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More on this story. "Religious head incited killers," by Bruce Loudon for The Australian, December 1 (thanks to JE):
The al-Qa'ida-linked Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorists suspected over the Mumbai massacre were trained in Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, and were incited by speeches from their leader in Lahore.
As the sole surviving terrorist was interrogated in Mumbai, security sources told The Australian that 10 terrorists were picked by LET for the suicide mission.
They were ordered to "kill until your last breath" and murder up to 5000 people.
The captured Mumbai jihadist, Ajmal Amir Kamal, appears to be changing his story a bit. In earlier coverage, he reportedly said the jihadists undertook the mission with the expectation of surviving and escaping.
They did so after provocative speeches by Hafiz Mohammed Saeed last month in Lahore, capital of the Punjab.
Saeed, described as LET's supreme religious and political head, declared in one speech: "The only language India understands is that of force, and that is the language it must be talked to in."
The email claiming responsibility for the Mumbai attack minutes after it started last Wednesday was generated on a computer based in Pakistan.
And a satellite telephone captured from the terrorists revealed calls made to numbers in Pakistan during the attacks, reports said.
Officials said the terrorists' route to Mumbai had been recorded on GPS co-ordinates contained in the satellite phones.
Sources said the 10 terrorists -- most of whom were believed to be Pakistanis -- were ordered to undergo training to attack Mumbai.
The captured gunman, Ajmal Amir Kamal, 21, reportedly told intelligence sources the group had trained openly in Muzaffarabad before heading to the nearby Mangala dam for lessons in marine commando techniques.
The group then visited Rawalpindi, which adjoins Islamabad, the Pakistan capital and site of the Pakistan army headquarters.
From there, the group took a train to the port city of Karachi, where, heavily armed, they boarded a freighter for the trip to Mumbai. Along the way, they became nervous about Indian coastguard activity and almost aborted the mission. [...]
Conflicting evidence obtained by intelligence agencies suggests that the group may have had local support, and that one or more of its members may have been staying locally, possibly even in the Taj Mahal hotel.
A British link to the attacks was raised over the weekend when a senior Indian official claimed that Britons were among the militants.
Vilasrao Deshmukh, the chief minister of Maharashtra state, in which Mumbai lies, was quoted on an Indian television station as saying that British citizens had been detained.
British MP Patrick Mercer, a former Tory security spokesman, said he had been given information that at least two of the terrorists had credit cards and other identifying documents that linked them to Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, in northeast England.
The claims, however, were not substantiated by official British sources, who said there was no evidence "at this stage" that Britons had taken part in the attacks, although they acknowledged that events were "moving fast" and more information was emerging about the nationality of the terrorists.
MI5 and British counter-terrorist police are keeping in close touch with their counterparts in India and are alert to the possibility that Britons with Pakistani origins might have been involved. Significant numbers of young British Pakistanis have taken part in terrorist training in Pakistan.
A phenomenon known as the "Al-Qaeda Pipeline."
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said that there was no evidence of Britons being involved, and the Foreign Secretary David Miliband said: "We obviously will want to work very closely with the Indians but it is too early to say whether or not any of them are British."
Malaysian police are investigating reports that Malaysian-issued credit cards were found in the belongings of the terrorists involved in the Mumbai attacks.
Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar said Malaysia had no links with the terrorists, responding to an Indian report that nine of the gunmen claimed to be Malaysian students when they travelled to Mumbai several months ago. [...]
Posted by Marisol at December 1, 2008 3:21 AM
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One terrorist at Nariman House had talked to the media on the phone. Here is the video.
Posted by: S![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jihadwatch.org/nav-commenters.gif)
at December 1, 2008 3:42 AM
Guys, here's a letter that I'm re-posting from an older thread by one of Sammy's friends who escaped the madness in Mumbai. This is more real than anything I've read thus far, and he makes an ironic statement about CNN that I'll let you guys read for yourselves. Spread it around the Web. People need to read it.
RAW AND UNEDITED-Report From A Friend Who Escaped The Slaughter in Mumbai
I Just Received this from my friend Judgee who is in India Planning the wedding of his Son which will take place in just a few weeks:
Subject: Fwd: first person report
Here's a letter sent to me by Jonathan Ehrlich, a Jewish New Yorker, who escaped the slaughter in Bombay.
Hey guys:
Got all your notes. Thank you. I'm ok. A little shaky to be honest but really just happy to be here. I can't thank you enough for your notes. You have no idea what means to me. Hope to see and speak to you all soon.
I wrote the following on the plane.
It's 3.33 am Thursday, Nov 27th. And I am writing this from Jet Airways
flight 0227, First leg of the Mumbai Brussels - Toronto Vancouver journey .
It is a ' stream of adrenaline' piece. I apologize in advance for the grammatical errors. But I wanted it raw and unedited.
First, some context.
I have always been truly blessed. Lucky to be born to the most love a child could ever wish for. Luck to be born into a family that prided itself on
teaching me how to be a man. Lucky to have been protected and sheltered by three strong, decent brothers. Lucky to have found and married the kindest heart on the face of the earth. Lucky to be blessed beyond blessed with four healthy, beautiful children. Lucky to have wonderful friends who tolerate my idiosyncrasies.
Tonight, these blessings, these gifts of love and life bestowed upon me, this incredible good fortune, saved my life. And I honestly don't know why.
The details-
I was in Mumbai on business. I stayed at the Trident hotel. Its sister hotel, the Oberoi, is right next door and attached by a small walkway.
I had dinner by myself in the Oberoi lobby after some late meetings.
I retired upstairs to my room. About 10min later my colleague, Alex Chamberlin, texted asking me to join him and his friend in the Oberoi lounge for a drink. I started to make my way out the door but decided that I was really too tired. I had a 7am flight, and needed to be up at 5. Rest beckoned. I closed the light, got into bed and quickly fell asleep. Lucky life-saving decision number 1.
About 1hr later there was a knock at my door. A few seconds later, the doorbell rang (they have doorbells for hotel rooms here who'da thunk?). I thought who the hell is knocking at my door? Turn down service? This late? Forget it. So I just lay there and hoped they would go away. Lucky life-saving decision number 2.
Five minutes later I heard and felt a huge bang. I got up and went to look out the window. A huge cloud of grey smoke billowed up from the road below. I thought. Fireworks? I didn't see anyone milling about so knew something wasn't right. I started to walk to the light switch when - BANG another huge explosion shook the entire hotel.
Oh fuck, I thought. Is that what I think this is? I opened the door to the
hallway. A few people were already outside. I heard the word "bomb".
Oh shit. Oh shit I thought.
I'd like to tell you that I calmly collected my myself and my things and
proceeded to the exits. I didn't. An adrenaline explosion erupted inside me and almost lifted me off the floor. And I began to move. Really move.
I went back inside, quickly packed my stuff and went back into the hall.
I ran to the emergency exit and started making my way down the stairs (I was on the 18th floor).
There were a few people in the stairwell. I was flying by them. I swear I
could have run a marathon in 2hrs. I felt like pure energy. About halfway down, I called my friend Mark, told him what had happened and asked him to get me a flight any flight the hell out of Mumbai.
I got to the lobby level. There was a crowd of people in the corridor. No one moving. No one doing anything. No hotel staff. No security people. Shit. I thought. We are sitting ducks.
I decided to get out of there. First, into the lobby.
I stepped through the door into the silent lobby. My first sight was a blood
soaked plastic bag and bloody footsteps leading into the reception area. I
proceeded forward. The windows were shattered and glass was everywhere.
There wasn't a soul around.
Bad decision, I thought. I quickly retreated to the corridor. The crowd of
people had grown.
We've got to get out of here I yelled. Let's go.
I looked around for the emergency exit and started running towards it.
I made my way through the bowels of the hotel and out into a dark alley. It was empty and silent. I looked to my left and about 100m away saw a few
security guards milling about.
Run they screamed. I began to move toward them.
I reached the main street and was immediately swept up into the Indian
throngs (for those who have been to Mumbai, you must know what I mean). People, people everywhere. But they were all eerily quiet. No one was talking. No car horns. Nothing.
I started yelling "airport airport".
Someone (a hotel cook, I believe) grabbed me and my bag and threw me into a rusty mini-cab.
As I sped away, I didn't see a single police car nor hear a single siren. Just the sound of this shit-box car speeding down the deserted road. Traffic was stop and go. I made it to the airport in about 1hr, cleared customs and buried myself in a corner of a packed departure lounge, called my wife, called my parents and brothers and started emailing those friends who knew I was in Mumbai.
Sadly, Alex my American colleague who texted me for a drink and
his friend were not so lucky. The terrorists stormed into the lobby bar and killed several people. They took Alex and his friend hostage and started to march them up to the roof of the hotel.
About half way up, Alex managed to escape (he ducked through an open door and hid) but his friend was caught. And as I write this, that poor man is still on the roof of the Oberoi.
Alex is safe but as expected, extremely worried about his friend.
I'm telling you right now. If I decided to meet Alex for that drink tonight I'd either be dead, a hostage on the roof of a building 30 hours away from everyone I love, or - if I had the balls of Alex a stupid-but-lucky to-be-alive jerk.
And remember that knock/ring at my door? Well, I subsequently learned that the first thing the terrorists did was get the names and room numbers of western guests. They then went to the rooms to find them. Ehrlich, with an E, room 1820. I'll bet my entire life savings that they were that knock at my door.
Thank god for jet lag. Thank god for "cranky tired Johnny" (as many of my friends and family know so well) that compelled to get into and stay in bed.
Thank god for being on the 18th floor. Thank god for the kind, wonderfully kind people of Mumbai who helped me tonight. The wonderfully kind hotel staff. That cook. My cab driver who constantly said "relaxation" "relaxation" deep breath sahib", "I help" and who kept me in the cab when we hit a particularly gnarly traffic jam and I just wanted to get out and walk. And for
other people in traffic who, upon hearing from my own cab driver that I was one from the Oberoi, literally risked life and limb to stop traffic to let us get by (as again, only those who have been to Mumbai can truly appreciate).
Mumbai is a tragically beautiful place. But oh, so incredibly sad. That cloud of despair and dread and heavy depression.
I am convinced that its inhabitants are definitely children of some troubled but immensely soulfully distraught god. I'm sitting on the plane now (upgraded to first class
.see, told you I'm lucky ☺). Just had the best tasting bowl of corn flakes I've ever had in my life. Hennessey coursing through my veins. Concentration starting to loosen and
sleep beginning to creep onto my horizon.
I still feel a bit numb. But mostly I feel like I've just watched a really,
really bad movie starring me. Because right now, it all doesn't feel real.
Maybe a few hours of CNN will knock me into reality. But the truth is numb
is fine with me for a while. If I do end up thinking about the What If's, I
don't really want to do that until I'm much much closer to home. And I have 30 more hours of travel time to go.
But before I sign off, let me say this.
The people who did this have no souls. They have no hearts. They are simply the living manifestation of evil and they only know killing and murder. We all of us - need to understand that. Their target tonight was first and foremost Americans. And Jews. The Chabad Jewish Center was carefully targeted.
Why? Because they fear everything that America stands for. They fear hope and change and freedom and peace. Let's make no mistake; they would have shot me and my children point blank tonight with out a moment's hesitation. Most of us sorta know that but sometimes we equivocate. We can't equivocate. Not ever [emphasis Sammy's, I think; it was in red on Yw/L].
I know that I want to go back. Lay some flowers. Wrap my arms around these people. Say thank you. Spend some money on overpriced hotel gifts and tip well. And generally give the bastards who did this the big fuck you and show that I am not I repeat not afraid of them.
But first I need to go squeeze my wife. Dry her tears. Then have her dry
mine as I hold my beautiful beautiful babies who will be (thankfully) oblivious to all of this. Because isn't that what life is really about?
I appreciate you taking the time to listen.
With much, much love.
Jonathan
at December 1, 2008 9:09 AM
Significant numbers of young British Pakistanis have taken part in terrorist training in Pakistan.
Do they know this before or after the "young British Pakistanis" come home? If it's before, then why are they even ALLOWED to come home?
Posted by: PMK at December 1, 2008 10:07 AM
The captured gunman, Ajmal Amir Kamal, 21, reportedly told intelligence sources the group had trained openly in Muzaffarabad
"Muzaffarabad"....wasn't this the place that was practically leveled during the Oct 2005 earthquake? And yet, hardly more than 3 years later, there's an operational terrorist training camp in place there? Instead of training to massacre people in another country, did it ever occur to these thugs that they should be directing their energies towards helping the desperate people immediately around them who surely haven't fully recovered from such a devastating disaster? But first things first, it seems (inshallah)....
Posted by: yadayada at December 1, 2008 12:05 PM
Pakistan International Airways (PIA) are well known at Manchester Airport, Britain's third largest. Some of their aircraft have been banned from British and EU airspace by the Aviation Authorities as unsafe.
Air Traffic Controllers have a weekly "will it, won't it" sweepstakes as, grossly overloaded due to scant regard for weight and balance loading regulations by the Pakistanis, the huge jumbos lumber almost right up to the end of the runway before struggling into the air, almost scraping the trees of the surrounding Cheshire countryside as they do.
Manchester Airport is PIA's largest base outside Pakistan. Un:dhimmi's free tip to MI5/MI6/Special Branch:
Monitor the manifests of these flights. Trace the addresses behind the bookings - especially those of 18-40-year old males flying alone or in groups. Mount surveillance.
You're welcome.
Posted by: Un:dhimmi at December 2, 2008 2:49 AM
Jdamn what a horrifying but uplifting experience! I will think "God bless you and your dear family" each time I read your future posts. Articulate, heart rending - thank you for caring enough about the world to share your story. It should be front page in NYT, correction, front page in every newspaper in America.
Posted by: angryamerican at December 2, 2008 10:00 AM
That wasn't me, dude. It was one of Sammy for Yid With Lid's friends I just thought I would post it here. You're absolutely right that it should have been front-page news, but you know the New York Times. They just wish he hadn't escaped, since he's Jewish.
Posted by: jdamn at December 2, 2008 11:22 AM
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