Probable terror attacks in Mumbai

[afleitch]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7751160.stm

Gunmen have opened fire at a number of sites in the Indian city of Mumbai (Bombay), killing at least 78 people and injuring about 200 more.

Police said shooting was continuing and that the incidents were co-ordinated terrorist attacks. Gunmen had taken hostages at two hotels, they said.

At least seven sites have been targeted across India's financial capital.

There has been a wave of bombings in Indian cities in recent months which has left scores of people dead.

Most of the attacks have been blamed on Muslim militants, although police have also arrested suspected Hindu extremists.

[MODU]

This seems clearly to be an anti-Western attack, based upon the locations hit and the descriptions of the victims at the moment.  Not good.

On a personal note, it is ironic that one of the hotels hit is the Taj.  I was there back in 1993.  Along the side of the right-side of the hotel along the street there was a shanty town built up along the sidewalk.  I remember a kid running up to me with his hands out asking for US dollars.  I only had large bills with me, so I reached into my pocket to give him change.  The kid gave me a dirty look, took the few coins, and ran off.  hahaha . . . I'll always remember that. 

EDIT:  From back in 2006, an old post about Bombay (Mumbai) and the Taj...

Bombay (before reverting back to Mumbai) - This was a very very busy city, with buildings stacked on top of each other for blocks.  Unfortunately, it was also a very dirty city, with the bay in which we were anchored had floating trash and dead animals in it.  It was a quick reminder that, no matter how advanced they are, India was still a borderline third-world nation.  If that wasn't enough, in the city there is a grand hotel called the Taj Mahal, complete with a British butcher standing in front of it to open the door for you.  Along the side of the hotel (which ran the length of the street) were little shanties built up with homeless begging the tourists for American dollars.  It was a sad sight.  Traffic was also a nightmare.  In what most of us would consider a three-laned road, they were able to fit 5 lanes of traffic travelling at rediculous speeds . . . and no cross walks.  Ugh . . . I was more than glad to go back to the ship.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Reports of another bomb going off.

[Platypus]

Any idea what the aims of the terrorists are?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Any idea what the aims of the terrorists are?

Murder, Panic, Fear

[Lunar]

To kill foreigners and scare Hindus most likely.

[Platypus]

Any idea what the aims of the terrorists are?

Murder, Panic, Fear

To promote the cause of the indian muslims, the communists, the kashmiris, the religious indus, the christians...?

[Eraserhead]

This is not good. Not good at all. The Pakistani-Indian "relationship" takes another big hit.

[Хahar 🤔]

I fear for all Muslims in India. I say at least a few thousand die.

Good news for the BJP here.

[Sbane]

Everything is still a little cloudy but this is definitely just as much of an attack on the west as on India. The English cricket team was at the Taj just a week ago and the middlessex cricket team is just about the verge of leaving England to come play in Mumbai and they are also making their accomodations at the Taj. Don't know if this had anything to do with the attacks but that area around colaba is about to host a big international cricket tournament. There were shootings literally everywhere around the stadium......

Edit: As expected the cricket tournament has been cancelled. Congratulations terrorists. I would have hoped they had played in defiance of terrorists but I totally understand why this is being done.

[Sbane]

I fear for all Muslims in India. I say at least a few thousand die.

Good news for the BJP here.

Ahh election season is just around the corner...looks like hindutva will be making yet another comeback. I really hope there aren't any riots....

[Lunar]

I fear for all Muslims in India. I say at least a few thousand die.

Good news for the BJP here.

Well, at the moment I fear for the hostages.

But yes, Hindu and Islamic nationalism kind of feed off each other in a symbiotic, tit-for-tat escalation in the country.

How can India, an essentially disorderly hodgepodge of daily chaos filled with throngs of people, and, what, the owner of the second-largest Muslim population on Earth, defend itself against terrorism?  I wonder.  and of course, being right next to a competing all-Islamic state makes Hindus in India keenly aware of their differences with Muslims and causes them to ostracize them

But yes this makes things worse for everybody.

[Eraserhead]

Is this seriously the only thread we have on this? It pretty much dominated the news in America today (and rightfully so).

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

The two foreigners comfirmed dead are one Japanese and one Australian.

Official numbers at the moment is 101 killed and 314 injured.

[Boris]

That's what, about five terrorist attacks in India over the last year? How can anyone have faith in the government to actually act competently; especially when their own security forces sustain heavy casualties in firefights with militants?

[Lunar]

Is this seriously the only thread we have on this? It pretty much dominated the news in America today (and rightfully so).

I know, and the name of this thread is "probable" haha.

[afleitch]

Is this seriously the only thread we have on this? It pretty much dominated the news in America today (and rightfully so).

I know, and the name of this thread is "probable" haha.

It was 'probable' because at the time it was 'probable' and if I hadn't included 'probable' I would have been asked to specifically say it was 'probable' until such times as it was no longer 'probable'

[MODU]

Is this seriously the only thread we have on this? It pretty much dominated the news in America today (and rightfully so).

I know, and the name of this thread is "probable" haha.

It was 'probable' because at the time it was 'probable' and if I hadn't included 'probable' I would have been asked to specifically say it was 'probable' until such times as it was no longer 'probable'

Probably.

In any case, we're into day two now, and there are still gun battles between the hostage takers and the police/military.  Dozens of hostages have been freed from some of the hotels, but it sounds like the Taj and the Trident still have people trapped inside.

[Silent Hunter]

Nasty events. They appear to have been especially targeting Britons and Americans.

My thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected.

[Sbane]

That's what, about five terrorist attacks in India over the last year? How can anyone have faith in the government to actually act competently; especially when their own security forces sustain heavy casualties in firefights with militants?

I have never heard anyone utter the words "competent" and "indian government" in the same sentence before, so I seriously doubt Indian's confidence in their government has gone down. Another thing to realize is how vulnerable India is to terrorism from within it's own borders. As India becomes more and more developed, the more pissed of the people who get left behind become. And if these people are muslim or tribal, people who have never been fully integrated into Indian society, it becomes really easy to recruit them into terrorist groups. This particular attack is weird though. I doubt this is just pissed of Indian muslims. When they went into the hotels they asked for British and American passports, not hindus. It could also be hindu militants trying to stir things up just months before the election....

[Filuwaúrdjan]

There's actually an election today (in Madhya Pradesh).

[Mr.Jones]

This terrorism is the handy work of Pakistan.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Source:http://thestatesman.org/page.news.php?clid=1&theme=&usrsess=1&id=233098

Seriously enough is enough. The world should come together to take Pakistan down. Why waste life, resources and money on Afganistan and Iraq, when Pakistan is the mother of terrorism. Pakistan an “ally” in fighting against terrorism, huh, that is their pretext. They get the money for fighting against terrorism, and use the money to create terrorism, against India, against Israel, and against USA and UK. Why - because of religion. The world needs to understand Pakistan is a wolf in sheep skin. We all are very sorry for those whose families whose near and dear ones has been killed, whether they are Indians or foreign tourists, after all each life is valuable and precious. But many more greifs are going to come if we dont solve the problem. And Pakistan is the problem. Wake up world. And act. Flying white pegions and lectures of peace is not going to solve the problem. Taking down the terrorists and the country that creates terrorists will.

[Beet]

This terrorism is the handy work of Pakistan.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Source:http://thestatesman.org/page.news.php?clid=1&theme=&usrsess=1&id=233098

Seriously enough is enough. The world should come together to take Pakistan down. Why waste life, resources and money on Afganistan and Iraq, when Pakistan is the mother of terrorism. Pakistan an “ally” in fighting against terrorism, huh, that is their pretext. They get the money for fighting against terrorism, and use the money to create terrorism, against India, against Israel, and against USA and UK. Why - because of religion. The world needs to understand Pakistan is a wolf in sheep skin. We all are very sorry for those whose families whose near and dear ones has been killed, whether they are Indians or foreign tourists, after all each life is valuable and precious. But many more greifs are going to come if we dont solve the problem. And Pakistan is the problem. Wake up world. And act. Flying white pegions and lectures of peace is not going to solve the problem. Taking down the terrorists and the country that creates terrorists will.

All this article says is that the man was a Pakistan national. Why would the Pakistani government condone this? Anyway starting a war between 2 nuclear powers is not a good idea.

[phk]

When are India's next elections?

This could spell the end of the Congress Party temporarily.

[Mr.Jones]

This terrorism is the handy work of Pakistan.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Source:http://thestatesman.org/page.news.php?clid=1&theme=&usrsess=1&id=233098

Seriously enough is enough. The world should come together to take Pakistan down. Why waste life, resources and money on Afganistan and Iraq, when Pakistan is the mother of terrorism. Pakistan an “ally” in fighting against terrorism, huh, that is their pretext. They get the money for fighting against terrorism, and use the money to create terrorism, against India, against Israel, and against USA and UK. Why - because of religion. The world needs to understand Pakistan is a wolf in sheep skin. We all are very sorry for those whose families whose near and dear ones has been killed, whether they are Indians or foreign tourists, after all each life is valuable and precious. But many more greifs are going to come if we dont solve the problem. And Pakistan is the problem. Wake up world. And act. Flying white pegions and lectures of peace is not going to solve the problem. Taking down the terrorists and the country that creates terrorists will.

All this article says is that the man was a Pakistan national. Why would the Pakistani government condone this? Anyway starting a war between 2 nuclear powers is not a good idea.

Do you really think that a solo Pakistani individual with his own resources was able to pull this off without sponsorship from the Govt. Wow. And sooner or later, mark my words and this date, there will be war between these two countries. And if it does turn Neuclear, we know which country has far more superior capacity then the other ( India in case you don't know ).