The Assault on Mumbai

by Bazooka Joe Fri Nov 28, 2008 23:59

The correct link for that story is:

http://www.counterpunch.org/tariq11272008.html

It is in fact a very poor ananlysis of the situation in Mumbai based on what Tariq Ali has himself read in the pressand regurgitated from his communist atheist perspective. His analysis that Al Qaeda is on the decline and somehow a failure is very much contrary to international security experts and anyone watching goings on from Helmand to the Gulf of Aden. I personally believe it is Mr Ali who is in decline, if indeed he was ever in any other condition.

Mr Ali dismisses the attackers with remarks like they picked 'soft targets'. They are now in their third day of running gun battles with the elite of the Indian Army commandos. Hardly soft targets? Three days without sleep and still shooting it out with heavily armed soldiers.

Executing the anti-terrorism chief and 8 of his senior officers as well as the foreign intelligence agents they were meeting is no small achievement. Carrying out an operation of this massive scale and sophistication can hardly be dismissed so easily. What guerrilla army has ever carried out attacks of this scale and success? Not one in decline.

http://www.france24.com/en/20081128-mumbai-attacks-poli...-arms

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/nov/28/british-ter...umbai

by redjade Sat Nov 29, 2008 18:37

Peter

if you look on the left side of the counterpunch page you will find the link to the story
I think you meant this story?
http://www.counterpunch.org/cockburn11282008.html

As horrifying as what has happened in Mumbia is - it is interesting that our TV screens a newspaper frontpages are not also filled with what is happening in Nigeria....

''Hundreds of people were killed in the central Nigerian city of Jos when Christians and Muslims clashed over the result of a local election, witnesses said Saturday.

"I was at the central mosque this afternoon and I counted 378 dead bodies [....] "Hundreds of people have been killed in the last two days since the riots started. Remains of burnt bodies litter some parts of the town; it is so terrible," Christian clergyman Yakumu Pam said.

[....]

"So far over 10,000 people have been displaced from their homes and are now seeking refuge in churches, mosques and army and police barracks," a Nigerian Red Cross official in Jos said.''

• more at http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Hundreds_die_in_fighting_....html

Question:
Why does our media force our gaze towards the tragedy of the wealthy and western tourists and not of the poor? Or is it that they just black and african?

other blogishness here: http://LMV.hu/redjade

by Centreleft Sat Nov 29, 2008 19:57

So in response to the mass murder of civilians by an aggressive, expansionist, global, fascist movement Bazooka Joe seems to respect the terrorists organisation and Peter makes insinuations of Western racism. This reminds me why i don't visit indymedia much these days.

Also, Peter, it wasn't just the victims that may have been Westerners. The murderers may have been British born (although who knows at this time). Yet they chose to attack a Jewish centre. Do you feel this hints that they might be anti semites? They were thousands of miles from Israel.

by Centreleft Sat Nov 29, 2008 19:59

Sorry. That Peter directed stuff was meant as a response to Redjade.

by redjade Sat Nov 29, 2008 22:04

Its not western racism that we collectively ignore africa? Of course it is! Congo War killed 3 million, Darfur, how many? Uganda... How EU countries deport people back to Nigeria in spite of the reality there, and so on. Compare all that to how many have died in the Israel/Palestine conflict since it began. Whats the ratio?

Im confused about the rest you wrote - I'm suppose to knee-jerk condemn violence against jews? OK, I condemn it - I have no problem with saying so. Yep, I'd say it was anti-Semitic as well. If you read my comments on previous threads in the past you will know this. I support those jews to be there as I support the right of all migrants to be anywhere they choose. No borders. If I understand why they were/are there it was for immigration/migration reasons - that's a different issue from Israel/Palestine entirely.

As for where the terrorists were from I will reserve judgement until I hear some actual facts.

But again, where's the news about Nigeria?

blogishness here: http://LMV.hu/redjade

by jeff Sat Nov 29, 2008 23:58

...is that there is an internal, domestic pogram taking place there. The crowd of savages shooting innocents in Mumbai has an international dimension, i.e the attackers have been accused of being linked to Pakistan and so there could be repercussions on a grand level between old enemies India and Pakistan. India is also a country regularly visited by tourists, as well as a rising superpower and so this incident has affects a lot of people on many different levels.

Thus, tragic as Nigeria's case is, it does not share any of the aforementioned characteristics that Mumbai's tragedy does, and hence it's importance has been deemed less 'newsworthy' than Mumbai's tragedy.

Nothing to do with race. If Africa was any way as nominally stable as India, and attracted the investor confidence India does, Nigeria's inter communal violence would be seen as shocking. However, it isn't. Pograms , lawlessness, civil strife and the like are quite common in Africa, and so, at this stage, generally get ignored. Not just by the media, but by ordinary people.

The recent violence in the Congo got quite a bit of media coverage but most people looked the other way. DR Congo has been cursed with such for the last 40 years, and so people grow accustomed to such.

by Centreleft Sun Nov 30, 2008 15:22

The news about Nigeria:
I agree broadly with what Jeff said. My issue was that the post was about racist killings in India yet you saw it and tried to turn it into a discussion about Western racism. Why?
I mentioned the Jewish thing because i wanted to put things in perspective; the men who carried out these acts were clearly racially motivated. I fundamentally don't think like you. I couldn't hear news like this and think 'Why aren't we hearing about africa? It's our media that's the bigger racist'.

by pat c Sun Nov 30, 2008 16:40

Here some more articles on the Mombai attacks. This is just a sample of those available on Countercurrents.

Who Benefits From Mumbai Terror Attacks?
By Binu Mathew

http://www.countercurrents.org/mathew291108.htm

Mumbai terrorist stand off is almost over. More than 200 civilians and about 20 police and army officials lost their lives. Taj Mahal palace, a symbol of India's business and commercial well being bears a ghostly look. The terror stricken populace slowly limp back to life. Will Mumbai be the same again? Will India be the same again?

Empathy, Grief In Pakistan At Mumbai Mayhem
By Beena Sarwar

http://www.countercurrents.org/sarwar291108.htm

The terrorist attacks unleashed in the Indian port city and financial hub of Mumbai continue to reverberate through Pakistan at a personal level and on the media. The crisis, that began Wednesday night and lasted through Friday, dominates conversation, newspaper headlines, television coverage and Internet chatter on indigenous websites and e-mail lists run by Pakistanis at home and abroad

All In The Name Of Religion
By Aditi Munot

http://www.countercurrents.org/munot291108.htm

Most often in our world, bloodshed is carried out in the name of religion. From the gory Partition in 1947, to Israel – Palestine problems, to Nazi atrocities against Jews, to 1993 bomb blasts, to Ayodhya, to Catholic – Protestant tussles, to Forward Class – Backward Class discrimination, to Godra bloodbath, to London, Banglore, Malegaon, Jaipur bombings and now to the past few days in Bombay…… all this and much more has been done in the name of Religion

Mossad-CIA Connection To
Mumbai Terror Attacks?
By Yoginder Sikand

http://www.countercurrents.org/sikand291108.htm

Some have raised the question if the Mossad or even the CIA might not be directly or otherwise instigating some disillusioned Muslim youth in India, Pakistan or elsewhere to take to terror by playing on Muslim grievances, operating through existing Islamist groups or spawning new ones for this purpose

by jeff Mon Dec 01, 2008 02:56

surely have better things to be doing than actually helping these lunatics. It's al-Qaida that want global de-stablisation. Aimportant tradelinks with both the s I stated earlier, terror attacks are bad for western interests. The idea that India 'will be dragged further into the deadly Zionist Imperialist embrace' is bogus, considering that India has been well within that embrace for quite some time now. India has had important trade links with both India and the US for many years, and it's simply not within western interests to sponser attacks such as these.

Trade actually suffers from both terror and the security crackdown that comes in it''s aftermath.

by pat c Mon Dec 01, 2008 16:41

Its the opinion of the author, not mine. I'm just pointing out that a variety of views exist on the attacks.

I don't support the attacks as I dont believe that civilians, be they Orhodox Jews, tourists or ordinary Indians are legitimate targets. Only very stupid peopleor agent provocateurs would support these attacks.