Mumbai shootout 26 Nov

The November 2008 Mumbai attacks were a series of ten coordinated attacks which began across Mumbai (Bombay), the largest city in India and the country’s financial capital, on 26 November 2008 and ended on 29 November 2008 when Indian security forces finally regained control of all attack sites.

Location	Type of attack	Casualties	Rescued
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (Victoria) railway station	Shootings; grenade attacks.	55	none
Leopold Café, Colaba	Shootings, grenade explosion.	10	none
Taj Mahal Palace & Tower hotel	Shootings; six explosions; fire on ground, first, and top floors; hostages;RDX found nearby.	50 approx	around 250
Oberoi Trident hotel	Shootings; explosions; hostages; fire.	24	143
Metro Cinema	Shooting from carjacked police jeep
Cama Hospital	Shootings; hostages	3 policemen	none
Nariman House (Mumbai Chabad House)	Siege; shootings hostages.	6	9
Vile Parle suburb, North Mumbai	Car bomb blast.	3	none
Mazagaon docks	Explosion; boat with armaments seized.	none	none
Girgaum Chowpatty	1 terrorist killed and 1 arrested by a team from the Gamdevi police station.	2	none

Terrorists involved

* Azam Amir Kasav & Abu Ismail Dera Ismail Khan, (attacked CST, police vehicle in cama hospital, Metro cinema, Vidhan Bhavan, Girgaum Chowpatty)
* 4 Terrorists in Taj Hotel, 2 Terrorists in Oberoi Hotel, 2 Terrorists in Nariman House ( Abu Ali, Fahad, Omar, Shoaib, Umer, Abu Akasha, Abdul Rahman (Bara), and Abdul Rahman).

Entry into India

Date	Estimated Time (+0530 UTC)	Event
Nov 21	evening	Ten terrorists leave Karachi, Pakistan in a boat & travel for thirty-eight hours, remaining undetected by the Indian Navy.
Nov 22		Each of the 10 men are given 6-7 magazines of 30 rounds each plus 400 rounds not loaded in magazines , 8 hand grenades, one AK-47 assault rifle, an automatic loading revolver, credit cards and a supply of dried fruit.
Nov 22		A separate group check in to the Taj Hotel with arms and ammunition.
Nov 23		The terrorists hijack an Indian trawler, Kuber, killing four fishermen and ordering the captain to sail to India.
Nov 24		The terrorists kill the captain and sail to Gujarat and raise a white flag. Two coast guard officers approach and question them. They kill one of the officers and force the other to sail them to Mumbai.
Nov 26		They reach within four nautical miles (7 km) of Mumbai and kill the other coast guard officer. They then proceed to board three inflatable speedboats and reach Colaba jetty at dusk.
Nov 26		The ten men get off at Badhwar Park, Cuffe Parade, three blocks away from Nariman House.
Nov 26		Four of the men enter the Taj Mahal Hotel, two enter the Oberoi Trident, two enter Nariman House, and the other two men, Azam and Ismail, take a taxi to Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus.

At the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel

Sources: NDTV, Evening Standard, and BBC

Date	Estimated Time (+0530 UTC)	Event
Nov 26	11:00 PM	Terrorists enter Taj hotel.
Nov 27	12:00 AM	Mumbai Police surrounds the hotel.
Nov 27	01:00 AM	Massive blast in the central dome, fire in the building.
Nov 27	02:30 AM	Army soldiers arrive in two trucks and enter the front lobby. Fire spreads across the top floor.
Nov 27	03:00 AM	Fire Engines arrive. Shootings heard inside lobby and heritage building.
Nov 27	4:00 AM	Firemen rescue people with ladders. More than 200 people evacuated
Nov 27	4:30 AM	Terrorists reported to move from central dome to new tower.
Nov 27	5:00 AM	Commandos and Bomb squad arrive. Police step up heat.
Nov 27	5:30 AM	Fire brought under control but terrorists holed up in new tower with 100–150 hostages.
Nov 27	6:30 AM	Security forces say they are ready for encounter.
Nov 27	8:00 AM	People are brought out of the lobby.
Nov 27	8:30 AM	Another 50 people brought out of Chambers club.
Nov 27	9:00 AM	More rounds of firing, many more people reported to be stuck inside.
Nov 27	10:30 AM	Gunbattle reported from inside
Nov 27	12 Noon	50 evacuated
Nov 27	4:30 PM	Militants set fire to a room on the 4th floor
Nov 27	7:20 PM	More NSG commandos arrive, enter hotel
Nov 27	11:00 PM	Operations continue
Nov 27	2:53 PM	Six bodies recovered
Nov 27–28	2:53 PM – 3:59	Ten grenade explosions
Nov 28	3:00 PM	Marine commandos recover explosives from Taj.
Nov 28	4.00 PM	12–15 dead bodies recovered from the Taj by Naval Commandos.
Nov 28	7:30 PM	Fresh explosions and gun shots at Taj Hotel.
Nov 28	8:30 PM	Reported that one terrorist left at the Taj.
Nov 29	3:40 AM – 4:10 AM	Reports of five explosions at the Taj.
Nov 29	5:05 AM	Revised estimate of one terrorist remaining.
Nov 29	07:30 AM	Fire raging on first floor. Black smoke from second floor. Gunshots heard frequently—apparent gun battle.
Nov 29	08:00 AM	Indian commandos state that the Taj Hotel is now under control. However they are still conducting room to room searches. People celebrate on the streets.

At the Oberoi Trident

Date	Estimated Time	Event
Nov 27	6 AM	NSG arrives, storms hotel.
Nov 27	8:40 AM	Firing heard, Top army, navy officers arrive and take stock.
Nov 27	1:30 PM	Two small explosions. More reinforcements enter building.
Nov 27	3:25 PM	Some foreign hostages rescued
Nov 27	5:35 PM	Sikh regiment arrives, fierce gunbattle.
Nov 27	6 PM	27 hostages come out of Air India building, four foreigners taken to hospital.
Nov 27	6:45 PM	Explosion heard. Two NSG guards, 25 army personnel suspected injured. More people rescued, in all 31.
Nov 27	7:10 PM	1 terrorist arrested.
Nov 27	7:25 PM	Fire breaks out on 4th floor
Nov 27	11 PM	Operations continue
Nov 28	10 AM	Many hostages evacuated from the Trident building.
Nov 28	3:00 PM	Commando operations at Oberoi over, 24 dead bodies recovered. 143 hostages rescued alive. Two militants shot dead.

At Nariman House

Date	Estimated Time	Event
Nov 27	7 AM	Police began evacuating adjacent buildings.
Nov 27	11 AM	Cross-firing between terrorists and police; one militant injured.
Nov 27	2:45 PM	Terrorists threw grenade into nearby lane; no casualties.
Nov 27	5:30 PM	NSG commandos arrive, naval helicopter took aerial survey.
Nov 27	11 PM	Operations continued.
Nov 27	12 PM	9 hostages rescued from first floor.
Nov 28	7:30 AM	NSG commandos airdropped onto the top of Nariman house.
Nov 28	7:30 PM	All 6 hostages including the Rabbi and his wife found killed by the terrorists.
Nov 28	8:30 PM	NSG commandos declared the operations over, 2 terrorists killed.

Casualties

At least 172 people had been killed in the attacks and 293 wounded. Among the dead were 124 Indian civilians, 17 policemen and 31 foreigners. The breakdown of the foreigners was as follows: four Americans, four Australians, three Canadians, three Germans, two Israeli-Americans, two Israelis, two French, two Italians, one British-Cypriot, one Dutch, one Japanese, one Jordanian, one Malaysian, one Mauritian, one Mexican, one Singaporean and one Thai.

In addition, nine terrorists were killed and one was captured.

27 other foreigners of different nationalities were injured in the terror strikes and were admitted to the Bombay Hospital. Hospital sources said the injured foreigners were from Australia, USA, UK, Canada, Germany, Canada, Spain, Norway, Finland, Oman, China, Japan, the Philippines and Jordan.

Andreas Liveras, a British yachting tycoon (of dual Greek Cypriot and British citizenship), was among those confirmed killed. German TV producer Ralph Burkei, and French lingerie tycoon, Loumia Hiridjee and her husband, were also among the dead. Husband and wife, Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg and Rivka Holtzberg, both of whom were hostages in Nariman House, also died during the attack.

According to Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, 14 policemen and three NSG commandos were killed, including the following officers:

• Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad Chief Hemant Karkare, who headed the team investigating the politically sensitive 2006 Malegaon blasts. Karkare had also been receiving death threats recently, including a threat to bomb his residence, but it is unclear if these were related to his death.
• Additional Commissioner of Police: Ashok Kamte
• Encounter specialist: Vijay Salaskar
• Senior inspector Shashank Shinde, who had recently been involved in investigating many of India’s recent bombings.
• NSG Commando, Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan
• NSG Commando Hawaldar Chandar
• NSG Commando Gajendra Singh

Three railway officials of Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus had also been killed in the terror strikes.

The Government of Maharashtra announced Rs. 5 lakh (about 10,000 USD) compensation to the kin of those killed in the terror attacks and Rs. 50,000 (about 1,000 USD) to the seriously injured.

Nationality	Deaths	Injured
Indian	141	256
American	4	2
Australian	4	2
Canadian	3	2
German	3	3
American-Israeli	2	–
Israeli	2	–
French	2	–
Italian	2	–
Cypriot-British	1	–
Dutch	1	–
Japanese	1	1
Jordanian	1	1
Malaysian	1
Mauritian	1	–
Mexican	1	–
Singaporean	1	–
Thai	1	–
Austrian	–	1
British	–	7
Chinese	–	1
Omani	–	2
Filipino	–	1
Spanish	–	2
Finnish	–	1
Norwegian	–	1

Muslim Council refuses to bury militants in India

The Muslim Council of India decided not to allow burial of the bodies of the nine terrorists killed during the Mumbai siege in the Marine Lines Bada Qabrastan (cemetery). The council said it was trying to send a message to all cemeteries in India that none of the bodies should be buried on Indian soil.

Strong Nationalism among general public

The attack has put challenges for the Congress-led Indian government ahead of general elections, and also to persuade Pakistan to act against militants. Many general public want some kind of clear response to the attack that killed 183 people, from identifying and punishing the masterminds to trade sanctions against Pakistan, or passing firm anti-terrorism laws within India

Terrorism in Mumbai

The city of Mumbai, India has suffered several terrorist attacks, mostly bombings, including:

* 12 March 1993 – Series of 13 bombs go off killing 257
* 06 December 2002 – Bomb goes off in a bus in Ghatkopar killing 2
* 27 January 2003 – Bomb goes off on a bicycle in Vile Parle killing 1
* 14 March 2003 – Bomb goes off in a train in Mulund killing 10
* 28 July 2003 – Bomb goes off in a bus in Ghatkopar killing 4
* 25 August 2003 – Two Bombs go off in cars near the Gateway of India and Zaveri Bazaar killing 50
* 11 July 2006 – Series of seven bombs go off in trains killing 209
* 19 October 2008 – North Indians killed in various part of Maharastra. (killed 20 people).
* 26 November 2008 to 29 November 2008 – Coordinated series of attacks killing at least 189

 

Timeline: Mumbai under attack

The attacks in Mumbai began during the evening of 26 November. Reports say the militants arrived on dinghies, possibly launched from an outlying vessel. Here is a list of subsequent events with approximate timings.

WEDNESDAY 26 NOVEMBER

2120 local time (1550 GMT): Gunfire starts at the Chhatrapati Shivaji railway station when at least two gunmen storm the crowded terminal, firing indiscriminately. Many of the deaths and injuries occurred in this attack.

2120-2200: Gunmen raid the Cama and Albless Hospital, shooting indiscriminately. One attacker is captured here.

2120-2200: Gunmen seize control of the Nariman House business and residential complex. Police surround the complex, which houses the Jewish Chabad Lubavitch outreach centre.

2120-2200: Gunmen storm the Cafe Leopold and open fire on diners, causing numerous causalities.

2120-0100: Gunmen storm the Oberoi-Trident hotel, where about 380 people are staying.

2120-0100: At least seven gunmen enter the lobby of the Taj Mahal Palace hotel, where about 450 people are staying, and begin firing. Large fire reported.

2250: Gunfire reported at Times of India offices.

THURSDAY 27 NOVEMBER

0100-0400: Indian army in running battles with militants at the two hotels. Small groups of guests manage to escape.

0245: A group calling itself the “Deccan Mujahedeen” claims responsibility for the attacks.

0400: Standoff continues at the Jewish outreach centre.

1030: Army says it is doing room-by-room searches of Taj but explosions still heard at both hotels.

1630: The Indian navy says its forces have boarded a cargo vessel they believe to be linked to the attacks.

1630: Indian PM delivers speech to the nation saying the militants will not escape and blaming “external” elements.

1640: Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari speaks of the need for strong measures to eradicate terrorism.

FRIDAY 28 NOVEMBER

0230: Gunfire and loud explosions still being heard from the Taj and the Jewish centre, Nariman House.

0730: Commandos are dropped from helicopters on to Nariman House and begin a sweep through the building.

1100: Indian commandos take full control of the Oberoi hotel and release hostages.

1300: Indian commandos report 30 bodies in one Taj hall.

1500: Mumbai police report that five hostages inside the Jewish centre have been found shot dead.

1800: Indian security forces say they have secured the Jewish centre. Eight Israeli or dual Israeli-US citizens have been killed and two gunmen.

1830: Security operations still continue at the Taj although there is much less gunfire.

SATURDAY 29 NOVEMBER

04:30: Renewed explosions and gunfire are heard from inside the Taj.

0730: Fire breaks out on the lower floors of the Taj. Shortly afterwards Indian television reports that the siege is over.

0850: Indian police declare the Taj Mahal siege over, with the deaths of three gunmen.

 

India asks Pakistan for fugitives

India has asked Pakistan to hand over 20 fugitives from Indian law who it believes are settled in Pakistan.

Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee said India lodged a formal protest and gave the names to Pakistan’s high commissioner at a meeting on Monday.

Tensions have risen between the two neighbours since the attacks in the Indian city of Mumbai last week.

Officials say 201 people were killed – including 22 foreigners – and more than 200 were injured in the violence.

Indian officials have repeatedly said in recent days there is evidence the militants behind the attacks had Pakistani links.

Islamabad has denied involvement and warned against letting “miscreants” inflame tensions in the region.

India’s new home minister has vowed to “respond with determination and resolve” over the crisis.

 

Sikhs mark Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary with fervour

NEW DELHI: As dawn broke Thursday, hundreds of Sikhs across India thronged Children celebrate 539th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev in Amritsar.

Gurudwaras for morning prayers to mark the 539th birth anniversary Children celebrate 539th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev in Amritsar.
of Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of the world’s youngest religion that also has followers among the vast Indian diaspora worldwide.

Taking the lead from the Golden Temple, the temporal seat of the Sikhs in Amritsar in Punjab, most Gurudwaras marked Gurupurab, as the day is observed with the singing of Asa-di-var and hymns from Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy book.

This was followed by religious discourses, historical lectures, recitation of poems in praise of Guru Nanak and the distribution of “Karah Parshad (sweet pudding)” and “Langar (food cooked in a community kitchen)”.

In many cities across the country, processions led by young children dressed as the Panj Pyaras, or five beloved disciples of the Guru, were taken out even as groups of youths staged martial arts displays.

This year’s Gurupurab was particularly auspicious as the 300th anniversary of the writing of the Guru Granth Sahib has just been observed.

In keeping with the spirit of the occasion, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal cleaned shoes and utensils at the Harmandar Sahib, as the Golden Temple is also known to pay obeisance to the Sikh guru.

Badal, accompanied by his wife, Surinder Kaur, reached the Golden Temple complex to pay obeisance. They first went to the shoes counter of the shrine and cleaned footwear of devotees who had come to the shrine.

Later, both went to the “Langar (community feast)” hall where they partook of the food and then washed the utensils used by the devotees.

Gurudwaras across Punjab as well as in neighbouring Haryana and Himachal Pradesh were decorated with lights to celebrate the occasion.

Langars were also organised by the devout along highways in Punjab for those travelling Thursday.

In New Delhi, early morning prayers, bathing in holy ponds and distribution of food marked Gurupurab.

Devotees in large numbers offered prayers at Bangla Sahib gurudwara, Rakabganj gurudwara and Sisganj gurudwara. All the Sikh shrines were beautifully lit and decorated to mark the occasion.

“I offered prayers at Bangla Sahab gurudwara early Thursday. There was a long queue of devotees paying obeisance at the shrine,” said Gurpreet Kaur, a devotee.

Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Mangement Committee (DSGMC) had made special arrangements at major Gurudwaras to manage the large crowd of devotees.

“Several sewadars (helpers) have been deployed inside and around Gurudwaras to manage the rush,” said DSGMC president Paramjit Singh Sarna.

To mark the occasion, a US-based Sikh organization has prepared letters for diaspora Sikh parents, which will be sent along with their children to the schools, so that they can read and share the Sikh guru’s message of universal brotherhood.

On the lines of the American Church, the Sikh Council on Religion and Education (SCORE) wants the teachings of the first Sikh guru to be propagated in school classrooms in the US.

“SCORE, through various mass media, is urging parents, especially of the diaspora, to take an off (on Nov 13) and spend the 539th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak with their children and narrate them stories about the life and teachings of Guru Nanak,” Rajwant Singh, the Washington-based chairman of SCORE told IANS.

The organisation is requesting Sikh parents to send with their children a note that their teachers can read in the class for the benefit of other students.

“This will definitely create a sense of pride in Sikh children and help in creating more understanding about our faith and tradition,” Singh said.

Guru Nanak Dev was born in 1469 at Nankana Sahib, a town near Lahore, now in Pakistan.

A 2,500-strong group of devotees had left for Pakistan Tuesday to take part in the Gurpurab celebrations at Nankana Sahib.

 

Suicide attack in Afghan

At least 20 civilians and an American soldier have been killed in a suicide car bomb attack against a US convoy in eastern Afghanistan, officials said.

The attack happened near Jalalabad, the capital of the eastern Nangarhar province.

At least 55 others have been wounded and taken to hospital, officials said.

A large number of foreign and Afghan troops are battling the Taleban in the south and east of the country and are routinely targeted by the militants.

The attacker detonated an explosives-laden vehicle close to the convoy on the road between the town of Torkham, on the Pakistani border, and Jalalabad, news agency AFP reported.

The incident took place near a wholesale fresh fruit market and an animal market in an area often packed with people, it said.

“One American soldier was wounded in the bombing and he died during transportation,” AFP quoted Major John Redfield, a spokesman for the US-led coalition as saying.

There are currently 33,000 US troops in Afghanistan.

US President George W Bush has announced that about 4,500 more soldiers would be sent to Afghanistan early next year.

 

US aid worker killed in Pakistan

Gunmen in Pakistan have shot dead an American aid worker and his driver in the north-western city of Peshawar. The men were killed just outside their office in the University Town area. It is not clear who the attackers were. Violence has surged in the north-west in recent months with a wave of attacks blamed on Islamist militants. A number of missile strikes inside Pakistan’s tribal areas by US troops based in neighbouring Afghanistan have fuelled anti-American sentiment. The BBC’s Mark Dummett in Islamabad says that the security situation across Pakistan has steadily worsened over the past few years, with Taleban militants holding sway over a large stretch of North West Frontier Province (NWFP). But our correspondent says attacks of this kind on foreigners in Pakistan are rare. Across the border in Afghanistan aid workers and other foreigners have increasingly been targeted in recent months. Gunmen attacked the car of a US diplomat in Peshawar in August, but she survived unhurt. Our correspondent says that it is more common for militants in Pakistan to launch suicide bomb attacks against military or government targets. ‘Under investigation’ The US embassy has refused to identify the man until his next of kin are informed.

But an embassy spokesman confirmed that the victim was an American. He said the dead man was not a diplomat nor was he travelling on an official assignment. US media reports identified the aid worker as Stephen Vance. Earlier reports had given his name as Stephen David. Police say the American worked for a US-funded project to help develop the troubled tribal belt – a large swathe of which is now controlled by militants. Eyewitnesses say the aid worker and his driver were shot by a group of masked gunmen as they drove to their office in University Town, a wealthy suburb of the main city in north-west Pakistan. The attackers blocked the men’s vehicle in a narrow street with their own car before opening fire with automatic weapons, officials said. “Several bullets hit them, and they died in the vehicle,” police official Arshad Khan told the Associated Press. Bombings Meanwhile, two Pakistani security officers were killed and several others were injured in a suicide attack in north-western Pakistan, officials said.

Peshawar was hit by a suicide bombing on Tuesday

The suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden car into a temporary security forces camp in Shabqadar area of Charsadda district, 25km north of Peshawar. Areas close to Peshawar – the biggest city in north-west Pakistan – are known to be Taleban and al-Qaeda strongholds. The region has been hit by several bombings and suicide attacks recently. On Tuesday, a suicide bomber walked up to the gate of a stadium in Peshawar and blew himself up. The attack happened as the governor of North West Frontier Province left after a sports tournament. He was unhurt but at least one man was killed and three people were injured.

 

FF hope Obama will help solve Kashmir issue

Srinagar (PTI): The election of Barack Obama as US President has generated hope among Fridom Fighters in Kashmir that the decades-long Kashmir issue would be solved soon.

Welcoming the election of Obama, chairman of Moderate faction of Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz Umer Farooq (President of J&K) said “We see a role for US in resolution of Kashmir issue and hope that Obama will fulfill his responsibility.”

Mirwaiz, who has been placed under house arrest since this morning ahead of proposed Jamia Masjid march by Freedom fighters of Kashmir, said “We hope that he (Obama) will give practical shape to his encouraging statements on resolution of Kashmir during campaigning.”

Meanwhile, chairman of Hardline faction of Hurriyat Syed Ali Shah Geelani said the election of Obama is a “historic event” for America and “We hope that he will use his good offices to resolve Kashmir issue in its historic perspective.”

Geelani, who is undergoing treatment in Delhi, said bilateral talks between India and Pakistan have failed to deliver in the past.

insa-allah Kashmir will get freedom in next few years.

 

फ़लस्तीनियों की आज़ादी का आहवान

ओसामा को पाकिस्तान-अफ़ग़ानिस्तान सीमावर्ती क्षेत्र में छुपा हुआ बताया जाता है

अल क़ायदा के नेता ओसामा बिन लादेन की कथित आवाज़ वाला एक टेप सामने आया है जिसमें यह आवाज़ कहती हुई सुनाई देती है कि मुसलमानों को फ़लस्तीनी ज़मीन को आज़ाद कराने के लिए अपनी लड़ाई जारी रखनी चाहिए.

हालाँकि इस टेप में सुनाई देने वाली आवाज़ की स्वतंत्र रूप से पुष्टि नहीं हुई है.

इससे पहले मार्च में एक टेप आया था जिसमें कहा गया था कि यह बिन लादेन की आवाज़ है.

यह टेप ऐसे समय में सामने आया है जब इसराइल अपनी स्थापना की साठवीं वर्षगाँठ मना रहा है. इस मौक़े पर अमरीकी राष्ट्रपति जॉर्ज बुश ने भी इसराइल का दौरा किया है और दोहराया है कि अमरीका का हर तरह का समर्थन इसराइल के साथ है.

इस टेप में सुनाई देने वाली आवाज़ कहती है कि इसराइल के ख़िलाफ़ लड़ाई जारी रहे और “फ़लस्तीन की इंच भर ज़मीन भी छोड़ी ना जाए.”

अल क़ायदा नेता ओसामा बिन लादेन के बारे में कहा जाता है कि वह पाकिस्तान-अफ़ग़ानिस्तान सीमावर्ती इलाक़े में किसी स्थान पर छुपे हुए हैं.

शुक्रवार को जो ओसामा बिन लादेन का कथित संदेश टेप में आया है वह नौ मिनट का है और यह ऑडियो एक ऐसी वेबसाइट पर लगाया गया है जो आमतौर पर अल क़ायदा इस्तेमाल करता है.

इस टेप में सुनाई देने वाली आवाज़ कहती है कि फ़लस्तीनियों के हित के लिए संघर्ष ही पश्चिमी दुनिया के साथ अल क़ायदा के युद्ध की एक प्रमुख वजह है. यह आवाज़ ये भी कहती है कि इसी मुद्दे ने 11 सितंबर 2001 को अमरीका पर हुए हमलों के लिए आधार तैयार किया था.

मार्च में जो टेप आया था उसे भी ओसामा बिन लादेन की आवाज़ वाला बताया गया था और अमरीकी ख़ुफ़िया अधिकारियों ने पुष्टि की थी कि वह आवाज़ ओसामा बिन लादेन की ही थी.

उस टेप में सुनाई देने वाली आवाज़ ने इस्लाम के पैगंबर मोहम्मद साहब का मज़ाक उड़ाने वाले कार्टूनों के मामले पर यूरोपीय संघ को चुनौती दी थी.

उसके एक दिन बाद आए एक अन्य संदेश में मुसलमानों से इराक़ में विद्रोही गतिविधियों में शामिल होने का आहवान किया गया था और कहा गया था कि फ़लस्तीनियों की सहायता करने का यह सबसे अच्छा तरीका हो सकता है.

 

If Mumbai trains are said to be packed like sardines, then how will you describe this train journey in Pakistan? Though this ordeal appears not to be an everyday affair, the picture is an eye-opener in many ways, seeking questions on security and law and order in Pakistan.

Trivia: Can anyone spot the train?

Image: Pilgrims cling on to a departing train after attending an annual religious congregation in Multan on November 2. The annual three-day Dawat-e-Islami congregation concluded with collective noon prayers.

Photograph: Mohammed Malik/AFP/Getty Images

 

If Mumbai trains are said to be packed like sardines, then how will you describe this train journey in Pakistan? Though this ordeal appears not to be an everyday affair, the picture is an eye-opener in many ways, seeking questions on security and law and order in Pakistan.

Trivia: Can anyone spot the train?

Image: Pilgrims cling on to a departing train after attending an annual religious congregation in Multan on November 2. The annual three-day Dawat-e-Islami congregation concluded with collective noon prayers.

Photograph: Mohammed Malik/AFP/Getty Images