Granby01033

“We want all mujahedeen held in India released, and only after that we will release the people.”

--Islamacist Terrorist

All fingers are pointing at the failing state of Pakistan as the source of the the terrorist attacks that have left hundreds injured, more than 100 dead, and some 5 star hotels in flames.

A group calling itself the Deccan Muhahideen is claiming responsibility for the destruction and death in the city of Mumbai, the financial and movie-making capital of India. The city has been a target of terrorism since 1993.

The term mujahideen describes anyone involved in a war or jihad. Both terms, which have been appropriated by Muslim extremists,  became known to the West during the Afghan resistance to Soviet occupation in the 1980s. Deccan seems to refer to the a huge geological plateau that makes up much of southern India. It has a large number of Urdu (the language of Pakistan) speakers. The name of this group is new, and may be cover for an existing terrorist organization such as Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, an Islamacist group that wants India out of the disputed territory of Kashmir.

Indian news is reporting that the twenty or so terrorists are Pakistanis who entered the city through the harbor on speed boats that were off-loaded from a larger ship called MV Alpha, which the Indian Navy has since captured. There are reports that the MV Alpha has been cleared, whatever that means. 

According to one Indian blogger, at least one of the speed boats has been found and searched. A Karachi newspaper was found on board. A unexploded grenade reportedly found at the city's largest railway station is of Pakistani manufacture. A cell phone apparently dropped from a hotel window also showed several calls made to and from Pakistan. At least 9 suspected terrorists are being held and interrogated.

The Indian intelligence agencies are coming under fire for failing to close a large security hole.

What's it all mean for America? Pakistan is a disaster waiting to happen. The western tribal areas that border Afghanistan are a hotbed for the Islamic extremism and the country's government has little control over what happens in the area. The Taliban, which hosted the Al Qaeda terrorists responsible for 9/11, have moved into this territory. It is also believed that Osama Bin Laden is holed up there somewhere. He may not need to give orders any more. Training existing groups may be enough to sow terror around the world.

Mark