THE MUMBAI MASSACRE   

If you click on the underlined words in this article, you will get more information.

What has prompted me to write this article was having watched a movie at a theatre on March 29^th, 1019 titled, Hotel Mumbai.                               

The City of Mumbai is also referred to its earlier name of Bombay. That city has a population of 12.4 million. The larger Mumbai Metropolitan Region is the second most populous metropolitan area in India.  Mumbai lies on the Konkan coast on the west coast of India and has a deep natural harbour. It is also the wealthiest city in all of India, and it has the highest number of millionaires and billionaires among all the cities in India. The religious groups represented in Mumbai as of 2011 include Hindus (65.99%), Muslims (20.65%), Buddhists (4.85%), Jains(4.10%), Christians(3.27%) and Sikhs(0.49%).

From 1990 to 2010, there has been an increase in violence in the hitherto largely peaceful city. Following the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, the city was rocked by the Hindu-Muslim riots of 1992–93 in which more than 1,000 people were killed. On 12 March 1993, a series of 13 co-ordinated bombings at several city landmarks by Islamic extremists and the Bombay underworld resulted in 257 deaths and over 700 injuries. In 2006, 209 people were killed and over 700 injured when seven bombs exploded on the city's commuter trains. In 2008, a series of ten coordinated attacks by armed terrorists for three days resulted in 173 deaths, 308 injuries, and severe damage to several heritage landmarks and prestigious hotels. The blasts that occurred at the Opera House, Zaveri Bazaar, and Dadar.  On the 13^th of July, 2011. these attacks  were the latest in the series of terrorist attacks in Mumba.

Now I am going to give you the information about the terrorist attack that took place in Mumbai in 2008 and the terrorists who committed ther attacks.  

A group of men, sometimes stated as 24 and at other times 26,^[46]received training in marine warfare at a remote camp in mountainous Muzaffarabad in Pakistan. Part of the training was reported to have taken place on the Mangla Dam reservoir in Pakistan.

The recruits went through the following stages of training, according to Indian and US media reports.

Psychological: Indoctrination to Islamist Jihadi ideas, including imagery of alleged atrocities suffered by Muslims in India, Chechnya, Palestine and across the globe.

Basic Combat: Lashkar's basic combat training and methodology course, the Daura Aam.

Advanced Training: Selected to undergo advanced combat training at a camp near Mansehra, a course the organisation calls the Daura Khaas. According to an unnamed source at the US Defense Department this includes advanced weapons and explosives training supervised by retired personnel of the Pakistan Army, along with survival training, Commando Training  and further indoctrination.

Finally, an even smaller group was selected for specialised commando tactics training and marine navigation training given to the Fedayeen unit selected in order to target Mumbai.  From the students, ten of the recruits  were handpicked for the Mumbai mission They also received training in swimming and sailing, besides the use of high-end weapons and explosives under the supervision of LeT commanders. According to a media report citing an unnamed former Defence Department Official of the US, the intelligence agencies of the US had determined that former officers from Pakistan's Army and  Inter-Services Intelligence agency assisted actively and continuously in training the men. They were given blueprints of all the four targets – The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Oberoi Trident, Naima House House and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus.

 The group of terrorist attacks took place on the 26^th of November 2008, when ten members of Lashkar-e-Taiba, an Islamic terrorist organization based in Pakistan, carried out a series of twelve coordinated shooting and bombing attacks lasting four days across the city of  Mumbai.

That terrorist organization is a Islamist militant group, that began in Pakistan in the late 1980s as a militant wing of Markaz-ud-Dawa-wal-Irshad, an Islamist organization influenced by the Wahhābī sect of  Sunni Islam. The Lashkar-e-Taiba was extremely pro-Pakistan regarding control of that part of the region of that continent.  The group opposed any concessions to India. Further, its leaders expressed the desire to establish Islamic rule throughout India.  India is primarily under Hindu rule.

Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives were believed to have continued their attacks throughout the first decade of the 21^st Century. Those incidents were primarily aimed at Indian security forces. In 2006, however, the group was implicated in a considerably more deadly attack against civilians in Mumbai. On July 11^th of that year, multiple bombs tore through Mumbai’s commuter train system during the evening rush hour, killing more than 180 people and injuring some 800 more. The bombs were all placed in first-class train compartments in an apparent effort to target India’s professional class. Following the attack, which India linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, Pakistan once again detained Saeed and once again released him, claiming that India’s investigation was biased.

Ten members of that terrorist organization were handpicked for the 2008 Mumbai mission.  They had received training in swimming and sailing, along with the use of high-end weapons and explosives. They needed the training in swimming and sailing since they sailed south from a coastal city of Pakistan to the harbour of Mumbai.

The first events took place around 20:00 Indian Standard Time on the 26th of November, when ten young men in inflatable speedboats came ashore at two locations in Colaba. They reportedly told local Marathi-speaking fishermen who asked them who they were to "mind their own business" before they split up and headed two different directions. The fishermen's subsequent report to police department received little attention.

The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj railway Terminus (was attacked by two gunmen, Ismail Khan and Ajmal Kasab who was later caught alive by the police after being identified by eyewitnesses.

Meanwhile, the attacks in the terminal began around 9:30 pm when the two of the terrorists entered the passenger hall and opened fire 0n the people in the terminal while using their AK-47 rifles. The attackers killed 58 people and injured 104 others when their assault ended at about 10:45 at night when the Security forces and emergency services arrived shortly there afterwards.

The two gunmen fled the scene and fired at pedestrians and police officers in the streets, killing eight police officers. The attackers passed a police station. Knowing that they were outgunned against the heavily armed terrorists, the cowardly police officers at the station, instead of confronting the terrorists, decided to switch off the lights and secure the gates.

Some of the  attackers then headed towards the Cama Hospital with an intention to kill patients however, the hospital staff locked all of the patient wards.

A team of the Mumbai Anti-Terrorist Squad led by police chief Hemant Karkare searched the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and then left in pursuit of Kasab and Khan. Kasab and Khan who opened fire on the vehicle in a lane next to the hospital and received return fire in response. Karkare, Vijay Salaskar, Ashok Kamte and one of their officers were killed. The only survivor, Constable Arun Jadhav, was severely wounded. Terrorists Kasab and Khan seized the police vehicle but later abandoned it and seized a passenger car instead. They then ran into a police roadblock, which had been set up after Jadhav radioed for help. A gun battle then ensued in which Khan was killed. After a physical struggle, A police officer, Tukaram Omble was also killed when he ran in front of Kasab to shoot him. Kasab was wounded and arrested.That left eight of the original ten terrorists to conduct their own terrorists acts. 

The Leopold Cafe, a popular restaurant and bar on Colaba Causeway in South Mumbai, was one of the first sites to be attacked.  Two attackers, Shoaib and Nazir alias Abu Umer opened fire on the customers and staff in the cafe between 9.30 pm and 9.48 pm, killing ten people (including some foreigners) and injuring many more.

There were two explosions in taxis caused by time bombs that were thrown into the taxis by terrorists.  The first one occurred at 20:40 pm at Vile Parle, killing the driver and a passenger. The second explosion took place at Wadi Bunder between 10:20 pm and 10:25 pm. Three people, including the driver of that taxi were killed, and about 15 others outside of the taxi were injured.

The two hotels, The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel and the Oberoi Trident, were among the four locations targeted. Six explosions were reported at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel – one in the lobby, two in the elevators, three in the restaurant – and one at the Oberoi Trident.

At the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, firefighters rescued 200 hostages from windows using ladders before midnight. What I saw at the movie was what really took place in that particular hotel.

The image of the front dome of Taj Mahal Palace hotel encapsulated with a large plume of smoke is one that is etched into the memory of every Mumbaikar. It was not just about the fear of the hundreds trapped inside or the multiple bombings and shootings or the fact that the iconic five-star hotel lay under siege for the longest period of time that made the Taj the face of the 26/11 attacks

The attack on the Taj symbolized something way more powerful. It was a brazen combat against the most affluent and celebrated hotel in the financial capital. It was a brutal strike upon an establishment that symbolized the emergence of an entrepreneurial elite in India.

For more than 60 hours, that particular symbol of opulence in Mumbai lay at the mercy of four heavily armed terrorists.                                     

At 9:38 pm: two among the four terrorists, Abdul Rehman Bada and Abu Ali reached the main entrance of the Tower section, having planted a crude RDX bomb in front of the police post nearby. Armed with AK 47s, ammunition and grenades, they made their way to the lobby area, firing on anyone and everyone who caught their sight.

At 9:38 pm: two among the four terrorists, Abdul Rehman Bada and Abu Ali reached the main entrance of the Tower section, having planted a crude RDX bomb in front of the police post nearby. Armed with AK 47s, ammunition and grenades, they made their way to the lobby area, firing on anyone and everyone, staff and guests alike who were seen by them.

At 9:43 pm: The other two terrorists, Shoib and User, entered through the La-Pat door of the Palace and started shooting down guests in the poolside area. The fact that the terrorists were aware of that the La-Pat door, which is generally closed to public, was open on that particular day for a few corporate meetings and a wedding, was evidence of the intricacy in planning that went behind the attacks.

At the poolside, four foreigners were the first to have been shot down dead by the terrorists along with security guard Ravindra Kumar and his Labrador Retriever.

At  12:00 am: By midnight Mumbai Police surrounded the Taj. Many of the guests inside the hotel were huddled up by the staff into small rooms by this time.

At 1:00 am: on the 27^th, the central dome of the hotel there was a massive fire in the building by a planted bomb by one of the terrorists.

At 4:00 am: The first round of evacuation took place. Two groups were formed by marine commandos. The first group got out safely. The second group was spotted by the terrorists while they tried to escape.

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At 9:43 pm: The other two terrorists, Shoib and User, entered through the La-Pat door of the hotel and started shooting down guests in the poolside area. The fact that the terrorists were aware of that the La-Pat door, which is generally closed to public, it was open on that particular day for a few corporate meetings and a wedding, was evidence of the intricacy in planning that went behind the attacks.

At  12:00 am: By midnight Mumbai Police surrounded the Taj. Many of the guests inside the hotel were huddled up by the staff into small rooms by this time.

At 3:00 am: The army and firemen arrived at the location.

At 4:00 am: The first round of evacuation took place. Two groups were formed by marine commandos. The first group got out safely. The second group was spotted by the terrorists while they were making an exit. Gautam Singh, a tandoor chef at the Taj, was one of them. He was shot dead.

At 6:30 am on the 28^th: A team of 200 commandos reached Mumbai from New Delhi and took charge of the rescue operations in the Taj and the Oberoi. The government gave orders to storm the buildings and in the succeeding hours, evacuations took place in batches.

At 10:30 am: Fresh round of gun battle reported from within the building.

At 4: 30 pm: The terrorists set fire to a room on the fourth floor of the building. Smoke poured  from the room and outside the hotel.

At 4:53-15:59 pm: Ten grenade explosions were heard within the premises.

At 7: 30 pm: Another round of explosions and firing took place.

At 8:00 am: 29^th, The Indian commandos announced that the Taj had been cleared of all the terrorists. The terrorist’s bodies and the bodies of their victims were still in h hotel when that announcement was made.

While the NSG and medical teams sanitized the building after complete evacuation, the fire department was still dousing the last fires in the building. At St, George hospital and the JJ hospital body bags kept coming in. The wards were full to their capacity as patients were lying in sheets soaked in blood and tears.

The Taj and the Oberoi-Trident hotel are interconnected and consisted of 800 rooms between them. An approximate larger number of hostages were under siege in the connected hotel, Oberoi-Trident than at the Taj. Further, bureaucratic failures had led to the security forces being able to enter that building only in the evening.

The Oberoi-Trident plays host to a large number of foreign tourists visiting India and that was the case on the night of 26/11.

Foreign nationals were reported to be the prime point of target for the terrorists. By the time the siege ended in the Oberoi-Trident, 143 hostages were rescued alive and 24 bodies were recovered.

The Oberoi-Trident is the other icon of luxury and opulence in Mumbai that came under the deadly shootings in the 26/11 attacks. Being much larger than the Taj Mahal hotel in terms of spatial capacity, the rescue operation at the Oberoi-Trident was extremely slow. An approximate larger number of hostages were under siege there than at the Taj. Further, bureaucratic failures had led to the security forces being able to enter the building only in the evening.

At 10:10 pm 26^th, Gunfire began at the entrance of Trident with the gatekeeper being the first to fall prey to the terrorists. Two gunmen walked into the reception area and opened fire. Hotel staff including bellboys and hotel management trainees lay injured as the two gunmen made their way to the Opium Den bar, the Tiffin and later the Kandahar restaurants,

During the attacks, both hotels were surrounded by Rapid Action Force personnel and Marine Commandos (MARCOS) and the National Security Guards (NSG) commandos. When reports emerged that attackers were receiving television broadcasts, feeds to the hotels, were blocked. Security forces stormed both hotels

The nine attackers were killed by the morning of 29^th of November. Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan of the NSG was killed during the rescue of Commando Sunil Yadav, who was hit in the leg by a bullet during the rescue operations at Taj. Thirty-two hostages were killed at the Oberoi Trident and the Leopold Cafe .

A British survivor of the Mumbai massacre described how he escaped almost certain death when two heavily armed terrorists stormed a crowded Leopold Café,  firing randomly at cowering customers.  Mr. Patel, who was in the Leopold Cafe in the Colaba district, said that although the man next to him had been 'completely creamed' by the gunman, he had just felt a 'tingly feeling. Ì think it was the shock. it just seemed a tingly feeling. I knew that he'd hit me in my leg.”

At least 31 were killed at the Taj which included customers and staff. Approximately 450 people were staying in the Taj Mahal Palace and Hotel at the time of the seizure.

The attackers used a satellite phone and cell phones to talk to each other as well as their handlers that were based in Pakistan. In transcripts intercepted by Indian authorities between the attackers and their handlers, the handlers provided the attackers with encouragement, tactical advice, and information gained from media coverage. In the movie, the voice that was heard talking to the terrorists was that of one man. The attackers used both personal cell phones and those obtained from their victims to communicate with each other and the news media. Although the attackers were encouraged to murder hostages, the attackers were in communication with the news media via cell phones to make demands in return for the release of hostages. This was believed to be done in order to further confuse Indian authorities that they were dealing with primarily a hostage situation

The Government of India said that the attackers came from Pakistan, and their controllers were in Pakistan,^[  and Pakistan later confirmed that the sole surviving perpetrator of the attacks was a Pakistani citizen,  Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi. 

On the 25 November 2009, a Pakistani anti-terrorism court formally charged seven suspects, including LeT commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, with planning and helping execute the Mumbai attacks, an action that came a day before the first anniversary of the brazen assault.

On the 18^th of December 2014, two days after the Peshawar school attack where 132 school children were massacred by Pakistani Taliban terrorist, the Pakistani anti-terrorism court granted bail to Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi in Mumbai attacks case against payment of surety bonds worth Rs. 500,000. On December 19^th , Lakhvi's bail was rejected by the high court. Pakistan assured that Lakhvi was not released and was in jail. The step was called 'positive' by Indian government. On January 7, 2015, Lakhvi's bail was rejected by the Supreme Court and the case referred back to the high court, who reinstated the bail;^1] though he still remained in jail for a month in a kidnapping case. The surety bond required from Rehman Lakhvi has a value of US $2,300. Lakhvi was released from jail on bail on the 9^th of April 2015.  The man who thefinally happened, 26/11 mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi walked out of a Pakistan jail after a sham legal process in the court. This had a negative reaction between Pakistan and India and other nations.

Tahawwur Rana, a Canadian citizen was sentenced to 14 years in prison  for lending his support to the terrorist schemes of David Headley, the Pakistani-American operative who ws sentenced himself later for plotting the mass murder known as the 2008 Mumbai massacre. Mr. Rana, ran an immigration consultancy in Illinois, and he had had faced up to 30 years in prison. He provided cover stories for and travel documents to Mr. Headley, a chameleon of a man who frequently crossed borders while scheming violence on an epic scale. When he was arrested in Chicago in 2009 by the Federal Bureau of Investigation agents, both men stood accused of helping LeT scout out the targets in India before the attacks where, over three four in November, 2008 the LeT-trained gunmen shot dead nearly 200 people in India's largest city.

In 1985, I Was invited by the United Nations to participate as a ‘speaker’ on criminal justice at the Seventh United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders held in Milan, Italy’

One of my speeches dealt with terrorism. In my speech, I recommended that as soon as a terrorist is captured, he or she should be put on trial as soon as possible. If convicted of causing the death of anyone during the attack by the terrorist, he or she should be executed after the Supreme Court of that nation has reviewed the trials’ transcript as soon as possible. If the court is satisfied that the trial was fair and just, the terrorist should be executed within a day. Further, all evidence of that terrorist’s background should be destroyed including pictures of the terrorist including his or her school records so that the terrorist becomes a nonentity. His or her body should be cremated and the ashes placed in a small metal container and the container dropped into the nearest sea.

I was surprised when I was told before I gave my speech that the  Italian government wanted to televise my speech and that instead of me speaking from my desk on the main floor, I was to give it from the podium. I later learned that my speech was broadcasted all over Italy that night and that newspapers around the world had published my speech. 

IMy recommended suggestions re speedy trials and speedy executions didn’t happen. But my suggestion about making a captured terrorist a nonentity has borne fruit since some nations are not showing the faces of terrorists they have captured and refuse to quote anything they have said about their acts.