirmed that the existing positive bilateral relationship is a reflection of core principles rather than the leanings of a specific administration. It also showed that there is an alignment—albeit not perfect—of fundamental strategic goals between the two countries, that there are areas of potential cooperation such as on climate change, and finally, that the two current leaders seem to genuinely like each other. In these ways, the visit was a success, and bodes well for the future bilateral relationship.

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 23 Dec 2009 03:07

Rony wrote:The EJ lobby in full force

On religious discrimination, India next only to Iraq: US thinktank

Another evidence to show that such studies are manufactured.

Hari Seldon · Post by **Hari Seldon** » 23 Dec 2009 09:37

SwamyG wrote:
Rony wrote:The EJ lobby in full force

On religious discrimination, India next only to Iraq: US thinktank
Another evidence to show that such studies are manufactured.

I for one root for greater circulation of this BS amongst aam desi aadmi zimbly because the intent and extent of the lie and surreality being perpetuated by the TFTAs in this case, when weighted against primary experience of everyday life of the same aam aadmi becomes undeniable, except in the far left as usual.

Such crapola is a self-goal by the less-IQed amongst the ej community and exposes their BS for what it is. May more such flowers bloom and circulate amongst intended victims i.e. ordinary Yindians. Jai Ho.

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 24 Dec 2009 05:16

The Nevada gambler, al-Qaida, the CIA and the mother of all cons

Playboy magazine has revealed that the CIA fell victim to an elaborate con by a compulsive gambler who claimed to have developed software that discovered al-Jazeera broadcasts were being used to transmit messages to terrorists buried deep in America.

vera_k · Post by **vera_k** » 24 Dec 2009 14:20

Rony wrote:On religious discrimination, India next only to Iraq: US thinktank

This is not all bad. It can allow a lot of Indians to claim asylee/refugee status in the US. The only reason that the Chinese outnumber Indians in the US these days is because 10 Chinese immigrate using asylee status for every Indian that manages to qualify similarly.

shravan · Post by **shravan** » 24 Dec 2009 15:17

Amber G. wrote:^^^^ Don't know... but just an example.. one New Mexico-born, Colorado State University-educated, Imam Anwar Al-Awlaki who still in his blog praising Hasan ... at least 3 of 9/11 hijackers in addition to Hasan went to the mosque when he was Imam....

Imam tied to Fort Hood shooter "killed" in Yemen raid
Thu Dec 24, 2009 2:13pm IST

SANAA (Reuters) - A radical Muslim preacher linked by U.S. intelligence to a gunman who killed 13 people at a U.S. Army base is believed to have died in a Yemen airstrike on al Qaeda militants, a security official said on Thursday.

"Anwar al Awlaki is suspected to be dead (in the air raid)," said the Yemeni official, who asked not to be identified. Yemen said 30 militants were killed in the strike in the eastern province of Shabwa.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 24 Dec 2009 15:37

Rony wrote:The EJ lobby in full force

On religious discrimination, India next only to Iraq: US thinktank

From the report,

"Many of the restrictions imposed in these countries are driven by groups pressing for the enshrinement of their interpretation of the majority faith, including through Shariah law in Muslim societies and Hindutva movement in India which seeks to define India as a Hindu nation,''

The fact it is a motivated report comes out clearly from the above. It equates absolutely shameless theocratic countries where discrimination is practised as a tool of the state with a country where it claims there is a movement of a particular religious faith. What about the US then where there are Christian and cult 'movements' ? It is even more silly and ridiculous to place India worse than countries like Saudi Arabia or countries of Middle East, or Egypt or Malaysia or Pakistan etc.

About a decade or so back, the Religious Freedom Commmittee of the US Congress/Senate rejected accusations of religious restrictions in Saudi Arabia by claiming that it allows personal freedom in religious practices because people can follow them at home !

Vikas · Post by **Vikas** » 24 Dec 2009 16:40

Honestly, What is the value of such toilet paper reports. I wouldn't use such reports even for wiping my butt.
We have seen as in case of china, These EJ inspired attacks would increase as we progress. All we need to do is kick them hard as and when we get first opportunity rather than explaining difference between India and Saudi Arabia etc.
These EJ's have problem only when they perceive that EJ's are not being allowed to spread their word.

Chinmayanand · Post by **Chinmayanand** » 24 Dec 2009 17:47

U.S. Seen as Less Important, China as More Powerful

Mort Walker · Post by **Mort Walker** » 24 Dec 2009 23:05

Clarification or perhaps more confusion about Indian Visitor Visa:

India revises tourist visa rules, but keeps them flexible

RamaY · Post by **RamaY** » 24 Dec 2009 23:14

VikasRaina wrote:Honestly, What is the value of such toilet paper reports. I wouldn't use such reports even for wiping my butt.
We have seen as in case of china, These EJ inspired attacks would increase as we progress. All we need to do is kick them hard as and when we get first opportunity rather than explaining difference between India and Saudi Arabia etc.
These EJ's have problem only when they perceive that EJ's are not being allowed to spread their word.

From wiki guru

The Times of India (TOI) is a popular English-language broadsheet daily newspaper in India. It has the largest circulation among all English-language daily newspapers in the world, across all formats (broadsheet, compact, Berliner and online).[2][3] It is owned and managed by Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. which is owned by the Sahu Jain family.

In 2008, the newspaper reported that (with a circulation of over 3.14 million) it was certified by the Audit Bureau of Circulations as the world's largest selling English-language daily newspaper, placing as the 8th largest selling newspaper in any language in the world

It is understandable that we do not want to open our eyes to the impeding issues. But there are large number of people who buy these news papers and believe in whatever they write, because they do not have access to alternative view point or truth in some cases.

Rony · Post by **Rony** » 25 Dec 2009 14:28

Arming without Aiming - India's Military Modernization by uneven cohen

India's explosive economic growth and rising affluence have led many experts to predict a major rearmament effort. The second-most populous nation in the world is beginning to wield the economic power one would expect of such a behemoth, while its border with Pakistan remains a potential tinderbox and the subcontinent remains vulnerable to religious extremism. So the resources for rearmament are there, as are the motives. But what in fact has India actually done in the way of improving its military? What should we expect to see in the future, and what will the likely results be? In Arming without Aiming, Stephen Cohen and Sunil Dasgupta answer those crucial questions.

India is one of the world's leading importers of advanced conventional weaponry, with expenditures upward of $100 billion on arms from abroad. One might infer from such investments that a well-planned, cohesive buildup is underway. The authors' investigation of India's military, however, reveals a very different story. Cohen and Dasgupta found that the buildup has lacked political direction and has suffered from weak prospective planning, individual service-centered doctrines, and a disconnect between strategic objectives and the pursuit of new technology.

The haphazard character of military change in India results from the competing pulls and pressures of an affluence-led military buying spree and a historical doctrine of strategic restraint in place since the Nehru regime. While expensive and redundant, India's approach of arming without strategic purpose is a viable approach as India seeks accommodation of its rise by other great powers. The danger lies in whether the modernization effort compels a period of strategic assertion on India's part -- "use 'em or lose 'em" -- or at least misperception of its intent by Pakistan and China, its two most immediate rivals.

Ameet · Post by **Ameet** » 26 Dec 2009 04:49

Passenger tries to blow up airliner

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_airliner_disturbance

A Northwest Airlines passenger landing in Detroit on Friday tried to blow up the flight but the explosive device failed, two U.S. national security officials said.

The passenger, who was traveling on Northwest Airlines Flight 253 from Amsterdam, was not identified. He was being questioned Friday evening, according to one of the officials, both of whom spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation was continuing.

The motive of the Christmas Day attack was not immediately clear.

"He appears to have had some kind of incendiary device he tried to ignite," said one of the U.S. officials.

arun · Post by **arun** » 26 Dec 2009 11:13

arun wrote:Hmmmm …………….. Looks like a case of old habits die hard with the US reverting to the old habit of covering up for the Islamic Republic of Pakistan when it comes to terrorism targeting India that emanates from there.

Mail Today via India Today:

CIA hid Headley terror connection from India

Asian Age:

CIA didn’t give full 26/11 info

The suspicion of a US coverup on behalf of its on wayward, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, lingers.

Deccan Herald editorial:

Saturday 26 December 2009

Hiding Headley

'The cooperation on terror shouldn’t be selective.'

Despite the growing warmth in India-US relations, co-operation between the two with regard to Pakistani-American Mumbai terror suspect David Coleman Headley has been less than satisfactory. India has been requesting the US for access to Headley to probe his links with the terror attacks in Mumbai on Nov 26 last year. It is keen to know what role he played in the attacks and his connections with the masterminds in Pakistan and elsewhere.

But the US seems reluctant to allow India access to him. This has triggered speculation in India that this reluctance might have to do with US intelligence agencies not wanting their counterterrorism-linked skeletons to fall out of the cupboard. Do they know more about the Mumbai plot than they are willing to let on? Or are they trying to hide the full extent of ISI’s links with terror? …………………..

Deccan Herald

derkonig · Post by **derkonig** » 26 Dec 2009 11:25

The attacker is a Muslim of Nigerian origin.
http://news.rediff.com/report/2009/dec/ ... light2.htm

Rony · Post by **Rony** » 26 Dec 2009 12:55

Little bit of an OT post.

Why does Christopher Hitchens has an Indian flag pinned to his coat ?

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 26 Dec 2009 13:19

http://ultrabrown.com/posts/hitch-and-the-flag
That is the Kurdistan flag, looks a bit like ours. CH has been actively involved with a Free Kurdistan movement, so this is a sponsor's moment.

Guddu · Post by **Guddu** » 27 Dec 2009 07:03

csharma wrote:Ashley Tellis is of the opinion that MMS-Obama summit went well and there was a lot of candor and issues of high politics were discussed. He believes one would see differences in US approach would be seen over time.

Listen to the audio for AT's comments. It has more material than what is written in the text.
In fact, the whole discussion is pretty interesting.

Power Realignments in Asia: China, India, and the United States

http://www.carnegieendowment.org/events ... il&id=1501

Future of the new U.S.-India relationship: Tellis was cautiously optimistic after Prime Minister Singh’s visit to Washington.

Indian criticism of the visit’s lack of tangible outcomes was the product of an unfair comparison to Singh’s 2005 visit, which led to an incorporation of India in the global nuclear regime. The “ordinariness” of the visit is telling of its success and of how far the relationship between the two nations has come.
The visit confirmed that the existing positive bilateral relationship is a reflection of core principles rather than the leanings of a specific administration. It also showed that there is an alignment—albeit not perfect—of fundamental strategic goals between the two countries, that there are areas of potential cooperation such as on climate change, and finally, that the two current leaders seem to genuinely like each other. In these ways, the visit was a success, and bodes well for the future bilateral relationship.

Did not realize that Ashley Tellis is of Indian background, atleast he studied in India. Very worthwhile podcast.

AnimeshP · Post by **AnimeshP** » 29 Dec 2009 21:34

derkonig wrote:The attacker is a Muslim of Nigerian origin.
http://news.rediff.com/report/2009/dec/ ... light2.htm

Well ... those looking for a Puristan connection to this plot need not be disappointed ....
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nationa ... sport.html

Kurt and Lori Haskell, both bankruptcy lawyers, told the Daily News they saw a sharply dressed Indian man in his 50s - who did not get on the flight - trying to talk an Amsterdam gate agent into letting the suspect board Northwest Airlines Flight 253 without his passport.

So who wants to bet that this "Indian" man turns out to be a purelander ...

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 29 Dec 2009 22:12

Guddu, He is from Goa. He specialized on Indian Navy while in India. As a student, he wrote an article and got trolled by sarkari types. So he left for studies abroad and ended up a US citizen.

He still has family in India.

And he reads BR.

Karna_A · Post by **Karna_A** » 30 Dec 2009 02:38

I don't know what an Indian man looks like? Does anyone?
They come in all colors, shapes and sizes and I knew one Manipuri from Mumbai who bet the University International Students Director to name 10 countries where he might be from. Needless to say he won the bet!

AnimeshP wrote:
derkonig wrote:The attacker is a Muslim of Nigerian origin.
http://news.rediff.com/report/2009/dec/ ... light2.htm
Well ... those looking for a Puristan connection to this plot need not be disappointed ....
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nationa ... sport.html

Kurt and Lori Haskell, both bankruptcy lawyers, told the Daily News they saw a sharply dressed Indian man in his 50s - who did not get on the flight - trying to talk an Amsterdam gate agent into letting the suspect board Northwest Airlines Flight 253 without his passport.
So who wants to bet that this "Indian" man turns out to be a purelander ...