“Sole Captured Suspect Offers Grim Insights into Massacre” by Peter Wonacott and Geeta Anand in The Wall Street Journal 2008-12-04
a disaffected young man joined an Islamic militant group and carried out a terror mission that left 171 people dead
“He was led to believe that he was doing something holy”
“From the New York Landmarks Plot to the Mumbai Attack” by Fred Burton and Ben West in Stratfor 2008-12-03
the unconventional style of the attacks points to a common author
No.
The similarity of New York and Mumbai, as detailed in the article, led to a similar attack. The similarity of the Mumbai attack and the planned Manhattan attack, as a result of similar goals and similar tactical problems, fails to warrant drawing the conclusion of the same planners. Al Qaeda may have had some involvement with the attack on Mumbai, but similarity with a planned attack on Manhattan fails to justify that conclusion.
Yet again and again, Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency seems implicated.
The article does make a good point:
(more…)
“Al-Qaeda ‘hijack’ led to Mumbai attack” by Syed Saleem Shahzad in Asia Times 2008-12-02
A plan by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) … saw what was to be a low-profile attack in Kashmir turn into the massive attacks on Mumbai last week.
The original plan was highjacked by the Laskar-e-Taiba (LET)
Zakiur [LET's commander-in-chief] and the ISI’s forward section in Karachi, completely disconnected from the top brass, approved the plan under which more than 10 men took Mumbai hostage for nearly three days and successfully established a reign of terror.
“Strategic Motivations for the Mumbai Attack” by George Friedman in Stratfor 2008-12-01
Strategically, the attack on Mumbai was a precise blow struck to achieve uncertain but favorable political outcomes for the Islamists.
Pakistanis certainly will withdraw forces from western Pakistan and deploy them in eastern Pakistan. … Washington’s expectation of greater Pakistani cooperation along the Afghan border will disappear along with the troops. … The Taliban’s ability to fight would increase… US forces, already stretched to the limit, would face an increasingly difficult situation…
I still await something useful written about the terrorist attacks on Mumbai, from anyone—including myself. Suggestions welcomed. This will do for now:
“Massacre in Mumbai” editorial from The Washington Post 2008-11-29
