9/11 again - This time in India!

[bloodrayne]

V, how close is this to your house?...Is your family okay?...Are there any indications that it could get anywhere near where you live?

This is pretty scary...I hope you guys are okay.

OH, and Roshiq!...Bangladesh is to India like Canada is to America...Do you have any family in India?

[_____V_____]

For now, yes. I am pretty far from there, about 500 miles. I am at my office computer, and all of us are tuned into the news as we work. The only worrying fact - if any/all of those who havent been captured or killed yet decide to flee the place and get into the country, we are fucked.

I have a cousin who is in the movie biz in Mumbai (he works as a music composer and sound mixer) and talked to him. He's currently in NY doing some work for a new movie so he is safe. His family is in Mumbai though, and they are in the northern part of the city, holed inside their apartment.

Latest news say the terrorists are holding about 50 people hostage in each of the two hotels they have captured - the Taj and the Oberoi. They have demanded ransom but the police are wary that the ransom demand is only a ruse.

In addition, several unidentified ships are floating aimlessly along the Mumbai shores. The Navy has been warning them to stay off Indian waters, and they are quickly retreating back to international waters when they get such warnings. The Navy is concerned that some of them might be hiding more terrorists, who might try to come in as reinforcements.

Shooting and gunfights still continue in several parts of South Mumbai. Right now, about 120 killed and 350 injured.

[_____V_____]

Professor Deepa Ollapally has said the scale and sophistication of the Mumbai terrorist attacks leave one with the impression that it has all of the hallmarks of an Al Qaeda inspired attack, probably well-financed by outside forces.

Ollapally, professorial lecturer and associate director of the Sigur Center for Asian Studies at the Elliot School of International Affairs at George Washington University, also told that the name Deccan Mujahideen, akin to the earlier terrorist attack claimants calling themselves Indian Mujahideen, was obviously a ploy to confuse people that the terrorists were indigenous and home-grown, when it was highly unlikely it was so.

"Not only is it unprecedented, but also the fact that this group apparently laying claim for this -- the Deccan Mujahideen -- is completely unknown, and so the question is, these new names are now coming up, no one really knows what the true source of these are."

Ollapally said, "It's almost as if they are playing a guessing game, and it's a pattern you've seen in other places. You've seen it, when a group is banned they come up with a different name. But, also having these different names, it creates a lot of confusion because Indian Mujahideen, Deccan Mujahideen, they are trying to associate themselves as being internal, indigenous, home-grown and all that."

Ollapally said, "The way in which this was carried out, it does suggest that they needed some fairly sophisticated, coordinated planning. And, if the reports are true about their rounding up Americans and British, then it sounds like there is an Al Qaeda hand possibly, which again would be the most obvious difference between every other terrorist attack that has gone on before (in India)."

"And, then the point of, what is the motive for this. It's not as if something sparked it off. It's really not clear. The question is, whether it's a new phenomenon. Is it a new strategy? What then is the objective?"

She acknowledged, "Who knows if it had anything to do with the presidential transition here in the US? And, there are elections coming up in India also. So, that's the other thing -- whether it is to destabilise India. And, there have been criticism that the current government has not been acting swiftly and so forth," to combat the scourge of terrorism in India.

"So, they can use this for electoral reasons also," Ollapally said, "but again, all this is complete speculation."

However, she agreed that "there has been all this speculation about testing the US, the incoming administration, although this doesn't really jell. I mean, if it were the Al Qaeda and they wanted to test Obama, there are other places where they can do it that would be much more front and centre that would capture the US attention much more. So, this seems probably a little far-fetched."

Ollapally also speculated that "on the one hand, you've got the Indian foreign minister and the Pakistani foreign minister speaking and they have been making some progress and so forth, so this could be to destabilise that -- to throw these talks off."

She recalled that "when the Indian embassy in Afghanistan was bombed, the US intelligence did find the Pakistani intelligence connected. So, you cannot rule out any of these things."

"It's one thing to have summitry between India and Pakistan, but the point is, unless Pakistan really cracks down on the groups that operate there -- and that requires almost a mini internal war on terrorism -- this is not going to stop."

[bloodrayne]

Originally Posted by _____V_____

For now, yes. I am pretty far from there, about 500 miles. I am at my office computer, and all of us are tuned into the news as we work. The only worrying fact - if any/all of those who havent been captured or killed yet decide to flee the place and get into the country, we are fucked.

I have a cousin who is in the movie biz in Mumbai (he works as a music composer and sound mixer) and talked to him. He's currently in NY doing some work for a new movie so he is safe. His family is in Mumbai though, and they are in the northern part of the city, holed inside their apartment.

Latest news say the terrorists are holding about 50 people hostage in each of the two hotels they have captured - the Taj and the Oberoi. They have demanded ransom but the police are wary that the ransom demand is only a ruse.

In addition, several unidentified ships are floating aimlessly along the Mumbai shores. The Navy has been warning them to stay off Indian waters, and they are quickly retreating back to international waters when they get such warnings. The Navy is concerned that some of them might be hiding more terrorists, who might try to come in as reinforcements.

Shooting and gunfights still continue in several parts of South Mumbai. Right now, about 120 killed and 350 injured.

That's what I was thinking when I asked if there was any indication that it could reach you...How would they know if they have caught them all, and where will they go when they run?!...I'll be worried about you...Is there any way to get your cousin's family out of there?...I saw on the news that they were telling everyone to stay in their homes, lock their doors and windows, and don't go out in the street for anything...That is TRULY freaking scary.

[_____V_____]

At least three foreigners, including a Briton, were killed and 18 others injured when heavily-armed terrorists attacked two luxury hotels and other places in southern Mumbai.

Besides a British national, the foreigners killed in the attacks were an Australian and a Japanese.

British High Commissioner Sir Richard Stagg said the UK national died in the attack in the Taj hotel, where seven of his compatriots were also injured. He did not identify the victims.

The slain Japanese national was identified as Hisa Phuda (41), who was brought dead to the Bombay hospital in south Mumbai last Wednesday night, hospital sources said.

Australian, Braid Gilbert Taylor (49), was also brought dead to St George hospital in south Mumbai, officials said.

Eleven other foreigners of different nationalities were injured in the terror strikes and were admitted to the Bombay Hospital.

Hospital sources said the injured foreigners are from Australia, USA, Norway, Spain, Canada and Singapore.



An Australian TV actress, who was trapped inside Mumbai's Taj Hotel when terrorists went on a shooting spree, hid herself in a two-by-three metre cupboard for an hour to escape death.

Brooke Satchwell, former star of soap opera Neighbours, told a radio portal that she was inside the ground-floor toilets when the attack happened and "everyone just froze". "As I stepped into the bathroom you could hear machine-gun fire start up in the lobby," she told the radio portal. "People started locking themselves into the toilet cubicles, which clearly wasn't a very good idea. But we were trying to find somewhere to hide," she said.

Satchwell, along with her boyfriend and about eight other foreigners, has now been moved to another hotel in south Mumbai, whose location was not disclosed for security reasons.

"I can't even get my leg dressed, we can't go to the airport, that's been bombed, we can't go to the police centres, they've been bombed," Satchwell's boyfriend told the Herald from the hotel.

Recalling her ordeal at the Taj Hotel, the actress told the portal that hotel staff directed the group into the service cupboard, where she waited for up to an hour, hearing bursts of gunfire.

"Some of the hotel security came and ushered us very quickly down the corridor and across the lobby, clearly no one had a very good idea of what happened ... or where we were meant to be heading at that stage," Satchwell said.

At least 20 Australians were in the nearby Oberoi hotel, which also came under attack, all of them members of a New South Wales delegation organised by the Department of State and Regional Development.

Meanwhile, an Australian bride, who had just moved to Mumbai, said the city was in chaos. Chloe Papazahariakis told the Nine Network that Mumbai was in "total lockdown".

"I've just moved to this beautiful city to marry my husband in four days and I've got about 20 friends here for the wedding in the midst of all this chaos," she said. Papazahariakis was speaking from the restaurant where her reception was to be held. A nearby hospital had been bombed by terrorists, she said adding, "We just can't believe it."

"They are targeting every suburb in this city but the most tragic thing is that for the first time ever they are targeting big-time foreigners and five-star hotels," Papazahariakis said.

[roshiq]

OMG!

That's really shocking & terrible indeed. After Pakistan and now those God damned suckers have now begins their sadistic activities in India..and according to the geographical condition...now it seems we aren't safe also here in Bangladesh as I like to also mention that we have suffered also in August 17, 2006: Bomb blasted at 64 different districts around the country that time..but the causalities were less than its type. Anyways, as far I know for the last couple of years there were also many other terrorist attacks had been occurred in India but obviously not as outrageous or vicious like this one. Even my parents had a tour in India probably early of this year and just after the next day they visited The Azmir Sharif, there was a bomb blast! That really scared the hell out of us.

Originally Posted by neverending

My thoughts will be with you and all your countrymen, V... hoping for a swift end to these hostilities.

Same here. Hope the city gets it life back again asap. But the thing is this whole attack will definitely have a severe impact all over the sub continent.

Originally Posted by bloodrayne

OH, and Roshiq!...Bangladesh is to India like Canada is to America...Do you have any family in India?

No..none. One of my uncle & aunt (who are now living in US for almost 30 years but currently living in Qatar for some official project works) have been planning for many days that they'll have a vacation in India in this coming December, but I think they may have to cancel their whole tour now.

[_____V_____]

Latest news as we speak... (all times are IST, it is now 2:16 PM IST)


02:10 PM: 40 bodies found in 4 floors of Taj Hotel.

01:50 PM: Director General of Police A N Roy says all people trapped inside Taj Hotel have been rescued and the hostage situation is over. "No negotiations with the terrorists. Either we will kill them or nab them alive," says Roy. Meanwhile, an National Security Guard spokesman says 200 more NSG commandos were being rushed to Mumbai.

01:13 PM: Trident Hotel (formerly Oberoi), has said that it is under the control of police and security forces, and they are monitoring the situation in wake of the terrorist strike.

01:23 PM: Handgrenades lobbed from Oberoi Hotel in south Mumbai where terrorists are holed up.

12:42 PM: Police say one terrorist holed up inside Nariman House has been killed. Six more terrorists are suspected to be hiding inside the building.

12:14 PM: At least four terrorists are holed up in the Taj Hotel where 40 to 50 guests were still trapped, says Major R K Hooda, General Officer Commanding of Maharashtra, Goa and Gujarat. Two bodies have been brought out of the Taj Hotel and taken away in an ambulance.

[_____V_____]

Originally Posted by bloodrayne

That's what I was thinking when I asked if there was any indication that it could reach you...How would they know if they have caught them all, and where will they go when they run?!...I'll be worried about you...Is there any way to get your cousin's family out of there?...I saw on the news that they were telling everyone to stay in their homes, lock their doors and windows, and don't go out in the street for anything...That is TRULY freaking scary.

Nope. There's no way of getting them out of there. Mumbai is under total lockdown right now.

There is no way of knowing how many is the actual number, and how many might actually sneak into the country. Like I said, if that actually happens, we are fucked.

[bwind22]

Originally Posted by _____V_____

01:50 PM: Director General of Police A N Roy says all people trapped inside Taj Hotel have been rescued and the hostage situation is over. "No negotiations with the terrorists. Either we will kill them or nab them alive," says Roy.

Fuckin' right. Roy's got the right attitude for dealing with these pieces of shit.

[bloodrayne]

Originally Posted by roshiq

No..none. One of my uncle & aunt (who are now living in US for almost 30 years but currently living in Qatar for some official project works) have been planning for many days that they'll have a vacation in India in this coming December, but I think they may have to cancel their whole tour now.

That's a relief, for now anyway...If they truly are from Pakistan, their problem is with India...I think you guys will be safe over there on the other side...And I definitely HOPE that you will be safe!

V, I'm going to try to get you on Yahoo.