Bomb blasts in Mumbai

[Transformers]

Mumbai blasts cast shadow on talks with Pak

NEW DELHI: July is a jinxed month as far as Indo-Pak engagement is concerned. The three serial terror blasts in Mumbai on Wednesday evening have cast a shadow on the forthcoming foreign ministers' talks scheduled for July 26.

India has refrained from pointing any fingers at Pakistan, having learnt from past experiences. Pakistan foreign ministry was among the first to publicly condemn the blasts. A ministry statement said, "President Asif Ali Zardari, prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, the government and the people of Pakistan have condemned the blasts in Mumbai and expressed distress on the loss of lives and injuries. The president and PM have expressed their deepest sympathies to the Indian leadership on the loss of lives, injuries and damage to property in Mumbai."

India will not officially apportion blame until there are clear leads from the investigation, sources said. Initial reports pointed to the involvement of Indian Mujahideen (IM), but nothing has been confirmed yet. But terror attacks of this nature always make the going difficult between India and Pakistan, no matter how hard everybody tries to keep things normal.

While being mindful of public opinion, the Indian government will tread very carefully with Pakistan on this issue. India and Pakistan are finally picking up the pieces of a frayed peace process through numerous hiccups. After a complete round of official-level talks on all eight outstanding issues, Indian and Pakistani foreign secretaries met in Islamabad on June 23-24. Newly-appointed foreign minister of Pakistan, Hina Rabbani Khar, is expected to be here for talks with foreign minister S M Krishna.

India's restraint after 26/11 attacks of 2008 could not be guaranteed if another significant terror attack happened in India, which was proved to have originated in Pakistan, and is now a conventional wisdom. India will not take decisions hastily, but the government will have its work cut out. It will have to explain continuing dialogue with Pakistan if any connection can be proven. It will simultaneously have to deliver a tougher message on terror. Most importantly, the Manmohan Singh government will have to explain the incompetence of the homeland security sector since three years after the horrific 26/11 Mumbai is once again the target of a terror attack.

Terrorism analysts point out that even if Pakistan-based groups had had a hand in these attacks, it might be very difficult to trace it back to them like 26/11 was. Whether this means that the plausible deniability gives these groups greater cover in actions in India has to be seen. Which is why all eyes will be on the Indian reaction — both in the public domain and on the security front.

After 26/11, India went through a phase of anger and suspended all talks with Pakistan. It took many false starts for the talks to finally go through. The peace process between the two countries is very fragile at this point, and certainly the Manmohan Singh government will try hard to sustain it. Pakistani leaders have said that India should continue engagement disregarding terrorism since both countries are facing the same menace. Repeatedly, their message has been that India should cut them some slack on the Mumbai attacks because they suffer similar attacks all the time.

Mumbai blasts cast shadow on talks with Pak - The Times of India

 

[Awesome]

Problem is people in Mumbai are pretty pissed off. This city has been targeted time and time again and no concrete steps taken in any of the previous attacks. Even Kasab is still alive and living off the tax payer's money. Expect hardline right wingers to go hard on the govt on this. Which is why the govt. has not shot off from the mouth about people behind the blast unlike last time. Any indication of outside involvement would really put a lot of public pressure on the govt. already reeling from recent anti-corruption campaign of the civilians.
Expect hardliners to push the govt on this.

If it leads to LeT I hope India first considers submitting evidence to the ongoing prosecution of the LeT which has finally started to gain pace. One key problem has been India has not allowed its citizens to travel to Pakistan to give their testimonies (forensic experts, investigators, eye-witnesses, so on). At some point this will be required under Pakistani law which still does not even accept web-cam testimonies.

26/11 case: Prosecutors submit evidence given by India

Islamabad: Pakistani prosecutors today submitted documentary evidence provided by India, including confessional statement of Ajmal Kasab, in the anti-terrorism court conducting the trial of LeT's Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and six others charged with involvement in Mumbai attacks, as a new judge began hearing the case.

Prosecutors from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) presented three files containing the autopsy reports of those killed in the attacks, medico-legal reports of the injured and lone surviving Mumbai attacker Kasab's confessional statement in English, Hindi and Marathi, sources told.

The evidence was presented to the court by the FIA following an application from the defence lawyers. Copies of all the evidence will be provided to the accused and the defence lawyers, the sources said.

Today's in-camera proceedings at the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi were conducted by Shahid Rafique, who was appointed the new judge for hearing the Mumbai attacks case. He is the fifth judge to hear the case since proceedings began in early 2009.

After the evidence was presented in court by the prosecutors, Judge Rafique adjourned the case till July 23. Lakhvi's counsel Khwaja Sultan said after the hearing that the defence lawyers had requested the court to provide the autopsy and medico-legal reports of those killed and injured in the Mumbai attacks after the prosecution presented a new list of witnesses, including Indian doctors and policemen.

The seven suspects, including LeT members, have been accused of planning, facilitating and financing the November 2008 attacks in India's financial hub that killed 166 people.

Their trial has been marred by repeated delays and only one out of over 160 prosecution witnesses has testified so far.


Read more at: 26/11 case: Prosecutors submit evidence given by India

Kasab should be kept alive till the matter of his testimony is resolved, it has to be submitted and accepted by the Pakistani court. Pakistan and India can work out a mechanism where he can appear before court and then leave back to India under the auspices of the interpol or some other third party that India and Pakistan trust.

 

[Vibs]

If it leads to LeT I hope India first considers submitting evidence to the ongoing prosecution of the LeT which has finally started to gain pace. One key problem has been India has not allowed its citizens to travel to Pakistan to give their testimonies (forensic experts, investigators, eye-witnesses, so on). At some point this will be required under Pakistani law which still does not even accept web-cam testimonies.

26/11 case: Prosecutors submit evidence given by India



Kasab should be kept alive till the matter of his testimony is resolved, it has to be submitted and accepted by the Pakistani court. Pakistan and India can work out a mechanism where he can appear before court and then leave back to India under the auspices of the interpol or some other third party that India and Pakistan trust.

As far as Kasab being sent to Pakistan is concerned,unlikely it's going to happen. These demands will end up with the usual India handing over list of it's wanted and Pakistan reciprocating with it's own list.
As far as the culprits go, it seems to have the pattern of the Indian Mujahedeen, which is a local front promoted by LeT. If a direct LeT link is found, expect immense pressure on Pakistan from India. Local opinion is that the current govt did nothing after the 26/11 attacks and sentiments will run high for some kind of action. Forget about de-railment of talks, this could go pretty bad pretty quickly.

 

[RPK]

Date '13' points to suspected IM involvement in Mumbai blasts

Date '13' points to suspected IM involvement in Mumbai blasts
Pune, Jul 14 (PTI)

Three blasts that rocked Mumbai once again made Punekars shudder with memories of the terrorist attack on German Bakery on February 13 last year that killed 17 persons including some foreigners and injured over 50.

Even as the city has been put on a very high alert since last night after the blasts with a thick security blanket covering all places identified as sensitive after the German Bakery blast, the numerical connotation of the date '13' has emerged as a mysterious angle to the latest terror strike on the country's commercial capital.

ATS sources here noted that in addition to the Pune blast, many other earlier terror attacks including the ones in Delhi and Jaipur had taken place on the day when the date was 13 and wondered whether it pointed out to involvement of a particular group that had planned them.

A source said it appeared that the attacks with suspected Indian Mujaheedin (IM) connections had coincided with the date '13'.

After the February 13 attack on the German Bakery, the Koregaon park area which also houses the Jewish centre Chhabad House and the Osho ashram in its vicinity have been notified as sensitive zones on the terrorists' radar.

 

[footmarks]

Its easy to point fingers towards outside support/planning, but the fact remains the same- real culprits are insiders. The explosives used are NH4NO3, normally used as a fertilizer. Making such a bomb is not that difficult. Any one can plan a terror attack at any place aound the world, with all details & intricacies, sitting at home. But to execute that, inside support is needed. 26/11 was an intelligence failure (external intelligence, mostly), but such attacks are more worrisome, as these are planned & executed inside the country.

Crores of rupees are sanctioned to strengthen the intelligence apparatus, every time such attacks happen. I wonder, what/how does that matter anymore to those who lost their loved ones.

 

[newdelhinsa]

It's an insider's job for sure and sponsoring such attacks by any external party can not be ruled out.

Indian agencies are as usually unprepared and idiotically clueless.

The charity begins at home.

Before blaming it to an outsider interest we should screen and check all internal leakages irrespective of their religion and origin.

We need more strict laws and holistic approach while handling national security issues. This can be done only when we have a leadership with some spine not these belly crawler, cold bloodily dishonest reptiles like we have now.

As far as this particular attack is concerned then nothing can be as cowardly as this attack is.

PS: Indian members please refrain from making sweeping statements and blaming it on any other country with faulty generalizations. The man hunt is on lets see if this time they be able to charge and prosecute someone with proper evidence, Thanks.

 

[jetti]

^ agree that its most likely an inside job. As is being pointed out, it is likely IM or SIMI (i think hey are all fused together anywas). But where does IM and SIMI get their support funding training and instructions from???? Certainly not from within.
Some people here are stupidly mentioning hindu groups names. But hindu groups have been targetted and behind bars now. So if its a hindu group it has to be only something new. So lets see.

 

[utraash]

Thank you Chindambram, you are a true ambassador for peace in the region, & I hope this inspires Pakistan & India to resolve all their issues as soon as possible, & live amicably with one another.

He is just hiding his incompetence by saying such things without any proof...and if he has he should come out public ally with proof... spineless ministers doest not have to pay anything because it common life which is lost in these blast......

 

[Bang Galore]

How is the atmosphere in India this time around? War war war, again? Doesn't seem so. Too early to tell?

It's not as simple as that. The 2008 attacks were far more clearer on their Pakistani connections & far more brazen which was probably the intention. The link to the terrorists involved in this particular incident will need unraveling. These explosions certainly had a local hand & at best (or worst) may be connected to groups linked to the LeT. Unlike the2008 attacks, it certainly does not come across as a very sophisticated attack masterminded by people outside this country. Therefore any anger will be directed inwards & not against Pakistan, So any apprehension of a cry for "war-war" this time may be overstated(at this point).

 

[footmarks]

This is the third time Zaveri bazaar has been hit by terror attack. I wonder how difficult & expensive it is to install CCTV cameras in such crowded places & maintain them in running condition?

And then, all major cities would be put on high alert.. what that means in real terms is - policemen who normally sit in police stations will roam around in their jeeps. Those policemen who usually be seen sitting at different places while on duty, will keep standing, and they all would be particularly more arrogant & abusive towards general public for some days. There would be some high level security meetings, a lot of fiery words from govt & oppoostion parties, and business will be as usual within a week.

And general public would continue to rely on a handful of people from intelligence, who work without a face and without much support. Considering that suppost structure & terror network is worldwide, & intelligence agencies still largely depend upon old school HUMINT (Read informers), they are doing a very good job.

 

[Vibs]

This is the third time Zaveri bazaar has been hit by terror attack. I wonder how difficult & expensive it is to install CCTV cameras in such crowded places & maintain them in running condition?

And then, all major cities would be put on high alert.. what that means in real terms is - policemen who normally sit in police stations will roam around in their jeeps. Those policemen who usually be seen sitting at different places while on duty, will keep standing, and they all would be particularly more arrogant & abusive towards general public for some days. There would be some high level security meetings, a lot of fiery words from govt & oppoostion parties, and business will be as usual within a week.

And general public would continue to rely on a handful of people from intelligence, who work without a face and without much support. Considering that suppost structure & terror network is worldwide, & intelligence agencies still largely depend upon old school HUMINT (Read informers), they are doing a very good job.

Zaveri Bazaar does have cctv. But you have to go to the area to realize how impossible it is to monitor the place, especially during rush hour. And to be honest, Mumbai police had upped the vigil for the past 2 months. They were there along with traffic police men at every major signal and intersection. I remember wondering wht all the security was about.

 

[Rocky25]

Self delete!

 

[Awesome]

^ agree that its most likely an inside job. As is being pointed out, it is likely IM or SIMI (i think hey are all fused together anywas). But where does IM and SIMI get their support funding training and instructions from???? Certainly not from within.
Some people here are stupidly mentioning hindu groups names. But hindu groups have been targetted and behind bars now. So if its a hindu group it has to be only something new. So lets see.

Inside job implies it was carried out by Indian government, just as an example say to frame Pakistan. But if its carried out by anti-India elements within the Indian society, its no longer an inside job. So be careful with the terminology.

 

[Novice09]

It really don't matter whether these attacks were originated from the neighborhood or from the anti national elements within India -- The Indian intell agencies and local law enforcement agencies have failed to stop these attacks -- This should be our real concern and action point -- It is better for us to strengthen our security instead of hoping that our neighbor will act against so called "FREEDOM FIGHTERS".

 

[jetti]

Inside job implies it was carried out by Indian government, just as an example say to frame Pakistan. But if its carried out by anti-India elements within the Indian society, its no longer an inside job. So be careful with the terminology.

I meant inside job as elements within indian society, not the govt.
For this govt, if they wanted to jeopardize the talks, then Having talks and stalling it is easier than killing our own people and becoming more susceptible to peoples ire over the next elections. So no way its an inside job as defined above.