Terror in Mumbai

Kerry Cao Tian QinMarcus ChongEdmond Chen

Huang Juncheng

Contents

• Introduction• Causes• Impacts• Role of Governments• Lessons to be learnt• Measures against terrorism

Why Mumbai?

• Mumbai– Formerly Bombay– Most populous city in India– Second most populous city worldwide– Commercial & Entertainment centre of India– Richest city in India

ie. Perfect terrorist target

Why Mumbai?

• Aimed at getting international attention

• Hatred for Europeans (eg. British) and Americans

• Payback for western strikes on terrorists around the world

• Successful and deadly Mumbai bombings in 2006 prompted terrorists to strike again.

Summary

• Started on 26 November 2008• Lasted for three days. • Killed 179 people • Including at least 22 foreigners.• Over 300 injuries

Timeline

• 21 November– Pakistani terrorists leave Pakistan by boat.

• 23 November– They hijack an Indian crawler, Kuber, and force the

captain to sail to India.• 26 November– Attacks begin

Attacks

• 2 terrorists attack Leopold Café, a popular restaurant and bar.

• 10 people are killed.• Terrorists plant bombs

on two taxis, killing 5 people.

Attacks

• 2 terrorists attack the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station.

• They open fire and throw grenades, killing 52 people, wounding 109.

• After they attempt to hit the Cama Hospital and flee, police kills one and arrests the other.

• The arrested, Ajmal Kasab, is the only one to be captured alive.

Attacks

• At the Taj Mahal Hotel– Huge standoff between police and terrorists, gun

battles, grenade explosions, emergency evacutations.

• At the Oberoi Trident Hotel– Terrorists hold many foreigners hostage– Fierce gun battles

• At the Nariman House– Hostages taken, rescue operations

Terrorist Group

• Lashkar-e-Taiba – aka. LeT– Based in Pakistan– Most active Islamic terrorist group– Deep hatred against India

Causes

• Domestic causes:– Dispute between Pakistan and India over unclear

territorial boundaries of Kashmir. (Since 1947)

Causes

• Anger over American attacks on Islamist groups like Al-Qaeda

• Evidence:– Leopold Café • Frequented by foreigners

– Hotels • Where many foreign VIPs were staying

– eg. European Parliament Committee on International Trade

• Took many foreigners hostage

Causes

• Hotels targeted were old and iconic of India• Owned by Indians• Thus terrorists attacked to show their hatred

towards India and Indian people.

Causes

• Widening gap between rich and poor• Large population• Unbalanced social and economical

development in different regions• Discontent amongst minorities

Leads to serious problems with terrorists.

Impacts

• Surface Impacts– Damage to Taj Mahal Hotel– Including historical artifacts and artwork– Bad reputation– Estimates

• Needs to be closed for a year• Reparations cost : $112 million USD (Rs. 500 crore)

– Maximum security measures put in place• Inconvenience for public

Impacts

• Surface Impacts– Disruption of train services– Cancellation of planes bound for Mumbai– Originally scheduled meetings of Indian groups

cancelled– Offices, schools, shops closed

Impacts

• Economical repercussions– Decrease in tourism in Mumbai– Decrease in spending in Mumbai shopping district– Affects India’s economy since Mumbai is the

country’s economic capital• General air of uncertainty and fear amongst

Indian public

Impacts

• Extreme political tension between Pakistan and India governments.

• Pakistan government moved troops towards the border.

• Due to concerns about whether India would attack if they did not cooperate.

• Eventually resolved after talks between them.• Support from Bush and Obama for India.

Impacts

• On Singapore– Death of Singaporean Lo Hoei Yen, 28– She was staying in the Oberoi Trident and taken

hostage by terrorists, then murdered.• This gives Singapore a wake-up call that no

one is safe from terrorism.

Role of Governments

• Tension between Indian and Pakistani governments built up.

• Pakistan denied the nationality of the terrorists at first

• Eventually registered a case against the Pakistani nationals

• India supplied evidence to Pakistan and blamed Pakistan for assisting these terrorists, which was denied by Pakistan.

Role of UN (and of USA)

• Under the pressure of the United Nations• Pakistan arrested members of Jamaat ud-

Dawa, an alias of the LeT

India

Criticism that the government was not doing enough to prevent attacks

India's security agencies have long been criticized for lacking a cohesive counter-terrorism

plan and poor intelligence

gathering and analysis.

Police are badly armed and often

have nothing more than a stick with

which to fight militants.

Indifferent attitude not only landing the citizens of India but

foreigners

Before the Attack

• Admitted the coast guard and navy had intelligence that a vessel carrying militants could enter Indian waters.

• But the boat couldn't be intercepted due to lack of manpower/arms

Measures taken by India

(Reuters) - More spies and police, modern gadgets and a national investigation

agency are among a slew of measures India is taking to prevent militant

attacks

Create a Coastal Command to secure

India's 7,500 km (4,650 miles) shoreline, fill

vacancies in intelligence agencies, upgrade

technology, raise new commando units and

build counter-insurgency and terrorism schools.

Strengthening laws relating to

prevention, investigation and

punishment of terrorist acts.

Lessons Learnt (Singapore)

The Mumbai terror attacks claimed a Singaporean victim, lawyer Lo Hwei Yen, among 24 Oberoi hotel hostages found dead.

She is the first Singaporean to die in a terrorist attack.

1. Need to have crisis management teams in buildings which could provide information to the authorities as well as evacuate people.

2. Random checks on guests and restricting access to guest floors through the use of card keys.

3. Seaborne threats were also being looked into, as the Mumbai attackers entered the city by boat.

4. Hotels beefed up security measures against possible attacks since five-star hotels were the targets in Mumbai.

ANTI – TERRORISM POLICY

References

• http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_344122.html

• http://www.asianewsnet.net/news.php?id=2896&sec=1

• http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE4BA1G120081211

• http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/nov/27/mumbai-terror-attacks-india8

• http://www.gauravonomics.com/blog/real-time-citizen-journalism-in-mumbai-terrorist-attacks/

• http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/business/impact-of-terror-attack-on-daily-life-in-mumbai_100124301.html

• http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/12/mumbai-arundhati-roy

References

• http://www.celicasg.org/index.php?topic=4774.0;wap2

• http://www.mumbaimania.in/2008/12/after-effects-of-mumbai-terror-attacks.html

• http://goindia.about.com/b/2008/11/30/the-impact-of-the-mumbai-terrorist-attacks.htm

• http://www.mahalo.com/mumbai-terrorist-attacks• http://www.newsweek.com/id/171006/page/2• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Mumbai_attac

ks• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lashkar-e-Taiba• http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-11/30/c

ontent_10436383.htm• http://www.newsweek.com/id/171006