India Under Siege

Mumbai Mayhem A battle of the mind

By Rajiv Dogra

The terror in Mumbai is our national shame. There can be no doubt about it. How could a group of 10 brazen men hold an entire nation to ransom for almost four days, making Mumbai their killing fields? They stepped out of the sea and walked about the city with the sort of contempt that a marauding horde reserves for the weakling.

Many questions come to mind. Why is it that none among the hundreds of people inside the two hotels challenged them? What if BARC (Bhabha Atomic Research Centre) or the Bombay High is the target the next time?

There is also the counter thought that haunts one over and over again. Can a group of 10 young Indians do something similar in Karachi or Lahore? Quite frankly I doubt it. I don't doubt the valour of our youth, but I am certain that India would be the first to disown them. It would be quick to condemn it as a crime against humanity. Perhaps it might even sabotage their plan before it has any chance of success. Still, if such a plan were to succeed, and if by some miracle they were to return home, they would be arrested immediately and incarcerated in jail under the anti-terror law. This is how a civilised society should react.

Unfortunately, that is not how our neighbour to the West acts. For close to three decades now it has been bleeding India.

Evidence suggests that unlike our squabbling politicians, the terror masters are a determined lot. They remain focused as they prepare for the next even more horrendous strike. Their game plan clearly is to raise the bar of audacity with every strike, and to maximise terror. In the past few years, there were an average of two major terrorist strikes annually. This year there have been eight already, and the year is not yet over.

It is a historical fact that nations that get ravaged never rise to greatness. But a nation that has been brutalised repeatedly is at least expected to learn from its mistakes. Unfortunately, our response remains accidental.

After every fresh terror strike our intelligence agencies look bewildered, wondering how could it happen again? The security agencies take time to gird up and join the battle. And having joined it, some like the marine commandoes hold boastful press-conferences even as terrorists continue their mayhem.

We live in a tough neighbourhood and that physical reality is getting grimmer by the day. Pakistan is staring into the abyss. Its economy is as perilous as its security situation. The intentions of those who govern Pakistan; the ISI and its Islamic puppets are clear. They want to drag India down into the same morass.

The terror strike in Mumbai was meant to clang shut the Gateway of democratic India. It was not a stray suicide attack; the strike was meant to maim the financial system with the special aim of killing foreigners. The objective was to hit at the decision makers of the financial world.

The terrorists have succeeded beyond their wildest expectations. For the first time they have also brought India's response to international scrutiny. And the world may well begin to wonder if under sustained attack India might become an example of democracy that failed.

So far our response has been haphazard.

Inviting the ISI chief to assist in investigations can only be termed a blunder. It is like asking the main suspect in a murder case to join in the police investigations.

Similarly, while it may be procedurally correct to hand over the list of the fugitives to Pakistan demanding for the umpteenth time that they be handed over, it will be nothing short of a miracle if it were to actually hand over someone like Dawood. ISI is just too intricately linked with most of those on the list to risk placing them in Indian hands, where they and their misdeeds would be open to international inspection and intense media gaze.

All this does not give much hope for a nation that expects results now.

The public mood is surly, but the government has yet to form a clear strategy. It has yet to convince the population that it is thinking seriously along operationally executable lines.

Here, the record of NDA is no better than that of UPA. It postured impotently after the attack on parliament, wasting thousands of crores and exposing our military strategy when it lined up our troops for well over six months on the international border. Nor did NDA cover itself with glory in the Kandhar episode. And it was Clinton's goodwill that saved us during Kargil.

A basic point that we must honestly concede is that we have consistently lost the battle of minds to Pakistan. In the media of the global world, speed is of essence. Unfortunately, in our Brahminical anxiety to present the absolute and verifiable truth we lose out to the quick and straight faced lies by the other side.

From now on we would have to be much quicker off the mark. Second, we must be seen to be proactive rather than posturing angrily. Third, we must speak with one voice at every level. We must not have the sorry spectacle of a senior service chief embarrassing, and inadvertently exposing, the other branches of the government. And we must be conscious that we are essentially alone in this fight, other countries would safeguard their interest first. Moreover, we must not rush into an ill prepared venture because that could be disastrous.

Still, we are not without options. We could for instance suspend trade, or hold in abeyance the bus or the train links. There is also the option of closing the diplomatic missions, which would hurt the Pakistanis much more because of the access in the society they enjoy here. But, whatever we decide, it is important for us to take at least one concrete step.

Finally, we must recognise that we can not succeed in preventing terrorism by cluttering ourselves shut. A determined terrorist, backed by the state apparatus of Pakistan, will easily breach those walls. We can defeat this menace only when we are prepared to cut off its roots.

(Rajiv Dogra is a former ambassador and the last Indian consul general in Karachi)

Needed: Revamp of national security apparatus

By C. Uday Bhaskar

The multiple terrorist attacks that ravaged Mumbai with the death toll overshooting 180 have led to a justified outpouring of anger and anguish across the length and breadth of the country. India is outraged. Period. This is not the first terrorist attack that India has experienced - Mumbai alone recalls 1993 and 2006 with bitter memories. And tragically this may not be the last, given the ruthless determination of the extremist groups ranged against the idea of India.

Yet Mumbai and 26/11 have a contour that is viciously distinctive. In the lexicon of terrorism, it is best described as being meticulously symphonic. Multiple terrorist objectives were pursued with deadly precision and not just the city of Mumbai but the entire Indian state and, at a remove, the global community - some of whose citizens were in the city that night - were attacked with a lethality that has no precedent.

In the first few hours of the tragedy that unfolded for more than 60 hours, it was evident that Mumbai was headless. This was brought home in the continuous TV coverage of the mayhem that was let loose in different parts of the city and the response mechanism of India's financial capital and the symbol of the country's 21st century aspirations was found to be abysmally poor. India was flailing. But the ability of the Indian system to respond to a macro-crisis is well-established (recall the Chinese aggression of 1962 and the balance of payment crisis of 1991) and this time, post-26/11 some meaningful introspection and policy review is imperative. What is this way ahead?

Democratic nations repose their trust in the electoral process and the politician. In this case, there is increasing disillusionment about the manner in which the Indian political spectrum has discharged the responsibility that devolves upon it - to ensure the basic safety of the common man. It has been repeatedly violated and Mumbai is only the most recent example. It is often bemoaned in India that post-1984, after the tragic assassination of Indira Gandhi, apropos counter-terror - a greater part of state resources and effort has been devoted to VIP security. Consequently many eminently useful internal security initiatives have remained still-born and rendered dormant due to politico-bureaucratic perfidy.

Hence the first step is to allocate political accountability for the spate of terrorist attacks that have taken place in the last decade and here both the Congress-led UPA government and its predecessor, the BJP-led NDA, are culpable. For the first time a political head has rolled and India has a new home minister, but this should not remain symbolic. An objective, non-partisan review and revamp of the entire higher politico-bureaucratic-police-intelligence lattice that comprises the nation's internal security apparatus is imperative. Sacrificing one Patil is not enough.

India's internal security challenge has become progressively more complex since the late 1980s and this has been only matched by the lip service paid by the higher echelons of those sworn to rise to this challenge. Successive governments at the centre and in the states have placed short-term electoral advantage over the compulsions of national security and this has led to the enormity of 26/11. Post-Kargil of 1999, the NDA government had initiated the much-needed comprehensive national security review and four major task forces drawing upon the experienced security professionals were set up. The four areas identified included the intelligence apparatus, internal security, border management and higher management of defence. These detailed reports were approved by a group of ministers in 2001, but little meaningful reform was implemented.

The spectrum covered was wide and specific policy recommendations were made. Mumbaikars will be aghast when they learn that one of the issues flagged in the border management report was about the vulnerability of India's sea coast. The need to beef up the poor coastal security infrastructure was identified as part of the overlap between internal security and border management and the utility of a unified maritime agency was mooted. But like many other specific policy recommendations, this fell by the way due to a combination of politico-bureaucratic indifference and turf protection.

Thus what is needed now is not one more attempt to re-invent the wheel. Let the central government convene a special session of parliament in Delhi with similar action by the state legislatures and commence the cleaning of the stables. All reports and recommendations that have been submitted post- Kargil should be brought into the public domain and the reasons for their non-implementation be rigorously examined.

Accountability must be assigned - even if it is post-facto - and imbalances and distortions holistically restored. Piecemeal and knee-jerk attempts at fixing the internal security infrastructure will be cosmetic. The broom must be picked up in earnest.

'Sir, why are all terrorists Muslims?'

By Firoz Bakht Ahmed

"Sir, why is it that all terrorists are Muslims?" Prajvi Bagga Malhotra, a Class 11 student of Modern School, asked me this question during a discussion about current events. This was a very timely, bold but sensible question and being a Muslim, I was accountable to address the curiosity in the minds of a class of 52 students.

Prajvi isn't the only one to have alluded to the Western media coined statement that all terrorists are Muslims but all Muslims are not terrorists. With so many voices stating that the religion advocates violence, Islam is today under the scanner. Not all of them can be wrong - people judge by what they see and today these terrorists speak and act violently in the name of Islam.

I told Prajvi that the guiding themes of every religion are the same. Islam too has the same theme and ideology as other religions but a few people misled some of its followers in the name of god.

26/11 (Mumbai), Kafeel in Glasgow, Mumbai blasts by the Memons and others in India, the jehadis in Kashmir, 9/11, 7/7 (London), 13/12 (Delhi), 29/10 (Delhi) and the Al Qaeda at a global level - all these make my head go down in shame.

It's so embarrassing that each time a Muslim name is found attached with the inhuman and insane acts of terrorism.

Note that jehad is the most misunderstood and misconstrued concept by our non-Muslim brethren and even Muslims. The true concept of jehad in Islam is not to be against other communities, groups or religions but to be against one's own selfish nature, vices and shortcomings within Muslim society in order to fight evil, injustice, inequity, illiteracy and ignorance. First an individual fights jehad against himself to get cleansed. After that he continues the efforts with his wife, family, locality and the whole community. This is Jehad-e-Akbar, the right meaning of jehad.

Terrorism is a political process and religion or a religious community has nothing to do with it. Neither does any religion teach to kill innocents (that is what the terrorists do) nor are the terrorists the people chosen by that religious community to undertake such ghastly acts on their behalf.

Nevertheless, an average Muslim's fears are hate crimes, difficulty in finding jobs, admissions and residential accommodation, unwanted repercussions, distrust and other such things that always get exacerbated by such incidents. Muslims also fear a backlash like the 1984 Sikh riots against them. Terrorists should not be helped in creating a rift between communities.

The Mumbai attackers did try to create a cleavage between Hindus and Muslims. However, though a tragic incident, it did have a silver lining in that it cut across religious lines and saw people uniting in their horror and outrage.

But leaders of some parties have even begun to think that any criticism of Pakistan would not be relished by this country's Muslims.

I still remember that during the last general elections in India, to appease Muslims the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) boasted of the Lahore bus and improving relations with Pakistan as one of its major achievements. It's so sad that these people still treat Indian Muslims as Pakistan's stooges.

Though all Indians know that a few terrorists do not tarnish a whole community, the government for fear of losing votes will not take the matter up with the Pakistani government seriously and will just resort to rhetoric.

It is quite clear now that Indian politicians of all shades were somehow living under an illusion that if they were to turn harsh against acts of terror, they would alienate the Muslims of this country.

When will they ever realize that by doing so they are clearly reflecting their perverted psyche of labelling all Indian Muslims as pro-Pakistanis, which is the worst abuse for any Indian Muslim.

Going soft on terror will not make Muslims happy as the perpetrators of such acts do not segregate their targets by religion. If the politicians of this country think that by shying away from taking on terrorists directly and by going soft on terror they will get kudos from Muslims, they are sadly mistaken.

The public in general has now had enough of those who exploit religious sentiment in order to gain electoral and political mileage. The recent poll results in Delhi are an indication of that.

The rider is: let us save Islam from "the Muslims", Hinduism from "the Hindus", Christianity from "the Christians", Judaism from "the Jews" and Sikhism from "the Sikhs" and other zealots as religion is a very personal matter and as humans, we are all same.

India's 9/11? A wake-up call

Just as the images of billowing smoke from the twin towers of New York are seared in the memories of people all over the world, similarly the television visuals of the raging fire in the ornate façade of Mumbai's iconic Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel will be recalled whenever the deadly terrorist attack on India's financial capital Nov 26-29 is mentioned. The booming sound of gunfire as the security forces engaged the jehadis will also become a part of the nation's collective memory.

Although Mumbai is no stranger to such outrages - the Taj itself experienced a car bomb attack in 2003 - the latest tragedy stands out from the rest for the simple reason that it was an evidently commando-style raid by suicide bombers with the express purpose of inflicting as much damage as possible on some of the city's landmarks and targets of its prosperity and progress.

While in the earlier attacks, the terrorists planted bombs in market places or trains and then left the scene, this time they stayed on to battle the security forces and die or be captured in the process. Since they were all heavily armed and were able to take hostages, they could carry on the confrontation with the police for prolonged periods, which could not but have a hugely demoralising effect on the city and the country. Since India had not seen such war-like scenes before, the impact was devastating and it would take some time before its political fallout could be measured.

It is possible that the terror groups had realised the diminishing effect of their earlier tactics of planting bombs in crowded places and vehicles. In spite of the initial shock and revulsion in those instances, the effect tended to wear off, leaving only the victims to mourn their losses. But gunbattles lasting for hours and the wheeling out of bodies covered in white sheets from five-star hotels can have a numbing effect.

They are also bound to dissuade tourists and business travellers from putting India on their itinerary. The prompt cancelling of the remaining two one-day internationals by English cricketers was a case in point. Since the terrorists were reportedly looking for foreigners with American or British passports, their Al Qaeda- and Taliban-type orientation was clear, for it wasn't only the Indians they wanted to hurt.

It is quite possible that the fidayeen or the suicide bombers had come from Pakistan by sea. If so, the outrage is similar to the attack on Mumbai in 1993 and also on Parliament House in 2001, which intended to eliminate India's political leadership. New Delhi's response then was to station its troops on the Pakistan border. There may not be any such move now because New Delhi may want Pakistan's new President Asif Ali Zardari to implement some of his promises to improve relations.

But India cannot forget that sections of the establishment in Islamabad remain outside the control of Pakistan's civilian leadership. As the suspected role of the notorious Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in the bombing of India's Kabul embassy last July showed, these elements are still not reconciled to the prospect of peace with India.

The possibility, therefore, that the assailants had come from Karachi cannot be ruled out. Besides, the involvement of the Pakistan-based militant group, Lashker-e-Taiba (LeT), which has long been engaged in terrorist acts against India, is a distinct likelihood. However, the funds and the arms and ammunition could not have been secured by the LeT only on its own. Some kind of official complicity is very much possible.

Considering that the events of Wednesday, Thursday and Friday have come to be described as India's 9/11, it may not be besides the point to hope that the country's response to the outrage will be as effective as America's has been to the fidayeen attacks on its soil.

If India can ensure, as the US has done, that there will be no repeat of acts of terrorism, it will be a remarkable achievement. However, the portents up to now have not been too favourable. As industrialist Ratan Tata said, there was no crisis management group in Mumbai even though the city had seen earlier terrorist attacks.

Till now, India has not reacted with sufficient vigour and effectiveness to the numerous outrages it has experienced through the years from the Kashmir Valley to Delhi and Jaipur in the north to Mumbai and Ahmedabad in the west to Hyderabad and Bangalore in the south and to Guwahati and Agartala in the northeast. These have not only continued at periodic intervals but have increased in scale and operational style, as the latest Mumbai incidents show.

The prime minister's recent decision to set up a task force to deal with the threat of terrorism and insurgency underscored the failures in this respect. Evidently, the terrorists have been able to establish fairly secure bases in the country with a sufficient number of local recruits who can help to plan and carry out the attacks with their detailed knowledge of the targeted areas.

Although the intelligence agencies have made a number of arrests, they have not been able to penetrate deep enough into these secret outfits to immobilise and eliminate them. The ease with which the fidayeen groups could enter the hotels and railway stations in Mumbai with their heavy backpacks showed the laxity of the security measures. It was the innocent who had to pay with their lives for such casualness.

Marcos - men in black who rescued Mumbai's hostages

They were the least known of the special forces commandos who were pressed into an anti-terrorist operation in Mumbai. But the 25-odd elite fighters of the Marcos - acronym for marine commandos - grabbed the national and international spotlight with their all-black overalls and faces masked by black cloth.

Dubbed the "bearded forces" because of the beards that the men sported and toting AK-47 assault rifles, Indian Navy's marine commandos follow in letter and spirit the adage of the counter-terrorism doctrine: “Fight a militant like a militant”.

Marcos, who are trained in executing covert operations, were called in along with the National Security Guard and army commandos take on armed militants who were holding scores of people hostage inside two luxury hotels since Wednesday night. The militants had struck in at least 10 places in Mumbai, killing 125 people and injuring 327 people.

Two Marcos received injuries during "Operation Tornado" launched to flush out terrorists at the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel. Their operation continued till Friday.

“Trained sky divers and sea divers, the Marcos could sabotage enemy vessels and harbour installations. They can operate in beaches, coastal, jungles and ravines areas. Being divers, they can reach hostile shores swimming underwater,” SAID a senior navy official.

Officially known as the Indian Marine Special Force, the unit was raised in 1987 out of the naval divers to lead amphibious operations. The personnel volunteering for the force have to undergo a rigorous two-year training, by the end of which only 10-25 percent of the enrolled commandos remain.

Marcos have been active in Jammu and Kashmir as part of the army's counter-terrorist efforts. Their main task is to control the infiltration of terrorists from across the border into Jammu and Kashmir through the Jhelum river and Wullar, a 65 square kilometer freshwater lake.

Some Marcos personnel are also attached with the army special forces units conducting counter-terrorism operations in the area.

“They operate similar to the Israeli Mistaravim units sporting beards and wearing the 'pheren' (Kashmiri suit), thus making them indistinguishable from the locals,” the official added.

Marcos have gained a fearsome reputation among terrorists who refer to them as the 'Dadiwali Fauj' (Bearded Army) since they are the only non-Sikh personnel allowed to grow beards, 'Jal Murgi' (Water Hens) for the speed in which they carry out assault from the water and 'Magarmachh' (Crocodiles) for their amphibious capability.

Recently, the elite force earned accolades for the Indian Navy after they repulsed pirates attacks off the Somali coast on an Indian and a Saudi merchant vessel Nov 11.

In April 1986, the Indian Navy mooted a plan for a special force, which would be able to conduct reconnaissance, raids and even counter-terrorist operations in a maritime environment. Three naval officers were sent for training with the US Navy SEALS and further training was conducted with British Special Forces. These three naval officers formed the nucleus of the Indian Marine Special Force (IMSF) that was formally raised in February 1987.

The strength of the unit is a closely guarded secret. However, sources say the number could be close to 2,000 personnel. Currently, there are three main groups attached to the three naval commands - Mumbai (West), Cochin (South) and Vizag (East).

The unit's quick rise has changed its role - it was intended to be dedicated to special maritime operations, but a considerable part of Marcos is doubling up as marine infantry with the usual flexibility of commando forces.

Restoring Taj hotel's glory may take 12 months

The restoration of the century-old Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel in downtown Mumbai that was considerably damaged during the terror siege could take as much as 12 months and cost about Rs.5 billion (Rs.500 crore/$100 million), experts on structural engineering and architecture say.

A sea-facing landmark of India's commercial capital, offering a panoramic view of the Arabian Sea and the majestic Gateway of India, the hotel was built in 1903, with its architecture blending Moorish, Oriental and Florentine styles.

Thus, the restoration, will take that much more time and cost more than conventional restorations, the experts said, adding the services of professional institutions like the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) may also be required.

"The Taj is one of our oldest hotels and a heritage structure. So, any restoration work would take a minimum of a year. It is my estimate that it could cost somewhere around Rs.500 crore," said Pandurang Potnis, vice president of the Indian Institute of Architecture.

"You must understand that restoration work for such structures is a cumbersome process. It involves a detailed assessment of the damage with blueprints. Only then can the damaged structure be strengthened," he added.

"In India, this kind of technology is available with only a handful of institutions like the Archaeological Survey of India," said Potnis, who also runs Bangalore-based architecture consultancy firm under his name.

Visitors to the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel have come away in awe of its Indian influences, vaulted alabaster ceilings, onyx columns, archways, carpets and chandeliers, as also its collection of art and antique furniture.

Jamsetji N. Tata, the legendary founder of India's largest industrial house, built the 565-room hotel much before the Gateway of India was completed in 1928 to commemorate the visit of Britain's King George V and Queen Mary.

The grand property, which will also require some experienced artisans and workers to refurbish and restore, has hosted royalty, heads of states, corporate honchos and celebrities, among other guests in the past.

A.K. Nagpal, the head of the civil engineering department at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) here, also said that structural engineering was the trickiest part in restoration of damaged properties.

"We have undertaken such consulting projects in the past and provide advice to even private companies," added Nagpal, who specialises in areas like structural engineering and tall buildings.

Rajesh Thambi, who runs an architectural design firm Saving Catalyst here, said that if it takes a skilled person around five minutes to construct one sq ft of carpeted area, restoration would take anywhere between 45-50 minutes.

"I would say that the cost of restoration - it will take a lot of care while doing so - will be around Rs.1,500-Rs.2,000 per square feet."

The owners of the property, Indian Hotels Ltd., have said that they would take all measures to restore the Mumbai landmark and had an insurance policy against terror attacks.

"We are not just determined, but completely committed, to rebuilding the institution. We will restore it to its fullest glory," said company vice chairman R.K. Krishna Kumar.

"The loss of life is extremely distressing, as is seeing a building as unique as this destroyed. The entire top floor has gone up in flames, but as soon as the dust settles we will go out there and begin the rebuilding," Krishna Kumar added.

Armed terrorists who had seized the hotel for four days earlier this week had set deliberate parts of it on fire in a bid to damage it. The hotel suffered further damage when commandos had moved against the terrorists Friday-Saturday to wrest it back from them.

Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata visited the property Saturday with his management team to inspect the damage and discuss measures for the hotel's restoration.

Mumbai terror blitz US TV networks

The Mumbai terror attacks played big time in the US media but nowhere more so than on the 24-hour news network CNN.

What may have begun as a result of a slow news week because of the Thanksgiving holidays starting Wednesday soon turned out to be virtually the sole focus of the network soon after the first hour of the crisis. The network was quick to spot the potentially enormous implications of the unfolding events in the city.

For quite a few hours it had to depend upon its sister network CNN-IBN for the visuals of the frenzied goings on with holiday anchors stepping in to provide as broad a perspective as possible. For the first eight to ten hours the sheer momentum of the story was driven by the seemingly random nature of gunfire by the terrorists.

But as it began to become clearer that the terrorists were working to a specific plan of singling out Westerners, mainly Americans and Britons, CNN latched on to the angle. Its experts began developing the perspective that what was different about these attacks, apart from the fact that they were not hit-and-run bombings, was that for the first time Americans were becoming a target in India.

While the story would have cornered significant airtime on its intrinsic importance, what kept the US media focused were the possibilities of American casualties. Another angle that was introduced later was how seriously the crisis may strain India-Pakistan relations and present the incoming President Barack Obama with his first foreign policy and national security challenge. The convergence of American casualties and impending challenge for Obama also seemed to kept the US media in thrall of the Mumbai attacks.

CNN International New Dellhi correspondent Sara Sidner, who is normally not seen in CNN's US specific broadcast, became a household name reporting from close to the Taj Mahal Hotel and getting into an occasionally hairy situation with frequent gunfire. While throughout Wednesday and Thursday CNN's preoccupation remained with the overall story, by Friday the deaths of American citizens ensured that they would stick with the story.

Overall the Mumbai attacks, although not as large as some of the earlier ones in terms of the sheer fatalities, may have the distinction of the longest lasting news event on US networks after 9/11. While initially, it may have been more by default than design but soon enough American media realized how big the attacks were.

The New York Times appeared to be slow to get off the ground in the initial hours of the attacks but the paper soon started putting out detailed updates on its highly popular website. Interestingly, initially the paper even sought out contributions from Mumbai directly to its website in an acknowledgement of the interest in the goings on 10,000 miles away.

By Friday evening CNN's terrorism expert Peter Bergen was already deeply immersed in analyzing the events to the extent of naming Dawood Ibrahim, a former Mumbai gangster who first went to Dubai and then to Pakistan creating a huge crime empire, as a possible lead player in the planning of the Mumbai attacks.

Overall, the US media, feeling somewhat lost in the aftermath of intensely acrimonious albeit hugely historic electioneering that elected Obama, found in the Mumbai attacks a riveting story that went on for nearly 60 hours.

Long terror night in India rages on

Terror returned to haunt India’s financial capital Mumbai Nov 26 night, plunging the nation into collective shock and horror at the sheer brazenness and audacity of a string of attacks by a handful of grenade and AK-47 wielding gunmen. Over 125 people, including at least seven foreign nationals, were killed in coordinated terror attacks, targeting high-profile luxury hotels and key landmarks of this cosmopolitan city that symbolizes the economic prowess of a nation on the move.

Operations by the security forces to clear the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel of terrorists who had seized the building is set to be wrapped up in a "matter of hours", a top army commander said Nov 28. "It's just a matter of a few hours. We will be able to wrap up operations (at the Taj)," Lt. Gen. Noble Thamburaj, the general officer commanding-in-chief of the Southern Command, told journalists outside the hotel on the seafront opposite the Gateway of India monument here.

It is one of three buildings, including the Oberoi Trident hotel and Nariman House Jewish centre that was seized by terrorists Wednesday night in coordinated attacks at 10 spots in the city that have claimed at least 125 lives and injured 327.

Thamburaj is coordinating the Indian Army's operations with the National Security Guard (NSG) and the Mumbai police.

More than thirty-six hours after the first strike in Mumbai around 9.30 pm, this indomitable city decided to rebuff the terrorists in the only way they understand: by carrying on with the business of life. Commuter trains were packed with office workers, children rushed to schools and stock exchanges opened for trading Friday as India's financial capital strove for normalcy.

"All trains are running normally. They are carrying passengers to their full capacity. The stations are teeming with commuters," said Central Railways spokesperson S.C. Mudgerikar. "There was no structural damage to the Central Railways headquarter at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus," he added.

The railway terminus, a Unesco world heritage site, was one of the 10 places in south Mumbai that were attacked by terrorists Wednesday night. The Western Railways spokesperson also said that trains were running as per schedule.

While most Mumbai streets were deserted Thursday, cars, buses and autorickshaws were back on the roads Friday. The main roads of the city were choked with heavy traffic.

The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), National Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) reopened Friday after being shut for a day. Trading in the exchanges was proceeding normally, said P. Nilesh, a NSE sub-broker.

Most office complexes in the city, even in the terror hit south Mumbai area, opened for business. All educational institutions were also functioning normally.

With an outraged nation growing impatient at the failure of the government in stopping the onslaught of terror which has become a bi-monthly feature targeting metros, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh addressed the nation Thursday evening. The Indian prime minister pointed at the involvement of terrorists based outside the country" and warned that India will no more allow terrorists to stage attacks with impunity.

"It is evident that the group which carried out these attacks, based outside the country, had come with a single-minded determination to create havoc in the commercial capital of the country," the prime minister said in his address to the nation.

"We are not prepared to countenance a situation in which the safety and security of our citizens can be violated with impunity by terrorists," he added.

"We will take up strongly with our neighbours that the use of their territory for launching attacks on us will not be tolerated and that there would be a cost if suitable measures are not taken by them."

"The well-planned and well-orchestrated attacks, probably with external linkages, were intended to create a sense of panic, by choosing high profile targets and indiscriminately killing foreigners," he said. But he did not name any country.

The prime minister said his government would take "the strongest possible measures to ensure that there is no repetition of such terrorist acts.

"We are determined to take whatever measures are necessary to ensure the safety and security of our citizens.

"Instruments like the National Security Act will be employed to deal with situations of this kind. Existing laws will be tightened to ensure that there are no loopholes available to terrorists to escape the clutches of the law. Most importantly, it is essential to immediately set up a Federal Investigation Agency to go into terrorist crimes of this kind and ensure that the guilty are brought to book.

"We will take a number of measures to strengthen the hands of our police and intelligence authorities. We will curb the flow of funds to suspect organisations. We will restrict the entry of suspects into the country.

"We will go after these individuals and organisations and make sure that every perpetrator, organiser and supporter of terror, whatever his affiliation or religion may be, pays a heavy price for these cowardly and horrific acts against our people."

Calling the terrorist strike "dastardly", he said: "I strongly condemn these acts of senseless violence against innocent people, including guests from foreign countries. I offer my deepest condolences to the bereaved families and sympathies to those injured."

He said the government would take all necessary measures to look after the well being of the affected families, including medical treatment of the injured.

"I salute the courage and patriotism of the police officers, including the chief of (Maharashtra's) Anti-Terror(ism) Squad, Hemant Karkare, and men who have laid down their lives fighting these terrorists.

"I assure the country that we will attend in an urgent and serious manner to police reform so that the law and order authorities can work unitedly, effectively and in a determined manner to tackle such threats to national integrity.

"In this hour of tragedy, I appeal to the people to maintain peace and harmony so that the enemies of our country do not succeed in their nefarious designs. All concerned authorities are on alert and will deal sternly with any attempts to disturb public order.

"I am confident the people of India will rise unitedly to face this grave challenge to the nation's security and integrity."

Not everyone was convinced. Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi Friday alleged that Pakistan has violated the UN code on the use of land and sea routes for launch of terror strikes against India.

"This is for the first time Pakistan has allowed use of sea routes to further terrorism against India," Modi said at the Oberoi-Trident hotel in Mumbai, where efforts are on to flush out militants holed up there.

Modi claimed that the terrorists had used boats seized from Indian fishermen by Pakistani Marine Police to launch attacks against India and hoped that the Indian government would raise the issue at appropriate levels diplomatically.

Pakistan has denied any link with the Mumbai attacks.

India's ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) came in for pointed criticism by experts and international media for not doing enough to control terror attacks in the country.

"A lack of political leadership is to blame," The Wall Street Journal said in its lead editorial.

"It (the ruling party) may pay a price for its incompetence at the national polls next year," the newspaper said.

"Yesterday Prime Minister Manmohan Singh promised that 'every perpetrator would pay the price'. Yet his Congress Party has done little more than bicker with its coalition allies over the past five years on how best to fight terrorism," the journal said.

Observing that the attacks are a reminder that India is at the top of the terror target list, the newspaper said this is because India is an easy target.

Not only are its intelligence units understaffed and lack resources, coordination among State police forces is also poor. "The country's anti-terror legal architecture is also inadequate; there is no preventive detention law, and prosecutions can take years," it said.

"Wednesday's attacks should arouse Indians to better confront the terror threat, while reminding all democracies how dangerous that threat still is," it said.

In another opinion piece published by The Journal, author Sadanand Dhume blamed the Congress for scrapping the anti-terror law POTA. "On taking office in 2004, one of the first acts of the ruling Congress Party was to scrap a federal antiterrorism law that strengthened witness protection and enhanced police powers," he wrote.

"The Congress Party has stalled similar state-level legislation in Gujarat, which is ruled by the opposition Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. And it was a Congress government that kowtowed to fundamentalist pressure and made India the first country to ban Mumbai-born Salman Rushdie's 'Satanic Verses' in 1988," he said.

Dhume, a Washington-based writer and author of "My Friend the Fanatic: Travels with an Indonesian Islamist", said the Indian approach to terrorism has been consistently haphazard and weak-kneed.

World rallies behind India

Underlining their solidarity with India in the wake of deadly terror strikes in Mumbai, leaders across the world spared no words in denouncing the "despicable" attacks that have killed over 100 people and offered their cooperation in the common fight against terrorism.

The US was among the first few countries to condemn the attacks, saying it was ready to support the Indian authorities in dealing with the situation.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Thursday afternoon rang up External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and stressed her country's full support and cooperation to India in the "common fight" against terrorism.

"Rice expressed full support of the US government to India in this common fight against terrorism," official sources told IANS.

The foreign ministers of Australia, Israel, Canada and Oman, as also the secretary General of the Arab League also telephoned Mukherjee to express solidarity with India.

Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso wrote a letter to Manmohan Singh expressing his shock and horror at the blasts in Mumbai. "We are resolved to continue our cooperation with the government of India in the fight against terrorism," a statement added.

In Washington, White House press secretary Dana Perino said in a statement late Wednesday: "President Bush offers his condolences to the Indian people and the families of the innocent civilians killed and injured in the attacks in Mumbai, India".

US president-elect Barack Obama joined the American government in strongly condemning Wednesday's attacks and asked Washington to work with India to root out and destroy terrorist networks worldwide.

"President-elect Obama strongly condemns today's terrorist attacks in Mumbai," Brooke Anderson, his spokesperson on national security, said in statement. "We stand with the people of India," she added.

Obama also telephoned Rice and Indian Ambassador Ronen Sen for an update on the nature of the Mumbai attacks.

Condemning the series of attacks, the State Department said the US stands ready to support the Indian authorities in dealing with the situation, while the White House said it was seeking more information.

"We are monitoring the situation very closely and stand ready to support the Indian authorities as they deal with this horrific series of attacks," the State Department said in a statement.

The White House also denounced the attacks. "We condemn these attacks and the loss of innocent life. We continue to seek more information," said Ben Chang, a spokesman for the White House National Security Council.

The Justice Department said the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was monitoring the situation closely and was prepared to offer assistance if Indian authorities asked for it but said it had not yet received such a request.

At the UN, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon voicing his solidarity with India's government and its people said, "Such violence is totally unacceptable."

"The secretary-general reiterates his conviction that no cause or grievance can justify indiscriminate attacks against civilians," a statement by his spokesperson said Wednesday. He also called for the perpetrators of the attacks to be brought to justice.

In London, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown condemned the Mumbai attacks, saying Britain stands "solidly behind" India and offering all help to combat the terrorists.

Brown sent a message to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in which he said the "outrageous attacks" would be met with a "vigorous response."

Brown also offered every possible protection to any British citizens who may be caught up in the attacks.

British Foreign Minister David Miliband joined in the condemnation, saying the attacks had claimed "many innocent victims" and were a reminder of the threat faced from "violent extremists".

Leading politicians representing Britain's large Indian-origin population strongly condemned the terrorist attacks, saying the two countries are even more determined to protect their vibrant and resilient democracies.

The 27-nation European Union (EU) was unstinting in its condemnation of the terror attack.

"Terrorism is never justified and is no means to achieve any goal. We stand by the Indian government in its fight against terrorism," a statement from the EU said.

In a separate statement, the French government, which currently holds the EU's rotating presidency, said that it had heard of the attacks with "horror and indignation" and "condemned them with the greatest rigour."

Condemning terror attacks, Israel's Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Tzipi Livni said: "This is further painful evidence that the terrorist threat is the greatest challenge which Israel and the international community have to face."

In Canberra, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd described the attacks as "murderous" and said Australia was ready to help India in every possible way.

"We stand ready to assist India in any way it needs right now. We are offering through the Australian Federal Police assistance with counter-terrorism, and forensics policing, to the Indian authorities, and any other assistance which may be of direct relevance at this time," Rudd told Australian parliament Thursday.

In Islamabad, Pakistani leaders strongly condemned the attacks, calling for "strict measures" to counter the scourge.

President Asif Ali Zardari, while condemning the blasts and firing, called for strict measures to deal with terrorism. "President Zardari stressed the need for taking strict measures to eradicate terrorism and extremism from the region," a brief message issued by the ministry of information said.

It said that Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani Thursday strongly condemned the terrorist attacks in Mumbai.

In their separate messages, Zardari and Gilani deplored the tragic incidents, with the prime minister urging "the need for concerted efforts to make the region a peaceful place to live".

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa "vehemently condemned" the terror attacks, calling for "concerted action" by all countries to eliminate terrorism.

"My government and I hasten to condemn most vehemently the brutal acts of terrorism that killed more than 100 persons and injured many more in Mumbai last night," Rajapaksa said in a statement in Colombo.

In Abu Dhabi, WAM news agency quoted Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, foreign minister of the Arab federation, as saying in a statement: "The UAE, while condemning this brutal and appalling crime, affirms its complete solidarity with the government of India and standing by its side in confronting and overcoming these criminal acts".

In Manila, deputy presidential spokesman Anthony Golez said: "The entire Filipino nation and Filipinos around the world mourn with the families of those who died and were hurt because of the Mumbai attacks."

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