smeaglegolum
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This is an excerpt from Interview of Mumbai Police Comissioner which can be found here
This event has attracted international attention, opinions and critical commentary. The most common critique is, how come 1,600 security forces consisting of policemen, the National Security Guard and the Indian Army [Images] and Navy took 60 long hours to nab only 10 terrorists?
The reason behind the long hours of operation is that the terrorist had gone to the higher levels.
Two, the security agencies were not sure of the number of hostages being held behind the terrorists' positions inside the rooms. We didn't know if there were hostages or not.
If you just enter their area and kill them the entire event would have taken just an hour. But we were not sure if there were hostages or not, how many of them were there if any. We were not aware if children, women and aged people were held as hostages or not. That prevented us from killing them quickly.
Three, if you know the architecture of the Taj Mahal and Oberoi hotels, both have atriums. Terrorists had gone to the higher locations and were controlling the assault from above. Whenever anybody tried to climb up, they were hurling hand grenades and firing from AK series rifles, so it took time. Those who criticise our response should study the event in its entirety.
The situation at VT station (CST, as it is known today) didn't last for more than 10 minutes. Our police, with whatever weapons they had, even with lathis, pushed them out of the station premises. They came out to The Time of India building, they came to the special branch (of the Mumbai police), they rushed to Cama hospital. They went to Rang Bhavan, they went to Vidhan Bhavan (the Maharashtra assembly). Ultimately, they faced an encounter at Girgaum Chowpatty. They were chased all the way there. They didn't get even a single moment.
At CST they could not hide at a higher location so our security men finished the job in 10 minutes. But, at the Taj Mahal and Oberoi hotels and at Nariman House, because they took advantage of the location and because, I repeat, one was not too sure if terrorists were with how many hostages in the rooms, one took precautions.
Look at the other fact. There were more than 500, 600 people at the Taj Mahal hotel when it was attacked, but the casualty was restricted to 32. At the Oberoi there were more than 400 people present, but the casualty is 33. We had to take care and precautions to save innocent lives. That was the only reason to take time in this operation. Our operation was not about 10 terrorists, it was all about saving lives.
Who were these ten people? Each of them was carrying AK-47 rifles. Each of them had 10 to 12 magazines of 30 rounds each. Plus, some 100 to 150 spare rounds of bullets. All of them also had one 9mm pistol with two magazines, plus they had hand grenades. We had to take care of our citizens against such explosive power.
This event has attracted international attention, opinions and critical commentary. The most common critique is, how come 1,600 security forces consisting of policemen, the National Security Guard and the Indian Army [Images] and Navy took 60 long hours to nab only 10 terrorists?
The reason behind the long hours of operation is that the terrorist had gone to the higher levels.
Two, the security agencies were not sure of the number of hostages being held behind the terrorists' positions inside the rooms. We didn't know if there were hostages or not.
If you just enter their area and kill them the entire event would have taken just an hour. But we were not sure if there were hostages or not, how many of them were there if any. We were not aware if children, women and aged people were held as hostages or not. That prevented us from killing them quickly.
Three, if you know the architecture of the Taj Mahal and Oberoi hotels, both have atriums. Terrorists had gone to the higher locations and were controlling the assault from above. Whenever anybody tried to climb up, they were hurling hand grenades and firing from AK series rifles, so it took time. Those who criticise our response should study the event in its entirety.
The situation at VT station (CST, as it is known today) didn't last for more than 10 minutes. Our police, with whatever weapons they had, even with lathis, pushed them out of the station premises. They came out to The Time of India building, they came to the special branch (of the Mumbai police), they rushed to Cama hospital. They went to Rang Bhavan, they went to Vidhan Bhavan (the Maharashtra assembly). Ultimately, they faced an encounter at Girgaum Chowpatty. They were chased all the way there. They didn't get even a single moment.
At CST they could not hide at a higher location so our security men finished the job in 10 minutes. But, at the Taj Mahal and Oberoi hotels and at Nariman House, because they took advantage of the location and because, I repeat, one was not too sure if terrorists were with how many hostages in the rooms, one took precautions.
Look at the other fact. There were more than 500, 600 people at the Taj Mahal hotel when it was attacked, but the casualty was restricted to 32. At the Oberoi there were more than 400 people present, but the casualty is 33. We had to take care and precautions to save innocent lives. That was the only reason to take time in this operation. Our operation was not about 10 terrorists, it was all about saving lives.
Who were these ten people? Each of them was carrying AK-47 rifles. Each of them had 10 to 12 magazines of 30 rounds each. Plus, some 100 to 150 spare rounds of bullets. All of them also had one 9mm pistol with two magazines, plus they had hand grenades. We had to take care of our citizens against such explosive power.
