Mumbai: coordinated terrorist attacks, westerners targetted

[Diamond]

Couple of points. The RAF occured in a specific historical context that, and admittedly I'm guessing here with respect to current Indian culture, was unique.

Secondly, part of the reason that this is shocking, and therefore a big story, is that it's relatively unique and seems to bear the hallmarks of being highly organised/coordinated.

 

[agricola]

Couple of points. The RAF occured in a specific historical context that, and admittedly I'm guessing here with respect to current Indian culture, was unique.

Secondly, part of the reason that this is shocking, and therefore a big story, is that it's relatively unique and seems to bear the hallmarks of being highly organised/coordinated.

It is well coordinated but this is a relatively easy type of attack to carry out - all you need are the guns and people who are willing to fire them at crowds of people.

The IRA did similar attacks during the early 70s quite a bit (ending with the Balcombe Street siege), though only with one ASU and they never really took the time to deliberately shoot civilians on the scale that they could have done (and has been done here).

Its difficult to see how you could stop it, probably the only solution would be an armed populace like in some parts of the US.

 

[spliff]

The IRA did similar attacks during the early 70s quite a bit (ending with the Balcombe Street siege), though only with one ASU and they never really took the time to deliberately shoot civilians on the scale that they could have done

also, suicide was never on the IRA's agenda.

 

[cesare]

According to the BBC just now, latest death toll 101, injured 287

 

[Archimage]

I have a feeling, those figures will go higher.. A real shame..
arch

 

[cesare]

Yes

Apparently there's still a siege going on in the Taj, but the fire's out now.

 

[derf]

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2008/11/200811276640676244.html

Al jazeera are on the ball on this one. Been watching live pictures.

Well nasty bunch of bastards at it again.

 

[Detroit City]

whats the latest update??

 

[xes]

whats the latest update??

according to sky this morning. 101 dead around 300 injured. Seige still going on in 1 hotel (as far as i know)

 

[xes]

http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/video/video_live.aspx?id=0
live news feed saying over 10 seperate attackes 17lb of military explosive RDX recovered. And on the ticker,it says that no hostage situation at the Taj anymore.

 

[sheothebudworths]

thanks sheo. no reply there either.

Aw sorry gabi - the waiting must be doing your head in - but I'm guessing that there will just be general problems with the phones anyway eh and would imagine that they're unlikely to be wanting to stroll around looking for an international calling place (don't know about now, but it looked before as if the whole area was sealed off/shut down - and I'd certainly being staying put till I knew it was safe if I was them!) even if they were any more likely to be working?!?

Hold tight - and I hope you hear from them soon, if you haven't already.

 

[Louloubelle]

Just heard that there's been a loud explosion in one of the hotels with lots of people trapped or held hostage inside

 

[xes]

Just heard that there's been a loud explosion in one of the hotels with lots of people trapped or held hostage inside

let's hope that it's a stun grenade or something,and they're storming it *fingers crossed*

 

[sheothebudworths]

Looks like they're a lot more people coming out too though - lots of people who appear to have come from the hotel running and taking cover immediately outside.

 

[xes]

could now be more than 100 trapped in the Trident (where the explosion was) it is unclear if it was a military explosion or from the terrorists.

 

[Zachor]

What? Why?

If it is confirmed that there are a number of British dead then I can sadly see innocent people of Indian descent (especially Muslims from that region) being attacked by meatheads in some areas.

I hope this doesn't happen but knowing of the aftermath of previous atrocities and confilcts in the past in the UK then revenge will be both swift and unjust.

It has happened before. Those of German descent were attacked during
WW1 even though their loyalty to the UK was not in question, Dutch immigrants were attacked before this during the Boer War as well.

 

[Detroit City]

according to sky this morning. 101 dead around 300 injured. Seige still going on in 1 hotel (as far as i know)

 

[Chester Copperpot]

The Foreign Office has issued an emergency number for people with relatives in Mumbai: 0207 008 0000.

 

[William of Walworth]

[last night]

What's the latest on what was happening at V.T.?

Or more to the point, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus**, formerly "VT" (Victoria Terminus).

Anything new there?

**Thanks to untethered in the other thread for pointing out my embarassing unawareness of that by now no doubt well established name change

 

[butchersapron]

The Prime MInister and others are already using this as a stick to beat the Naxalites with.

 

[Belushi]

The Prime MInister and others are already using this as a stick to beat the Naxalites with.

Are they trying to make a connection with the Naxalites?

 

[Orang Utan]

Belushi - still thinking of going to India? When was the trip planned for?

 

[g force]

still no word from half our developers out in Mumbai....some just haven't turned up for work (don't blame them) but called in, others no one has heard from since they left the office last night

 

[cliche guevara]

If it is confirmed that there are a number of British dead then I can sadly see innocent people of Indian descent (especially Muslims from that region) being attacked by meatheads in some areas.

I hope this doesn't happen but knowing of the aftermath of previous atrocities and confilcts in the past in the UK then revenge will be both swift and unjust.

It has happened before. Those of German descent were attacked during
WW1 even though their loyalty to the UK was not in question, Dutch immigrants were attacked before this during the Boer War as well.

But the people behind these attacks are terrorists, and it has been drummed into our heads over the last decade that terrorists are the ultimate threat. Nationality doesn't come into it, and for that reason I can't see any meatheads attacking Indians.

 

[butchersapron]

Are they trying to make a connection with the Naxalites?

Some people are yes, don't think people are going to fall for it though. That said, the comments from the Prime Minister i read earlier appear to be from last sunday, not last night, so i may have jumped too early on that:

However, the Indian authorities have also acknowledged that the country has its own home-grown terrorist problem.

Maoist Naxalite insurgents have grip on large swathes of the country – one estimate suggests they are active in 55 per cent of the landmass – and are fighting a long-running and bitter war which has claimed thousands of lives.

On Sunday the prime minister described the Naxalites as the "most serious internal security threat" facing India today.

He warned a conference of the country's most senior police officers that "the inability of intelligence agencies and the police to obtain pinpoint and actionable intelligence on time has enabled these outfits to carry out some high-profile attacks."

Link

 

[Zachor]

But the people behind these attacks are terrorists, and it has been drummed into our heads over the last decade that terrorists are the ultimate threat. Nationality doesn't come into it, and for that reason I can't see any meatheads attacking Indians.

I do hope you are right. However meatheads aint exactly known for their ability to make rational decisions and the paediatrician / paedophile case comes to mind.

 

[elevendayempire]

I do hope you are right. However meatheads aint exactly known for their ability to make rational decisions and the paediatrician / paedophile case comes to mind.

Never actually happened. Except in the minds of some excitable newspaper types.

 

[Belushi]

Belushi - still thinking of going to India? When was the trip planned for?

Off to Kerala in February mate.

 

[Zachor]

Never actually happened. Except in the minds of some excitable newspaper types.

Oh yes it did. There were pictures of the damage to the doctors door published at the time.

 

[Zachor]

Off to Kerala in February mate.

Hopefully the situation may have calmed down somewhat by then.