US Warned India In October About Mumbai-Style Terror Attack

U.S. intelligence agencies warned their Indian counterparts in mid-October of a potential attack "from the sea against hotels and business centers in Mumbai," a U.S. intelligence official tells ABCNews.com.

A second government source say specific locations, including the Taj hotel, were listed in the U.S. warning.

One month later, Nov. 18, Indian intelligence also intercepted a satellite phone call to a number in Pakistan known to be used by a leader of the terror group, Lashkar e Taiba, believed responsible for the weekend attack, Indian intelligence officials say.

The Indian intercept also revealed a possible sea-borne attack, the officials say.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[HeIsTheOne]

Why would anyone across the world believe US intelligence, since we were the ones who's president insisted there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq?

Last week the DoD offered to send help to Mumbai. Indian authorities said "thanks, but no thanks".

Are you getting it Shrub? Don't bore us with your current act of contritions. YOU did your country a disservice YOU can never live down with your ignorant lamebrained policies and insecurities.

[KOisGod]

Intelligence agencies.

NOT

If the warning was that EXPICIT, and the Indian law enforcement chose to ignore it, and didn't look for 20 young guys, carrying AK 47s, jumping off of little inflatable boats, commando style, in plain sight

Well,

are they republican's?

[MyTake]

Why don't these so-called U.S. intelligence agencies become more intelligent!

Don't tell the government counterparts in India about your phone intercepts, just send a email to all the print media in India and then everyone will know about the impending attack. The people will then take self protective measures and pressure their government to step up security. If the government failed to do this and the attack did take place, well you can imagine the scale of protests that would take place.

Why didn't the CIA just phone the same phone number and say, we are onto you a$$holes! That would have scuttled the terrorist planning right there.

Better yet, the NSA should just do mass emaillings in real time from their taps on terrorists hot list phone numbers. Since they trap all of our email addresses now, they could mail their live sound files as an attachment to all of us. There might be someone out there that just might recognize the voice on the recording and there would be far fewer terrorists to deal with as a result.

Oh, I forgot, the CIA and NSA need their secrets in order to stay powerful and consume massive amounts of tax dollars on their so-called covert activities.

Had John Kennedy survived and abolished the CIA, as he intended to do in his 2nd term, the world would have been a far better place than it is now.

[Carolab]

Which is exactly why he isn't here now.

[MyTake]

How did you find out about Allen Welsh Dulles!

[TheJibreelaMonsters]

***Breaking News***
This just in:
CIA says take the Alabama with the points vs Florida

[bronceye]

Gee, a terror attack alert from the bush administration? Who, in their right mind, could ever take that seriously?

[AdamAnt12]

I guess India should have...

[Meds]

Definitely.

[PeteSake]

And the US warned itself of a possible Bin Laden attack. Remember that e-mail "Bin Laden determined ot strike in the US" that COndi had no real answer for?

We can't even take our own advice. But it's also hard to detect when and exactly where, and how.

[Carolab]

Time to post this, again:

http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/CHO111A.html

[BushBites]

It wasn't an e-mail.

It was the title of a daily briefing that was personally delivered to Bush while he was on vacation.

Bush told the worried intelligence official "Ok, you covered your ass," and stayed on vacation.

In fact, he played golf the next day.

[repugnicansfearme]

This just in, the CIA reports that there might be a chance of a Japanese air attack on Pearl Harbor sometime in December. Just sayin'

[Mort]

This is like warning everyone that an earthquake will happen. We don't know where or when, and we're not positive it'll come, but there's a good chance. Or pre 9/11 warning that terrorists are planning something. What it really means is nothing would have prevented the attacks, but we look better if we have someone to blame. "I told you so" is a pretty hollow gesture.

[JohnFromCensornati]

It does say that they were specific about the Taj. Better hotel security would have been a good idea, but that would be bad for business. You know, people wouldn't like taking their shoes before entering the hotel.

[JohnFromCensornati]

shoes *off*

[Meds]

So they kept the security guys only on the front side. The backside was unguarded. Ha! The terrorists entered from the backside.

[S1m0n]

Maybe, but it shows the recent decision to reduce security measures at the Taj in a most illuminating light.

[PlainBread]

This is what the CIA has ALWAYS (from Spain, Britain, Bali, to India) said every time there's an attack occurring in any country. Please don't push it, sirs, otherwise the rest of the world would think that CIA somewhat has something to do about it.

[S1m0n]

Except 911, of course. That was unforeseeable!

[Carolab]

Said with tongue in cheek, I presume.

[repugnicansfearme]

The CIA can't find their a** with both hands.

[BlueZoo]

I would like to follow-up on my prior post by saying that I lived in London in the '70s during the IRA bombings and Scotland Yard most certainly did listen to the citizenry! If we saw one suspect package or anyone acting suspiciously, the Yard was at our doorstep within minutes. I cannot emphasize enough what this cooperation between law enforcement and the citzenry resulted in. Heaven only knows how many lives were saved by the alertness of the people!

[TheIndependenceParty]

Thanks, BZ! Good police work is what is needed. Seems the UK and Germany are particularly skilled at anti-terrorism skills in their police departments. Hopefully we in the US will work against terrorism as a crime and not a war. The scale is different and the intelligence required is different.

[BlueZoo]

In the end, it wouldn't have mattered HOW much advance notice of an attack India got, you simply cannot defend against ten simultaneous attacks in one city the size of Mumbai. You may be able to add security to the major hotels but a Jewish center and a spiritual house where people meditate? I don't think so. Our own 9/ll showed us just how much authorities give credence to what the average citizen reports. (We had aviation instructors call the FBI saying they had Arab students who wanted to learn how to fly but not to land and nothing was done to follow-up on those calls.) Indian fishermen told authorities they had been hijacked and they saw dozens of men with big bags leaving boats at the shore. The Indian authorities did nothing. Unless you can get law enforcement, here and in India and everywere else, to trust their citizenry, you will see this happen time and again.

[Carolab]

Let's look at what's happening here: during the RNC convention, local law enforcement got a ton of "homeland security" money to reinforce the security. The local agencies were working in cahoots rounding up hundreds of people guilty of nothing more than walking in the streets, including journalists. Now we have military training in domestic operations on U.S. soil. Local law enforcement is recuited to work with Homeland Security and the military. How does that square with local agencies listening to their citizens?

[slaxx]

just look around at this board and others- everyone is a nay-sayer. everyone brushes everything off...

[bascombe]

ahile = while

[bascombe]

the cia is bragging about another dropped ball?
give them another medal of freedom.

or is it just trying to crow about themselves ahile boosh is still in office.

[Carolab]

No, they are trying to imply that India somehow dropped the ball, and why would that be?

[deanmatteo]

carol you are pretty smart.....what do you think of the 20 000 troops that are going to patrol the streets soon?? getting worried yet?

[VitriolAndAngst]

I'm guessing this "we ignored the heads on fire warnings" will proceed immediately to a justification for internal spying, and wars for recourses. Later, it will be found to all be an innocent mistake -- but they can't withdraw from whatever it is because that would mean "losing."

Three scenarios come to mind -- India Ignored the CIA because they thought:
1) It was like the previous "faulty" intelligence.
2) horrible attacks make ignoring laws and starting wars so much easier.
3) -- well, the CIA is making this up for some political reason.

[Mildmannered]

Obama should consider sending a special envoy (such as Ambassador Richard Holbrooke) to the region and he who would be responsible for helping to settle all the various disputes between Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.

[Purobi]

Only if it were that simple. Pakistan is a failed state where Mr. 10% is ruling the country. Afghanistan has Karzai (Mayor of Kabul who can not go outside Kabul) who is pretending to rule. India has hypocrisy named as democracy.

[Carolab]

The U.S. lost its puppet Musharraf and Bhutto's husband in power is giving them fits.

[Perry Clease]

Forget him, send someone with more experience in such disputes, perhaps a pre-school teacher.

[imodotcom]

What is wrong with these "SECURITY and INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES???"

They intercept intelligence.
They inform.
They take some precautions.
Then they revert and relax!!
Then after the attack, they report and reveal.

IS THIS WHY WE HIRE THESE PEOPLE??

What will it take for these AGENCIES in INDIA and the WORLD to do their Jobs?

IF US INTELLIGENCE and INDIA KNEW ABOUT THIS massacre of people (local and foreigners - who else would be there near the Taj Hotel?) in MID-OCTOBER, WHY WEREN'T THEY PRO-ACTIVE?

Should they not work back to the SOURCE and PREEMPT such an attack?

- - - imodotcom - - -

[Carolab]

Could it be because they are part of "the plan"?

[Palemoon]

I don't know, maybe it was hoping that there would be an "October Surprise"?? Sounds like more electioneering to me. Tho I can't fully understand why India wouldn't take it seriously. I know why WE wouldn't take it seriously. That tells me that someone in one of these agencies is lying. Mostly likely about the warning being given in the first place. I'm sure it was just another "slam dunk" after all.

You would think that after all governmental, military and intelligence agencies of both countries were fully informed and mobilized, that maybe they would make this information public in some fashion. Such as warnings about steering clear of a certain country or area. While that might tip off the terrorists that you are on to them, it's alot better to make them change their gameplan while it's in motion and head off an attack before it happens. Than to do nothing as they did, and just watch the carnage unfold.

[slaxx]

"You would think that after all governmental, military and intelligence agencies of both countries were fully informed and mobilized, that maybe they would make this information public in some fashion. Such as warnings about steering clear of a certain country or area."

just go through and read every post about warnings that are issued (like the one for nyc before thanksgiving) and you'll see why warnings don't make a difference - no one pays attention to them and they merely lable it "fear-mongering."

[VitriolAndAngst]

Yeah, the more intrusive and the more information they collect, the worse the intelligence gets.

Can someone point out something POSITIVE accomplished by one of our clandestine services. I'm beginning to wonder if there is any enemy out their, other than the greedy and corrupt intelligence services of other nations trying to justify their own existence and starting civil wars to steal the resources of under developed countries.

[Carolab]

I'd say you're right on target.

[JohnFromCensornati]

They should have put the city on Orange Alert.