MUMBAI: A seemingly endless series of terror attacks across the country has finally claimed the job of Union home minister Shivraj Patil. Another home minister with the same surname could also be in the line of fire. Maharashtra's deputy chief minister RR Patil, who holds the home portfolio, has not been up to the mark, feel top police officials, state home department bureaucrats and even ministers belonging to the Congress and the NCP. "With such a home minister at the helm of affairs, we could not ask for a greater disaster. Mr Patil spoke and behaved as if he was featuring in a pulp Bollywood movie, during the 60-hour-long terror attack and its aftermath, with irresponsible sound-bytes serving as dialogues," an exasperated senior Congress minister told ET. This minister cited `information' fed by Mr Patil to the byte-hungry news channels. "The terrorists had ammunition and planned to kill 5,000 people. But the brave police security forces crushed their designs and reduced the damage to a much lesser degree," Mr Patil said at a press conference on Friday. Mr Patil's statements, about the ability of terrorists to kill 5,000 people, have not been confirmed by the NSG which finally freed the city landmarks from the terrorists. Asked whether the magnitude of the attack and large-scale smuggling of ammunition pointed to massive intelligence failure at the state-level, pat came the reply: "You draw your own inference". "Mr Patil is also believed to have made light of the terror attack by saying that such minor incidents do happen in big cities. This is highly unbecoming of a home minister when the entire country is facing a serious crisis," the Congress minister said. The minister pointed out that Shivraj Patil had to lose his job as much for his penchant for mouthing loaded but meaningless sound-bytes as for lacking an understanding of his job requirements.
Maharashtra's deputy chief minister RR Patil, who holds the home portfolio, has not been up to the mark, feel top police officials, state home department bureaucrats and even ministers belonging to the Congress and the NCP.
"With such a home minister at the helm of affairs, we could not ask for a greater disaster. Mr Patil spoke and behaved as if he was featuring in a pulp Bollywood movie, during the 60-hour-long terror attack and its aftermath, with irresponsible sound-bytes serving as dialogues," an exasperated senior Congress minister told ET. This minister cited `information' fed by Mr Patil to the byte-hungry news channels. "The terrorists had ammunition and planned to kill 5,000 people. But the brave police security forces crushed their designs and reduced the damage to a much lesser degree," Mr Patil said at a press conference on Friday. Mr Patil's statements, about the ability of terrorists to kill 5,000 people, have not been confirmed by the NSG which finally freed the city landmarks from the terrorists. Asked whether the magnitude of the attack and large-scale smuggling of ammunition pointed to massive intelligence failure at the state-level, pat came the reply: "You draw your own inference". "Mr Patil is also believed to have made light of the terror attack by saying that such minor incidents do happen in big cities. This is highly unbecoming of a home minister when the entire country is facing a serious crisis," the Congress minister said. The minister pointed out that Shivraj Patil had to lose his job as much for his penchant for mouthing loaded but meaningless sound-bytes as for lacking an understanding of his job requirements.
NEW DELHI: India hopes to persuade the US to put pressure on Pakistan to come down heavily on terror groups on its soil with Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon leaving for Washington Monday to meet the transition team of president-elect Barack Obama. Menon is likely to meet influential figures in the transition team that includes Wendy Sherman, the co-chair of the state department's Agency Review Team, which is tasked with preparing policy and personnel for the soon-to-be-named secretaries. "The foreign secretary will raise India's concerns, especially after the recent spate of terror attacks, with Obama's transition team seeking America's help to put pressure on Pakistan to curb terrorism," said a senior official in the cabinet secretariat. The meeting has gained added urgency after the Mumbai terror attack that killed 183 lives and injured over 300, said the official.
And I think people are entitled to ask the indian government about its indifference to hindu terrorism against the indian muslim community. If anything breeds this sort of outrage, then looking at the continued unchecked violence against the indiam muslim population is a good place to start.
Blowback is a bitch and the old cold war powers have been playing Great game politics in this patch of the owrld for decades, and caused considerable damage to the local political establishments. Trouble is, Obama seems to want to make things worse. keep to the Fen Causeway
From a political point of view Pakistan is nearly a failed state. But no Western statesman will say that out loud, because openly admitting it will not make things any easier. The next American president seems to understand the reality of power relations in Pakistan. During the campaign, Barack Obama's rhetoric in this regard set him apart with surprising clarity from his opponent John McCain. Whereas the Republican put diplomatic negotiations with the regime in Islamabad up front and centre, Obama was open about bringing military intervention in the tribal areas into the discussion. Strengthening the US presence there seems, in any case, a firm part of Obama's agenda. The planned American withdrawal from Iraq could -- in a worst-case scenario -- be followed by an invasion of Pakistan. This must not be something he wants, at least not in the fullest sense. Even Vietnam was never imagined as a long war.
From a political point of view Pakistan is nearly a failed state. But no Western statesman will say that out loud, because openly admitting it will not make things any easier.
The next American president seems to understand the reality of power relations in Pakistan. During the campaign, Barack Obama's rhetoric in this regard set him apart with surprising clarity from his opponent John McCain. Whereas the Republican put diplomatic negotiations with the regime in Islamabad up front and centre, Obama was open about bringing military intervention in the tribal areas into the discussion. Strengthening the US presence there seems, in any case, a firm part of Obama's agenda. The planned American withdrawal from Iraq could -- in a worst-case scenario -- be followed by an invasion of Pakistan. This must not be something he wants, at least not in the fullest sense. Even Vietnam was never imagined as a long war.
no doubt Obama imagines a grateful population will garland their path with rose petals or some such idiocy.. keep to the Fen Causeway
Mumbai's 60 hours of terror were the work of a small team of professionally trained "commando killers", who spent weeks planning their atrocities, according to initial evidence emerging here yesterday. Officials said they believe the terrorists who carried out attacks that left almost 200 people dead, and who held off the security forces for three days, may have numbered as few as 10. Only one - apparently a Pakistani national identified as Mohammed Ajmal Qasam by a senior Indian official - was captured alive. And a report claimed that, under interrogation, he told officials that he and his colleagues wanted to carry out "India's 9/11" - a title that local television channels have already attached to this week's events. Other reports said the men were linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based group that has fought Indian forces in disputed Kashmir and was blamed for a 2001 attack on India's parliament. Despite suggestions that one or more of the terrorists may have been British, authorities in the UK and India damped down talk of such a connection. Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, said that the Indian government had assured him there was no evidence that the terrorists had British origins.
Mumbai's 60 hours of terror were the work of a small team of professionally trained "commando killers", who spent weeks planning their atrocities, according to initial evidence emerging here yesterday.
Officials said they believe the terrorists who carried out attacks that left almost 200 people dead, and who held off the security forces for three days, may have numbered as few as 10. Only one - apparently a Pakistani national identified as Mohammed Ajmal Qasam by a senior Indian official - was captured alive. And a report claimed that, under interrogation, he told officials that he and his colleagues wanted to carry out "India's 9/11" - a title that local television channels have already attached to this week's events. Other reports said the men were linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based group that has fought Indian forces in disputed Kashmir and was blamed for a 2001 attack on India's parliament.
Despite suggestions that one or more of the terrorists may have been British, authorities in the UK and India damped down talk of such a connection. Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, said that the Indian government had assured him there was no evidence that the terrorists had British origins.
Azam Amir, the terrorist who was held by the Mumbai Police, has made some striking revelations regarding the Mumbai terror attacks. Azam has disclosed that the Pakistan Navy had trained the terrorists in boating and swimming to carry out the attacks in Mumbai. Azam was arrested on Wednesday from Girgaum Chowpatty in an encounter with the police. Ismail Khan, an accomplice of Amir, reportedly died in the gunbattle.Sources say Azam has also revealed that people from gangster Dawood Ibrahim's gang helped the terrorists from Karachi in organising the attacks.
Azam Amir, the terrorist who was held by the Mumbai Police, has made some striking revelations regarding the Mumbai terror attacks.
Azam has disclosed that the Pakistan Navy had trained the terrorists in boating and swimming to carry out the attacks in Mumbai. Azam was arrested on Wednesday from Girgaum Chowpatty in an encounter with the police. Ismail Khan, an accomplice of Amir, reportedly died in the gunbattle.
Sources say Azam has also revealed that people from gangster Dawood Ibrahim's gang helped the terrorists from Karachi in organising the attacks.
