Mumbai Attacks on The Huffington Post

David Headley, Mumbai Terror Suspect, Was 'Rogue US Secret Agent'

2009-12-17T15:09:48Z

A key terror suspect who allegedly helped to plan last year's attacks in Mumbai and plotted to strike Europe was an American secret agent who went rogue, Indian officials believe.

Chicago, Mumbai Terror Link: American Businessman Knew Attacks Were Coming

2009-12-14T14:44:08Z

CHICAGO — A Chicago man accused of planning a terrorist attack against a Danish newspaper knew in advance about a plot to attack Mumbai and offered congratulations to the killers afterward, federal prosecutors charged Monday.

In papers filed in federal court in Chicago, prosecutors said Tahawwur Hussain Rana learned an attack was about to happen while traveling in Dubai days before the Nov. 26, 2008, attack in India that left 166 people dead.

Zaki-Ur-Rehman Lakhvi: Charges Against Accused Mumbai Mastermind Revealed

2009-12-04T10:48:18Z

The BBC has obtained details of charges that Pakistan has filed against the alleged mastermind of last year's attacks in the Indian city of Mumbai.

Pakistan Charges 7 Suspects In Mumbai Attacks

2009-11-25T07:59:39Z

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan charged seven men in last year's Mumbai attacks on Wednesday, its first indictment in a case being monitored by India and the United States to see if Islamabad makes good on promises to bring those responsible to justice.

Despite a crackdown in the months following the attacks, analysts say Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Pakistani militant group blamed for the three-day assault on the financial center that killed 166 people, remains active and largely untouched by Pakistani authorities.

Militants Thrive A Year After Mumbai Attacks

2009-11-24T17:17:59Z

ISLAMABAD -- The Islamist militant group behind the deadly attack in Mumbai one year ago remains a potent force determined to strike India and the West, and a source of acrimony between South Asia's nuclear-armed rivals, say officials and members of the militant faction.

Italian Police Arrest 2 Linked To Mumbai Attacks

2009-11-21T13:10:48Z

ROME — Italian police on Saturday arrested a Pakistani father and son who allegedly spent just over $200 to set up a reliable and untraceable phone network that was used by the militants who carried out last year's terror attacks in Mumbai, India.

The two were arrested in an early morning raid in Brescia, where they ran a money transfer agency, and it is was not immediately clear if they were aware of the purpose their funds had served, police in the northern Italian city said.

The Mumbai Terror Attacks: A Special Report

2009-11-19T15:57:07Z

On a blustery Saturday afternoon last March, Jason Motlagh and I sat in my office, discussing the Mumbai terror attacks of November 2008. Jason had recently completed an article for us on separatist rebels within India, and we had been kicking around ideas for a follow-up. Now that he had covered India's internal terror threats, why not examine the largest and most audacious foreign terror attack ever carried out on Indian soil? And, yet, there didn't seem to be a single, thorough accounting of what exactly had happened on those fateful days. We soon hit upon the idea of something that would be closer to literary nonfiction than traditional journalism--or even "new journalism." This would not be the story of Jason's journey in the wake of disaster, but a straightforward narrative of what happened in Mumbai. The last question Jason asked: "How long should it be?" It seemed too early to tell. "As long as it needs to be," I said. "We'll just see."

Adam Taylor: Terror In Mumbai: A Terrific Documentary But A Terrifying Reality

2009-11-19T10:53:34Z

In an introduction to HBO's Terror In Mumbai, airing tonight, narrator Fareed Zakeria describes the documentary as a "360 degree view of terrorism."

His description makes perfect sense; the coverage of the terror is so complete it almost feels invasive. CCTV footage, recorded phone calls, news reports shot by rolling TV crews, grainy footage shot by amateurs on mobile phones and posthumous interview footage from the survivors are all combined. Documentary makers could never hope for more raw footage. It makes for a terrific viewing, but a terrifying concept.

When ten young men from Pakistan entered Mumbai aboard hi-jacked boats on the night of 26th November 2008, they had one intention: to create a terror that would grip international media and make the world sit up and take notice of Lashkar-e-Taiba -- the Army of the Righteous, a previously little known terrorist organization based in Pakistan.

And it's this intention, despite the extreme violence, allegations against Pakistan and shocking negligence of elements in the Mumbai police force, which really sticks with the viewer of Terror in Mumbai. The more you watch, the more you realize they succeeded.

Filmmaker Dan Reed has covered similar ground before -- his 2003 film Terror in Moscow looked at the hostage situation in a Russian theatre and the subsequent botched rescue by Russian authorities. However, with the Mumbai attacks Reed has an incredible arsenal of footage and recordings at his disposal -- including hours of phone calls made between the young men committing the attacks and their older leaders, including spokesman "Brother Wasi", in Pakistan.

These phone calls, intercepted by Mumbai police who had fed traceable sim cards to known terrorist organizations, are the fascinating centerpiece of the film Notably, the killers, young men from Pakistani villages, frequently show incredible naivety. "There are computers here with 30 inch screens!" exclaims one mass-murderer on the phone to his irritated boss whilst in Mumbai's iconic Taj Mahal Hotel. He goes on, "It's amazing -- the windows are huge! It's got two kitchens, a bath and a little shop." Brother Wasi, sounding exasperated, orders them to set the building on fire (they comply).

The callous nature of their leaders is also exposed. "There's no harm in throwing a few grenades," says Brother Wasi at one point. At other points he is coldly urging the scared young men into suicidal situations, ignoring the fear in their trembling voices.

The killers themselves cut tragic, almost sympathetic figures. We see the one surviving terrorism handcuffed to a bed and bleeding; he claims he was "sold" into terrorism by his family. It's clear from this footage why the organizers of the attack urged their foot soldiers to fight to the death -- far from the organized harbinger's of death they would like to present to us, we get bewildered and confused boys, terrified of the situations they find themselves in.

Brother Wasi gives the killers a sound bite to say if the media contacts them: "This was just the trailer. Just wait until you see the rest of the film." If that doesn't make you uncomfortable watching this documentary, it probably should. Those organizing the attacks new precisely of the power of the media footage would play in spreading message of terror. The very fact that their attacks make such a compelling film is almost disturbing.

But Reed's film goes far beyond voyeurism, offering real insight into the attacks -- more insight then terrorists would probably like. And it's reassuring that for all the bravado, the conclusion is that the attackers and their elders are what we always suspected they were: deluded, cowardly and wrong.

Terror In Mumbai is showing at 8pm ET/PT - November 19, 2009

Chicago Suspects In Danish Cartoon Terror Plot Eyed In India Attacks

2009-11-19T10:02:40Z

CHICAGO — Two Chicago men accused of developing what federal prosecutors call a blueprint for a terrorist assault on a Danish newspaper also are being investigated for possible involvement in planning the November 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India, according to authorities in that country.

David Coleman Headley, 49, and Tahawwur Hussain Rana, 48, are accused of plotting to kill one of the editors and a cartoonist at Danish paper Jyllands-Posten for publishing 12 cartoons in 2005 depicting the Prophet Muhammad, which ignited outrage in much of the Muslim world. They were arrested last month.

Tomek Gross: Bill Clinton: India Can Outgrow China (VIDEO)

2009-10-12T19:40:29Z

Former President Bill Clinton spoke in Chicago this past Saturday at the India Institute of Technology's Global Conference 2009. The focus of his speech was a call to create innovative profitable solutions to reduce greenhouse emissions and to reduce the inequality gap between the world's poor and wealthy. Clinton also mentioned the national healthcare debate, saying he expected a bill to pass.

Following his speech, Clinton participated in a brief question and answer session. When asked how India could play a more significant role in the UN and G20 in the future, Clinton said India has the potential to outgrow China, as long as it makes peace with its neighbor Pakistan. This peace between the two countries could lead to a more modern Afghanistan, contribute to a worldwide drawdown of nuclear weapons, and even indirectly influence a reduction of conflict in the Middle East.
Transcript and video below, courtesy of NDTV.

If you [India] did not have to raise defense spending 20% a year and these countries could be working together I think you will grow faster than China. I think this idea that the Chinese are going to dominate the 21st century is not necessarily true. It depends mostly what you do and if you can continue to pour money into the development of the people and reduce inequalities in India...not the standoffs along the 1971 line or the fights over Kashmir or what ever. Its easier to say than to do, I know that especially after what happened in Mumbai. Where I watched the hotel room I always stay in burning, I know that. but I'm just telling you if Indian-Americans and Pakistani Americans could find ways to work together it would make a big difference. The same thing is true in Afghanistan. I see this all the time. Every time India does something in Afghanistan, Pakistan thinks it is directed against it and vice versa but the truth is if the two countries could find a way to work together and do common projects there, it would do more to stabilize Afghanistan and bring it into a 21st century mindset than where they are now, which a lot of them are in a 19th century mindset, not even a 20th century mindset, than anything else that you could do. If that one thing could be done on the Indian subcontinent it would revolutionize the 20th century in ways no one can imagine. It would help to reduce the nuclear threat the world faces. It would help reduce the rush all these other countries are making to get nuclear weapons. It would indirectly play a major role in encouraging a reduction of tensions in the Middle East. And I think India and Pakistan together would outgrow China in the 21st Century.

Max Stier: Much Good Is Done By Government Workers

2009-10-08T10:14:47Z

This was originally published as an exclusive to McClatchy-Tribune Information Service.

Anti-government sentiment has been prevalent across the country, fueled in part by the acrimonious health-care debate, anger over the Wall Street and auto industry bailouts, anxiety over high unemployment rates, and worry over increased spending and ballooning budget deficits.

These feelings of distrust and resentment, seen in public opinion polls, vocal town hall meetings this past summer and during various demonstrations, have been stoked by provocative television and radio commentators, bloggers, and by some politicians who seem to take pleasure caricaturing public servants as faceless, uncaring "bureaucrats." Lost amid the emotion and the inflammatory rhetoric is what our government and its dedicated public servants accomplish every day -- the delivery of vital services and the creation of innovative programs to deal with some of the nation's most serious and seemingly intractable problems.

There are countess success stories of unheralded federal workers making a big difference in the lives of Americans.

Take the issue of veteran's care. Janet Kemp, a dedicated public servant in Canandaigua, N.Y., created the Department of Veterans Affairs' first-ever national suicide prevention hotline. The 24-hour, seven-day- a-week service has handled more than 160,000 calls in the last two years and helped rescue more than 5,000 callers from suicidal situations.

In one case, a soldier deployed in Iraq put a gun to his head and threatened suicide while talking to his mother during an online video chat. The mother called the hotline, the staff contacted his unit, and she watched as authorities saved her son's life.

Don Burke and Sean P. Dennehy, both CIA analysts at the agency's headquarters in Virginia, worked tirelessly to break down cultural barriers that have prevented information sharing across our nation's 16 intelligence agencies. They built Intellipedia, a Wikipedia- like clearinghouse of intelligence expertise that now has more than 900,000 pages and 100,000 users.

Analysts have used Intellipedia to examine potential threats to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, to argue about potential perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, and to create a protocol for documenting cases of improvised explosive devices in Iraq.

Thomas Waldmann has spent five decades working on behalf of the American people at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., making cutting- edge discoveries that have led to significant advances in the treatment of cancer, AIDS and multiple sclerosis.

At the Naval Medical Research Center in Silver Spring. Md., microbiologist Patricia Guerry spent years creating a promising Campylobacter vaccine to prevent the world's top cause of food-borne intestinal illness, while at the Justice Department in Washington attorney Walter Benjamin Fisherow has presided more than 16 legal settlements with coal-fired power plants that led to the removal of 2 million tons per year of harmful pollutants from the air.

Michael German of the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Atlanta office has also been working to help the nation, tirelessly building a successful program that brings an array of community partners together to attack and deal with the root causes of chronic homelessness in cities around the nation.

There certainly is a legitimate debate about the size, the role, the spending and the effectiveness of our government, and there is no doubt that federal workers can improve their performance and that government should be held to a high standard.

Recent public opinion polls show that only about 23 percent of the public trusts government to do what is right, not a historic low but certainly a sad commentary and well below the 44 percent in 2000, and the 60 percent in the 1970s who felt government was on their side.

But it is important to keep in mind that collectively it is our government and that the people of our government are engaged day-in and day-out seeking to protect our health, safety and welfare of the nation.

It is easy to fall back on old stereotypes that often are reinforced in the media, where a 2008 Gallup poll found that 57 percent of the public believed the news coverage about government was negative.

Attacking government may make some people feel good, improve media ratings or provide some short-term political gain, but it is shortsighted, ignores the positive accomplishments that take place every day, and in the end, demeans us all.

Stier is president and CEO of the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service.

Lashkar-e-Taiba Robust After Mumbai Siege; Determined To Strike Again

2009-09-30T12:00:59Z

KARACHI, Pakistan �" Ten months after the devastating attacks in Mumbai by Pakistan-based militants, the group behind the assault remains largely intact and determined to strike India again, according to current and former members of the group, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and intelligence officials.

NYT : Group Behind Mumbai Terror Has "Flourished", Still Viewed As A Major Threat

2009-09-29T22:42:53Z

Ten months after the devastating attacks in Mumbai by Pakistan-based militants, the group behind the assault remains largely intact and determined to strike India again, according to current and former members of the group, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and intelligence officials.

Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, Head Of Lashkar-e-Taiba, Arrested In Pakistan

2009-09-21T08:17:01Z

LAHORE, Pakistan — The leader of a banned Islamist group that India has accused of carrying out attacks on its financial capital late last year was placed under house arrest again Monday.

Pakistani police prevented Hafiz Muhammad Saeed from leaving his home for Eid-al-Fitr celebrations marking the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. Saeed is a founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba – the militant group New Delhi claims masterminded the commando-style assault that killed 166 people in Mumbai last November.

LeT Plans To Attack 3 Indian Cities Before Independence Day, Say Indian Officials

2009-08-06T13:56:46Z

Ahead of Independence Day, Pakistan-based terror group Lashker-e-Taiba is planning to target three major cities including Delhi where Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will unfurl the tricolour from the historic Red Fort, Home Ministry officials said.

2003 Mumbai Bombers Sentenced To Death

2009-08-06T12:58:12Z

MUMBAI (AFP) - An Indian court on Thursday sentenced to death three people, including a married couple, for planting high-explosive bombs that killed 52 in the city of Mumbai in 2003.

Ajmal Kasab, Mumbai Gunman's Confessions Accepted By Judge

2009-07-23T08:24:53Z

MUMBAI, India — The trial of the lone surviving gunman in the Mumbai attacks will continue despite his surprise admission of guilt, a judge ruled Thursday, ensuring that the young Pakistani will be prosecuted for all 86 charges including murder and conspiracy to wage war against India.

Ajmal Kasab, 21, unexpectedly confessed Monday to taking part in the November attack that paralyzed India's financial capital and killed 166 people.

Ajmal Kasab, Mumbai Attacks Gunman, Admits Guilt In Dramatic Court Confession

2009-07-20T08:21:57Z

MUMBAI, India — The lone surviving gunman in the Mumbai attacks made a surprise confession at his trial Monday, saying he was recruited by a militant group inside Pakistan after he left a low-paying job and went looking for training to become a professional robber.

The confession by Ajmal Kasab bolstered India's charges that terrorist groups in neighboring Pakistan were behind the well-planned attack, and that it is not doing enough to clamp down on them. The attack in which 166 people died severely strained relations and put the brakes on a peace process between the nuclear-armed enemies.

Clinton In India: Hotel Taj Turned Into Fortress

2009-07-17T13:05:58Z

Hotel Taj Palace and Tower in south Mumbai, which bore the brunt of November 26 terror attacks, has been turned into a fortress for the stay of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who arrived on Friday night.

India, Pakistan Agree To Resume Talks

2009-07-16T09:25:42Z

SHARM EL-SHEIK, Egypt — Pakistan promised India on Thursday that it will do "everything in its power" to bring the Mumbai terror attackers to justice, a key demand by New Delhi to improve relations.

The prime ministers of the two nuclear powers also agreed that action on terrorism should not be linked to their dialogue, the joint statement said, something that has been asked for by Islamabad.

Mumbai Attack: India Issues Arrest Warrants For 22 Pakistanis

2009-06-24T09:45:51Z

An Indian court has issued arrest warrants for 22 Pakistanis wanted in connection with last year's terror attacks in Mumbai.

Hafiz Saeed Release Irks India

2009-06-02T09:16:39Z

The Indian government said Tuesday it was 'unhappy' over a court decision to release the head of an Islamic charity India says was linked to last year's Mumbai siege.

Jenna Busch: Gene Roddenberry's Son Talks Star Trek

2009-05-26T17:00:08Z

Rod Roddenberry

Nobody can deny that the new Star Trek film has silenced most of the critics. Fanboys (and girls) and newcomers alike have fallen in love with the re-imagining of Gene Roddenberry's beloved characters who "boldly go where no one has gone before". The logical, yet lovable Spock (Zachery Quinto), the bravado-filled Kirk (Chris Pine), the brilliantly cast Scotty (Simon Pegg)... there was even an original cast member. I won't spoil it for you if you haven't seen it yet, (and if you haven't, what are you waiting for?) though he's been doing the talk show circuit, bringing the crew on The View almost to tears by saying his famous line. The franchise has been successfully relaunched, which Roddenberry's son Rod is hoping will bring a whole new generation of fans to the series. "They did a great job in my opinion," he said, "of keeping all the fans, all the admirers of Star Trek, they kept it real for you, but they also did a great job of bringing a new audience in."

May 9th on Catalina Island off the coast of California, at the historic Casino Theatre, Rod Roddenberry welcomed original cast members George Takei (Sulu), Nichelle Nichols (Uhura) and scores of fans (me included) to screen the film. I'm sure you've read dozens of reviews by now, mostly positive, so I'll restrain myself and say only this: The film is fantastic. I'm seeing it again and looking forward to sequels from director J.J. Abrams and the almost inevitable new television series. (Fingers crossed for that.) For me, just as interesting as the film, was hearing the reaction of the fans to little details. And when the late and much beloved Majel Barrett's voice issued from the computer, the fans went wild. People stayed for the credits and applauded wildly when her name appeared. Before the film, Rod told a story about his mom from the beginning of the series. It's been told before but it bears repeating. "The Cage... the pilot that was never released until much later. My father, obviously, fell in love with my mother and put her as, actually, Number One... on the show. She was second in command and it was done in, I think '65, where the idea of a woman a second in command was, oh my God! How can they possibly do that? Women can't think that far... obviously my father was ahead of his time." `

Roddenberry also showed a preview of the documentary he's been working on for eight years, Trek Nation. "My father passed away when I was seventeen. I had no idea what Star Trek was...I really had no clue what the core was. When my father passed away, a few people got onstage and talked about how Star Trek had inspired them...I had no idea...I was watching Knight Rider and Dukes of Hazard...my eyes and ears were opened. I learned that Star Trek had touched people in a lot of ways...I was shocked to hell that a TV show could do this...so I went on a journey to discover who Gene Roddenberry was because I just knew him as 'Dad'." The six minutes we saw was fascinating and Roddenberry says that if the rough cut they just got looked good, we would hear some news in a few months.

Star Trek is in theaters now. Check out the official website here.

Pakistan Cracking Down On Banned Charity

2009-05-14T12:20:42Z

By Andrew Buncombe and Omar Waraich | The Independent

Pakistani authorities have ordered a fresh crackdown on a banned charity linked to militants blamed for the Mumbai attacks after dozens of its volunteers were discovered at the centre of Pakistan's emergency aid operation.

The move to act against a front group for Jamaat, the Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FeIF) came just a day after The Independent discovered dozens of volunteers working to provide first aid and emergency assistance to refugees who have fled clashes between Pakistani troops and Taliban militants in the Swat Valley and surrounding area. Doctors, struggling to deal with flood of desperate and exhausted people, say the volunteers have been providing a crucial service in a situation where the government appears utterly overstretched.

Yesterday the Pakistani government said it was aware of reports of the charity's re-emergence and was ready to take action. "The interior ministry has directed that no banned organisation will be allowed to resume activities under the garb of humanitarian work," said a senior government official.

Jamaat-ud-Dawa was first banned following the Mumbai attacks last December that left 160 people dead, although many observers were sceptical at the time of the authorities' willingness to act against a high-profile organisation that was both locally popular and which had traditionally enjoyed links to Pakistan's military establishment. Jamaat volunteers have been active in the aftermath of natural calamities across the region from Sri Lanka to Kashmir.

How long it will take the government to act this time around remains unclear. Last night FeIF volunteers were still manning a base in the centre of a traffic island in the city of Mardan from where they were coordinating relief efforts. If anything, the group's presence, and the number of black and white flags bearing Jamaat's curved scimitar logo, appear to have grown in recent days.

Ten miles to the north, at the Jallala refugee camp, medics confirmed the ongoing role being played by the charity's staff. Professor Isa Khan, who was heading a clinic at the camp that is home to around 8,000 refugees from Swat, Buner and Lower Dir, said some of the charity's dozen ambulances had been delivering people to the camp after treatment at local hospitals. "The government is not doing very much. We do not have enough resources. We don't have enough medicine," he said.

Legal documents displayed by FeIF volunteers suggested the organisation was registered in Lahore in July 2007. Experts on Jamaat and its banned parent organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba - blamed for the Mumbai attacks - have suggested the front group could have been set up in anticipation of a crackdown. Volunteers said the FeIF was the new name for Jamaat.

Reports have identified the group's leader as Hafiz Abdur Rauf, a former head of Jamaat's humanitarian wing. In different interviews, Mr Rauf has made conflicting comments about the relationship between the FeIF and Jamaat. A spokesman for Jamaat, Yahya Mujahid, told the Associated Press: "We know the Pakistan government banned us under a UN order, but we are helping out brothers and sisters in those areas."

It appears that Jammat operates across large parts of Pakistan. Volunteers said the group had 350 ambulances and maintained stockpiles of emergency supplies in Lahore. It takes collections from across Pakistani society , from doctors to shopkeepers. Its members demonstrated in Lahore on Kashmir Day, last February.

The reemergence of Jamaat comes as the Pakistani military steps-up it operation against militants who have seized control of areas just 60 miles from Islamabad. Yesterday Prime Minister Yousaf Gilani said the country could beat the Taliban but lose the public relations war if it failed to help hundreds of thousands of people forced from their homes. "Militarily we will win the war but it will be unfortunate if we loose it publicly," he told the parliament.

Read more from The Independent

Jamaat-ud-Dawa: Banned Group Helping Pakistani Refugees

2009-05-14T09:12:31Z

MARDAN, Pakistan — Members of a charity banned for its alleged links to the Mumbai terror attack have resurfaced in northwestern Pakistan under a new name, distributing food and medicine Thursday among thousands of refugees from the government's bloody fight against the Taliban.

The makeover of Jamaat-ud-Dawa raises awkward questions for the embattled government, which has been trying hard to convince its skeptical Western sponsors that it is serious about taming Islamist extremism.