Shocker - Kasab pleads Not Guilty

Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, the terrorist on trial for last year's Mumbai attacks, wants to retract his confession, claiming it was extracted by torture, his defence lawyer, Abbas Kazmi, told reporters on Friday.

On his instruction, a retraction application has been filed, retracting the so-called alleged confession," said the lawyer, who is defending Pakistani national Kasab.

"He's going to plead not guilty," he added.

Kazmi told reporters that Kasab claimed the confession, made to a local magistrate while he was in police custody, was "extracted out of coercion and force and it was not a voluntary confession."

He quoted Kasab as claiming he had been "physically tortured."

Earlier in court, Kasab’s lawyer said his client had told him that he "had not even reached the age of 17" when the attacks took place last November. "He is still under 18. In such circumstances he is deemed to be a juvenile and this court has no jurisdiction to try this case," Abbas Kazmi told the trial court.

The court, however, dismissed the accused application that claimed he was a ‘juvenile’.

Public prosecutor Ujwal Nikam rejected the Pakistani national’s submission, saying that in both Kasab's "confession statement" to the police and on transfer to jail, he had said he was 21".

"On the day of the incident, November 26, 2008, he had completed 21 years, two months and some 13 days," Nikam said.

Judge M L Tahiliyani asked Kasab to stand in the dock and then commented: "As one looks at accused No 1, it does not appear that he is below 17 years."

Rejecting the application, the judge added, "In my considered opinion, the plea is frivolous and intended to delay the trial."

Kasab faces a string of charges including "waging war" on India, murder, attempted murder and kidnapping.

He faces the death penalty if convicted of taking part in the attacks, which left more than 160 dead and hundreds more wounded.

Rupee falls to 50.46 per $, US sends $5 Billion to Pak

Just when it climbed out of the deep pit, the Indian market on Thursday fell into a bottomless crevasse as the rupee had settled at 50.46 per dollar, against Wednesday's close of Rs 49.94.

It is a record of sorts as it is the all-time lowest closing rate for the rupee against the dollar, even beating the 50.2 number on December 2nd 2007.

Meanwhile US has promised gifting billions of Dollars to terror haven Pak as economic and military aid. That after reports certify that Pakistan has been using American tax-payer money for deals with the terror outfit Taliban and that US arms have been ending up in the hands of the extremists.

This little brainwave is courtesy of Senator John Kerry who is considering a $5 billion aid to Pakistan. Also being contemplated is a $1.5 billion annual package for ten years.

"If we fail, we face a truly frightening prospect: terrorist sanctuary, economic meltdown, and spiraling radicalism, all in a nation with 170 million inhabitants and a full arsenal of nuclear weapons," he said. "The stakes could not be higher, and [this] report could not be more timely."

Needless to say, not many people agree with this decision.

"Not only is the United States paying the Pakistani government to abdicate territory to the Taliban, we get to fund the Taliban as well," said Bill Roggio, an expert in the war on terror, questioning the Kerry-Lugar proposal aimed to tripling military aid to Pakistan.

"It's time for the US. government to ask if it is getting a good return on its investment. Considering that more than $3.8 billion of $5 billion of US. aid to Pakistan has gone unaccounted for and the Taliban is being funded by the US, perhaps the answer is no," Roggio, who runs the blog Long War Journal, added.

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Mujahideen Operative spills details of 7/11 Mumbai Blasts

As Mumbai police make preparations to bring perpetrators of November 26 terrorist attack to book, another terror story is being unraveled.

A top Indian Mujahideen (IM) operative, Sadiq Sheikh, who is in Maharashtra Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) custody, has revealed on camera the modus operandi of Delhi blasts on October 25, 2005, and Mumbai blasts on July 11, 2006.

“All five of us arranged local train passes for the first class compartments beforehand. We also had local train-timetable with us so that we could find out the train as per our convenience," says Sadiq in the recorded confession.

"We purchased bags and pressure cookers in Mumbai. On the day of blast that is on 11 July, 2006, all five of us assembled and we filled seven cookers with explosives. We kept the bombs ready. We had planned the bomb to blast at 6:30 pm,” he confesses.

Giving details of how the serial blasts were executed on Mumbai trains, Sadiq's chilling confession continues.

“Atif (another IM operative) gave me a bag which I kept in one of the local trains," reads the confession.

"Abu Rashid and Sajid then joined me in keeping their bags in the other trains. Abu Rashid travelled till Dadar in the same train and then left for Sewree."

"After a while, through the general public we were informed of the bomb blasts in the local trains,” adds Sadiq.

Sadiq, one of the key members who planted bombs in Mumbai trains on the fateful day, was also assigned the ‘responsibility’ of recruiting others into IM fold.

Sadiq’s cold-blooded confessions do not end with the Mumbai blasts. He has also confessed to masterminding the pre-Diwali blasts in Delhi on October 29, 2005. "Sarojini Nagar, Paharganj, Govindpuri were the targets for the blast," Sadiq has confessed.

"We used to stay in a flat at Jasola. Atif, Shadab, Aarij, Shakeel and Sakib were involved in the group. I used to accompany them in making bombs. I and Atif were now trained in making bombs."

"I left for my native place before the Delhi blast and on the day itself I got the news of the blasts in the Capital city," Sadiq adds.

Also known as India's Osama, Sadiq's role in the blasts of Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad sare also being investigated.

Sadiq was one of the first IM members to be arrested by Mumbai police in October 2008. His interrogation led to the subsequent arrests of 20 other IM operatives. The ATS had secured the custody of Sadiq on February 21, 2009, in connection with the July 2006 serial train blasts.

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CIA helped India-Pak share 26/11 intelligence

America's Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has played a crucial role in India and Pakistan sharing secret intelligence information on Mumbai terrorist attacks, a media report claimed on Monday.

In a front page article, The Washington Post said CIA "orchestrated back-channel intelligence exchanges" between India and Pakistan with the top American intelligence agency itself playing the role of a neutral arbitrator.

"The exchanges, which began days after the deadly assault in late November, gradually helped the two sides overcome mutual suspicions and paved the way for Islamabad's announcement last week acknowledging that some of the planning for the attack had occurred on Pakistani soil, The Post quoted sources as saying.

"Indian and Pakistani intelligence agencies separately shared their findings with the CIA, which relayed the details while also vetting the intelligence and filling in blanks with gleanings from its networks," the Post quoted sources as saying.

"The US role was described in interviews with Pakistani officials and confirmed by US sources with detailed knowledge of the arrangement. The arrangement is ongoing, and it is unknown whether it will continue after the Mumbai case is settled," the newspaper said.

The Post article is a revelation as so far only the role of FBI in the Mumbai investigation was known.

26/11 accused not arrested: Pak Media

It seems as if is Pakistan has gone back to speaking in two voices over the Mumbai terror attack issue - Pakistani media reports that government sources are saying none of those named by Islamabad in the 26/11 case have been arrested.

The sources say that they are in custody - which in Pakistan's case usually means house arrest. Delhi has repeatedly called all those under house arrest as guests of the state.

This new contradiction will make it difficult for India to figure out what to believe and moreover who to believe. Just 48 hours ago, Pakistan Interior Ministry Chief Rehman Malik had said, "Whatever we could do on the available information, we have done it. We have arrested a number of the accused. Some are under investigation and some may turn out to be witnesses."

Two months after being in constant denial mode, Pakistan on Thursday had finally admitted that "some part of the conspiracy" behind the Mumbai attacks took place on its soil and a case has been registered against nine people including Ajmal Kasab, the lone captured terrorist.

Islamabad made its first formal response to the Indian dossier on the attacks blamed on terrorists based on its soil at a press conference by Malik who gave details of the probe followed a meeting Indian High Commissioner Satyabrata Pal had with officials.

Malik had said Pakistan wanted the DNA samples of Kasab to establish his identity. Among the things Pakistan wanted from India were Kasab's national identity card, electronic diaries seized and the confessional statement made by him in the Indian court and details of who helped in refuelling of one of the boats used by the terrorists.

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India won't hand over Kasab to Pak

Pakistan said Saturday it might seek the custody of Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone terrorist captured during the Mumbai mayhem, if its investigations require this, but India immediately nixed the idea.

"If Ajmal Kasab is needed for the investigation process, then India could be asked (to hand) him over," Interior Minister Rehman Malik told reporters in Karachi.

India was quick to react, saying there was no way this could happen.

"The crime was committed in India. There is no question of handing Kasab to them. In fact, Pakistan should hand over to India the other suspects they've arrested because they were responsible for this terror attack. It can't be the other way around," sources in the Indian external affairs ministry said in New Delhi.

"On what basis do we send Kasab out there? The crime was committed out here (in Mumbai), therefore logic and reasoning demands that the suspects who they've rounded up be sent here (to India)," the sources said.

According to Malik, "we first had to register an FIR (first information report on the Mumbai strikes). This has been done. Now, if our investigators recommend, we will ask for access to him (Kasab)," Malik added.

"So far, we have not asked for Kasab's custody," the minister pointed out.

He said Kasab was one of the eight suspects named in the FIR registered by the Federal Investigation Agency on the Mumbai strikes. Six of the suspects have been arrested while two are at large.

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'We did not plan Mumbai Attacks': Pak

'Not on our soil for nuts'

Pakistan on Tuesday said that findings of its probe into the Mumbai terror attacks- detailing whether they were planned in India or elsewhere- are likely to be made public within a week.

He said that the Pakistan government had mantained all along that it was not involved in Mumbai attack's conspiracy.

A team of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has submitted its preliminary probe report regarding the Mumbai attacks, Minister of State for Interior, Tasnim Ahmad Qureshi, told reporters during a visit to National Police Foundation here.

"The report would soon be made public at a suitable time, possibly within a week," Qureshi said.

He said “whether attacks were planned in India or elsewhere” will be revealed only when the government brings out the report.

Top Pakistani leaders have said the Law, Interior and Foreign Ministries are currently vetting the report submitted by a three-member team of the FIA.

Pakistan’s High Commissioner to India, Shahid Malik, arrived here today for consultations on finalising the country’s response to the Indian dossier on the Mumbai attacks.

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Pak STILL denies despite solid evidence

Person A slaps person B, person B tells Police that person A slapped him, Police asks person A, person A denies. Person B gives a note in writing that person A slapped him. Police shows signed note to person A, who still denies. Police takes DNA/fingerprint evidence of slapmarks which match with person A. He still denies it. Pakistan is mroe or less acting like the five year old living in denial.

However, he may find few takers for his defiant denial outside Pakistan. While Pakistan may claim that India planted GPS devices and made up stories about Pakistani involvement in 26/11, there is no way India could have forged the conversations between the terrorists and their handlers in Pakistan. That remains India’s most crucial record of the complicity of Pakistani “elements”.

The conversations are chilling and show that the attackers were intent on causing maximum damage, did not want to take any hostages and were brutal in the extreme. Here’s a sample of a chat between the Pakistani handlers and the terrorists at Taj Hotel:

Caller (from Pakistan): “There are three ministers and a secretary of cabinet in your hotel, we don’t know which room. Keep looking.”
Receiver (terrorist in Mumbai): “That’s icing on the cake.”
Caller: “Find these three or four persons then get whatever you want from India.”

Later, the caller is also heard telling the terrorist that the “wazir” (minister) should not get away. The minister, if there was one in the hotel, did. At one point, the caller rang again. “Throw one or two grenades on the Navy and police teams. They are outside.”

The Pakistani handlers obviously couldn’t get enough of the action in Mumbai and were glued to TV, whose blow-by-blow coverage actually helped the terrorists. ‘Under fire, don’t saddle yourself with hostages, kill them’

It appeared many things were on the planners’ minds. Certainly the India-Israel relationship was high on their calculations. At one stage, the handlers said, “Keep in mind the hostages are of use only if you don’t come under fire. If you are under attack don’t saddle yourself with the hostages. Immediately kill them.”

The handler also reminded the terrorists that “the Army claims to have done their work without any hostage being harmed”. Another thing: “Israel has made a request to save the hostages. If the hostages are killed it will spoil relations between India and Israel.”

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Brown blames Pakistan militants over Mumbai

Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown holds a news conference in Brussels December 12, 2008. REUTERS/Yves...

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown blamed banned Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba for last month's deadly Mumbai attacks as tension between nuclear-armed neighbours India and Pakistan simmered on Sunday. Pakistan said on Saturday Indian warplanes had inadvertently violated its airspace, but New Delhi later denied the incident and accused Islamabad of trying to divert attention. In talks with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi and later with Pakistan's Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari in Islamabad, Brown offered both countries help in tightening security and combatting terrorism. In Islamabad, Brown proposed a new British-Pakistan "pact against terror", saying "three-quarters of the most serious terrorist plots investigated by the British authorities have links to al Qaeda in Pakistan". "The time has come for action, not words," he said. Brown also said he had asked Singh and Zardari for permission for British police to question suspects arrested in both countries in connection with last month's Mumbai attacks. India, backed by the United States, has called on Pakistan to crack down on Pakistan-based militant groups after the attacks, in which 179 people were killed during a three-day siege in India's financial heart. It blames Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a militant group it says was set up by Pakistan to fight Indian rule in the disputed Kashmir region, for the Mumbai attacks. "The group responsible for the attacks is LeT and they have a great deal to answer for, and I hope to convey some of the views of the Indian prime minister to the president of Pakistan when I meet him," Brown told reporters in India's capital. Islamabad has blamed "non-state actors" for the attacks and has vowed to cooperate with investigations, but has also repeatedly said anyone caught in Pakistan would be tried in Pakistan. Singh later said India wanted good relations with Pakistan but again urged Islamabad to do more to stamp out militant groups operating on its soil. "We want to normalise our relations with Pakistan," Singh told people at an election in the Kashmiri town of Khandroo. "There are some people in Pakistan who are always trying to launch such bloody attacks."

Terrorist Kasav's mother speaks to press

Ajmal Amir Iman, the lone terrorist captured for the Mumbai terror attacks, told residents of his village in Pakistan's Punjab province during his last visit there that he was going away for 'jihad.'

Iman, also known as Ajmal Kasab, visited Faridkot village in Okara district of Punjab (Pakistan) about five months ago and asked his mother to bless him before he embarked on jehad.

"He came to the village about five or six months ago. He told his mother he was going away for jihad. He asked her to bless him and to leave his fate in the hands of Allah," said an unnamed resident of Faridkot in a secretly filmed footage.

Most people of Faridkot and nearby Depalpur sub-district were reluctant to talk about Iman on the record. However, in the secretly filmed footage, some residents were shown discussing his last visit to the village.

"A man from Faridkot said that on his last visit to the village, Ajmal gathered a group of boys near a school and asked them to catch him. He demonstrated feats of wrestling to them. Then we heard he had left home and joined a jehadi group," a man said.

A village elder shown in the footage said Iman's father Amir Kasab had moved to Faridkot from the nearby Haveli Lakha. Amir Kasab used to sell 'pakoras' from a hand cart that he pushed around the village, the elder said.

The president of the press club in Depalpur too confirmed in secretly filmed footage that Iman was from Faridkot. The channel also quoted residents of Faridkot as saying that Iman's father had confirmed to several people that the gunman whose pictures were shown in the media was his son.

‘Geo News’ beamed footage of what it said was a large number of operatives of intelligence agencies who were present in Faridkot. It also aired footage of intelligence operatives deployed outside Iman's home.

In Pics: Taj Hotel after Attacks

Terror struck the country's financial capital late on 26th November as coordinate serial explosions and indiscriminate firing rocked eight areas across Mumbai including the crowded CST railway station, two five star hotels--Oberoi and Taj-- leaving over 100 persons dead and 300 injured.

As the injured were taken to hospital, an explosion was heard inside the Oberoi Hotel. Hundreds of hostages are said to remain inside the hotel buildings.

Operations to free those inside continued throughout the night. Many clung onto curtains and clambered to safety.

The attacks were condemned by the UK and US governments, whose citizens were apparently targeted by the gunmen. As day broke in India's financial capital the flames were brought under control at the Taj Mahal Palace, although the hostage drama was far from over across Mumbai.

A fishing trawler that went missing on November 14 may have carried the terrorists to Colaba coast to hold Mumbai hostage on November 26

"This is slightly complicated operation and our job is to ensure safety of people trapped inside. We are moving in floor by floor and ensuring that nobody is inside the rooms. Some rooms are locked from inside which we are asking them to vacate. There are dead bodies and injured on the floors. We are sending them to hospital," Dutt said.

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Kasab remanded to police custody till December 24

Mohammed Ajmal Amir Iman, the lone terrorist caught alive during the November 26 terror attacks, was remanded on Thursday in police custody till December 24 by a court here for his alleged involvement in the killing of ATS chief Hemant Karkare and two other senior police officers.Due to security concerns, Ajmal was not produced in a regular court and a magistrate and a public prosecutor were taken to the police lock-up, where the terrorist was lodged.

"When asked by the magistrate if he had any complaints against the police, Ajmal said he had none," Additional Public Prosecutor Eknath Dhumal said referring to the remand proceeedings.
Following brief arguments regarding his custody, the terrorist, who has not yet obtained any legal representation, was sent to police custody for 14 days.

Ajmal and terrorist Ismail Khan, who was killed in a shootout with the police, had allegedly ambushed and killed six policemen, including Karkare, Additional Commissioner Ashok Kamte and Inspector Vijay Salaskar, on November 26 night. The police have registered 12 terror cases in connection with the November 26 strikes in the city that left 183 dead and over 200 injured.
Ajmal, who hails from Pakistan, has been booked under various charges, including waging war against India, murder, attempt to murder and sections of the Arms Act and Explosives Act.

The only one in the group of ten terrorists who attacked Mumbai to be arrested alive, Ajmal has been kept in an undisclosed location since his arrest on November 26 in south Mumbai. The city Crime Branch, which has Ajmal's custody, had requested the magistrate to hear the remand application in the police lock-up due to security concerns with regard to his production in an open court.

Pakistan epicentre of terror, Mumbai attack was war: Advani

Terming Pakistan as the "epicentre" of terrorism, leader of opposition LK Advani on Thursday said India was united in the war against terror and cautioned the government against relying too much on the UN Security Council to bring the perpetrators of the Mumbai siege to justice.

"We are trying to pressurise Pakistan by moving the UNSC. But we should not forget our experience in terms of Kashmir. We should take whatever action we can take on our own strength, as this is our problem. We should not expect too much from the UNSC," Advani told the Lok Sabha.

"The world says that South Asia is in the eye of the storm on terrorism. Let us realise and say it candidly that the epicentre of the terror is Pakistan. We moved UNSC but we haven't named Pakistan. I don't know why."

Addressing the house after Home Minister P Chidambaram, the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) prime ministerial candidate said that the Nov 26 attack on Mumbai was a "terror war" that was the fallout of "cross border terrorism".

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India has evidence against Pakistan: Chidamabram

New Delhi, December 11: Union home minister P Chidambaram has announced a massive overhaul of the country's security and intelligence agencies in the wake of last month's Mumbai attacks.

Palaniappan Chidambaram made the announcement while addressing Lok Sabha members during the Parliament session.

The home minister said the government had evidence the Mumbai terror attacks had originated from Pakistani soil.

Government will introduce a set of bills to strengthen security measures, said Chidambaram, and urged the Lok Sabha to pass the bills to strengthen preventive, investigative and prosecution measures, including the one to set up a national investigative agency in this session itself, PTI reported.

The home minister has said the government will beef up coastal security forces, create a national investigative agency, better train local police and strengthen anti-terror laws, agency AP reported.

Centre will set up 20 counter-insurgency and anti-terror schools for training commandos from police forces, he said.

The measures are the government's first detailed response to the public outcry over security and intelligence failures in the attacks, which left over 171 dead in the country’s financial capital Mumbai.

Chidambaram has previously admitted to government ``lapses'' in the assault.

Meanwhile in the Rajya Sabha, minister of state for home Sriprakash Jaiswal said the government will set up Coastal Command for overall security of 7,500-km coast-line, according to PTI.

Intelligence gathering and sharing to be made more effective and result-oriented, he added.

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Dia Mirza in a peace March in Mumbai

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India police 'name Mumbai gunmen'

Released photos (from left): Bada Abdul Rehaman (Taj Palace); Abdul Rehaman Chota (Oberoi); Ismal Khan (CST station); Babar Imaran (Nariman House)

Indian authorities have released the names or aliases of the nine suspected militants killed during last month's attacks in the city of Mumbai (Bombay).

Photographs of eight of the men were released - the body of the ninth was said to have been too badly burned.

Police said all were from Pakistan. They did not say how this was known but one gunman, named as Azam Amir Qasab, survived and has been interrogated.

The attacks began on 26 November and left at least 170 people dead.

India has blamed Pakistani-based militants Lashkar-e-Taiba for the attacks.

Earlier Pakistan said it had arrested two leading militants but that it would not hand them over to India.

Sole survivor

Mumbai's chief police investigator Rakesh Maria showed photographs of the men taken from their bodies or from the ID he said they were carrying.

He said all were aged between 20 and 28. Some of the militants had just one name and had used aliases during training.

TEN NAMED MEN Nasir, alias Abu Umar (above, Nariman House) Abu Ali (Taj Palace) Soheb (Taj Palace) Fahad Ullah (Oberoi) Azam Amir Qasab (survived) Bada Abdul Rehaman (Taj Palace) Abdul Rehaman Chota (Oberoi) Ismal Khan (CST station) Babar Imaran (Nariman House) Nazir, alias Abu Omer (Taj Palace)

The youngest was identified as 20-year-old Shoaib, alias Soheb, who was said to be from Punjab province.

Three attackers were said to have come from the central Pakistani city of Multan, Mr Maria said.

He said the group leader was a Lashkar "veteran", Ismal Khan, 25, from North West Frontier Province.

The photographs taken from dead bodies are too graphic to show.

Indian investigators have said survivor Azam Amir Qasab was indoctrinated by Lashkar-e-Taiba (Soldiers of the Pure) and trained at a camp run by the group.

Some media reports have suggested that truth serum may be used as part of his interrogation.

Earlier Pakistani Defence Minister Ahmad Mukhtar said Jaish-e-Mohammad founder Masood Azhar and Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi had been held.

Mr Lakhvi is the Lashkar commander India suspects of planning the Mumbai attacks.

"Lakhvi was picked up yesterday. Azhar has also been picked up," Mr Mukhtar told India's CNN-IBN channel.

He also repeated Islamabad's request for evidence to be shared with Pakistan.

Raid suggests policy shift Profile: Lashkar-e-Taiba Anger at 'blown' arrests

"Both US and India say they have ample proof but why is it hidden from us?" Mr Mukhtar asked.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, meanwhile, repeated that Pakistan would not hand over to India any of its citizens arrested in connection with last month's attack.

He said that about 16 people had been detained for questioning so far in a crackdown against banned Islamist groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Reports say Pakistani police have also ordered the sealing of some offices used by Jamaat-ud-Dawa, the Islamic charity seen as a front for Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Mr Qureshi added: "We do not want to impose war, but we are fully prepared in case war is imposed on us. We are not oblivious to our responsibilities to defend our homeland."

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Here are the Pictures of the Mumbai Terrorists

In case you're wondering who the people were who caused so much havoc in Mumbai, here they are - the Mumbai Crime Branch has released pictures of the 10 terrorists involved in the Mumbai terror attacks of November 26.

The pictures along with their aliases and the areas they belong to have now been compiled into a dossier that is being sent to the Central agencies.

The terrorists who were involved in the attack on the Chhattrapti Shivaji Terminus are:

1. Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab alias Abu Mujahid Resident of Okara. He was caught alive and is in government custody.

2. Ismail Khan alias Abu Ismail, resident of Dera Ismail Khan in Pakistan.

The terrorists believed to have been involved in the siege on the Taj Hotel are:

3. Hafeez Arshad alias Abdul Rehman Bada, resident of Multan, Pakistan.

4. Javed alias Abu Ali, resident of Okara, Pakistan.

5. Shoaib alias Soaib R/O Narowal Sialkot, Pakistan.

6. Nazeer alias Abu Umer R/O Faizalabad, Pakistan.

The terrorists believed to have been involved in the Nariman House attack:

7. Nasir alias Abu Umar R/O Faizalabad, Pakistan.

8. Babbar Imran alias Abu Aqasha R/O Multan, Pakistan.

The terrorists involved in the attack on the Hotel Oberoi-Trident are:

9. Abdul Rehman alias Abdul Rehman Chota R/O Arafwala, Multan Rd, Pakistan.

10. Fahadullah alias Abu Fahad R/O Bipalpur Taluka, Okara, Pakistan.

One of them, Mohd Kasab is already in custody of security agencies. The Mumbai Police claim the IDs found on them have a direct link to Pakistan.

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Pigeons of Taj Mahal Hotel

During the coverage of the attack on the Taj Mahal hotel you might have noticed hundreds of pigeons flying around the hotel looking for their familiar resting spots. Thousands of these pigeons were scared away due to continuous explosions and fire during the 60 hours of siege. They were also missing out on the grains provided by the tourists.

Animal activists have worked with the police to set around 80kg of bird seeds around the hotel to bring these birds back to the area, and the pigeons are flying back their nests on this magnificent hotel.

As the tourists return to the area so will the pigeons. I hope these birds find an alternate nesting place during the repair work on the hotel.

Al-Qaida may target Goa: State govt

PANAJI: International terror network al-Qaida would target certain installations in tourist hotspot Goa, warns a Goa cabinet note circulated to minister here.
"Today, Goa faces serious threat from terrorists and there were specific inputs that al-Qaida would target certain installations in Goa. Goa has a coastline of 105 km, major sea ports and beaches," the cabinet note signed by Chief Secretary J P Singh reads.

This is the first time that Goa government has admitted that the state was on the al-Qaida radar, something it had been publicly denying so far.

"Goa is declared as the permanent venue for IFFI. It has already added to the busy tourist calendar of the state, thereby putting massive stain on the police machinery. To handle such situations, an increase of reserve force is the need of the hour to ensure effective patrolling," the note adds.

A Kashmiri youth Tarique Batloo was arrested with explosives at South Goa's Margao railway station in 2006. The police investigations had revealed that Batloo's connection with militant outfit Tehrik-Ul-Mujahid.

However, Batloo was acquitted in 2008 by a Goa court as police failed to establish offence against him.

The state cabinet, which had met on December 2, discussed the need to have an additional India Reserve Battalion (IRB), an armed police force.

Mumbai attack: Rice asks Pak to act urgently, else US will act

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has told Pakistan that there is "irrefutable evidence" of involvement of elements in this country in the Mumbai terror attacks and it had no option but to act urgently "otherwise, the US will act."

Rice, who travelled to Islamabad after a visit to India earlier this week, "pushed" the Pakistani leaders to move against the perpetrators of the terror strikes.

The clear message was conveyed by her to Pakistan's top leadership during her brief stopover in Islamabad on Thursday, diplomatic sources said.

Rice said that there was "irrefutable evidence" of the involvement of Pakistani elements in the Mumbai attacks, the sources said.

In India, Rice was shown the extensive evidence gathered by investigators to prove the linkages between the Mumbai attackers and Pakistan-based elements, especially the banned Lashker-e-Toiba terror group, they said.

The sources said Rice, during her interactions with President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, made it clear that Pakistan needs to act effectively to bring the perpetrators to justice. She warned that the "US will act if Pakistan did not".

Rice also told Pakistan that it "needs to act urgently and effectively to avert a strong international response". She said that Pakistan's response needs to be "effective and focused" and that India was thinking on "similar lines", the Dawn newspaper said.