Tag: 11/26 (last 300)
Headley spilling to the feds
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(Salon) Greenwald: India didn’t torture 11/26 suspects [you sure?], tried them in Bombay... Reagan’s policy of trying terrorists as criminals now demonized by the GOP.
Repelling the Taliban
Kill HinJewMericans, win glory
(Tabloid) U.S. counterterrorism: AQ Yemen ‘an extension of Al Qaeda core, coming out of Pakistan.’ Aimed at U.S. to raise visibility among jihadis, like LeT did with 11/26.
A trade in restraint
(New Yorker) Coll praises Singh for not retaliating for 11/26 and implies that’s why he won the election [both of which I disagree with].
The Pakistan-India shuttle
(Hindu) 11/26 scout David Headley combined his stays at the Taj and Oberoi with trips to Pakistan where he received instructions from handlers. (ht: E-I)
Headley had actionable intelligence
(AP) U.S.: Headley know 11/26 attack date in advance and discussed attacking Somnath temple, Shiv Sena or Bollywood.
Headley was U.S. informant
(Wiki) Headley/Gilani born in D.C., father a Pakistani diplomat, mother a secretary. Went to Pakistani military prep school, returned in ’77. Mother owned Philly pub. Gilani informant for DEA before linking up with LeT.
Headley son of Pakistani diplomat
(WSJ) David Headley did 5 recon missions to tape, photo 11/26 targets. Son of Pakistani diplomat and American mother. Most significant role played a U.S. citizen in a major terrorist operation.
Headley charged for 11/26
(Reuters) The U.S. charged David Headley, with helping plan 11/26, and also unsealed charges against a retired major in the Pakistani military for conspiring to attack a Danish newspaper.
Terrorist hoaxer
(Dawn) A year ago today, Omar Saeed Sheikh made hoax calls from jail to Zardari and Mukherjee to push them into war after 11/26. (via @dpanjana)
Zakaria’s take on 11/26
(Hostingcup Vid) Watch Fareed Zakaria 11/26 documentary for HBO, ‘Terror in Mumbai.’ [Doom and gloom Hollywood tone, but audio intercepts are enlightening again.]
Marking 11/26
Inside the Kasab trial
(Time) Kasab trial: The judge asked how to spell “wasabi" and what it means in Japanese. The atmosphere is markedly informal. A guilty verdict is expected, and the spotlight’s already shifted away.
‘To the Last Bullet’
(BBC) Bombay cop Ashok Kamte’s widow says no medical help arrived for 40 minutes after he was ambushed on 11/26. Released a book about the incident.
Bombay still vulnerable
(NYT) After 11/26, commandos roam VT and cops are armed, but politicians paid little price, returning to jobs they were forced out of. New weapons and patrol boughts have been purchased, but not enough.
After 11/26, no change in Pakistan
(WSJ) No surprise: most LeT ‘arrested’ by Pakistan released, trials delayed, thousands still training at camps, 6 plots vs. India disrupted.
Pakistani military contacted American terrorism suspects
(AP) Phone records: 5 Pakistani military officers contacted alleged U.S. jihadis David Headley and Tawwahur Rana, who may have scoped out 11/26.
The final countdown
Father and son arrested for 11/26
(ToI) Two Pakistani-Italian men were arrested for transferring $ for the Net phone service used during 11/26.
Kasab the bumpkin
(Dailybeast) In the morgue, Kasab saw no glowing faces and detected no sweet scent; all he saw were the mangled, hideous, unheavenly corpses of his fellow terrorists. He knew, then, thathe had been taken for a ride.
CIA could have stopped 11/26
(LAT) CIA visited Punjab LeT camps at least 4x [could have stopped 11/26]. Dubya’s deal was don’t train white people, and let U.S. attack AQ. [i.e. as long as NYC is protected, India is on its own.] ht: Joolz
India will request 11/26 extradition
(ToI) India will request extradition of two U.S. LeT members, one of whom may have done 11/26 recon.
Interview with a terrorist
(Atimes) AQ guerrilla warfare chief claims Indian road construction co’s in Afgh. are RAW fronts, threatens attacks bigger than 11/26. (via @yesnosorry)
Terror factory continues unabated
(NYT) Another day, another LeT chief set free. This is new for the NYT: ‘LeT has enjoyed the support of the Pakistani intelligence agencies in the past and is often described in Pakistan as the military’s fifth column.’
Dutt’s discretion
(VF) Vanity Fair on 11/26 (via @yesnosorry): Barkha Dutt broadcast hostage locations, and Pakistani handlers watching TV had their clients fire at them.
Kill Indians and profit
(NYT) U.S.: LeT could commit 11/26 again. LeT militant: they were trained by retired Pakistani army and ISI. Since the Mumbai attacks, ‘our funds increased and more people wanted to join us.’
FBI at Kasab trial
(WaPo) At Kasab trial, FBI expert says GPS device went from Karachi to Bombay. Testified anonymously.
Nuclear-free zone (unless we get one)
(BBC) Pakistan complains India’s new nuclear sub destabilizes the current detente, in which one country sends terrorists to gun down hundreds in the other’s financial capital.
Fixing responsibility for 11/26
(NYT) The U.S. can’t decide whether Pakistan backed the LeT to commit 11/26 or the LeT freelanced. But we’ll give the military 50% more money anyway.
Kasab invites hanging
(NYT) Prosection says Kasab’s confession is rife with inaccuracies. Kasab invited hanging: ‘It would be better if I am punished in this world... better than God’s punishment.’
More Kasab confession details
(WaPo) Kasab was trained to swim, sail, and fish, and saw movies and photographs of targets in Mumbai. He was eventually shot thrice in his arms.
Kasab confession excerpts
(BBC) I was roaming alone at Rawalpindi’s Raza market. I saw some Mujahideens — long beard, long hair — buying animal skins. We were given a chit on which was written the address — Marqaz Tayyeba, Muridke.
Kasab’s confession a ploy for lighter sentence?
(NYT) The judge in Kasab’s 11/26 trial gagged Indian media from reporting his message to fellow terrorists.
Why Kasab confessed
(WaPo) Kasab said he confessed because Pakistan acknowledged he was a Pakistani citizen. Said he was a shop clerk, approached fundies in Rawalpindi for guns to commit robberies, but was recruited by the LeT.
Kasab confesses in court
(NYT) Before his trial’s 135th witness was called, Ajmal Kasab gave a detailed 11/26 confession in court. He’d retracted an earlier one, alleging torture.
Clinton and the billionaires
(NYT) Hillary Clinton met with Ratan Tata, Mukesh Ambani, Aamir Khan, manager of Taj whose family was killed.
HRC’s 11/26 tribute
(WaPo) Hillary Clinton flew into Bombay, not Delhi, and is meeting Aamir Khan before any Indian officials.
Mixed messages from Manmohan
(AFP) Indian PM apparently told Gilani he’d restart peace talks without antiterrorist preconditions, then told Parliament it would only be after 26/11 was prosecuted.
Basmati bandwagon derailed
(WSJ) 11/26 derailed Pakistan, India’s plans to jointly own basmati trademark, much like the Champagne region of France owns the int’l mark.
Shoot up Bombay, get a speedy trial
(WaPo) The 11/26 Kasab trial ‘is one of the fastest trials in our history,’ done in 3-4 months with half the witnesses already called... Kasab requested perfume and the return of the terrorism cash he was carrying.
No back-slapping between Singh, Zardari
(NYT) BRIC summit is first meeting between Singh and Zardari since 11/26. Analyst praises that there’ve been no major attacks since [um, thanks?] ‘India can contribute to the destruction of Pakistan... But if you want a stable Pakistan, you need to follow a dif
Phone hackers arrested
(WSJ) Pakistanis, Jordanian arrested in phone hacking scheme which aided 11/26 terrorists. U.S. lines hacked, resold in Italy and Philippines. Related wire transfer co. used by 11/26 attackers.
Bulletproof bunk
(IBN) Bombay cops’ bulletproof vests allegedly failed ballistics tests but were bought anyway due to corruption in the tender. ATS chief Hemant Karkare was shot dead on 11/26 right through his vest.
LeT founder released again
(AP) Pakistan released the founder of the LeT after holding him for the ceremonial period after the Bombay attacks.
Twitter for news
(NYT Apr.) Twitter was most useful for news during 11/26 and the Hudson river landing. People were twittering from the scenes before reporters arrived.
The Professionals Party: out of touch
(WaPo) After 11/26, more middle-class professionals are running for office in Bombay. But the poor are missing the basics: running water, bathrooms, cleared drains to avoid massive floods.
Bullet marks
Bombay records dismal turnout
(BBC) 11/26 only turned in to an election issue for urban elites. Bombay had only recorded a turnout of about 30% by mid-afternoon. (ht: SB)
Kasab declared an adult
(WSJ) Doctors and forensic experts said 11/26 suspect Mohammad Kasab is over 20 years old, contradicting his lawyer’s gambit of having him declared a minor. He originally stated he was 21.
Bite down, this may hurt
(WSJ) A radiologist and a forensic dentist will examine Mohammed Ajmal Kasab to prove or disprove his claim that he was 17 during the 11/26 attack.
Qasab hanged on film
(ToI) At least 15 Bollywood B movies are doing the 11/26 story. In ‘Total Ten,’ ‘we have had Qasab hanged at the end.’
FBI to testify at Kasab’s trial
(WaPo) 5 foreign experts, including U.S. FBI agents, will testify at Kasab’s trial. The FBI was involved in GPS and VOIP data fixing the terrorists as being from Pakistan.
Kasab a crack shot
(NYT) The prosecutor said handled Col. R. Saadat Ullah works for an organization run by the Pakistani Army under the Ministry of Information. Kasab chosen for marksmanship and given 3.5 months training.
Kasab recants
Kasab trial begins
(WaPo) Kasab’s new lawyer Abbas Kazmi claimed the 11/26 terrorist is only 16, but Kasab told investigators he’s 21.
Inside Kasab’s trial
(WSJ) Kasab’s trial had impressive security but the legal proceedings were embarrassing. He had no English to Urdu translator and claimed he didn’t know who his lawyer was despite her looking pointedly at him. She was dropped for conflict of interest anyway.
Kasab lawyer promised only Rs. 900
(WaPo) Legal aid lawyers like Waghmare make only 900 rupees ($18.45) per case. At the hearing, Kasab slouched on a wooden bench, barefoot, chatting and chuckling with two Indian co-defendants.
Kasab’s lawyer removed
(WSJ) Anjali Waghmare was removed as Kasab’s lawyer for failing to disclose that she represented an 11/26 witness in a compensation claim case. Reporters were fingerprinted, searched thrice and not allowed their own pens.
If only this were true
(Reuters) Pakistan’s ‘Dawn’ paper wrote that condition would be included in the U.S. aid bill requiring Pakistan to stop support to any person or group aiming to hurt India.
Indian youth vote rising after 11/26
(WaPo) After 11/26, dozens of new and youth political parties have formed to fight terrorism, stem job losses and fix infrastructure... BJP: ‘Our goal is to offer a buffet of technology. We want to be the party of Facebook.’
Conspiracy theories aloft in Pakistan
(Open Flash) New mag ‘Open’, p. 22: 46% of Pakistanis in small Karachi+Lahore survey blamed India for 11/26. Just 7% blamed entities within Pakistan, such as the LeT, which the ISI privately praised for committing it.
What’s the problem with Pakistan?
(FA) The army cannot govern Pakistan but won’t let anyone else govern it either... It would be a marvel if India were as competent with covert cops as Pakistan accuses... After 11/26, the army told journies the terrorists were ‘patriotic’ Pakistanis.
Kasab lawyer resigns
(BBC) Appointed to defend 11/26 attacker Kasab, lawyer Anjali Waghmare withdrew after the Shiv Sena surrounded her house in Mumbai chanting slogans. She’s the second lawyer reportedly to withdraw from the case after intimidation.
Lahore attack parallels
(AP) The brazen Lahore assault seemed like 11/26. The Sri Lankan attack also had similar features — including heavily armed, backpack-toting gunmen — but it was much quicker. They may have intended to take hostages.
India ambandons the Amby
(Telegraph) After 11/26, Indian politicians are ditching Ambassadors for GBP 100K Pajeros and Land Cruisers with anti-explosion fuel tanks, run-flat tires, and Kevlar reinforced roofs to withstand heavier artillery.
India accuses Pakistan of official involvement in 11/26
(AFP) India’s government says it has ‘overwhelming evidence’� that ‘official agencies’� of Pakistan were involved in 11/26, but did not release the evidence.
How Kasab was broken
(Rediff) Excerpt of book on 11/26 interrogation: Rakesh Maria had imagined a withered and rugged appearance. Not a baby-faced, smooth-skinned, blushing jihadi. Kasab, the fidayeen, looked like a kid.
Afghanistan calls out ISI terrorist factory
(NYT) Afghanistan accused ISI of planning 11/26-style attack in Kabul which was put down far more quickly than in Bombay. Handler used Pakistani phone, also planned attack on Indian embassy in Kabul. U.S. intel confirms the latter.
CIA chief in India
(AFP) CIA chief Leon Panetta just met with India’s National Security Advisor, Intelligence Bureau chief and head of RAW in the wake of 11/26. Next he heads to Pakistan.
Clawing her way back after 5 bullets
(Tabloid) An 11/26 victim survived 5 bullet wounds, massive blood loss and a colostomy. Her Rs. 40 lakh tab is being picked up by the Tatas. [In the U.S. that would cover the ambulance and an aspirin :P]
Saving a terrorist
(IBN) Bombay’s Arthur Rd. jail is spending Rs. 2 crore ($385K) on a bomb, bullet and chemical weapons proof corridor between 11/26 terrorist Kasab’s cell and a courtroom inside the jail.
The LeT signature
(NYT) Cricket attack: Most cops bailed. None of attackers caught. Jihadis in 20s, sneakers and loose pants, backpacks with weapons, dried fruit and chocolate, walked casually as they fired.
Many Lahore signatures match 11/26
(IHT) Like 11/26, the Lahore cricket attackers carried walkie-talkies and backpacks stuffed with water and dried fruit, worked in pairs and were caught on film shooting automatic weapons.
Western cities learn from 11/26
(Reuters) The Mumbai assault was closely studied in port cities from Marseilles and Liverpool to Sydney and San Francisco. NYC cops began training in heavy weapons.
Cricket attack parallels 11/26
(WSJ) Like 11/26, young gunmen in were caught on camera firing automatic weapons and carrying ammo bags. And like 11/26, the target was symbolic... 3 injured attackers were carried away by fellow gunmen. [With photos of jihadis.]
Munich parallels in cricket attack
(WaPo) Indian news stations ran split-screen footage of the Lahore attacks and the 1972 Munich attack on Israeli Olympians. An Indian official said the team’s Pakistan cancellation after 11/26 was the right move.
Indian polls set for April
(WSJ) The BJP is selling Modi. But disillusioned voters may blame politicians for weak terrorism defense rather than any particular party. In fact, Congress is billing itself as the ‘safe hands’ the country needs. [Doubt this after 11/26.]
11/26 chargesheet reveals new details
(WSJ) Two Indian Muslims allegedly scouted 11/26 attack sites. Both were already in custody in connection with another attack.
CSI: Mumbai
(WSJ) The 11,000-page 11/26 chargesheet is thorough and vintage Rakesh Maria. Bombay cops have gone to great lengths to earn back respect with DNA, fingerprint, financial, VoIP, email, IP, GPS and ballistic evidence.
India names Pakistani colonel in 11/26 charges
(Guardian) India’s 11/26 chargesheet include Col. Sadatullah from a Pakistani telecom agency run by the signal corps.
11/26 a fire drill for intel agencies
(Cfr) FBI dir Mueller: On 11/26, agents from FBI offices in New Delhi and Islamabad joined forces with the Indian government, the CIA, the State Department, MI-6 and New Scotland Yard. The main guy had been on his way to a cricket tourney in Jodhpur.
11/26 charges filed
(WaPo) Charges against the 11/26 terrorists and > 150 witness statements are detailed in a document more than 10K pages long. Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said he expected the trial to conclude in 3-6 mos [after which they will no doubt hang Kasab.].
India tourism to emphasize safety
(WSJ) To win tourists back after 11/26, the Indian government can’t just announce that India is now safe, especially when India is attacked all the time.
Delegitimizing terrorism
(NYT) When a community delegitimizes terrorism, like Indian Muslims refusing to bury the 11/26 attackers,, it is more important than extra police. ‘The Koranic term for the killing of innocents is ‘fasad.’ Terrorists are fasadis, not jihadis.’
WaPo: CIA a ‘neutral arbiter’ :)
(WaPo) Indian and Pakistani intelligence agencies shared their 11/26 findings with the CIA, which relayed the details and filled in the blanks from its intel [and no doubt got a better picture than either side].
Dealing with the coming swarm
(NYT) After 11/26 and the synchronized Kabul attacks, a new Mumbai model of swarming, smaller-scale terrorist violence is emerging. We need small units that are not elite, just good enough to tangle with terrorist teams.
U.S.: 11/26 about jealousy
(AFP) U.S. intel dir in Senate testimony: The attack has convinced Indians that the Pakistani military is attacking New India symbols. India has endured a series of major terrorist attacks without major military response since ’03.
Paranoid Pakistan
(WSJ) A Pakistani ‘think tank’ is circulating a theory that 11/26 was commited by Indian intel and Mossad. 20% of Pakistanis think the Marriott bombing was committed by the U.S. [Also, Elvis is alive and well in Lahore.]
Afghans: 11/26 response sucked
(Yahoo) 3 synchronized Taliban attacks on Afghanistan gov’t offices seemed an 11/26 copy, but Afghan forces killed them quickly. ‘Indian forces (in Mumbai) wasted a lot of time just deciding whether to enter or not.’
Synchronized spinning
(NYT) Pakistan’s interior minister spoke of 6 11/26 arrests, said it was ‘partly’ planned in Pakistan in an announcement coinciding with Holbrooke visit. ‘One person named Javed Iqbal was living in Barcelona. He was lured to come here.’�
If Kasab had attacked Calcutta
(Greatbong Satire) The terrorists phone the cops to make their demands. Cops: ‘This is a strike day. You expect us to go? You come here to the thana and file a diary.’ (ht: DD)
Pointing fingers
(NYT) A leaked Pakistani 11/26 ‘report’ claims the attacks were planned in European, Dubai and Bangladesh — but not Pakistan.
The humbling of Bombay bankers
(WSJ) Not long ago, the wealthy had to have limited edition handbags. Today, they lap up goods at ‘terrorist hit’ prices at the showrooms in the shopping arcade at the Oberoi.
The Pakistani line on 11/26
(WSJ) Pakistan plans to pin the blame for 11/26 on LeT, but also a Bangla group and Al Qaeda, and will claim the attack was planned outside Pakistan.
Suffer the children II
(Atimes) After Pakistan gave China a ‘blank check’ to resolve its 11/26-caused diplomatic row with India, India imposed a 6 month ban on toys made in China.
India’s Israel envy
(Haaretz) Tharoor: Hamas is in no position to repay Israel’s air and ground attacks in kind, whereas an Indian attack on Pakistani territory, even one targeting terrorist bases and training camps, would invite swift retaliation. (ht: NextSteps, RF)
Cosmetic crackdown
(Nybooks) Dalrymple: The 11/26 terrorists’ madrasas and facilities remain open. This year, Zardari approved a bulletproof Land Cruiser for its leader. Pakistan may become Afghanistan clone, 70% controlled by Taliban, instead of partner to superpower India.
‘The Lessons of Mumbai’
(Telegraph) Rand: ‘Without an appropriate response, Pakistan is likely to conclude that these operations yield benefits that exceed the cost,’ leading to more attacks. Full report (PDF): [via]
Bollywood’s Bush farewell
(BBC) Actress Shernaz Patel : ‘We are going to miss George W. Bush because he provided so much fodder.’ Release of ‘The President is Coming’ was delayed because it had been schedule to release during the attacks. (ht: Sapna)
India’s deft diplomacy
(Newsweek) India didn’t succumb to the temptation to launch strikes across the LoC after 11/26, strengthening the Pakistani military. Instead it’s got Pakistan between a rock and a hard place.
India: trying 11/26 suspects in Pakistan ok
(EconTimes) Indian foreign minister: ‘If for some reason, the suspects cannot be handed over to India, and then there should be a fair trial in Pakistan.’ Also, I’d like a unicorn.
Skeptical of LeT ‘crackdown’
(LAT) Pakistan said it arrested tens of LeT operatives. ‘The arrests are always challenged in the court of law of Pakistan and they’re released in a week or 10 days. And most of the schools are asked to close, then reopen in a day or two.’
11/26 response went through CIA
(WSJ) New Delhi and Islamabad have mainly been communicating on 11/26 through the CIA, a fair and transparent dealer with no history of cooperation with the ISI.
Stewart on 11/26
(Daily Show) Jon Stewart: you can’t just not respond to 11/26 for fear of radicalizing Pakistanis. Fareed Zakaria: it’s important to show resilience like Bombay did and not be terrorized.
Why India can’t pull a Gaza on Pakistan
(Forbes) India does not have overwhelming asymmetry over Pakistan [in the nature of its tech, only in numbers]... The U.S. has asked for, and received, the gift of Indian patience.
The business of terrorism
(IU) Setting up a terror attack in India is a lot easier than setting up a business. Imagine applying to the Department of Terrorism for a license.
A creaky border dispute
(WSJ) India claims the border runs down the middle of Sir Creek, Pakistan claims the entire creek. It’s more important after the Kuber was hijacked for 11/26.
11/26, meet nanny state
(ToI) Having already mandated ID recording and keyloggers at Net cafes, Bombay cops will be wardriving and warning people running open WiFi.
Stopping an 11/26 in NYC
(Senate PDF) NYPD: Attackers’ head shots, tight shot spread and hand signals showed commando training. Knew hotels better than NSG... NYC resembles Bombay... NYPD’s new recruits now trained on rifles, not just handguns.
The story of the Kelly gang
(Senate) Transcripts of U.S. Senate committee hearing on 11/26: ‘Lessons from the Mumbai terrorist attacks.’
NYPD wants to jam cell phones
(Wired) NYC police commissioner Ray Kelly said in testimony that after 11/26, he wants to jam cell phones to take out that ‘formidable capacity to adjust tactics while attacks are underway.’
Read the 11/26 dossier
(Hindu) The Hindu’s posted India’s 11/26 dossier in PDF format. ‘Major General’ thought to refer to Hamid Gul, ex-ISI.
Indiscretion cost Durrani his job
(Dawn) The probe had concluded that Ajmal Kasab was a Pakistani national, but it was left to the government to decide when to make it public. Durrani was sacked because the leak caught the prime minister off guard.
Truth will get you fired in Orwell’s Pakistan
(NYT) Hours after Pakistan’s national security adviser, Mahmud Ali Durrani, confirmed Kasab is Pakistani, the retired general and former ambassador to the U.S. was fired — despite 2 other gov’t spokesmen confirming the same.
Xinhua sticks up for Pakistan
(Xinhuanet) Official Chinese news agency claims Pakistan is taking 11/26 dossier seriously, quotes only Pakistan side calling Indian version propaganda.
11/26 response weaker than terrorists expected
(AP) The handlers told the gunmen on ‘the operation has to be concluded tomorrow morning.’ But it took 36 more hours... They knew they screwed up: ‘In this confusion, the satellite phone of Ismail got left behind’ on the trawler.
11/26 handlers watched Indian TV
(WSJ) -There are 3 ministers and one secretary in your hotel. -Oh! That is good news. It is the icing on the cake! -Keep your phone switched on so that we can hear the gunfire. (Followed by cheering.)
11/26 masterminds were watching Barkha Dutt
(NYT) Dossier shows Pakistani labels from trawler... Handlers: kill hostages if under fire. Watched Indian TV: ‘Throw grenades at the Navy and police teams, which are outside... If the hostages are killed, it will spoil relations between India and Israel.’
India details 11/26 intercepts
(NYT) India turned over a 100 page 11/26 dossier to Pakistan, saying retired military trained the attackers and it was unlikely that a commando-style assault ‘could occur without anybody anywhere in the establishment knowing it was happening.’
Live coverage aided terrorists
(ToL) Controllers in Pakistan watched live news coverage of 11/26 and warned the gunmen of the arrival of Indian commandos, according to the FBI.
11/26 planners fixated on Jews
(DNA) The 11/26 controllers arranged their plan to minimize risk to the Nariman House attack. Fixated on Jews, they treated it as higher priority than the hotels.
26/11 and India’s Pakistan Dilemma
(Frontline) After 26/11, India chose to follow its traditional role of disciplinarian, in such a way as to feed Pakistan’s significant inferiority complex. Once on the backfoot, Zardari was forced to react to, rather than engage with, New Delhi.
Catch and release
(New Yorker) The Justice Department will likely indict 11/26 masterminds in the U.S. because Pakistan’s court system tends to ‘catch’ and release. The ISI often holds suspects for years, claims they were just found, and then have weak cases.
Izzard stands and delivers
(ToL) A British 11/26 victim whose bedsheet rope came apart 50 ft above the ground in front of the Taj, saw Eddie Izzard come by and perform his entire minute routine in his hospital room.
India cranking up diplo pressure
(ToI) India will give a dossier of 11/26 evidence, including some from the FBI, to the U.S., UK, Pakistan, China and other countries next week. Home minister P. Chidambaram will make a U.S. trip.
India passes mother of snooping laws
(Mint) After 11/26, the Indian Parliament quietly pushed through a bill to snoop any info from any comm device relating to any offense of any severity, e.g. browsing p0rn.
Rushdie: 11/26 was act of war
(ToL) Rushdie on 11/26: ’2 of the characters in Midnight’s Children consummate their affair in the [Taj], as so many of us did... There is no question this was Pakistan. You could see it as an act of war’... Londonistan policy was ‘idiocy.’ (ht: Sapna)
How to dispose of attackers’ bodies
(WaPo) Muslims believe in the physical resurrection of the body, so cremation and scattering ashes at sea would prevent the 11/26 attackers from getting a memorial.
How China would’ve handled 11/26
(NYT) Gurcharan Das: My Chinese friend was shocked as much by the transparent and competitive minute-by-minute reporting of the attack by India’s dozens of news channels as by the ineffectual response of the government. (ht: Dad)
FBI visits Kasab’s village
(ToI) A 5-member FBI team visited Faridkot, Kasab’s village. The FBI will present satphone GPS info, transcripts of VoIP calls [they’ve cracked VoIP encryption...] and demand the extradition of the 11/26 masterminds.
11/26 voice intercepts leaked
(ToI) Talking in rustic Punjabi, the gang leaders asked them to lob grenades at advancing commandos and move to positions from which they could take shots at the challengers. Terrorists were repeatedly exhorted to start fires: ‘Aag lagao.’
11/26, the aftermath
(NYT) People barely mention 11/26 but drive friends past the attack sites. Taj Lands End is a ghost town. Cops stop you from walking from the Taj to the waterfront.
LeT admits 11/26 culpability
(NYT) One LeT member said ISI people were at the table as attacks on Kashmiris were planned. Another said relations have cooled.
Gore hired security to pull out Live Earth personnel on 11/26
(ToI) When terrorists laid seige on Mumbai, martial arts practitioner Mehul Vora travelled the length and breadth of the city to protect the lives of four foreigners on instructions from former US vice-president Al Gore.
Pakistan pressured to extradite Lakhvi
(Dawn) Pakistan faces U.S. pressure to extradite Zaki Al Rahman Lakhvi to India after intercepts of his cell phone conversations with the attackers during 11/26.
McCain warns of Indian airstrike
(Dcourier) McCain: ‘The Indians are on the verge of some kind of attack on Pakistan,’ such as an air attack on terrorist camps.
Pakistanis admit LeT planned 11/26
(WSJ) Pakistani security officials say a top Lashkar commander, Zarar Shah, has admitted a role in the Mumbai attack, but have not said so officially.
Photogs needed rifles, not cameras
(NYT) A 50 yr old photog followed cops into the hotels who were subsequently killed. D’Souza had a better vantage on the terrorists than any of the tops. Had he had a rifle, he could’ve helped... A bookseller tried closing shop instead of running, and died.
Round 1 to Pakistan
U.S. withholding 11/26 electronic intercepts
(ToI) Indian officials say the U.S. and UK gave Pakistan far more sigint than India has access to re: the LeT and 11/26.
11/26 victims sexually assaulted
(Tabloid) The Chabad House victims were sexually assaulted, their genitalia mutilated. Some hotel guests had been forced to strip before being shot.
The other end of the barrel
(Tabloid) As with seizures in Kashmir, the gov’t is turning over the 11/26 attackers’ weapons for use by the local police.
Police morale takes hit after 11/26
(WSJ) Bombay cops put up no meaningful resistance to the 11/26 terrorists. Most work 12-hour shifts 6 days a week for less htan Rs. 10K/mo. In the early ’90s, cops were heroes in Bollywood movies. Now they’re often seen as bad guys.
Gateway of latkes
(ToI) Potato latkes served at Gateway of India. ‘We are going to build more Chabad Houses in India. That is our answer.’
Queen Liz refers to 11/26
Blowing moth smoke
(Guardian) On 11/29, Mohsin Hamid penned essay riddled with false equivalence: ‘Just as rogue elements of Pakistan’s armed forces have been accused of supporting terrorists, so has a lieutenant colonel in the Indian army.’ As if scale were comparable.
Rapport with a terrorist
(DNA) Police say top Bombay cop Rakesh Maria spoke in Punjabi with Kasab, and a few hours later the 11/26 attacker began talking.
U.S. tamping down war talk
(National) Washington has assured Islamabad that its satellite surveillance of the region reveals no evidence that India is preparing for war.
Thinktank seems to be hyping war
(Assamtribune) The Indian air force official quoted by Stratfor said several times that war was not preferable and a last resort.
Stratfor keeps beating war drum
(Stratfor) Stratfor: Indian troops deployed to Rajasthan border, villagers told to prepare for evac. Air force official says 5,000 targets ID’d. Ground troops could cut off Karachi-Hyderabad-Islamabad corridor. Air strikes possible.
Thinktank claims India gave 30 day deadline
(IW) Stratfor says that after 11/26, India relayed a message to Pakistan via the US that they would be given 30 days to crackdown on Islamist militants. It can’t afford to have another attack on Bombay, its economic center.
Pakistani army chief shot down 11/26 conciliiation
(ToI) Diplomatic sources said it was Kayani who personally torpedoed the proposal by Gilani to send the DG-ISI to India. ‘The Indians will be asking for me the next time.’
Interpol complains of Indian stonewalling
(WaPo) ‘India’s government has not authorized Indian police agencies to enter any data related to the Mumbai attacks into Interpol’s database. The Indian government had decided it is not yet ready to engage with the Interpol.’
Indian TV blasted for 11/26 coverage
(CSM) Indian TV channels will get a self-regulated code of conduct after revealing security details and hostage locations, playing martial Bollywood music and crowding commandoes. Barkha Dutt ignored VT victims in favor of the rich.
Journies don’t understand fundies
(WSJ) In a jarring misreading of the Islamist mentality, the NYT called Mumbai’s Chabad House an ‘unlikely target... It is not known if the Jewish center was strategically chosen.’
Rope-a-dope again
(Time) The Pakistani gov’t said it froze JuD bank accounts Sunday. It detained 60 members, but only for 90 days. The LeT and JuD web sites are still running.
Pakistan scrambles fighter jets
(WaPo) Several fighter jets conducted exercises over Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore and Pakistan-controlled Kashmir as the Indian foreign minister tightened the diplomatic screws after 11/26.
Guardian: UB tasteless
(Guardian news blog) In an 11/26 blog by ultrabrown, headed Alive, the writer began: ‘And no, the lyrics of the Pearl Jam song will not be part of this post,’ questionable on taste grounds.
Commandos to be sited in 4 new cities
(AFP) ‘Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Chennai are the four places identified as the new hubs for the National Security Guards (NSG).’ Not Bangalore?
Give me your masses yearning for Hannukah
(AP) The father of the rabbi killed in 11/26 will lead a menorah-lighting ceremony Tuesday at the Statue of Liberty.
Stratfor: strikes prepared vs. LeT
(Bloomberg) Private intel thinktank: India may conduct precision strikes inside PoK. ‘Indian military operations against targets in Pakistan have in fact been prepared and await the signal to go forward.’
Commandos spent 3 hours on one guest
(WSJ) With 4 NSG commandos helping a disabled Taj guest down 19 floors, sitting at every floor to catch his breath, it took him 3 hours to get down.
WaPo: Zardari must stop denying 11/26
(WaPo editorial) The incoming administration should quickly act on Barack Obama’s promise to condition aid to the Pakistani military on reforms. The first step: stop denying the truth on 11/26.
Take my life, but not my luxe hotel room
(AP) Deepak Dutta, 50, spent 24 hours locked in his room — praying — before being rescued. He checked into the same Taj room Sunday ‘to show the terrorists that our spirit cannot be shaken.’
Taj’s main wing could take a year
(LAT) The Taj tower reopened with celebs, including Rahul Bose asking people not to forget VT victims. Main wing could take a year to fix. Oberoi employees had ‘their hands pressed together in the traditional Hindu mudra’ [?]
Trident reopening ceremony
(WSJ) Candles flickered on the tables and flowers bedecked the lobby. Employees in ivory saris handed guests a small bundle of roses. Hindu, Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Sikh, Parsi, Buddhist and Jain priests gave a blessing.
Police error blamed in Taj deaths
(BBC) Police told a group hiding in the Taj Mahal Palace hotel that it was safe to leave the building, but ‘the people who ran ahead of me, about 20 or 30 of them, all of them died.’
Oberoi remaining closed
Bombay hotels reopen
(AP) The Taj tower and part of the Trident are reopening. Their main areas remain fragged by guns, grenades and fire.
India ramps up diplomatic pressure
(Rediff) Armed with a CD of 11/26 evidence, India is convening a 2-day closed meeting with the heads of all foreign countries’ missions in Delhi to pressure Pakistan into actually banning jihadi groups.
Rushdie raked Roy at Asia Society
(Rediff) Rushdie on Roy’s 11/26 essay: ‘It is disgusting to read her comments’ about how this was a rich person’s crisis. What about the employees of the Taj who died, and all the victims in VT?
Sharif acknowledges 11/26 attacker from Pakistan
(Hindu) Nawaz Sharif on Kasab: ‘I have personally checked that the village and its surrounding areas have been cordoned off. His parents are not being allowed to meet anyone’... Pakistan ‘is presenting a picture of a failed state.’�
Indian coast guard to lease boats
(ToI) The Indian coast guard needs about 250 boats but has only around 60. It was directed to rent some in a hurry.
Man shoots dog
(WaPo) 3 rescue dogs were killed during 11/26, but old Sheru from VT survived a bullet, his care paid for by an anonymous donor. The SPCA is also treating pigeons with broken wings or shrapnel injures.
Munich to Mumbai
(NYT) 11/26 is like the speedboat landings and hostage crises in Israel of the ’70s. Israeli criticism of Indian response is unwarranted as the task is more difficult in a bigger, more diverse country.
11/26 stories still trickling out
(NYT) One attackers held his forehead, slit his throat, and shot him 3 times; he kneed the jihadi in the groin and survived. An 11 yr old learned his parents were dead from a condolence message on Facebook. An off-duty cop fired in vain and was killed.
Pistols and electric scooters
(WSJ) After 11/26, many Mumbaikars are upgrading their private security. A citizens group plans guards with handguns on electric scooters. A private ambulance co. says its vehicles arrived on 11/26 before cops did.
Son of PoTA
(WaPo) The new Indian anti-terror law would make signed confessions inadmissible in court to reduce police torture... ’180 days of detention without a charge sheet. Is it conducive to democracy?’
Tourists turning away after 11/26
(WaPo) A B’lore biz conference demanded the government provide them with automatic weapons and military support, offering to pay additional taxes. One travel co. saw 25% of trips by foreigners cancelled.
Kerry needs to visit Lahore
(AP) Displaying the razor-sharp judgment which won him the presidency, Sen. John Kerry says he believes that Pakistan is sincere in its 11/26 crackdown.
LeT claims Kashmiri grievances
(WaPo) ‘The composition of Lashkar is not Kashmiri. It’s Pakistani Punjabis who, in the name of Kashmiris, end up doing all these horrible things.’
Miss Teen SC, meet Miss Pakistan World
(CNN) Pakistani-Am beauty contest winner from Cal repeats that she ‘condones’ the 11/26 attack [seems to mean ‘condemn’]. CNN anchor doesn’t know what to say. Run with it! It’s comedy gold! (ht: RA)
Dining among grenade craters
(NYT) Diners at Leopold’s in Bombay ignore the unpatched grenade craters and bullet holes. Sales have quintupled. A Zoroastrian priest blessed the place before it reopened.
Kasab’s family has been disappeared
(IBN) 48 hrs after villagers were filmed saying Kasab was a local, they’ve clammed up. The house that belongs to Ajmal’s father is now occupied by an Abdul Ghafoor, who claims to have been living there for the past 20 years.
Pakistan’s fictional crackdown
(ToL) The JuD campus is still open 4 days after the U.N. Security Council put it on the terrorism blacklist, functioning as normal and with no police presence.
Rooftop standoff
(AP) Kasab says he intended to seize hostages in a rooftop standoff and call the media to make demands, but couldn’t get access to the roof. Many Indian lawyers have refused to defend Kasab against criminal charges.
Pakistan’s crackdown more of a vacation
(NYT) The police claimed LeT founder Saeed was confined inside his home. Moments later, Saeed emerged from the mosque across the street. He gave a press conference and relatives come and go freely.
Arundhati Roy essay on Mumbai
(Guardian) India has to ‘look at the monster in the mirror’ to contain terrorism. Taj Hotel was also a symbol of the injustice of India, apparently.
Too soon?
(BBC) 20 movie titles dealing with 11/26 have been registered with the copyright office: Taj Terror, Taj to Oberoi, 48 hours at Taj, Operation 5 Star Mumbai, 26/11 — Mumbai Under Terror, Shootout at Oberoi, Operation Cyclone, Bird’s POV of the Taj Terror.
Obama the savior
(NYT) India’s wait-and-see after 11/26 is aimed at Obama, who could act against Pakistan. ‘I think you will see India take some stronger steps in the next two, three weeks.’
Candlelight Wallahs
(Outlook) South Mumbai was their world. I often wondered why there was no vigil at VT. It’s the kind of protest where you herd together for a further round of chitchat. There is no follow up, no continuity, only a one-time downloading of guilt.
Attackers used Dawood ship
(News) The 11/26 terrorists began their journey to Mumbai on a merchant vessel owned by gangster Dawood Ibrahim.
Douglas Farah: The Dawood Ibrahim Connection
(Douglasfarah) According to this analyst, Dawood pioneered the crime-terror nexus. With his extensive smuggling network, he helps terrorist organizations funnel their funds in Gold.
Husain’s ‘Guernica’
(Hindu) A painting by M.F. Husain on the Mumbai attacks, ‘Rape of India,’ was unveiled at a Kensington Gardens gallery.
Indian cops getting SWAT teams
(ToI) Indian home minister: 20 counter-insurgency and anti-terrorism schools will train commando units of state police.
The end of 9 hour response times
China comes to ISI’s aid
(McClatchy) China has blocked UN blacklisting of ex-ISI chief Hamid Gul... LeT sent jihadis to attack U.S. troops in Iraq... If there’s an India-Pakistan war over 11/26, the worry is over the Afghanistan war. [Never mind the 1.2 billion in the subcontinent.]
Photo of 11/26 mastermind
(NYT) Photo of the 11/26 mastermind, Zaki ur-Rahman Lakhvi. Abu Hamza gave explosives and maritime training. Khafa mentored. Pakistan temporarily rounded up 2 LeT men; U.S.: ‘We shouldn’t expect too much from this.’
Nepal, Bangladesh borders supplant Kashmir
(WaPo) Nepalis and Bangladeshis cross over often, some daily for work. The open borders have been used by jihadis seeking to avoid the security around the Kashmir border.
Everybody gets a luxury sedan!
(NYT) The new Indian Home Minister promised to bolster the coast guard and maritime forces, strengthen intelligence agencies, establish a nat’l investigative center and train antiterrorism officers, police units and commando squads.
NYPD sends cops to Bombay
(WSJ) The NYPD has dispatched three officers to Mumbai to better understand the attacks because of concerns about copycats.
Classism on 11/26
(Telegraph) Even as Indian channels bumped VT to their periphery on 11/26, English-speaking peoples counted their dead and dimly regretted Indian casualties as collateral damage. (ht: AK)
India Awakening
Kasab on suicide watch
(Tabloid) Cops worry Kasab will choke himself by swallowing shreds of clothing or commit suicide by holding his breath. [Unlikely: once you pass out, you breathe involuntarily.]
Fratricidal intel
(DNA) 3 different Indian intel agencies handle internal, external and military threats and rarely share info when terrorists cross jurisdictions.
VoIP dragnet in 11/26 investigation
(DNA) Global VoIP calls monitored by intel agencies were x-ref’d with the time of the Bombay attack. In the 5,000 remaining, investigators found their target.
Bombay Bridezilla
Profile of a terrorist
(ToI) One of the Chabad House attackers was ‘hauntingly calm... He didn’t say anything about Israel or make any anti-Semitic comments.’
11/26 uncensored
VoIP payment made in Karachi
(Hindu) Someone using forged ID sent $290 to VoIP service Vox Phone for the 11/26 attack. The payment was marde through a Karachi office of Western Union, and the account used virtual phone #’s in NJ and Austria.
Bombay Muslims bringing tea to victims
(WaPo) An Indian Muslim org asked people to wear black bands as a loyalty symbol after 11/26. Many have brought tea and cookies to hospitalized victims and are holding quiet Eids.
20 more terrorists in reserve
(NYT) 30 attackers got 18 months of training; 10 died or were captured, 20 probably remain in reserve.
NYT’s dullard gets Hitchslapped
(Slate) Htichens: The international community is ‘nonjudgmental’ in the matter of Pakistani involvement in 11/26. As with Syria-Lebanon, the state sponsors theocratic, cross-border gangsters.
Attackers used Google Earth
(ToL) Terrorists used Google Earth to plan 11/26. PIL filed to force Google to blur maps of downtown Bombay [silly].
How Kasab was taken alive
(Rediff) The cops had 15 minutes’ warning that the Skoda was heading to their roadblock. One lay on the road but then fired his AK. Inspector Omble took 6 bullets but did not let go of the rifle. Kasab was beaten unconscious.
Bombay terrorists’ photos released
Kasab says Pakistani military trained him
(WSJ) Kasab: Pakistani military in uniform trained him. ‘They taught us about explosives, urban combat, how to go into buildings, clear rooms of people and hold off soldiers.’
His father, Amir, confirmed the gunman as his son.
India’s White Revolution
(WSJ) Middle class Indians avoid public schools and hospitals. Just getting a passport takes months. But 11/26 forced them into greater engagement with their sloppy, failing gov’t.
Crass BJP spurned in regional votes
(WSJ) The BJP leader in Delhi skipped an emergency meeting held by the PM after 11/26 and paid for it in the polls. ‘There is a moment when you don’t play hard politics, but they couldn’t wait. They overplayed this terror card.’
Libertarian: let guards have guns
(WSJ) Taj guards weren’t armed because of strict gun laws. Following the 1857 mutiny, the Brits stripped Indians of arms. Gandhi: ‘History will look upon the Act depriving a whole nation of arms, as the blackest [British misdeed].’
Attackers’ home cities identified
(WaPo) 3 from Okara, 3 from Multan, 2 from Faisalabad, 1 from Sialkot. Leader Ismail Khan, 26, from Dera Ismail Khan in NWFP.
11/26 outcry split along class lines
(WaPo) A fashion event got more Bombay coverage than the ’05 floods which killed 400. Billboards bearing the words ‘Jago, Mumbai, Jago’ (Wake up, Mumbai) went up in upper-class neighborhoods. Where was the outrage after the train blasts?
Technofear
More proof on 11/26 — Pakistan link
(NYT) Top cop Rakesh Maria: ‘There are mailboxes from Pakistan, there are medical kits from Pakistan. The rations — the flour, the rice — that has markings from places in Pakistan.’
The unreliability of truth (serum)
(Sciam) The captured 11/26 terrorist will reportedly be given sodium pentothal, which makes people gabby but also suggestible, repeating what questioners want to hear. Statements under ‘truth serum’ are not accepted in U.S. courts.
Kasab is moved regularly
(Telegraph) To prevent suicide, Kasab is only allowed underwear and his food is tasted in advance. He’s moved regularly to prevent a jailbreak attempt by jihadis.
Old resonance in new attack
(NYT) The hijacked trawler’s Gujarat — Karachi — Bombay route is actually an ancient trade route... Indo-Saracenic refers to Arabs, who were known as Saracens to Europe.
A false hyphenation
(NYT op/ed) It’s likely the attackers had never met a Jew before they attacked Chabad House... Why should a thriving democracy of over a billion be compared to a state being bailed out by the I.M.F?
11/26 suspect arrested
(ToL) Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, an LeT mastermind accused of planning 11/26, was arrested near Muzzafarabad in PoK after Condi Rice twisted the Pakistani gov’t’s arm.
Columnist calls out Bombay elites
(Express) Townies, you attend Cathedral, lecture at Davos, and fail Hindi exams as a matter of honor. Your wealth has insulated you from the collapse of governance. No longer.
PIL filed to modernize antiterrorism forces
(NYT) Elites filed a PIL to modernize antiterrorism, a rare example of biz confronting the gov’t instead of back-room deals... Some developers must generate own water and power... Cop: ‘It was my first time inside the Taj. How can a poor man go there?’
Day planner confirms 10 attackers
(NYT) A calendar on board the Kuber listed the names of the terrorists and their daily jobs, confirming there were only 10 attackers.
Indian Muslims protest terrorism
(NYT) Throngs of Indian Muslims marched through Indian cities holding banners condemning terrorism and proclaiming loyalty to India.
Terrorist’s village located
(Guardian) ‘We’ve all known from the first day that it was him, Ajmal Amir Kasab. His mother started crying when she saw his picture on the television.’ His parents had been spirited away, and the mayor told people not to talk to outsiders.
11/26 attacker trained in PoK, NWFP, Lahore
(AP) Amir was trained in Muzaffarabad, the capital of PoK; Mansehra, in NWFP; and Murdike (near Lahore), the base of LeT front Jamaat-ud-Dawa.
GPS reveals path of 11/26 sat phone
(ToI) GPS tracking of Thuraya cell phones is done at the master switch in Sharjah, UAE. ‘The evidence will destroy Pakistan’s deniability’ for 11/26.
Mickey Mouse security
(AP) One of the men arrested for buying SIMs for terrorists was an undercover cop or informant... The PM’s security team hired a bunch of kids to climb trees and look out for suspicious people in Calcutta.
Rice names names
(ToI) Meeting with the army chief before Zardari, Condi Rice said Pakistan must ban LeT front Jamaat-ud-Dawa and arrest Hafiz Mohammed Saeed, the head of the organization, because of ‘incontrovertible’ proof of ISI involvement in 11/26.
NSG says media endangered lives
(Express) ‘TV broadcast our commandos landing on Nariman House. By the time our men started taking positions, the terrorists were waiting for them.’
Amir, not Kasab
(Hindu) The captured terrorist’s initial interrogation was done by Marathi speakers, not Hindi/Punjabi speakers. They recorded his cast (Kasai) as his surname. His actual name is Mohammad Ajmal Amir.
Bombs were supposed to provide escape
(DNA) The RDX bombs were supposed to divert attention so the terrorists could escape. When the timers failed, their leader at Nariman House, getting updates through news channels, turned it into a suicide mission.
11/26 plan: alcohol-fueled hotel fire
(DNA) The terrorists spent 30 minutes trying to bust into the Taj’s alcohol warehouse. ‘Their plan seemed to be to barge into the godown, hurl hand grenades and set the entire place ablaze.’
Rice puts on drama for Indian public
(ToI) Condi Rice told Pakistan there was ‘irrefutable’ proof of Pakistani involvement in 11/26, and the U.S. will act if Pakistan does not.
WarGames
(AP) A man pretending to be India’s foreign minister called Zardari and threatened him, prompting Pakistan to put its air force on high alert. Confi Rice asked Pranab Mukherjee about it, and he said he never called Zardari. [Like Quebecois’ Palin prank.]
Ministry of silly hats
(AFP) 2 men suspected of buying SIMs for terrorists did the perp walk in silly floral bags over their heads with cut-outs for their eyes. (Last photo.)
Funny 11/26 protest signs
(Sonyvellayani) Dear CM: Instead of taking RGV on Taj tourism, if you would have shown them RGV’s ‘Aag,’ they would have killed themselves. [via]
DNA testing to be used on Kasab
(WSJ) Kasab said his trainers were active-duty army and navy in uniforms with names and ranks. ‘There was nothing secretive about it’... The FBI will use DNA to check whether Kasab has relatives in Faridkot, Pakistan.
Taj chef slept through attack
(WSJ) The Golden Dragon chef went to bed and never realized there was a terrorist attack until the next morning, when his daughter told him the elevators were broken and there was blood in the halls. The Italian chef saved 30 guests and his baby.
2 arrested for 11/26 support
(NYT) Two Muslims were arrested for buying mobile phone SIMs in Calcutta later used in the 11/26 attack.
Earlier VT plot went unheeded
(NYT) Earlier this year Bombay cops broke up a plot to attack VT by the same LeT men who mastermind 11/26. Yet they still didn’t post guards with semiautomatic rifles.
NYT: Play nicely now
(NYT op/ed) India should ask Pakistan to arrest only people directly linked to the Mumbai attacks, not other incidents. [The other ‘incidents’ were also horrific terrorist attacks.]
Mutton led cops to VT bomb
(Express) The VT bomb was found only because the stench of rotting mutton forced the cops to open all the abandoned bags.
Commando shot 8 times, lived
(Express) A NSG commando shot 8 times survived. Before the mission he called his wife: ‘I may not come back.’ Another lost his eye.
Policeman played dead
(Rediff) Constable Jadhav was in the police jeep with Karkare and Salaskar. He was hit by 4 bullets and played dead while the terrorists drove away.
Mickey Mouse Singh
(Rediff) Manmohan Singh said he would wait for the int’l community to take action before retaliating for the murder of 172 Indians.
Where 11/26 victims died
(Tabloid) The highest 11/26 death toll by far was at VT: 58 dead. [Surmising that hotels’ warren-like layouts did not provide an open field of fire.]
Military now unpopular in Pakistan
(Hindu) Thanks to the war in the tribal areas and the Musharraf legacy, for the first time in the history of Pakistan, the army is unpopular inside the country.
Planning 11/26 retaliation
(HT) India can carry out precision strikes on LeT targets inside PoK, but it would take 2 months of prep.
Bombay’s top cop delves deep
(WSJ) Kasab may be administered sodium pentothal (‘truth serum’)... Top cop Rakesh Maria’s ’93 investigation shaped ‘Black Friday.’ Vikram Chandra based parts of ‘Sacred Games’ on him. Maria practices tae kwon do.
Hostage? Say you’re a dalit
(NYT) An LeT mastermind in Pakistan apparently had a terrorist ask hostages their state and caste before instructing him over the telephone who should be killed.
Bum rush
(WaPo) Angreed by politicians dismissive of the attack and saying incredibly insensitive things, Indians emulated ‘Rang De Basanti’ tactics and demanded the nation be wary not of those who came by boats, but by votes.
The crab story
(Time) Kasab: ‘We were told that our big brother India is so rich and we are dying of poverty and hunger.’ [So bring the rich man down.]
Cleaning up the dirty business
(IHT) After 11/26, Bombay professionals are getting more serious about entering politics rather than leaving it to criminals and incompetents.
Hi, my name is X and I’ll be your terrorist today
(Rediff) Politeness at Taj siege: A terrorist asked staff, ‘Where’s the restaurant? Who’s inside?’ Calmly: ‘There’s no one inside’... MP gave away location to radio station... Hiding in toilet stalls... ‘Gorgeous commando with ’60s gear.’ (ht: AC)
Baby achieves dream of newborns everywhere
(Tabloid) A baby crowned at a Bombay hospital, but docs pushed it back into the womb and anesthetized the mother until the terrorists left 3 hours later.
VT was never sanitized
(Tabloid) For a week, another terrorist bomb with RDX attached to a battery and timer sat in an evidence room near VT. The timer was not working.
Maharashtra CM resigns
(Express) Maharashtra CM Vilasrao Deshmukh out after 11/26 attack, Narayan Rane is leading replacement candidate.
Attackers’ sat phone from Karachi
(Express) The 11/26 attackers’ sat phone was from Karachi. 2 cell phone SIMs were from Vienna and New Jersey.
Shot Taj employee dies
(Express) The Taj employee whose intestines were left exposed by an AK bullet, and who was stabilized by other guests, has died.
Motorman warned passengers: stay on train
(Hindu) A VT motorman told the announcer to tell the passengers in oncoming trains not to disembark lest they become targets for the terrorists.
Hush little baby
(DNA) At Cama Hospital, ‘the terrorists were violently banging the locked iron grills. The ayah suggested that all mothers breastfeed their babies to hush them up.’
Rs. 50 circumvents security checks
11/26 terrorists were seen at sea
(DNA) The Indian Coast Guard spotted the terrorist ship but dropped it when it moved out of its jurisdiction. The Navy never followed up.
MarCos: bureaucratic clusterf-
(DNA) NSG commandos took 50% longer to reach Bombay because the IL-76 is slow. Marine commandos refused to deploy without a faxed request, and they refused to enter the hotel saying they weren’t trained for it.
Kasab was missing suicide pill
(DNA) Police suspect Kasab’s chain containing a cyanide pill fell off when he was beaten by a mob near Chowpatty.
Taj was never secured
(DNA) Indian commandos let some coworkers and family into the Taj while it was still under siege, including a security officer from Andhra Bank.
Terrorists leaked false chatter
(DNA) ‘The terrorists leaked false information to divert Coast Guard and Naval ships. They did the same in the ’934 blasts also.’
Protesters blanket Colaba
(WSJ) Protester sounds like terrorist: ‘Why has no one shot the chief minister These people should be slaughtered to death.’ Another: ‘This is the first time since the Emergency I have seen people like this.’
Kasab had been shot before capture
(WSJ) With bullets in both arms, Kasab could no longer hold the AK-47 and when caught, was searching for a place to stop and remove the bullets. Indian official: no escape plan, ‘It was a suicide mission.’
Protest in front of the Taj
(WaPo) Big anti-terrorism protest by Taj: ‘Long live Mother India.’ ‘Turn Anger Into Action.’ ‘Pakistan Murdabad.’
Indian security system a joke
(NYT) The Indian coast guard has fewer than 100 boats... Bombay cops didn’t clear VT before defusing the latest bomb... 20 cops and commandos were killed. Cops don’t even get their own radios, they have to find a beat marshal.
Port leaves Bombay vulnerable
(Newstatesman) Bombay is a jumble of Manchester Gothic, ’60s modernist, labyrinthine shanty towns and Indo-Saracen. It’s the sea that makes life bearable and that leaves the city vulnerable to attack.
Indian intel agencies squabble
(AFP) India has more than 12 intel agencies that refuse to share info. ‘There was no one in charge which is why 10 guys were able to hold off hundreds.’
Kasab shot child dead for crying
(CNN) Kasab told police investigators that he shot a small boy and, because he was crying, ‘He shot him again, and killed him, to shut him up.’
Bomb found at VT
(NYT) A bomb left by the attackers was defused at VT days after it reopened... The U.S. said ex-Pakistani military and ISI officers trained the terrorists.
Hitchens: Stand by India
(Slate) Hitchens: U.S. statements on 11/26 have been anemic and media coverage parochial. India is a close friend that was battling Al Qaeda [LeT?] long before we were.
Cop grabbed AK barrel
(DNA) Bombay constable Tukaram Omble reportedly grabbed the barrel of the AK and prevented the Skoda jackers from killing anyone else. He died of his wounds.
England cricketers demand commandos
(ToL) England’s cricketers want round-the-clock commando cover and an emergency evacuation plan before they return to play cricket in India.
Callous policing at VT
(BBC) There was a pile of bodies in the VT waiting hall. We helped put them in passing vehicles to take to the hospital. The police came after half and hour, made enquiries and left.
Indian security rots
(BBC) Almost no coastal patrols. No radar. Cops have to extort food, rides. 4 year purchasing process = equipment outdated when it arrives. Cops resort to buying online with personal credit cards.
Rabbi pulled out anti-terrorist manual
(ToL) On the Chabad House rabbi’s table: a book titled, ‘How to protect yourself when terrorists come to your house.’
Carjacked by terrorists
(Express) The carjacked Skoda owner ran. A terrorist fired in the air and told him to pick up the key he’d thrown. ‘He pointed the automatic weapon to my forehead’� but thankfully he turned and sat in the car.’
‘All My Sons: Bombay’
(Express) A Bombay cop is looking online to buy bulletproof jackets capable of stopping assault rifle bullets. Suppliers pay bribes to win contracts, then supply shoddy vests.
RAW had terrorist ship coordinates
(Express) On Nov. 19, RAW gave the Indian navy the coordinates of a ‘LeT vessel... attempting to infiltrate through sea’ 4 days before it entered Indian waters.
First target for Indian UAVs
(Express) The grenades used in 11/26 and several other LeT attacks all originated from the Pakistan Ordnance Factories in Wah, West Punjab.
‘Take my kids to the hospital’
(Express) A VT vendor, shot multiple times, pleading with a bystander to take his young kids to the hospital so he could save his wife. She later died.
Clip of hijacked Qualis
(Vid) The moment when the surviving constable is found in the police jeep where Karkare, Salaskar were murdered. At 2:05.
CCTV of VT parking lot
Falling down, part 2
(Vid) Adman rants again: ‘Did you see how we lifted bodies in hand-carts? Who are we fooling? It is not about this attack, it is about our callousness and ineptness. We have a 1st world economy with a 3rd world mentality.’