Terrorist Caught In India Spills Beans Gives Details

[America]

His swaggering image as he walked around Chhatrapati Shivaji terminus was captured by Mumbai Mirror photo editor Sebastian D’Souza, and was the first glimpse of the terrorists who have held Mumbai hostage over the last 48 hours.

Now we can also tell you who this man is and how he has become the vital link for investigating agencies to crack the terror plot. His name is Azam Amir Kasav, he is 21 years old, speaks fluent English, hails from tehsil Gipalpura in Faridkot in Pakistan, and is the only terrorist from this audacious operation to have been captured alive.An ATS spokesperson confirmed that the man captured was indeed the one photographed by us.

On the night of Wednesday-Thursday, Azam and his colleague opened fire at CST before creating havoc at Metro and then moving on to Girgaum Chowpatty in a stolen Skoda, and where they were intercepted by a team from the Gamdevi police station. Azam shot dead assistant police inspector Tukaram Umbale.

But in that encounter, Azam’s colleague was killed and he himself was injured in the hand. He pretended to be dead giving rise to the news that two terrorists had been killed. However, as the ‘bodies’ were being taken to Nair Hospital, the accompanying cops, figured that one of the men was breathing.

According to sources, the casualty ward of Nair hospital was evacuated and the Anti-Terror Squad moved in to interrogate him. Azam who was tightlipped initially, cracked upon seeing the mutilated body of his colleague and pleaded with the medical staff at Nair to save his life. “I do not want to die,” he reportedly said. “Please put me on saline.”

Ammunition, a satellite phone and a layout plan of CST was recovered from him. According to sources, the young terrorist has given the investigators vital leads including how the chief planner of the Mumbai terror plot had come to the city a month ago, took pictures and filmed strategic locations and trained their group and instructed them to “kill till the last breath”. Every man was given six to seven magazines with fifty bullets each, eight hand grenades per terrorist with one AK-57, an automatic loading revolver and a supply of dry fruits.

Azam reportedly disclosed that the group left Karachi in one boat and upon reaching Gujarat they hoisted a white flag on their boat and were intercepted by two officers of the coast guard near Porbandar and while they were being questioned, one of the terrorists grappled with one of the officers, slit his throat and threw the body in the boat. The other officer was told to help the group reach Mumbai. When they were four nautical miles away from Mumbai, there were three speedboats waiting for them where the other coastguard officer was killed. All the ammo was then shifted into these three speedboats. They reached Colaba jetty on Wednesday night and the ten men broke up into groups of two each. Four of these men went to the Taj Mahal hotel, two of them to the Trident hotel, two towards Nariman Point at Colaba and two of which Azam was one, moved to CST.

Azam, who was Nair hospital for nearly four hours, was taken away by the intelligence agencies in the early hours of Thursday to an unknown location after the hospital authorities had removed the bullet from his hand and declared that his condition was stable.

But it seems the police grilling was so intense that before he left the hospital for an undisclosed location, he pleaded with the police and the medical staff to kill him. “Now, I don’t want to live,” he said.

Link:
http://www.mumbaimirror.com/article/15/20081129200811291119513862f1fe0c1/I-WANT-TO-LIVE

[Smurf-Herder]

This whole thing is very strange.

Some reports, even now, have anywhere from 175 dead to over 300 dead. Over 300 wounded to 239 wounded.

Some reports say the satellite phone was on the trawler, some say it was on one of the terrorists. Supposedly a GPS device was found on either an attacker or the trawler, that showed a preset return route to Karachi - giving the impression they planned on escaping .... as does a report which says the explosives found were wired to be remotely detonated after they escaped. And MSNBC said yesterday they had satellite photos of the attack locations, with maps.

Some said three attackers were in custody, now it's only one. Some reports have up to 40 attackers, now they're saying only 10.

One report says the Indian security forces were warned as early as Nov.13 to be on the lookout for a seaborne attack. And originally on the first day, it was mentioned that security was mysteriously relaxed 10 days before the attack.

Most reports say they all came from the sea; while others say some attackers rented a room for up to a month beforehand, posing as students.

And just today MSNBC reported that some of the security forces were hiding from the attackers; and in one instance refused to take out the attackers when they had the shot.

I'm getting the feeling there are elements of this that involve players in both governments, using proxies to increased tension between India and Pakistan - not just allied terrorist groups alone.

[Independent Harry]

This whole thing is very strange.

Some reports, even now, have anywhere from 175 dead to over 300 dead. Over 300 wounded to 239 wounded.

Some reports say the satellite phone was on the trawler, some say it was on one of the terrorists. Supposedly a GPS device was found on either an attacker or the trawler, that showed a preset return route to Karachi - giving the impression they planned on escaping .... as does a report which says the explosives found were wired to be remotely detonated after they escaped. And MSNBC said yesterday they had satellite photos of the attack locations, with maps.

Some said three attackers were in custody, now it's only one. Some reports have up to 40 attackers, now they're saying only 10.

One report says the Indian security forces were warned as early as Nov.13 to be on the lookout for a seaborne attack. And originally on the first day, it was mentioned that security was mysteriously relaxed 10 days before the attack.

Most reports say they all came from the sea; while others say some attackers rented a room for up to a month beforehand, posing as students.

And just today MSNBC reported that some of the security forces were hiding from the attackers; and in one instance refused to take out the attackers when they had the shot.

I'm getting the feeling there are elements of this that involve players in both governments, using proxies to increased tension between India and Pakistan - not just allied terrorist groups alone.

Funny how it begins to look obvious when another government does it///

[Mr, gone]

Smurfy,

I am surprised and delighted, that you are even questioning the integrity of media and law enforcement statements involving this incident.

I had you pegged as a lock and step believer in what our government and it's allies said was the truth.

Keep up the good work...:thumbsup:

[Mr, gone]

Harry,

There must have been a serious lack of communication for reports to get this fucked up. Maybe these goverments need to hire more competent interpreters.:lmao2:

[Smurf-Herder]

Smurfy,

I am surprised and delighted, that you are even questioning the integrity of media and law enforcement statements involving this incident.

I had you pegged as a lock and step believer in what our government and it's allies said was the truth.

Keep up the good work...:thumbsup:

This attack has very strange elements.

"But what angered Mr D'Souza almost as much were the masses of armed police hiding in the area who simply refused to shoot back. "There were armed policemen hiding all around the station but none of them did anything," he said. "At one point, I ran up to them and told them to use their weapons. I said, 'Shoot them, they're sitting ducks!' but they just didn't shoot back."

"The militants returned inside the station and headed towards a rear exit towards Chowpatty Beach. Mr D'Souza added: "I told some policemen the gunmen had moved towards the rear of the station but they refused to follow them."

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/world-news/article14086308.ece

"On November 18, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) intercepted a satellite phone conversation, in which a so-far unidentified caller notified his handlers that he was heading for Mumbai along with a certain cargo.

RAW analysts, however, rapidly determined that the apparently innocuous call was made to a Lahore phone number known to be used by the Lashkar-e-Taiba’s main military commander for operations targeting India, who is known only by the code-names ‘Muzammil’ and ‘Abu Hurrera."

"Earlier, in late September, Intelligence Bureau informants had issued alerts warning that a Lashkar unit was preparing to target the Taj Mahal Hotel. According to the sources, the warning, that was built on the testimony of arrested Mumbai-based terrorist Fahim Ansari, who told investigators in March that he had carried out reconnaissance operations at the Bombay Stock Exchange, the Gateway of India area and the Oberoi Hotels in preparation for an attack.

RAW, too, issued warnings that the Lashkar was contemplating hitting one or more hotels in Mumbai’s northern suburbs, including the Leela Kempinski.

Police sources said these intelligence warnings had led them to deploy personnel near major hotels in Mumbai, and hold meetings with hotel security heads. Parking instructions were introduced at the Oberoi Hotel, and circulars were issued to local businesses asking them to observe special security precautions. However, the restrictions were lifted a week before the attacks, after businesses and residents complained of inconvenience."

http://www.hindu.com/2008/11/30/stories/2008113055981500.htm

[Binky]

Hmmmm......has that old "something smells fishy" adage to it, doesn't it? :confused: