Thursday, November 27, 2008

Mumbai shootings: Reaction in quotes



Mumbai shootings: Reaction in quotes



 


There has been widespread international condemnation of the series of shootings across the Indian city of Mumbai in which more than 100 people have been killed and many more injured.

 

PAKISTANI PRESIDENT ASIF ALI ZARDARI

The attacks in Mumbai have claimed many innocent victims and remind us, yet again, of the threat we face from violent extremists.

Our thoughts are with the families and friends of those killed and injured. Pakistan and India will continue their joint struggles to counter the actions of terrorists.

 

PAKISTANI PRIME MINISTER YOUSUF RAZA GILANI

I condemn these attacks strongly.

We need to take strict measures to eradicate terrorism and extremism from the region while continuing with concerted efforts to make it a peaceful place to live.

 

WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY DANA PERINO

President Bush offers his condolences to the Indian people and the families of the innocent civilians killed and injured in the attacks in Mumbai, India.

The United States condemns this terrorist attack and we will continue to stand with the people of India in this time of tragedy.

This afternoon, the White House National Security Council convened officials from counter-terrorism and intelligence agencies as well as the state and defence departments.

The US government continues to monitor the situation, including the safety and security of our citizens, and stands ready to assist and support the Indian government.

 

BROOKE ANDERSON, SPOKESMAN FOR BARACK OBAMA

President-elect Obama strongly condemns today's terrorist attacks in Mumbai, and his thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, and the people of India.

These co-ordinated attacks on innocent civilians demonstrate the grave and urgent threat of terrorism.

The United States must continue to strengthen our partnerships with India and nations around the world to root out and destroy terrorist networks.

We stand with the people of India, whose democracy will prove far more resilient than the hateful ideology that led to these attacks.

 

QIN GANG, CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN

China always opposes terrorist attacks of any kind, and we express our condolences to the victims.

 

DMITRY MEDVEDEV, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT

We are concerned about the loss of life and consider that acts of terrorism of this type are harmful to the whole international order and are a challenge to humanity.

 

SPOKESMAN FOR BAN KI-MOON, UN SECRETARY GENERAL

The secretary general condemns the rash of shootings and blasts in Mumbai today, which killed and wounded a large number of people. Such violence is totally unacceptable.

The secretary general reiterates his conviction that no cause or grievance can justify indiscriminate attacks against civilians. He calls for the perpetrators to be brought to justice swiftly.

[He] sends his deepest sympathies to the families of the victims and the wounded and expresses his solidarity with the people and government of India.

 

POPE BENEDICT XVI

The Holy Father [conveys] his heartfelt condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives in these brutal attacks.

His Holiness urgently appeals for an end to all acts of terrorism, which gravely offend the human family and severely destabilise the peace and solidarity needed to build a civilization worthy of mankind's noble vocation to love God and neighbour.

 

HAMID KARZAI, AFGHAN PRESIDENT

Terrorism is a tyrant enemy which threatens all of humanity and has challenged the region of South Asia.

 

MAHINDA RAJAPAKSA, SRI LANKAN PRESIDENT

The attacks on leading hotels, hospitals and public transport in Mumbai, the business and financial capital of India, show that the terrorists are targeting an important sector of the Indian economy, with a view to destabilizing democracy in India.

 

GORDON BROWN, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER

These outrageous attacks in Mumbai will be met with a vigorous response.

I have sent a message to [Indian] Prime Minister [Manmohan] Singh that the UK stands solidly with his government as they respond, and to offer all necessary help.

Urgent action is underway to offer every possible protection to British citizens in the region.

 

KEVIN RUDD, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER

Whichever group has perpetrated this attack, they are cowards, absolute cowards, and murderers.

This cowardly attack on India's stability, peace and democracy reminds us all that international terrorism is far from defeated, and that we must all maintain our vigilance.

 

TARO ASO, JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER

This kind of terrorism is unforgivable, extremely despicable and vicious. I feel strong resentment and deeply condemn it.

Japan is with the Indian people who are fighting against terrorism and we will cooperate with the Indian government.

 

DAVID MILIBAND, UK FOREIGN SECRETARY

Today's attacks in Mumbai which have claimed many innocent victims, remind us, yet again, of the threat we face from violent extremists.

I condemn these attacks unreservedly. Our thoughts are with the families and friends of those killed and injured.

The UK and India will continue their joint efforts to counter the actions of terrorists.

 

LAWRENCE CANNON, CANADIAN FOREIGN MINISTER

Canada and India share a commitment to freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law. Among our mutual priorities is close cooperation to promote international security and to fight terrorism.










Britons trapped in Mumbai hotels




Prime Minister Gordon Brown: 'Shocked and outraged'


Britons have barricaded themselves in their rooms after gunmen stormed two luxury hotels in the Indian city of Mumbai (Bombay).

The gunmen had reportedly been seeking out UK and US passport holders.

A British businessman, who spent the night trapped in his room at a hotel, said there was "no escape".

Indian authorities claim one Briton has died but the Foreign Office said there had been no independent verification. Seven UK citizens have been injured.

The England cricket team, which is in India, has postponed the final two one-day matches against the national side.

The Foreign Office has advised against all non-essential travel to Mumbai until further notice.







FROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME







At least 101 people have been killed, and at least 300 injured, in the co-ordinated shootings in southern Mumbai.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown said it was too early to say whether Britons were among the dead.

"We will do whatever is necessary to protect British citizens and ensure the world is a safer place," he said.

"This is a horrific incident which has shocked and outraged people around the world.

"We've got to do everything we can now to help the Indian authorities."

Conservative leader David Cameron said the world must "stand together" against terrorists, adding: "We will not be cowed or bullied by these people."

'Started firing'

Police in Mumbai said the shootings at a number of high-profile locations in the main tourist and business district were co-ordinated terrorist attacks late on Wednesday.

A previously unknown group calling itself the Deccan Mujahedeen has said it carried out the attacks.

Scores of people, said to include foreign nationals, are being held hostage in the Oberoi Trident hotel.

Most guests have been brought out of the Taj Mahal hotel by soldiers amid gunfire and further explosions, but police said some remained trapped.








There's nothing we can do. It would be fool hardy to leave the room


Trapped hotel guest




Speaking from his hotel room, a British businessman, who did not want to be named for security reasons, told BBC News he had pushed the furniture against the door for protection.

He said he had heard gunshots, blasts and people running along the corridors throughout the night.

"It's not the most pleasant of experiences," he said. "I suppose it's a question of British stiff upper lip.

"There's nothing we can do. It would be foolhardy to leave the room."

Conservative MEP Sajjad Karim, who was in India's financial capital as part of a trade delegation with fellow British MEP Syed Kamall, was in the Taj Mahal hotel when it came under attack.

He told the BBC how he ran through the lobby to escape a gunman.

"There was a group of about 17 or 18 of us and another gunman appeared, he had an automatic machine gun type of weapon in his hands and he just pointed it straight at us and started firing," he said.








There was more firing, it felt like the gunman was coming towards us, I was hiding in the lift trying not to be shot


Alan Jones, British businessman in Mumbai




"People immediately in front of me and to the side of me started to fall and about three or four of us managed to somehow get away. It was all quite quick really."

British High Commissioner in India, Sir Richard Stagg, described the attacks as "mindless" and said there were likely to be more UK injured.

"We have visited most of the central hospitals where those injured have been taken and have met seven British victims who are in hospital at the moment and we understand there is likely to be some other injured of British nationality," he said.

He refused to discuss the nature of their injuries and said the identities of the hostages being held across the city were unknown.

'After foreigners'

Rakesh Patel, a businessman who was eating in the restaurant of the Taj Mahal Palace when gunmen burst in, said: "They wanted anyone with British or American passports. So I guess they were after foreigners."

Media executive Alan Jones was sprayed with blood when gunmen shot a passenger standing alongside him in a lift at the Oberoi Trident when its doors opened at the hotel's lobby.

"I'm not sure if he was shot once or twice, but he was certainly shot in the back of the leg quite badly, with blood and flesh and bone just showering us in the lift," Mr Jones said.

Mr Jones managed to close the lift's doors and escape, eventually fleeing the building to safety.

Jake Betts, a lawyer from Bristol who has been working in Mumbai since October, said his family were "prisoners" in their own home, which is close to both the Oberoi and the Taj Mahal hotels.






Guests flee from the Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai
Guests flee from the Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai

He was supposed to meet his wife in Leopold's, a popular tourist bar which came under attack, but they were in their flat when the shooting started about 2230 local time.

"We heard two or three explosions and then gunshots. We haven't slept," he said. "There were blasts and shots this morning.

"We live at the southern tip of Mumbai and there is no way for us to get north without putting ourselves in danger. It's like a military stand off - guns against guns."

British tourist Morwenna Grylls, who sought shelter in a shop when the Taj Mahal hotel came under attack, said the atmosphere in the city was "very eerie".

"We did go out briefly and everything was shut down," she said.

As news of the seriousness of the attacks came in, the British government convened an emergency meeting known as the Consular Crisis Group.

Two Red Cross experts have been dispatched to Mumbai as part of a Foreign Office rapid response team to help British families affected by the attacks.

British counter-terrorism police officers will also travel to help Indian authorities.

One British couple were evacuated from the Heritage Wing of the Taj Mahal, the tour operator Cox & Kings confirmed.

The England cricket squad will remain in Bhubaneswar, east India, until at least Friday morning as the England and Wales Cricket Board continues talks with India officials.

A second Test match is scheduled to be played in Mumbai from 19 December.

The England squad stayed at the Taj Mahal hotel two weeks ago and was due to return there ahead of the second test.

The Foreign Office has issued an emergency number for people with relatives in Mumbai: 0207 008 0000.

Do you have friends or relatives in Mumbai? You can send us your experiences using the form below:



Indian PM vows action on attacks

India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has vowed to take "whatever measures are necessary" to track down those responsible for the Mumbai attacks.

He said the perpetrators were based "outside the country" and India would not tolerate "neighbours" who provide a haven to militants targeting it.

Gunmen targeted at least seven sites in Mumbai late on Wednesday, killing at least 101 people and injuring 300.

Flames were seen rising from the roof of one hotel where people were trapped.

Elite commandos had begun an operation to free hostages at the hotel, the Oberoi-Trident, where dozens of people are said to remain trapped or held hostage, reports said.

A home ministry official said between 20 and 30 people at the hotel might still be hostages, while the owners said some 200 people were trapped inside.



Police earlier said hostages had been freed from another luxury hotel, the Taj Mahal Palace, but explosions and gunfire were still being heard by witnesses outside.

A stand-off continues at a Jewish centre, where an Israeli rabbi and his family are believed to have been taken hostage.

One militant reportedly phoned local TV from the centre offering to negotiate over the release of hostages.

In other developments:


  • The Indian navy said it was searching ships off the west coast following reports that gunmen had arrived in Mumbai by boat
  • The UK Foreign Office said a British national had died; a German, a Japanese man and an Italian are also among the dead
  • The Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Toiba, which has been blamed for past bombings in India, denied any role in the attacks

In a televised address, Mr Singh said the government "will take whatever measures are necessary to ensure the safety and security of our citizens".

He described the attacks as "well-planned and well-orchestrated... intended to create a sense of panic by choosing high profile targets and indiscriminately killing foreigners".






MUMBAI ATTACKS

Flames and black smoke billow from the Taj Mahal Palace hotel, Mumbai, on 27/11/08




The perpetrators were "based outside the country", he said, adding that they "had come with single-minded determination to create havoc in the commercial capital of the country".

India has complained in the past that attacks on its soil have been carried out by groups based in Pakistan, although relations between the two countries have improved in recent years and Pakistani leaders were swift to condemn the latest attacks.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, in New Delhi for talks, said no-one should be blamed until investigations were finished.

"Our experience in the past tells us that we should not jump to conclusions," he told Dawn television.

Amid international condemnation of the attacks, US President George W Bush telephoned Mr Singh to offer his condolences and support.

Claim of responsibility

In the attacks late on Wednesday night gunmen, using grenades and automatic weapons, targeted at least seven sites including the city's main commuter train station, a hospital and a restaurant popular with tourists.

Police say 14 police officers, 81 Indian nationals and six foreigners have been killed.

Four suspected terrorists have also been killed and nine arrested, they add.

State police chief AN Roy earlier told local television that hostages held by the gunmen at the Taj Mahal Palace hotel - one of Mumbai's most famous hotels - had been freed.

 





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People escaping from the Taj Mahal Palace hotel


Witnesses said civilians could be seen running from the hotel, some with suitcases. Ambulances were also reported to be arriving.

But the BBC's Mark Dummett, outside the Taj Mahal, says the situation has since become very confused, with the sounds of explosions and gunfire being heard from within the hotel, suggesting the siege is not yet over.

Earlier in the day, Indian commandos had been seen entering the hotels but there was little detail on the operation.

Meanwhile, the bosses of the Oberoi-Trident hotel say some 200 guests may still trapped in their rooms.

Earlier eyewitness reports from the hotels suggested the attackers were singling out British and American passport holders.

If the reports are true, our security correspondent Frank Gardner says it implies an Islamist motive - attacks inspired or co-ordinated by al-Qaeda.

A claim of responsibility has been made by a previously unknown group calling itself the Deccan Mujahideen. Our correspondent says it could be a hoax or assumed name for another group.


 Map of Mumbai showing location of attacks


 


 




Are you in the region? Have you witnessed the attacks? Contact us using the form below or send us your text messages to +44 7624 800 100










India bullish over England Tests







By Simon Austin


Sign outside the England hotel in Bhubaneswar
Soldiers on guard outside England's team hotel in Bhubaneswar


England's two-Test series against India in December will go ahead despite terror attacks in Mumbai, India cricket chief Lalit Modi has claimed.

But the England and Wales Cricket Board is yet to confirm this and is set to make an announcement later.

"We have been in touch with the ECB and the Test series is going on as scheduled," Modi told BBC Sport.

"There will be a change in the Mumbai venue (for the second Test) and we are looking at a new venue."

It had been thought that the remaining two matches of the one-day series had been cancelled, although Modi said he still hoped the series could be completed.

"The ECB are asking us to suggest something," he said.

"The problem is the timings. To reschedule we need to find new grounds and a whole new infrastructure but we are examining this and an answer will be available on Thursday."





Modi, the vice president of the Indian Board, said he hoped to make an announcement later on Thursday about a new venue for the second Test, which is scheduled to start on 19 December.

"We are working on this as we speak," Modi, who is also head of the Indian Premier League and the Champions League, added.

"We are looking at somewhere in the south of India, because of the weather conditions. We need to come up with the right venue and are working hard to get that by this evening.

"The ECB is very happy with that resolution and are on the same page as us."

The first Test will start, as planned, in Ahmedabad on 11 December, Modi added.

England's squad have remained in Bhubaneswar, which is 850 miles from Mumbai, where the terror attacks took place.





Lalit Modi and Kevin Pietersen
Modi is confident about the safety of England players such as Pietersen

BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew, who is staying at the same hotel as the players, said he believed the situation was still up in the air, despite Modi's comments.

"The feeling is that were the players to leave India now, they probably wouldn't return to play these matches, so the BCCI is trying to apply some pressure now," Agnew said.

"I understand that England's players are of a belief that they are going to go home."

However, Modi insisted "the safety of the players is not an issue" and said ECB chairman Giles Clarke was "very happy" with the arrangements made for the Test series.

Gunmen have carried out a series of co-ordinated attacks across Mumbai, killing at least 101 people, injuring 287 more and taking Westerners hostage.

The inaugural Champions League, which was due to start on Wednesday and includes Middlesex, has also been postponed.

Modi said work was under way to reschedule this tournament as well.

ECB managing director Hugh Morris denied the ECB had requested the cancellation of the Test series and said he would await a security report before making any decisions.

"The safety and security of the team is of the utmost importance to the ECB," Morris said.

"We will be taking all necessary steps to ensure the safety and security of the team.





India map
England were due to play two more one-dayers and two Tests

"I have briefed the England players and management on the situation as well as liaising closely with the ECB chairman (Giles Clarke) and chief executive (David Collier) and the players' representatives."

However, the England performance squad will travel home immediately from its base in Bangalore.

The team, which includes former England skipper Michael Vaughan and Monty Panesar, was scheduled to play a match in Mumbai on 11 December.

An International Cricket Council official told BBC Sport that the governing body was reluctant to involve itself in negotiations between England and India.

"We would only become involved in terms of the bilateral touring situation if there was a disagreement between the sides in which case there would be an independent security adviser," he said.

"If England get some sort of Foreign Office guidance they might then choose to go [home] and if India say that's not good enough then we might get involved."

One of the luxury hotels attacked, the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, was where the England squad stayed two weeks ago and they were due to return on 16 December ahead of the second Test.


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