Mumbai Attack VI

'Rescue efforts had hit language barrier'

CHANDIGARH: As a member of the National Security Guards team that cracked down on terrorists in Mumbai, Sunil Kumar Yadav, the 29-year-old Armyman
from Pataudi is out of danger, but he is still fighting the demons of post-26/11.

Yadav, who is recuperating from injuries he suffered during the operation at the Taj hotel, says while fighting the terrorists, hitting a language barrier was something the ace NSG commandos least expected. "More than killing the terrorists, it was rescuing a foreigner that proved to be difficult,'' Yadav told TOI on Tuesday.

Home again, the Haryana commando, who spent six of his eight years of service in Army in Jammu & Kashmir, recalled the hours inside the Taj. "This (foreigner) lady was causing quite a tumult inside the room but wouldn't open the door. So, we had to break it open. We found her huddled under the bed. But she refused to come out, taking us for terrorists. I had to summon a guide from the hotel to explain things to her,'' he says.

Rated as one of the best NSG commandos within a year of his duty with the organisation, Yadav and his team rescued more than 150 hostages from the Taj. "Inside (the hotel), it was worse than encounters we have in the Kashmir valley. We had no idea which rooms the terrorists were in and saving the civilians was a priority."

Part of the team led by Maj Sandeep Unnikrishanan, Yadav was the first commando to get injured in the operation. "On the (November) 27th evening, a woman was injured in the terrorist attack on the third floor. I was hit while trying to pull her to saftey. Two bullets hit my ribs and another crossed through my jacket.'' He has only one regret, he couldn't fight for his country till the end.

"We are proud of him," says his mother Rajesh Yadav, adding, "My heart started beating fast when I came to know that he had been shot. I wanted to fly out to be with him.''

For now, the braveheart is happy to be with his family and a two-year-old son. But he secretly hopes he recovers soon and goes back to doing what he does the best

Mumbai Attack V

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said there was no evidence that the newly-banned Jamaat-ud-Dawa, a front for the
terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), was engaged in any acts of violence, the Dawn reported on Sunday.

"If there is evidence (of terror activities) we will take action," Qureshi told reporters in Paris when asked about the Jamaat, which was listed as a terror outfit by the UN on Wednesday. India has blamed the LeT for the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai.

"They're running schools, hospitals, dispensaries... but if this organisation or elements in it are getting into a mode of violence", then authorities will take action, Qureshi was quoted by Dawn as saying to a news agency.

He also rejected Indian accusations that Pakistan was the "epicentre of terrorism" and accused some Indian leaders of using it as a convenient scapegoat for their own political agendas.

"Because of domestic political compulsions, some Indian leaders have been looking for a scapegoat" for the recent Mumbai attacks, reacting to the accusation of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and opposition leader L K Advani in Parliament that Pakistan is the "epicentre of terrorism".

"And when you want a scapegoat, Pakistan is (for historical reasons) the obvious choice," Qureshi told reporters, adding that "we have to rise above our petty politics for the larger interest of the region".

Qureshi said Islamabad was at the forefront of the global fight against terror and noted that "India does not blame the Pakistani government" for last month's carnage in Mumbai that left more than 170 people dead, Dawn reported.

He said Islamabad had offered to send a high-level team to carry out a joint probe with India into the attacks.

"We've made an offer. We're waiting for their response."

He strongly deplored the Mumbai attacks and said "we have extended our sympathy to the Indian government and its people on the Mumbai carnage many times", Geo TV reported.

He said both India and Pakistan have equally fallen victim to terrorism but "considering Pakistan as responsible for terrorism in the region would not help curb this menace", and added that "India knows Pakistan's sacrifices that it laid down in combating terrorism".

He also said that maintaining India-Pakistan friendship was in "the greatest interest of the progress, prosperity and peace in the region".

Mumbai Attack IV

ISI not involved in Mumbai attacks: FBI

Wednesday, December 17, 2008
WASHINGTON The US investigators probing Mumbai attack have concluded after quizzing the lone captured terrorist Ajmal Amir Kasab that there was no involvement of Inter Services Intelligence in the carnage.

According to sources, Federal Bureau of Investigation personnel were allowed to interrogate Kasab for nine hours during which they were able to establish that he was a Pakistan national.

The source said FBI investigations have further established that the attackers had reached Mumbai from Pakistan, where the plan was allegedly hatched and the terrorists were provided necessary training by Laskar-e-Taiba.

Based on Indian example of allowing FBI to probe Kasab, the US and UK are now pressuring Pakistan to allow their investigators to grill those arrested by Pakistani authorities.

Besides, the renewed US pressure on Pakistan government to rein in ISI, the sources said, was because of previous involvement of ISI in ‘questionable activities’.

Mumbai Attack III

First pictures of fake IDs used by terrorists

Mumbai Attack II

In the pipeline: Commando strike through stormwater drains

CHENNAI: Devising strategies to quell possible terrorist attacks, Tamil Nadu's commandos are even looking at underground pipes storm water and
sewage drains to move from one point in the city to another in case of a terror attack that blocks roads.

"The Mumbai attack has made us think of new threats and new possibilities. We are studying the possibility of using the city's underground pipelines, especially storm water drains that are empty when there is no rain, to send our commandos into combat. Terrorists sometimes create roadblocks around the core area of their attack, making movement on the surface difficult. Moreover, the only government helicopter in the state is out of bounds for the police and commandos," a police official told TOI.

Metrowater has a maze of 6,000 km of pipes, including sewer lines and drinking water pipes, and the Chennai Corporation maintains 900 km of storm water drains. Corporation commissioner Rajesh Lakhoni and Metrowater managing director Sunil Paliwal said they had not received any official communication from the home department, but would be happy to share the city's underground map with security agencies.

"We've started preparing a geographical information system, which would provide the entire underground data of the city in a digital format. To be completed in a couple of years, this could be useful for the security agencies. About 300 km of storm water drains have diameter of 3x3 ft to 5x5 ft through which a person can pass," Lakhoni said.

Paliwal said sewage lines might not be ideal for use by commandos. "Big sewage lines are only 900 cm in diameter and may have, besides sewage, poisonous gases such as methane, carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulphide. We may have to rid the pipes of these obstructions if they are to be used for the movement of people," he said.

An official involved in training said commandos were trained to pass through such confined spaces and had masks to protect them from noxious gases. As storm water drains enabled easier movement, the use of sewage pipes would only be in extreme cases, he added

Mumbai Attack I

All terrorists in Mumbai attack identified
Mumbai: All 10 terrorists who struck at Mumbai last month have been identified, police officials said here on Tuesday.

Mumbai joint police commissioner (Crime) Rakesh Maria released eight photographs of the terrorists and their identities in the evening.

One picture was not released since the body of the terrorist - involved in the attack at the Taj hotel - was burnt beyond recognition. His name has been given as Umar and his body was thrown down after the gun battle with the National Security Guard (NSG) commandos on November 27.

Mumbai terror attack special

The lone terrorist captured alive, Mohammed Ajmal Amir, was initially identified as 'Kasab,' and he quickly became the face of the Mumbai terror attacks.

His associate, now identified as Ismail Khan, was shot dead by the police near Chowpatty in south Mumbai during the early hours of November 27.

Ismail Khan's picture and actions were also captured on some closed circuit TVs installed at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) before he escaped with Amir to the nearby Cama and Albless Hospital, then to Metro cinema hall, from there to Nariman Point and finally to Chowpatty.

JeM chief Masood Azhar under house arrest

The three who laid siege at the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel were: Bada Abdul Rehaman, Abu Ali and Abu Soheb. The Taj operation was the longest and bloodiest of all at the 13 sites which were attacked during the terror strike.

The duo killed at Nariman House in Colaba, where they laid a bloody siege to a Jewish place of worship, necessitating airdropping of commandos, are identified as Nasir alias Abu Umer and Babar Imaran alias Abu Akasha.

The two terrorists killed in the attack at the Oberoi Trident Hotel have been identified as Fahad Ullah and Abdul Rehaman Chhota.

Further investigations are underway to get the full background details of the nine killed terrorists, their associates and probably local support.

Total terrorists 10 - nine killed, one arrested:

They are: Bada Abdul Rehaman, Abu Ali, Abu Soheb - all involved in the attack at the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel in south Mumbai; Abdul Rehaman Chhota, Fahad Ullah - both involved in the attack on the Oberoi Trident Hotel at Nariman Point;

Ismail Khan - the terrorist involved in the attack at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus along with his associate Mohammed Ajmal Amir, (who was nabbed alive by the police);

Nasir alias Abu Umer and Babar Imaran alias Abu Akasha - involved in the siege at Nariman House at Colaba, where they attacked a Jewish place of worship.

Mumbai Attack

Email after attackThe email claiming the responsibility for the November 26 Mumbai terror strikes was sent from Pakistan and not from Russia, said ethical hacker and cyber security expert Ankit Fadia.
Initially a report had said the e-mail has been traced to a fictitious IP address in Russia. But some hawkish elements in Pakistan sent these mails through proxy-servers of Russia and Saudi Arabia, Fadia told reporters here.

The mail was sent by terror outfit "Deccan Mujahideen" claiming responsibility of the Mumbai carnage followed by mails threatening to carry out more attacks in Indian.

Fadia said he has been regularly consulted by security agencies for breaking encrypted messages and this time too, the Mumbai Police consulted him to trace these mails which were sent soon after the Mumbai terror attacks.

The Navi Mumbai Police department had earlier consulted him to trace the terror email sent just a few minutes before the Ahmedabad serial blasts in August this year, he said.

Fadia, who is here to attend a seminar, said that globally, there's been a tremendous rise in cyber crime--almost a ten-fold increase in the last five years.

"The threat from cyber terrorism is very real. But there is very little response from the government. India is not yet fully prepared for such an attack," he said.

"A single computer intrusion through cyber terrorism can within minutes cause losses amounting to millions of dollars," he said. It is high time, the Centre initiates concrete measures in this regard, Fadia said.

Section 49-O (India)

Hi,
Section 49-O of the Constitution -

Did you know that there is a system in our constitution, as per the 1969 act, in section "49-O" that a person can go to the polling booth, confirm his identity, get his finger marked and convey the presiding election officer that he doesn't want to vote anyone!

Yes such a feature is available, but obviously these seemingly notorious leaders have never disclosed it. This is called "49-O".

Why should you go and say "I VOTE NOBODY"... because, in a ward, if a candidate wins, say by 123 votes, and that particular ward has received "49-O" votes more than 123, then that
• polling will be cancelled and
• Will have to be re-polled.
• Not only that, but the candidature of the contestants will be removed and they cannot contest the re-polling, since people had already expressed their decision on them.
This would bring fear into parties and hence look for genuine candidates for their parties for election. This would change the way, of our whole political system... it is seemingly surprising why the election commission has not revealed such a feature to the public....

Please spread this news to as many as you know...
Seems to be a wonderful weapon against corrupt parties in India ...
show your power, expressing your desire not to vote for anybody,
is even more powerful than voting... so don't miss your chance.
So either vote, or vote not to vote (vote 49-O) and pass this info on...

"Please forward this message to as many as possible, so that we, the people of India , can really use this power to save our nation".

Use your vote right for a better INDIA

I & U

Introduction to Heart Disease

What is Heart Disease?

The term heart disease actually applies to a number of illnesses that affect the circulatory system, which consists of heart and blood vessels. It is intended to deal here only with the condition commonly called "Heart Attack" and the factors, which lead to such condition.

Heart attack is the popular term for sudden pain in chest with breathing difficulty arising out of certain heart conditions. Heart attacks can be suddenly fatal, but the great majority- an estimated 85 percent are not. The patient recovers under proper treatment and goes on to live many useful years.

Like all muscles and organs of the body, the heart also needs nourishment and food which it gets thorough its own arterial system. The arteries, which supply blood to the heart muscle, may lead to impairment of its function. The sudden narrowing of the artery may result in the sudden stoppage of blood supply to the heart muscle. Such attacks of narrowing of arteries are called angina. If the damage takes place it is called infarction.

Infarction can also occur because of a blood clot, big enough to interfere with blood supply, is formed in the coronary artery. This formation of blood clot is called trombosis and the clot itself is known a thrombus. The term coronary heart disease is usually applied to diseases of the heart secondary to defective or interrupted supply of blood to the heart muscles through the coronary arteries.

Besides the sudden narrowing of coronary arteries such as in anginal attacks or thrombosis the blood supply to heart muscle could also be impaired by certain long term and (chronic) conditions like arteriosclerosis and atherosclerosis.

Arteriosclerosis is a condition when certain arteries (may be all) start losing their elasticity and their walls, due to some unknown factors, become thickened and hardened. When this happens. Blood pressure inside the arteries tends to become high and which in its wake puts more stress and strain on heart.

Recent researches in connection with heart diseases have demonstrated a high correlation between fats in the diet, cholesterol level and atherosclerosis. Cholesterol is fat like substance found in animal fats, oils and some tissues of the human body.


Some Early Signs Of The Heart Trouble


It has been said earlier that any disturbance in the supply of blood to heart muscle leads to its functional impairment.

It will be useful to discuss here such factors, which may lead to disturbances in the supply of blood to heart muscles. Certain conditions increase the strains on the heart. Among these are lack of rest, over exertion or prolonged hard labor which create an excessive body demand for oxygen that the heart, muscle must supply through pumping more blood. If the blood vessels are inelastic on account of arteriosclerosis fibrous thickening or narrowing of passage (atherosclerosis) additional work on the part of the heart will be needed to push blood through these vessels. Other indirect factors that may result in causing disturbance in blood supply are indigestion of food, anger and other emotional excitements.

There are some early symptoms, which may be important to watch for. Their appearance calls for a visit to the doctor for a check up. The symptoms are:


1. Dizzy spell or fainting fits
2. Discomfort following meals, especially if long continued.
3. Shortness of breath, after slight exertion.
4. Fatigue with out otherwise explained origin.
5. Pain or tightness in the chest a common sign of coronary insufficiency is usually constrictive in nature and is located behind the chest bone with radiation into the arms or a sense of numbness or a severe pain in the center of the chest
6. Palpitation

Some causative factors of heart trouble

Heart disease has been more frequently found in certain persons who show peculiar personality physical and mental traits. It will therefore, be worthwhile to discuss these factors. Coronary heart disease is considered to have multiple causative factors i.e., no one single factor perhaps could be identified as one causing a heart attack.


Heredity - There is ample evidence to show that incidence of heart disease is more in persons whose direct predecessors like fathers, grandfathers, mothers, brothers have suffered from similar disease. Coronary artery disease is found to run mainly in families. A strong family history of the disease is important in diagnosis.


Stress- Heart disease has often been identified with certain personality patterns. It is labelled as personality disease or a high executive disease, that is, it strikes persons with a certain personality. A certain study has shown that there was four times as much coronary disease among aggressive type of individuals.

In addition to this other factors such as family responsibilities, interpersonal relationship, financial worries, leisure interests, habits of eating drinking and smoking etc. may play a part that may effect one's heart.


Smoking - It has been found by some workers that death rate among those who had heart attack was 50-150 percent higher in those who were heavy cigarette smoker than non-smokers.

Physical Exercise - There is a fairly general trend towards encouraging regular physical effort of a kind suited to age and condition of the person concerned. As a preventive as well as a remedial measure exercise is of great importance. There is abundant evidence to suggest that a stressful sedentary life without much exercise provides a situation fraught with coronary danger. Death rate from coronary heart disease is lower among those who do strenuous physical work.

Even for patients, who have survived coronary attacks, there has lately been a change in the thinking in marked contrast in earlier ideas. The doctors are now a day advocating, after the initial prescribed rest, walking up the stairs, going on hikes, bicycles and other forms of exercise. The quantum of exercise in each case must of course be decided by the attending physician.


Diet and obesity - Certain studies have shown 50 percent increase in heart attacks in employees who were over weight similarly diet and amount of fat are matter of vital importance in incidence of heart disease. The sound advice which could be given is to lead a life of moderation in matter of diet and activity an also to avoid obesity. Large fatty meals and strenuous exercise after them is not conducive to a healthy heart.

Saturated fats are likely of animal origin like whole milk, cream, butter, cheese meat, fat, etc. They raise blood cholesterol level. On the other hand unsaturated fats are of vegetable origin and they tend to lower blood cholesterol levels like maize oil, cottonseed oil sunflower oil and fat of fish.

Heart Attack
(Myocardial Infarction)
What is a heart attack?
A heart attack (myocardial infarction) is the death of heart muscle due to the loss of blood supply. Usually, the loss of blood supply is caused by a complete blockage of a coronary artery(an artery that supplies blood to the heart muscle) by a blood clot.

What are the features of a heart attack?
Pain: is the cardinal symptom of a heart attack. The pain is often described as a tightness or heaviness in the chest. It is often severe enough to be the worst pain that can be experienced. the usual location of the pain is in the center of the chest but it frequently radiates to the left arm or the jaw.

Some heart attacks though can pass unrecognized; these painless attacks are called as ‘silent infarcts’ and are particularly common in diabetics.

Anxiety: fear of impending death.
Breathlessness,
Nausea and vomiting,
Sweating, pallor and a fast pulse.

Sudden death: loss of blood supply disturbs the orderly transmission of electrical impulses in the heart and as a result the heart stops to effectively pump blood. Permanent brain damage and death can occur unless oxygenated blood flow is restored within five minutes. Approximately 40% of people suffering a heart attack die before reaching to the hospital.

What causes a heart attack?
A heart attack is almost always caused by the formation of a blood clot on a cholesterol plaque located on the inner wall of an artery to the heart (coronary artery). It is believed that the process of formation of these plaques starts in the late teens. Over a period of time the accumulation of cholesterol plaque causes thickening of the artery walls and narrowing of the arteries; a process called atherosclerosis.

Ultimately, the arteries narrow to an extent where they are unable to supply enough blood to the heart muscle during periods of increased demand like during exercise or excitement. This results in a condition called ischemia which leads to chest pain called as angina.

Occasionally, however, for unknown reasons, the surface of the cholesterol plaque can become sticky, causing blood clotting. When a blood clot forms on top of this plaque, the artery becomes completely blocked, causing death of the heart muscle (heart attack).

Many factors have been found to influence this plaque formation. It can be accelerated by smoking, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, and diabetes. Whereas, factors like exercise, low fat diet, avoiding stress seem to help in retarding this process.