Mumbai Attacks

[Neo]

Pakistan may outsmart India in Mumbai diplomatic poker​

NEW DELHI: India may be frustrated and even outwitted by Pakistan over the Mumbai attacks, after placing its faith in the support of the United States.

New Delhi has responded to the attacks on its soil with a diplomatic offensive, trusting Washington and ultimately US president-elect Barack Obama to pressure Pakistan, but with Obama and the West depending on Pakistani support for a planned troop surge in Afghanistan, there are limits to how far they can go.

“Pakistan has been able to obfuscate the issue,” said Indian security analyst Uday Bhaskar. “India will have to lessen its own expectation of what the international community can deliver.”

India has asked Pakistan to hand over the suspected organisers of the attack to the ‘Indian justice system’, saying it is a demand South Asian regional agreements back – that terrorist acts should be prosecuted in the nation where they occur – but not one many analysts or diplomats expect to be met.

“Handing over Pakistani nationals to Indian custody, I don’t think the Pakistani government can survive that humiliating demand,” said Rasul Bakhsh Rais, a professor at the Lahore University of Management Sciences.

“I don’t think that the United States is going to succeed to put pressure on Pakistan, because what India wants Pakistan to do is politically, and otherwise, not possible at all – and India knows that very well.”

Siddharth Varadarajan, strategic affairs editor of the Hindu newspaper, says Obama will not want to grapple with the issue of the alleged links between the Pakistani army and any militants so soon after taking office.

“The Pentagon is still in denial,” he added. “It still looks at the Pakistani military as part of the solution, not as part of the problem.”

The Indian government realises a military strike on Pakistan would be counterproductive, and only serve to strengthen the hawks and extremists. That leaves it with few alternatives, apart from formally suspending the peace process.

All bets are off, though, if there is another attack on Indian soil. “The Indian government would be forced to react in a symbolic way. It would not lead to strategic gains, but I don’t think the restraint we are now talking about could be maintained,” Varadarajan said. reuters

 

[Neo]

Pakistan demands access to Mumbai crime scene​

ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Sherry Rehman on Tuesday demanded of India to allow Pakistani investigators to access the crime scene in Mumbai. Talking to reporters in Islamabad, she asked India to stop the ‘blame game’ and cooperate with Pakistan against terrorism. India had admitted that Pakistan government is not involved in the Mumbai attacks, she said, and Islamabad had played a key role in the war on terror since well before the attacks. Sherry said the Pakistani government has begun its own probe into the attacks and any information given by India would be included in the investigation.

 

[Neo]

‘Pakistan to professionally analyse information’​

* President and prime minister agree to cooperate with India in probing Mumbai attacks​

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and President Asif Ali Zardari agreed in a meeting on Tuesday that Pakistani investigators should ‘professionally analyse’ the information about the November 26 terrorist attacks in Mumbai that New Delhi has provided to Islamabad.

Sources privy to the meeting at the President’s House told Daily Times the two leaders agreed Pakistan should extend complete cooperation to India in the investigations into the attacks.

“They agreed that if anyone is found guilty, action will be taken against them in accordance with our own laws and no one will be handed over to India,” the sources said.

A brief statement issued by the government said Gilani and Zardari “discussed the current political situation”, and that the premier “apprised [Zardari] about the measures taken by the government to resolve the energy crisis and to provide relief to the general public”.

Citing unidentified sources, the Online news agency said the two leaders regretted allegations by the Indian prime minister that Pakistani officials were involved in the attacks, and said Islamabad was against all forms of terrorism and would not allow its soil to be used for terrorist attacks against any other country.”

 

[linkinpark]

i have read the first one and i would say there is considerable amount of evidence in there which need to be looked into by pakistani investigators. im not talkin about milk cartons. but that yamaha engine thing, gun which was made in peshawar, and few others which i dont remember. invetigation is currently underway and i hope culprit will be brought to justice. pakistani and indian investigators need to work together inorder to put an end to all this.

You are the first Pakistani poster who has actually put some thought to the evidence provided with out denying it blindly.

For those who has not gone through the evidence, let me make your job easier by giving a gist of it in the order of clinching to circumstantial evidence.

1) GPS records of the sea route took by the terrorists where the co-ordinates show that they have travelled from Karachi to Mumbai.

2) Peshawar made guns obtained on all the terrorists killed and captured. One can go into the records of the gun sales to see who bought them.

3) The Yamaha motor engine found on the rubber dinghy used by terrorist to travel from the boat to the mumbai coast. the engine number indicates that it was imported by Pakistan from Japan. One can again go and look into the sales of this engine.

4) The excerpts of the phone calls between the terrorists and their masters in pakistan. The VOIP account used by these guys opened in Callphonex, an american VOIP company was done using a Western Union transaction account and the amount paid by a guy using Pakistani passport as the identification. The passport number has been provided. One can go and look into the details of this person based on the Passport information.

5) The e-mail sent in the name of 'Deccan Mujahideen' from an e-mail account which was opened using an IP address based in lahore, Pakistan. The IP address has been provided. One can again check into this who was using this IP address. There is also proof that another e-mail account opened by Zarrar Shah also used the same IP address.

6) Grenades (unexploded) recovered from the terrorists were made by a Pakistani franchise of Austrian based company. Again one can go into the details of the sales of these grenades.

7) And all the items recovered from the boat were all Pakistani-made.

And last but not least, the captured terrorist 'Kasab' confessed that he is a Pakistani (and we know it was confirmed by Guardian, DAWN and Geo TV media outlets, heck even Nawaj Sharif said that he is from Faridkot)


It is always difficult to gather this kind of evidence in any terror related incidents and one should keep this in mind. There is hard evidence as well as circumstantial evidence which I think is quite credible and Pakistani investigative agencies should pursue it to logical conclusion based on the evidence provided.

 

[Rajkumar]

Surviving gunman’s identity established as Pakistani
By Mubashir Zaidi

Wednesday, 07 Jan, 2009 | 05:28 PM PST |


ISLAMABAD: Pakistani authorities during the course of their own investigations into the Mumbai carnage have established the identity of the only surviving terrorist Ajmal Kasaab as a Pakistani national.

A high-ranking government official while confirming the report told Dawnnews that because of the nature of his crime the government has still not taken any decision on whether to provide him with consular access.

The top official said the investigations had started soon after the initial reports had suggested that Ajmal Kasaab may possibly be a Pakistani national. However, the authorities wanted to be doubly sure of his identity as there existed no record of Kasaab and his family in the National Data Base which is maintained by the NADRA. Details of the preliminary investigations submitted to the government have still not been made public.

The official said Kasaab is the son of Amir Kasaab and Mrs Noor Illahi. But the identity of other militants killed in the Mumbai carnage is yet to be established. However, senior security officials told Dawnnews preliminary investigations have established these militants were operating on their own and had absolutely no link with any section of the country’s security apparatus. A formal announcement in this regard is expected in the next few days.

DAWN.COM | Pakistan | Surviving-gunmans-identity-established-as-Pakistani-ss

lets see what Pakistan does after kasab proven to be a Pakistani. how sincerely she is going to take action against extremists.

 

[ajpirzada]

lets see what Pakistan does after kasab proven to be a Pakistani. how sincerely she is going to take action against extremists.

man atleast u should show some trust now. if pakistan wouldnt have been willing to cooperate y would we accept kasab as pakistani. we had more pressure on us few weeks back but we didnt accept his as pakistani. now there is not much pressure but after doin our own investigation we did accept him being from pak

 

[Jihad]

India should FULLY co-operate if she wants her demands to be met.
It's as simple as that, how can Pakistan investigate this matter if she doesn't have any solid ground to stand on.

 

[ajpirzada]

Pakistan dubs dossier mere ‘propaganda’

NEW DELHI: Despite it being backed by none other than the US, a recalcitrant Pakistan has rubbished India’s ‘‘so-called’’ evidence linking Mumbai
attacks with Pakistan nationals saying it was no more than allegations and propaganda offensive. ( Watch )

In a statement which is likely to further stoke anger in India, if not lead to another flare up, Pakistan foreign secretary Salman Bashir told the foreign relations committee of Pakistan National Assembly on Tuesday that evidence provided by India was not credible enough.

Bashir also said that PM Manmohan Singh’s statement blaming official agencies in Pakistan for the Mumbai attacks would escalate tension and eventually push the two countries towards war. He added in his address to the committee that any military action by India would prove to be its ‘‘biggest mistake’’.

Bashir’s statement authenticated reports in Pakistan media which suggested that Islamabad has already picked enough holes in the Indian dossier linking Mumbai attacks to Pakistan nationals to suggest that the evidence was doctored by New Delhi.

Pakistan’s minister of state for foreign affairs Malik Emaad Khan too asked India to provide evidence which would stand the scrutiny of law. That Pakistan was not going to cower in the face of the diplomatic offensive by India was evident when Khan said that Pakistan would come up with a ‘‘befitting’’ reply for any Indian military adventurism and described the situation as ‘‘very tense’’.

There was no response from the Indian side to this development till late in the evening. Minister of state for foreign affairs Anand Sharma said that, as a first step, Pakistan should acknowledge that Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone terrorist survivor, is a Pakistani. However, going by the reports in Pakistan media, Kasab’s confession has found few takers, if at all, in Pakistan.

Pakistan dubs dossier mere ?propaganda?-India-The Times of India

 

[ajpirzada]

now this is the kind of indian press which frustrates us pakistanis and develops hatred amongst indians.

pakistan never said that the evidece (dossier) provided was just a mere propoganda but wat pak is talkin about is the statement given by indian leaders. such kind of reporting is simply pethatic

there have been 154 comments under this story on TOI website. and guess wat they promote? only hatred

 

[roadrunner]

lol. A Peshwar made gun!

Record sales of that gun!

Alright I'll humour you guys for a bit.

Indeed, when I go Peshwar, Darra, I always collect a receipt for my new Kalakov copy. In fact, I have it stamped and dated by those ruthlessly efficient Darra gunmen, and my transaction goes into their big and well kepy book of gun sales

And no, Pakistan has not admitted that Kasab is a Pakistani. A news channel has claimed he is, a person who could be anyone may have claimed it also. This is not evidence until it has been proven.

And Yamaha motors can easily be bought from Pakistan, without question. I don't know how they traced it to Pakistan, but either way, it's not difficult to buy one.

The Indians on here consider it to be proof, which is why your judicial system is so poor (alright, Pakistan's isn't much better either). However, this is not proof by any western standard.

 

[ajpirzada]

im sure our investigators will look into all this before comin up with a final report. so we dont really need to worry.
regarding kasab: shery rehman, our information minister, has said that he is a pakistani. she would not say such a thing if investigation says otherwise

 

[roadrunner]

im sure our investigators will look into all this before comin up with a final report. so we dont really need to worry.
regarding kasab: shery rehman, our information minister, has said that he is a pakistani. she would not say such a thing if investigation says otherwise

"Sherry Rehman, the Interior Minister of Pakistan, told a news agency in an SMS that Kasab is a Pakistani. Rehman also said Pakistan's investigation into the Mumbai attacks was continuing."

Why would she SMS a news channel to state something like this?

 

[Jihad]

"Sherry Rehman, the Interior Minister of Pakistan, told a news agency in an SMS that Kasab is a Pakistani. Rehman also said Pakistan's investigation into the Mumbai attacks was continuing."

Why would she SMS a news channel to state something like this?

Beats me.
Is that how things go these days?
SMS, sounds highly unlikely.

 

[jeypore]

"Sherry Rehman, the Interior Minister of Pakistan, told a news agency in an SMS that Kasab is a Pakistani. Rehman also said Pakistan's investigation into the Mumbai attacks was continuing."

Why would she SMS a news channel to state something like this?

So roadrunner how would you interpret this:

The office of Pakistani Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani confirmed Wednesday that National Security Adviser Mahmud Ali Durrani had been fired, but gave no reason for his dismissal.

Earlier in the day, Durrani said the sole surviving suspect in the Mumbai attacks -- in which more than 160 people were killed -- had ties to Pakistan.

"I think it probably would be true now that for example [Mohammed Ajmal Kasab] had Pakistani connections," said Durrani. "So one cannot deny there was zero link with Pakistan. How much, who all was involved, that we have to investigate."

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/01/07/pakistan.india.mumbai/index.html

 

[linkinpark]

Credible evidence against LeT: Mulford

8 Jan 2009, 0536 hrs IST, ET Bureau

NEW DELHI: Emphasising that India and US are on the same page on terror, ambassador David Mulford has said that the Mumbai attack dossier
contains “credible evidence” on the role of Lashkar-e-Toiba in the terror act.

`I think the dossier is credible and a lot of work is with the assistance of the FBI,’’ Mr Mulford said during an interaction with journalists of The Times of India group. The dossier, which has been shared with the international community, details the trail of evidence that traces origin of the attack back to Pakistan and the Lashkar-e-Toiba .

The dossier includes transcripts of calls between the Mumbai attack terrorists and their handlers in Pakistan, a list of made in Pakistan items’ , photographs of the weapons used in the attacks and the GPS equipment carried by the terrorists.

The FBI team, which has been working closely with the Indian investigators, will now travel to Pakistan to follow these and other leads that have emerged in the case. `They are finishing some things here. We do wish to interview certain people... That has to be worked out with the Pakistani government ,’’ Mr Mulford said. Washington has already conveyed to New Delhi that the FBI team will be seeking access to Lashkar-e-Toiba operations commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, the suspected mastermind behind the attacks, LeT commander Zarar Shah.

Even as the FBI team gets ready to travel to Pakistan, US assistant secretary of state Richard Boucher arrives in India on Thursday after completing a tour of Pakistan. Mr Boucher is expected to speak to the Indian leadership and give them feedback on his conversation with the Pakistani leadership. Mr Boucher’s visit is important as he was in Islamabad holding talks on the day that India handed over the terror dossier to Pakistan . New Delhi, which has been watching the initial reactions with dismay, is interested in what the Pakistani leadership is saying off the record.

Mr Boucher’s visit to India is the latest in a string of visits from the US including the visit of secretary of state Condoleezza Rice followed by visits of senior politicians like John Kerry and John McCain.

One noticeable aspect post-26 /11 is the scale of cooperation between India and the US. Mr Mulford, discussing the change in bilateral relationship since the civilian nuclear deal, said that there was closer cooperation between India and the US particularly on the issue of terrorism. `` At present time we are on the same ground... It is very clear that the US is very much on the same wavelength on the issue of terrorism,’’ he said, and added, `` The US has been putting pressure on Pakistan in a number of ways.’’

But he also revealed that there was frustration in Washington on Pakistan’s responses after the Mumbai attacks. `` In Washington there is a measure of frustration and concern about responses but there is also measure of satisfaction with some of the things we have heard,’’ Mr Mulford said.

Pakistan has offered to help in the Mumbai attack investigations but has refused to take any `` credible’’ action or acknowledge that the terror links originate in Pakistan.

Even as the investigations reveal the Pakistani links, the US is also coming round to the conclusion that the situation in Pakistan is more complex then it was under General Pervez Musharraf. `` The major view in Washington is that
Pakistan is more complex and difficult then when it was under president Pervez Musharraf,’’ said Mr Mulford.

India’s assessment has been that there was a single chain of command during the Musharraf period but since then four power centres have emerged out of which the civilian government is being seen as the weakest link. In the events that have unfurled after the Mumbai terror attacks, the fragility of democratically-elected government has emerged time and again.

Mr Mulford without going into any details simply said that the ISI needed to be brought under the civilian government’s control. `` It would be very desirable if the intelligence agency is under the firmer civilian control,’’ he said.

Mr Mulford emphasised that India and Pakistan needed to work together against terrorism. `` What was disturbing was that the attack was carried out from territory of Pakistan.’’ `` What’s most important to us is that India and Pakistan should seek to work together because it is a terrorist probe. Terrorism doesn’t know any boundaries. ‘’ But cooperation is becoming increasingly difficult as Islamabad has refused to accept any of the evidence given by India.