Israel PM vows to protect Jewish institutions after Mumbai attacks

[oberliner]

JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert vowed on Sunday to do everything necessary to protect Jewish institutions after nine Israelis were killed in assaults by Islamist militants in the Indian city of Mumbai.

"Israel is doing, and will continue to do anywhere, whatever it takes to protect Jewish institutions," Olmert told a weekly cabinet meeting.

"The images of the Jewish victims... are horrifying and send us back to times and places we thought had passed," he said in allusion to the Nazi Holocaust in World War II and other acts of anti-Semitic violence.

"The hatred of Jews and the hatred of Israel and the hatred of Jewish symbols still continue to be a source fuelling these acts of murder."

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jQjbk8Fkw4Nz2VcqlqGe1o0uRXww

[Vegasaurus]

1. The fact that the Islamic terrorists went after a Chabad house

again indicates that these are Jihadniks, and not simply violent terrorists who want to avenge issues with Kashmir.

These Islamic extremists went after Jews because these terrorists hate ALL Jews, and ALL Jewish institutions.

It doesn't matter whether it is a daycare center in California, a pizzeria in Jerusalem, or a Chabad center in Mumbai.

All of these acts, perpetrated by Muslims against Jews worldwide, have behind them an anti-semitic, jihadist methodology, which is to kill as many Jews as possible.

Nothing has changed in 2000 years, but the Islamic extremists have made killing Jews a number one priority.

[IndianaGreen]

2. They also went after westeners. Stop this nonsense about us being always the only victims.

Terrorists don't care who they kill.

[Vegasaurus]

3. This is true

However, the fact that a Jewish center was a target is key, for it shows that the Islamic militants/terrorists had a goal to kill Jews.

Of course other people were killed, but the Chabad target clarifies the goals of the attack, and the perpetrators.

[IndianaGreen]

4. Most of the victims were Indian Hindus

Jews are in the mix of targets for terrorists. Israel has no connection to the Kashmir conflict, which is the core issue here.

[shira]

5. oh come on

A Chabad house was deliberately targeted....it's not as if the terrorists killed 200-300 and oh-by-the-way, they got lucky and killed about 10 Jews while really targetting Indians and westerners.

[IndianaGreen]

7. They targeted everybody!

Jews are in the mix of targets. Terrorists struck at anyone that wasn't like them.

[Vegasaurus]

8. see post #6

Your statement simply isn't true; Jews were deliberately and purposefully targeted by Islamic extremists/terrorists.

on edit: Muslims who declared their religion were spared death.

[shira]

9. they went out of their way....

...to target a chabad house and NOT use that manpower to make more of a statement against India and the West.

This reminds me of RW nuts who claim Germany didn't go out of its way and sacrifice its war effort in order to kill Jews.


ps
This is par for the course with I/P discussion. What happened in Mumbai is not an example of blatant bigotry/racism, but of course Israel is founded on racism and "obviously" practices it against the Arabs of the OT. Talk about upside-down Bizzaro world.

[IndianaGreen]

11. You are spewing the usual I/P bullshit coupled with the inevitable strawman

You let me know when the orthodox drop their objection to memorializing LGBT Jewish victims of the Holocaust.

For a saner view of things:

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/living/2008/11/30/fof.rabbis.mumbai.attacks.cnn

[oberliner]

10. The Times of India indicates that Israelis were targeted specifically

Kasab has told police that they were sent with a specific mission of targeting Israelis to avenge atrocities on Palestinians. This was why they targetted Nariman House, a complex meant for Israelis. Sources said Kasab's colleagues killed in the operation had stayed in Nariman House earlier.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Mumbai_locals_helped_us_terrorist_tells_cops/articleshow/3774106.cms

[IndianaGreen]

12. These people don't give a shit about Palestinians, particularly if they are Shia

Had Chabad been the only target you might have a point. As it is, you don't.

[oberliner]

13. Those were the actual words of one of the attackers

He himself said that Israelis were deliberately targeted.

[Vegasaurus]

14. The fact that the terrorists had made a trip in advance to scope out the Jewish center

staying nearby and learning of the comings and goings of those inside is further proof of the deliberate targetting of Jews and Israelis.

[IndianaGreen]

15. ABC News is reporting tonight that the goal of attackers was to trigger India-Pakistan war

According to tonight ABC News TV report, the goal of attackers was to trigger India-Pakistan war. Eyewitnesses said the attackers were shooting indiscriminately and didn't take hostages. They just shot at whoever they saw.

India Claims Mumbai Gunman Tied to Pakistani Group

India claims sole surviving gunman in Mumbai attack linked to Pakistani group

By RAVI NESSMAN Associated Press Writer
MUMBAI, India November 30, 2008 (AP)

The only gunman captured after a 60-hour terrorist siege of Mumbai said he belonged to a Pakistani militant group with links to the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, a senior police officer said Sunday.

The gunman was one of 10 who paralyzed the city in an attack that killed at least 174 people and revealed the weakness of India's security apparatus. India's top law enforcement official resigned, bowing to growing criticism that the attackers appeared better trained, better coordinated and better armed than police.

The announcement blaming militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba, threatened to escalate tensions between India and Pakistan. However, Indian officials have been cautious about accusing Pakistan's government of complicity.

A U.S. counterterrorism official had said some "signatures of the attack" were consistent with Lashkar and Jaish-e-Mohammed, another group that has operated in Kashmir. Both are reported to be linked to al-Qaida.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=6360101

A senior police Indian police official told Indian media today that the only gunman captured after the deadly attacks claimed to be part of a Pakistani militant group called Lashkar-e-Taiba, whose primary cause is to win the disputed region of Kashmir, which has been a flashpoint in the two countries' relations for more than 60 years.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/Terrorism/story?id=6362605&page=1

[IndianaGreen]

16. Nope! That's not accurate! There is only one surviving attacker and..,

according to tonight's ABC News report, the goal was to trigger an India-Pakistan war.

[Vegasaurus]

18. And the one surviving terrorist said they did target Israelis

"Kasab has told police that they were sent with a specific mission of targeting Israelis to avenge atrocities on Palestinians. This was why they targetted Nariman House, a complex meant for Israelis."

Also, again, the Jewish center and Israelis have nothing at all to do with an India-Pakistan war.

Why would they deliberately target the center, and kill all the inhabitants in pre-meditated murder, if the goal was a cross country war?

Especially when the sole surviving terrorist admits that killing Israelis was a "specific mission".

[IndianaGreen]

23. India has been under recurring terrorist attacks

Ten coordinated blasts killed 26 people in the tourist town of Jaipur in May. Forty were left dead as explosions rocked the city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat state in July. When 20 people were killed in a series of coordinated bomb blasts in New Delhi in September the Indian leadership said "enough is enough" and Singh promised to fill the "vast gaps" in intelligence gathering operations.

A month later 60 people died in bombings carried out in the north-eastern state of Assam.Police budgets are strained as some states spend as little as 100 rupees (£1.30) a year on training. India does have effective special forces, such as the elite Black Cats who overcame Mumbai's militants. But some complained of arriving hours late because no plane could be found to take them from Delhi to Mumbai.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/01/mumbai-terror-attacks-india-pakistan

As much as some of you would like to make this an attack on Jews, the fact remains that being a Jew was incidental to the terrorists. Their goal was to trigger a war between India and Pakistan. This is not an I/P issue.

[oberliner]

21. This is the name of the one surviving attacker - Azam Amir Kasab

He told the police that they were sent with a specific mission of targeting Israelis to avenge atrocities on Palestinians.

The Times of India has reported on this, the link is in my post upthread.

[Vegasaurus]

6. The Chabad center was not well marked or well known

News reports indicate that most people in Mumbai did not even realize that it was there.

The fact that it was a target indicates that there were people on the ground in Mumbai who were integral in the planning and implementation of this attack.

The attacks on the Chabad center also indicates that Kashmir was not the core issue here. There would be no need to target a Jewish center or Western hotels if the issue were Kashmir.

[IndianaGreen]

17. I was known in the neighborhood. a poor neighborhood

the sort of neighborhood from which terrorists are recruited.

[Vegasaurus]

19. A lot of terrorists are middle class and educated

that "poor, pathetic" terrorist idea was thrown out years ago.

[IndianaGreen]

22. The attacker that survived never made it past a 4th grade education

according to ABC News.

[bemildred]

20. This is Bushlike in its hubris.

Olmert has done a lousy job of defending Israel, a relatively small task, and yet he blusters about protecting Jews everywhere, most of whom do not want or need his rhetorical "protection".