Sunday, November 22, 2009

Mumbai Attacks Overview

November 26, 2008: Gunmen lay siege on the city identified as the financial and movie-making epicenter of India. Numerous locations are targetted by terrorists claiming to speak on behalf of the world's Muslims and, of course, Allah.

If you are anything like me, you read the news or watched the drama unfold on TV. The Virginia Quarterly Review has a gripping report by Jason Motlagh, a journalist who covers conflicts in South Asia. Motlagh is a regular cotributor to Time, The Economist, Frontline/world, The Washington Times, among others.

Here's an excerpt of this wonderfully written piece of research:

Indian television crews were carrying everything live, and Imran’s handlers in Pakistan were watching, reporting what they could see.

Handler: Fifteen men have climbed down on your rooftop right now.

Imran: They are standing in front of the windows as well.

Handler: What are you saying? Can you see anything there?

Imran: They are firing in the front.

For several heated minutes, the gunman and the handler debated a strategy to protect their position. Another man abruptly took the phone.

Handler 2: You do this. Go towards the roof, throw a grenade at them; and fire at them before they can fire at you. Do this now, in the name of Allah.

Imran: Okay, we will go, remembering the name of Allah.

Handler 2: Bismillah-e-Rehman-e-Rahim.


"
Among those killed were twelve police officers, two NSG commandos, and four more security personnel, women and children, and forty-six Muslims."

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