Terrorists co-ordinated attack Mumbai Landmarks
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First report came in at 01.00hrs Singapore Time over all network news services reporting several co-ordinated attacks on Mumbai landmarks.
These included the Taj Mahal Hotel, Oberoi Hotel - (both 5-star Hotels) - central train stations, and including a hospital, a up-market cafe and along the main tourist thorough-fare (equivalent to Singapore's Orchard Road).
The attackers fired machine gun fire indiscrimately into hotel lobbies, coffee shops, and threw hand-grenades into crowded public areas on the streets resulting in 80 killed and 200 injured, with the Anti-Terrorist Chief and three Senior Police Officers were killed in a shoot-out with the attackers.
One British tourist - who was amongst those rounded up by the attackers - had reported that two gunmen armed with machine gun had rounded all the restaurant guest and forced them up a smoke filled stairwell of the Taj Mahal Hotel. He indicated that he managed to escape from the stairwell into a corridor on the upper floor, when he realised that both gunmen were at opposite end of the crowded stairwell and both one flight of stairs above and behind him.
The attackers were looking for British and US Passport holders to take them as hostage.
At this time, after 5 hours of police reaction, the Taj Mahal Hotel was reported to be combed thoroughly by Indian Fast Reaction Force, and had freed the hostages after killing two gunmen.
Mumbai under seige as the Police and Military is hunting the attackers who are now dispersed and holed up in several buildings, and with hostage situation on-going at the hospital and the 5-star Oberoi Hotel.
This is a repeat of the Bali and Jakarta Marriot attacks, but more brazen by attacking and holding hostages to create more impact with a prolonged play of the attacks.
Al Qaeda's warning of attacks on Western targets is now being seen in western holiday makers to popular Mumbai, and the FBI has issued warnings of likely attacks to the New York subway system.
CNN live broadcast continue present reporting of the situation in Mumbai
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After 24 hours, the battle to reclaim the Taj Mahal and Oberoi - both 5-star Hotels - is still raging, with fires suddenly breaking out on the higher floors.
As the pieces were gathered from the battles that occurred at ten different locations spread across the city of Mumbai, it was determined that these terrorist had arrived on rubber dinghies with a fishing trawler acting as a mother ship off the Mumbai bay.
The terrorists were young, well equiped with GPS and satellite phones, armed to the teeth with automatic weapons, ammunitions and grenades - and had landed on the famous sea front where the Taj Mahal Hotel was located.
After 24 hours, the casualties has now risen to 128 deaths and over 300 injured - with Britons amongst the local Indian nationals seriously injured.
One Malaysian and one Singaporean lady seems to have been taken hostage.
It is amazing that despite the security at the front entrance to the 5-star hotels - where bags are checked and all has to pass through metal detector gates - these could not prevent the terrorist from shooting their way pass the unarmed security men.
There do not seem to be any warning, or anticipation of security tightening despite the frequent bombings initiated regularly by local political dissidents since 1990's.
The attack across Mumbai if seen from the Singapore perspective - will be having the terrorist landing at the East Coast, with separate groups making their way to Boat Quay, Clarke Quay, Raffles Hotel, anyone of the 5-star hotel in the Marina-Bras Basah Area, and then any place along Orchard Road - and when all are in place, co-ordination to start the attack using satellite phones will then activate a simultaneious assault.
Defense along the coast will be vital, and these terrorist can disguise themselves as common sailor on any merchant ships with one ultimately being the mother ship.
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yippi-ki-yay brudder!!!!!!!.........
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Turning out that the attackers are anti-semitic...
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I hate violence.... sigh....
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The Mumbai terrorists attack across the Financial Capital of India had sruck ten different locations, and in the final hours of the seige at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel the gun battle raged for the three hours and ended with the death of three terrorists and one Commando.
In all 158 Indians, and nationals from Australia, US, UK, Israel, EU and one Singaporean (identified as Chinese) were killed and 300 more suffered wounds.
Unfortunately, the attackers were not just anti-Semetic, as those killed deliberate shot at were 99% non-Jews - including the Singaporean lady who was identified as a Chinese nationality.
Singaporean held hostage at Mumbai's Oberoi Hotel killed
By S Ramesh/Ca-Mie De Souza/Asha Popatlal, Channel NewsAsia |
Posted: 28 November 2008 2151 hrs
SINGAPORE : Singapore's Foreign Ministry has said 28-year-old Lo Hwei Yen, a Singaporean held hostage in one of the Mumbai hotels, has been killed.
At a news conference late Friday night, officials confirmed her body was found on the 19th floor of the Oberoi Hotel.
She is believed to be the the first Singaporean victim of a terror attack.
Jai Sohan Singh, director, Consular Directorate, Singapore Foreign Affairs Ministry, said: "We were told at about 8 o'clock this evening that there was a possibility that a body has been found matching the description of Ms Lo. A final confirmation was made by the husband only at 2135 hours this evening."
Details of what actually happened remain sketchy.
However, Mr Singh did give an outline of how the situation played out.
He said that the terrorists conveyed a message through Ms Lo to Singapore's mission in India for the Indian parliament.
He elaborated: "As you would have read in the Indian media, the terrorists demanded that the Indian authorities refrain from storming the Oberoi Hotel, otherwise they would harm her...We ask for your understanding that we could not confirm this earlier, as the situation at that time was fluid and fast evolving. It was not appropriate at that (time) for us to do this for operational reasons."
Ms Lo, who is a lawyer at a Singapore-based offshore law firm, was in Mumbai on a working trip.
Her husband, Michael Puhaindran, had flown up to Mumbai on Thursday, after the crisis broke. He is accompanied by an aunt.
The Foreign Ministry is helping the family make arrangements to bring the body back.
It is confirmed there are no more Singaporeans stranded in any of the hotels in the financial capital.
115 Singaporeans were known to be in Mumbai either for work or leisure during the attack on Wednesday night, which has killed some 130 people.
Meanwhile, Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong has expressed his sadness over the death of Ms Lo. He knows the family and had attended her wedding last year.
Upon learning the tragic news, SM Goh visited Ms Lo's father-in-law, Mr S. Puhaindran, and his family on Friday evening.
Mr Puhaindran is a veteran grassroots leader in Mr Goh's Marine Parade constituency.
"It's a tragedy for Mr Puhaindran. The son was married last year. They just celebrated their first anniversary this year. I was there at the wedding. So I too was quite shocked by the tragic event," said Mr Goh.
Acting Prime Minister Professor S Jayakumar said he and his Cabinet colleagues are also painfully saddened by the news of the death of Ms Lo.
In a statement issued late Friday night, he said the loss of any life to terrorism is sad, and the loss of a fellow Singaporean is a pain more keenly and closely felt by every Singaporean.
Professor Jayakumar said the foreign ministry officials have been on the ground with the victim’s family in Singapore and Mumbai since the first time Singapore learnt of Ms Lo being held hostage.
The officers are working with the Indian authorities to bring her back home.
Professor Jayakumar stressed that terrorism is a threat that spares no one, and this tragic event underscores the imperative for all to be constantly vigilant, and the need for the international community to band together to combat this threat.
- CNA/ir/ls/mshttp://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/392947/1/.html
This terrorist attack was has open a new dimension to a new avenue of assault against all that these Militants have objected to, and every country will have to review their security considerations of terrorists disguised as sailors coming into port and create mayhem in civilised society.
India has not increased the security in all her cities, with police checks and armed police patrolling the streets to deter another attack.
Question is how long will these practices become entrenched in the psychic of the most junior security personnel, or will the routine task end in complacency ?
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Evidence Mumbai Attackers were Anglo-American Intel Operatives
Kurt Nimmo
Infowars
November 27, 2008http://www.infowars.com/?p=6222
As a BBC report notes, at least some of the Mumbai attackers were not Indian and certainly not Muslim.
Pappu Mishra, a cafe proprietor at the gothic Victorian Chattrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station, described “two sprightly young men dressed in black” with AK47s who were “foreign looking, fair skinned.”
Gaffar Abdul Amir, an Iraqi tourist from Baghdad, saw at least two men who started the firing outside the Leopold Cafe. “They did not look Indian, they looked foreign. One of them, I thought, had blonde hair. The other had a punkish hairstyle. They were neatly dressed,” Amir told the BBC.
Other “men walked into the cafe, drank beer, settled their bills and walked out. Then they fished out guns from their bags and began firing.” Muslims do not drink alcohol, that is unless they are Muslims like Marwan Al-Shehhi and Mohamed Atta, who reportedly not only liked to drink but enjoyed lap dances by topless dancers as well before they supposedly hijacked planes and flew them into buildings.
Even though these firsthand accounts indicate the attackers were white, drank alcohol and displayed the steely and professional reserve of trained military men, the emerging story carried by the corporate media blames the attacks on al-Qaeda and specifically Lashkar-e-Taiba, one Arab and the other Asian. “A terrorist group with training camps in Pakistan and strong ties with al-Qaeda as well as a history of mounting attacks in India yesterday became the chief suspect behind the atrocities,” reports the Times Online, pointing to Lashkar-e-Taiba.
As the Times Online admits, Lashkar-e-Taiba is a creation of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence, or ISI. It “receives considerable financial, material and other forms of assistance from the Pakistan government, routed primarily through the ISI. The ISI is the main source of LeT’s funding. Saudi Arabia also provides funds,” explains the South Asia Terrorism Portal. Lashkar-e-Taiba “also played a part in the ISI organized ‘Bosnian campaign against the Serbs,’ which was directed above the ISI by the CIA and British intelligence.”
According to Andrew G. Marshall, the ISI “has long been referred to as Pakistan’s ’secret government’ or ’shadow state.’ It’s long-standing ties and reliance upon American and British intelligence have not let up, therefore actions taken by the ISI should be viewed in the context of being a Central Asian outpost of Anglo-American covert intelligence operations.”
The presence of “foreign looking, fair skinned” commandos who calmly gunned down dozens of people after drinking a few beers indicates that the Mumbai attacks were likely the work of the Anglo-American covert intelligence operatives, not indigenous Indian Muslims or for that matter Arab al-Qaeda terrorists. The attacks prepare the ground for the break-up of Pakistan and the furtherance of destabilizing terrorism in the Middle East and Asia. The Mumbai attacks had little to do with India or the relationship between Muslim Pakistanis and Hindu Indians.
“Pakistan’s position as a strategic focal point cannot be underestimated. It borders India, Afghanistan, China and Iran,” concludes Marshall. “Destabilizing and ultimately breaking Pakistan up into several countries or regions will naturally spread chaos and destabilization into neighboring countries. This is also true of Iraq on the other side of Iran, as the Anglo-American have undertaken, primarily through Iraq, a strategy of balkanizing the entire Middle East in a new imperial project.” (See Marshall’s Divide and Conquer: The Anglo-American Imperial Project.)
It is no mistake, as well, that Barack Obama has called for action against Pakistan. “If we have actionable intelligence about high-value terrorist targets and President Musharraf won’t act, we will,” Obama said last August.
Regardless of who occupies the White House, the global elite are determined to continue their agenda of violence and murder in order to realize order through chaos. Obama and the Democrats will spend the next four years blaming George W. Bush for what the neocons have done while making sure the same destructive policies remain in effect. It is a shell game. George Bush and Barack Obama control nothing, they are little more than front men for the New World Order.
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Attackers killed as siege appears to end
International Herald Tribune, France - 28 minutes ago
By Somini Sengupta and Keith Bradsher MUMBAI, India – After nearly 60 hours of violence, police officials early Saturday said that the last remaining ...
Indian Security Forces Battle Last Militants in Mumbai Hotel
Voice of America - 1 hour ago
By VOA News More than 48 hours after terrorists first laid siege to India's financial capital, Mumbai, security forces are battling to flush out the last ...
India media say Mumbai siege over
BBC News, UK - 1 hour ago
Indian media have quoted a commando chief saying the siege at Mumbai's Taj Mahal hotel is over, after an assault to dislodge the last few militants. ...Battle for Mumbai ends, last militants killed
AFP - 38 minutes ago
MUMBAI (AFP) — Commandos have killed three holdout gunmen in Mumbai's Taj Hotel, bringing an end to a two-day Islamic militant assault on India's financial ... -
Singapore stands firmly behind the Indian Government in its fight against terrorism.
This strong statement probably caused the Singaporean hostage her life.
Want to talk tough? There's a right time to do it - that is, after the hostage is released unharmed !
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Originally posted by googoomuck:
Singapore stands firmly behind the Indian Government in its fight against terrorism.
This strong statement probably caused the Singaporean hostage her life.
Want to talk tough? There's a right time to do it - that is, after the hostage is released unharmed !
Singapore govt must learn when to talk tough and when to keep quiet.
BTW, I wonder how many of the hostages are actually killed by friendly fire, ie by the Indian army. -
Now that it is over... time to find the masterminds... anyone knows if they managed to catch any of the terrorists alive or did they kill everyone of them?
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Originally posted by AndrewPKYap:
Now that it is over... time to find the masterminds... anyone knows if they managed to catch any of the terrorists alive or did they kill everyone of them?
It would be easier and less troublesome for the Indian govt to put the blame squarely on Pakistan than to work with Pakistan to hunt for the masterminds.
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Originally posted by 4sg:
It would be easier and less troublesome for the Indian govt to put the blame squarely on Pakistan than to work with Pakistan to hunt for the masterminds.
You don't catch the masterminds, they reorganise and attack again. I doubt "easier and less troublesome" comes to their minds.
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Or alternatively, this may very well serve as a convenient excuse for the US to expand the War OF Terror into Pakistain, as Obama said.
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Originally posted by 4sg:
Singapore govt must learn when to talk tough and when to keep quiet.
BTW, I wonder how many of the hostages are actually killed by friendly fire, ie by the Indian army.Personally, we have to express our gratitude to the Indian security forces for acting swiftly to end the siege, otherwise more would have died, than just 194 innocent human and one fellow citizen lives.
These terrorists were not prepared to talk or negotiate. The very first action they did was to kill and lob grenades at innocents. No warning, nothing. Not even the fearsome PLO fanatics does such acts when they want to hold hostages. Killing would be the last thing a terrorist would do if they wanted to negotiate for terms.
But these terrorists in Mumbai murdered and murdered more, even as they claim to want to talk. Grenades were exploding, people were screaming, bullets were ripping into rooms, human lives were snuff out as they continued their remorseless sweeps into objectives known only to them.
There never was any intention to negotiate. Just outright senseless killings.
Terrorists are the scourge of humanity, hiding amongst us, and difficult to discern. I am sure many security forces are doing everything they can to ferret these animals out, even giving them the mercy of trial justice, which should be revoke forthwith.These are not humans, for no human being would end another human life so capriciously without a declaration of war. Combatants meet on the field and are fully prepared to take life on both sides.
But terrorism is undeclared war on innocents. They could be just sitting beside you in a public transport and the next moment you life snuffed out because he flicked on the switch to the bombs on his waist.
It is inevitable that in the battle to save more lives, innocents would be caught in the crossfire.
It was an unavoidable situation, created by terrorists who did not want to talk, or if there was any talk,only to delay so that more may be ferreted out and murdered.
Many more were hiding in barricaded rooms or kitchens as these animals were desperately attempting to break into them. Those they managed to break in, they blow out their brains, regardless of nationality. Seems only US or UK citizens were to be ferreted out for a final mass dramatic execution.
Let us honour the brave Indian security forces, as well as those brave indian civilians whom led others to safety, and hold these courageous men and women, many whom who died doing such, with rememberance.
More critically, to remember the innocents who died, in the hands and situation created by the despicable animals.
We must never fear the terrorists, for to fear them would be an open invitation to be terrified, nor forget their barbarism.
No!. We must never fear them, or be intimidated!. We will not let our innocents die in vain. Instead, we join hands,fight and exterminate them all. Even if i were to die in this battle, there will be other humans who will take up my cudgels to wipe terrorism out.
If it is to a war of attrition, then we, the innocent majority, will face up to their rogue minority and win this war. It will never end till every single one of them is exterminated or gives up thru the crush of humanity on them.
If not for our sake, it will be for the sake of our next generation. We owe them a better world than the one we lived in.
It is now the responsibility of us humans all to report any suspected acts of terrorism forthwith. and stop them from spreading their ideology of murderous intent.
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Originally posted by AndrewPKYap:
You don't catch the masterminds, they reorganise and attack again. I doubt "easier and less troublesome" comes to their minds.
Yes you don't catch the mastermind, they reorganised and attack again.
No doubt about this but you also has to understand Indian and Paki type of politics. -
this attack on mumbai make me think of " hue" during the ted offensive vietnam war.
These terrorist deserve to burn in HELL!
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terrorist are just cowards that are capable to attacking innocent civilians!.
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we cant say we must not fear terrorist, cos the truth is that we will!
how can you not fear someone who killed your fellow countrymen and that you could be next.
whats crucial is that we must stop terrorist idealogies from spreading
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Originally posted by rain-coat:
we cant say we must not fear terrorist, cos the truth is that we will!
how can you not fear someone who killed your fellow countrymen and that you could be next.
whats crucial is that we must stop terrorist idealogies from spreading
No. These animals still have needs in our human world. It is thru such needs that they can be found out. Security agencies have their limits. We free humans just have to be more vigilant. Observation is the critical factor here.We have eyes to see, ears to hear, friends whom we know who will know another friend. Networking will ferret these animals out! There must be no sympathies for them. We have seen the carnage the had done. Our innocent citizen must not be allowed to die in vain!
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Originally posted by xtreyier:
No. These animals still have needs in our human world. It is thru such needs that they can be found out. Security agencies have their limits. We free humans just have to be more vigilant. Observation is the critical factor here.We have eyes to see, ears to hear, friends whom we know who will know another friend. Networking will ferret these animals out! There must be no sympathies for them. We have seen the carnage the had done. Our innocent citizen must not be allowed to die in vain!
erm why shouldnt we stop the idealogies from spreading? its like aids, unless you stop the spreading completely, there is no way you can stop the virus. unlike ebola fever, aids like terrorism is not confined to a single area.
furthermore, terrorist don walk around announcing to their friends that they are terrorist. terrorism has evolved and if you check out about 911 and a few other cases, terrorist are no longer the steortypical uneducated obessesed crazy idiots. they are professionals living in our community and taking the same trains as us.
also, why these people become terrorists is because they are influenced by propaganda. by sercuring strong psychological defence, we can confine terrorism to a smaller population and as you said, ferret these animals out.
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Originally posted by rain-coat:
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furthermore, terrorist don walk around announcing to their friends that they are terrorist. terrorism has evolved and if you check out about 911 and a few other cases, terrorist are no longer the steortypical uneducated obessesed crazy idiots. they are professionals living in our community and taking the same trains as us.
also, why these people become terrorists is because they are influenced by propaganda. by sercuring strong psychological defence, we can confine terrorism to a smaller population and as you said, ferret these animals out.
Right, the real terrorist are right under our noses. Governments who carry out terror attacks to advance political aims. By definition, terrorism is the act or threat of violence to further a political cause. Considering terrorist attacks only increase government's police powers and that terrorist attacks after 9/11, even before that, all carry the fingerprints of western intelligence agencies, yes, they are "professionals living in our community" (how ironic).
Ferret those animals out!
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Originally posted by reyes:
terrorist are just cowards that are capable to attacking innocent civilians!.
I disagree that the Mumbai terrorists were cowards. Afterall, they came heavily armed and had exchanged fire with the army.
They did not cover their faces. They were prepared to die. This is to send a signal that whoever wishes to take them on must also be prepare to sacrifice his life. Those victims who piss or shit in their pants in fear, well, just too bad. They still ended up dead.
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The terrorists dun have the word 'terrorist' written on their foreheads.
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At least 195 people, including 18 foreigners, were killed after gunmen attacked 10 sites across India's financial capital starting Wednesday night.
_ Americans Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg, 29, and Leibish Teitlebaum were found dead at the Mumbai Chabad Lubavitch center, also known as Nariman House. Holtzberg ran the center with his Israeli wife, Rivkah, 28, who was also killed. Bentzion Chroman, another victim at Nariman House, was a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen. Americans Alan Scherr, 58, and his daughter Naomi, 13, were killed at the Oberoi hotel cafe. One other unidentified American was killed.
_ Australians Bradley Taylor, 49, and Douglas Markell, 71.
_ Italian Antonio Di Lorenzo, 63, from the Tuscan city of Livorno, was killed at the Oberoi hotel.
_ Frenchman Mourad Amarsy, 49, and his French wife Loumia Hiridjee were killed while dining at the Oberoi.
_ Two Canadians were confirmed killed but their identities and other details were not released.
_ British-Cypriot Andreas Dionysiou Liveras, 73, was killed.
_ Japanese national Hisashi Tsuda, 38, was shot at a Mumbai hotel.
_ German Ralph Burkei, 51, was at the Taj Mahal hotel during the attacks and killed.
_ Singaporean Lo Hoei Yen, held hostage and killed.
_ Thai woman working at the Oberoi hotel spa was killed but her identity was not released
