Tag Archive for ‘Mumbai attack’ at Asian Window

Tag Archive for 'Mumbai attack'

Mumbai attack: Finally, Pakistan admits

Published

on February 13, 2009

in Conflict, India, Pakistan and Terrorism

. 1 Comment

After months of denial, Pakistan has finally admitted that last November’s terrorist attack on Mumbai was planned and launched from its territory. Pakistan’s interior ministy chief said six people, including the mastermind of the attack, Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi, were in its custody. India’s foreign minister termed Pakistan’s response as a positive development.

Pakistan’s half a confession: Holbrooke’s first success?

C Raja Mohan in The Indian Express:

Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, the mastermind behind the attacks on Mumbai. Reuters

Even the most sceptical of Indian analysts will have to concede that Pakistan has taken an important step forward Thursday in acknowledging that at least part of the planning for the Mumbai outrage took place in Pakistan. Islamabad’s half a confession on Thursday is an important gain for the UPA Government which had chosen the diplomatic route to pressurise Pakistan rather than a military confrontation that many hotheads in New Delhi wanted after the Mumbai aggression. More:

Time for India to think of carrots too, not just sticks

In The Hindu, Siddharth Varadarajan says now India must shed its distrust of Pakistan

After expecting the worst, New Delhi today finds itself having to fashion a response to a Pakistani investigative effort that the entire world is likely to judge as serious and effective. So far, the Indian side had been thinking only in terms of the coercive diplomatic steps it could take in response to Islamabad’s lack of cooperation. Now that Pakistan has demonstrated more than a modest measure of cooperation, India will have to also evaluate the carrots, if any, it is prepared to offer to ensure the progress that has been made continues, and the planners of Mumbai are brought to book. More:

“Thaw at last”

That’s the headline of the report in Dawn, Karachi: Tension between Islamabad and New Delhi started to dissipate on Thursday and a thaw set in when Pakistan’s Interior Adviser Rehman Malik conceded that last November’s terror attacks in Mumbai were partially planned in Pakistan, and announced the arrest of a number of accused and his government’s intent to prosecute them. Rehman Malik’s unprecedented announcement at a televised news conference was greeted by an immediate change in tone and tenor of key Indian decision makers. Both External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Interior Minister P. Chidambaram described as positive Islamabad’s response to the Delhi-prepared investigation dossier on the terror attacks blamed on Pakistan-based militants. More:

How US leaned heavily on Pakistan

From The Indian Express: This and the fact that the admission comes a day after US President Barack Obama spoke to Pak President Asif Ali Zardari and when US envoy Richard Holbrooke was visiting the country, clearly reflects the pressure being brought on Islamabad. Incidentally, the FBI was on the verge of moving in with visas ready when Pakistan decided to set up an investigation team. More:

How the attack was planned

From The Hindu: Confirming that the engine of the dinghy was bought in Pakistan, Mr. Malik said the investigators had traced the shop and the owner from where a man he identified only as “one Khan” bought the engine. Khan also bought life-jackets and other sea-travel related items from this shop. The owner of the shop had a contact number that Khan had given him. The FIA found the number terminated, but the telephone number from which the termination request was made opened out the investigation further. More

The confessions of Mumbai terrorist

Published

asianwindow

on December 14, 2008

in Conflict and India

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As Ajmal Ameer Kasab, the only terrorist caught alive for the attack, gives details of his indoctrination and training, Sagnik Chowdhury pieces together the terror plot against Mumbai. From the Sunday Express:

Ajmal Amir Kasab, the face of the Mumbai attacks. Photo: Reuters

In 2005, however, Kasab had a fight with his parents and walked out of his home, taking to robbery and dacoity to earn money. Kasab’s recruitment into the terror fold began in mid-2006 when he wanted to buy a firearm and was asked to contact an LeT operative in Rawalpindi. It was through this contact that he was introduced to top leaders in the terror outfit and radicalised through sustained indoctrination by Zaqi-ur-Rehman Lakhvi. Kasab has told interrogators that the ten terrorists were handpicked from a larger group and that they attended training camps at Mansera, Muridke, Muzaffarabad and a location near Karachi. Top LeT operatives, identified as Abu Hamza-said to be involved in the December 2005 attack on the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore-and Kahafa were in charge of their training.

“Kahafa was a sort of course co-ordinator and was constantly shepherding the group. Hamza was involved during the advanced training in firearms and explosives,” says Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Rakesh Maria, the officer in charge of the investigations.

LeT commander Hafiz Saeed too visited the group during their training. According to the Crime Branch, several of the handlers at the different training camps were names that had been dropped by arrested operatives of the Indian Mujahideen when grilled about their training in Pakistan.

Moment of truth for Pakistan’s transition

Published

asianwindow

on December 5, 2008

in Conflict, India and Pakistan

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India might now do well to resist the temptation to behave as the U.S. did after 9/11, and show the world how a responsible and confident Asian power carries itself even when in pain. Haris Gazdar in the Hindu:

Who knows if the timing of Mumbai had anything to do with the struggle within the Pakistani state, but it is worth remembering that Mr. Musharraf’s coup followed Kargil, which followed Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s bus yatra to Lahore. Mumbai is relevant to Pakistan’s transition because regardless of any evidence of Pakistani complicity, the policy of reconciliation with India requires that assistance requested should be rendered. The civilian leadership was right to respond positively to India’s request for high-level representation of Pakistan’s secret agencies, and it was wrong to wriggle out of its commitment. The rethink may have been forced by the military’s displeasure.

Nevertheless, the ball is now in the court of the military. By falling in line with the civilian government’s diplomatic effort they will reveal their intention to be on board in the transition.

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