Police expect Mumbai-style terror attack on City of London

Scotland Yard has warned businesses in London to expect a Mumbai-style attack on the capital. In a briefing in the City of London 12 days ago, a senior detective from SO15, the Metropolitan police counter-terrorism command, said: “Mumbai is coming to London.” The detective said companies should anticipate a shooting and hostage-taking raid “involving a small number of gunmen with handguns and improvised explosive devices”.

The warning — the bluntest issued by police — has underlined an assessment that a terrorist cell may be preparing an attack on London early next year.It was issued by the Met through its network of “security forums”, which provide business leaders, local government and the emergency services with counter-terrorism advice. During a “commando-style” raid by 10 gunmen on hotels and cafes in Mumbai in November 2008, 174 people were killed and more than 300 injured over three days.

Officials now report an increase in “intelligence chatter” — communications captured by electronic eavesdropping agencies. One senior security adviser said the police warnings had intensified and become much more specific in the past fortnight. “Before, there has been speculation. Now we are getting what appears to be a definite plot to carry out a firearms attack on London.”

• "The Lessons of Mumbai", Rand Corporation, 3/18/09.
  
• "Mumbai Attacks: What the NYPD learned from the attacks", SajaForum, 1/16/09.
• "Strategic Motivations for the Mumbai Attacks", Stratfor, 12/1/08.
  
• "Analysis: Mumbai attack differs from past terror strikes", Long War Journal, 11/28/08.
  

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Chicago Terrorism Suspect Charged In Mumbai Attack

U.S. prosecutors have charged a Chicago man with helping to plan the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India, which killed 166 people, including six Americans. American David Coleman Headley, 49, was arrested in October. At that time, he was accused of planning to attack the offices of the Danish newspaper that had published cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad. That attack never took place. Headley was also accused of training with a Pakistani terrorist group called Lashkar-e-Taiba. He now faces much more serious charges related to the massacre in India, which was carried out by the group.

Court documents unsealed Monday allege that Headley conducted extensive surveillance of targets in Mumbai for more than two years before the attacks. According to the court papers, Headley's reconnaissance helped the gunmen decide how to come into India undetected.

Lashkar-e-Taiba's leaders allegedly asked Headley to take a number of boat trips around Mumbai's harbor to scout the best landing sites for attackers to come in by sea. The attackers did end up landing in Mumbai by water. Prosecutors also allege that he provided Lashkar-e-Taiba with videotapes and maps, and details on a number of the sites that were attacked — including the Taj Mahal hotel, the Leopold cafe and a train station.

• "Terror Case Highlights Global Reach of Lashkar Group", Wall Street Journal, 12/8/09.
• "Lashkar-e-Tayyiba",Global Security.org, 3/12/08.
  

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Pakistan charges Mumbai attack suspects

A Pakistani court has indicted seven Pakistani suspects on terrorism charges in connection with last year's attack on the Indian city of Mumbai, a defence lawyer said. Pakistani security agencies have also detained a former army major for possible links with two men arrested in Chicago on terrorism charges, an army spokesman said.

According to US court documents, the Chicago pair discussed a planned attack on a Danish newspaper with members of the banned Pakistan-based group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), which has been blamed for the Mumbai attack a year ago in which 166 people were killed.

Pakistan is under pressure from both India, which wants it to crack down on militants operating in disputed Kashmir, and from the United States, which wants it to root out Taliban fighters to help put down an insurgency in neighbouring Afghanistan. A lawyer for one of the seven men charged with taking part in the Mumbai attack said they had pleaded not guilty. They are allegedly linked to LeT.

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Interpol To Issue Red Corner Notice Against Hafiz Saeed

A Red Corner Notice (RCN) will be issued next week, possibly by Tuesday, by Interpol against Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed, who has been chargesheeted for masterminding the Mumbai carnage in a move which will make it difficult for Pakistan to let the dreaded chief of JuD roam freely.

Government sources said that the CBI, which acts as the nodal agency for all dealings with Interpol, has already written to the world police body, based on the 26/11 chargesheet, to get an RCN issued against Saeed who was let off by the Lahore High Court as Islamabad didn't press charges against him.

Interpol issues an RCN against any accused after it receives all information and evidence against him from the country in which the crime has been committed. "The RCN will be issued on the basis of the non-bailable warrant issued against Saeed by a Mumbai court earlier and also all the evidences gathered against him by the Mumbai police. These have been handed over to the CBI to let the agency take up the case with Interpol,'' said a source.

While Saeed is known for his venomous utterances against India for several years, 26/11 is the first time his name has featured in a chargesheet. According to the evidence provided by India to Pakistan, which Islamabad has conveniently ignored till now, Saeed motivated terrorists to attack Mumbai and was also involved in their training.

• "Interpol set to issue notice against Saeed", Times of India, 8/23/09.
• "Interpol Red Notice", Interpol, 8/23/09.
• "UN declares Jamaat-ud-Dawa a terrorist front group”, Long War Journal, 12/11/08.
• "Hafiz Saeed", Connect.In.com. Undated.
• "Analysis: Mumbai attack differs from past terror strikes", Long War Journal, 11/28/08.

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