Mumbai attacks: How US, Britain, and Indian spy agencies failed to connect the dots

This article was posted on New York Times and was written
By JAMES GLANZ, SEBASTIAN ROTELLA and DAVID E. SANGER


In the fall of 2008, a 30-year-old computer expert named Zarrar Shah roamed from outposts in the northern mountains of Pakistan to safe houses near the Arabian Sea, plotting mayhem in Mumbai, India’s commercial gem.

Mr. Shah, the technology chief of Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Pakistani terror group, and fellow conspirators used Google Earth to show militants the routes to their targets in the city. He set up an Internet phone system to disguise his location by routing his calls through New Jersey. Shortly before an assault that would kill 166 people, including six Americans, Mr. Shah searched online for a Jewish hostel and two luxury hotels, all sites of the eventual carnage.

But he did not know that by September, the British were spying on many of his online activities, tracking his Internet searches and messages, according to former American and Indian officials and classified documents disclosed by Edward J. Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor.

They were not the only spies watching. Mr. Shah drew similar scrutiny from an Indian intelligence agency, according to a former official briefed on the operation. The United States was unaware of the two agencies’ efforts, American officials say, but had picked up signs of a plot through other electronic and human sources, and warned Indian security officials several times in the months before the attack.

Harley Davidson's Upcoming Electric Bike In Pics

1962 India-China War Report: TNN

A confidential file regarding the 1962 India-China war has been leaked and here is a story published in the Times of India that reveals many unknown aspect of the war.


TNN Report:

The conventional narrative in India about the 1962 war has largely revolved around portraying the Chinese as the unbridled "aggressors", who ripped apart the nascent "Hindi-Chini bhai-bhai" construct forever. The reality is slightly different.

True, China was nibbling away at what India perceived to be its territory both in Ladakh and North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA), as Arunachal Pradesh was then called, to consolidate its hold on Tibet. But what provoked Mao-led China to launch a full-blown military invasion into India on October 20, 1962 was the Nehru government's ill-conceived and poorly executed Forward Policy, set in motion almost a year ago in November-December 1961.

Already smarting from the Dalai Lama's escape to India in early 1959 and the bitter exchanges over the Mc-Mahon Line, which it considered to be a "legacy of British imperialism", China decided to teach India "a lesson" it would never forget through the one-month war. The Henderson Brooks-P S Bhagat report on the 1962 military debacle, kept firmly under lock and key by the Indian government for the last 50 years, makes it clear the "unsound" Forward Policy — directing Indian troops to patrol, "show the flag" and establish posts "as far forward as possible" from the then existing positions —"precipitated matters", sources say.

Nine Biggest Aviation Mystery Accidents

Hi readers. Here are nine top mysteries in the history of aviation. This was published on CNN.com.

Nine aviation mysteries highlight long history of plane disappearances

By Faith Karimi

While such situations are rare, the puzzling disappearance of Malaysia Flight 370 is not the first time a plane has vanished without a trace. Here are nine cases of mysterious plane disappearances and disasters. Some remain unsolved, decades later.

2014: Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The Boeing 777 passenger jet vanished early Saturday, about an hour into its flight from the Malaysian capital to Beijing. There was no distress call before contact with it was lost over the sea between Malaysia and Vietnam. Search teams from various nations are combing the waters on the Malay Peninsula for traces of it, but so far, nothing has been found. The mystery over the fate of the jet and the 239 people aboard has baffled government officials and aviation experts.

Astrologers look to the stars to help Indian businesses: BBC

By Rahul Tandon BBC News, Delhi

It is another busy day for Abhishek Dhawan in Delhi. His phone has not stopped ringing and he has a series of business meetings.

Many of his business clients want to know when is the best time to release their products.

Abhishek has been studying a number of factors and charts to try to help them. But he is not a marketing guru or an economist - he is an astrologer and he uses the position of the stars and the planets as a guide to help businesses maximise their profits.

Traditionally, astrologers have helped set wedding dates or check if the stars of potential brides and grooms match up.

It is a multimillion-dollar industry that is part of everyday life in the world's largest democracy.

But now they offer a whole series of different services as well.

Go online and you will find astrologers telling you which shares to buy, while others will help you predict which way the rupee is going to move or the price of gold.

Not everyone is a believer though.

SEBI, the Securities and Exchange Board of India, the organisation that regulates the country's stock market, has warned investors "not to be guided by astrological predictions on share prices and market movements".

'Auspicious date'

But many here are ignoring that advice.

And that is good news for the likes of Abhishek Dhawan. His company, ask.ganesha.com, has seen the number of business clients double in the past year.

Many other online astrology companies have recorded similar growth.

He tells me: "Many businesses in India consult astrologers before launching a product as they need to know an auspicious date."

He pauses for a moment and then smiles as he says: "If the forces of nature are with you, you will have a better life - if they are against you then it will be a struggle."

When I ask Abhishek what his success rate is, he answers immediately. "Eighty per cent - this is like a science and when we make mistakes it is because people do not provide us with the correct information."

A palm reader and posters advertising his services Many Indian firms will consult an astrologer before launching a product

So how widespread is the use of astrology in the financial sector?

Good luck - or not?

Ramjit Ray runs a corporate communications company in Calcutta and helps some of India's largest companies market their products.

"Many companies will consult an astrologer before they name a brand," he says.

"They will want to know how many letters it should have and whether the name is going to bring them luck or not.

"Even when we are doing a large event, sometimes we will have to consult an astrologer before deciding where we place a stage."

Ramjit, who is in his early 40s, is an example of the new successful young Indian businessman. So what does he make of the use of astrology in the modern world of Indian business?

"It is an important part of our lives," he tells me unhesitatingly.

"And it is based on a logic which is related to the way that we live our lives through our religion."

'No scientific basis to it'

Not far from Ramjit's office, a group of business students is having a cup of tea.

Astrology is not part of their course, and when I ask them if they would ever use astrology for their business decisions they look at me as if I were mad.
Astrologer Abhishek Dhawan Abhishek Dhawan says his astrology is 'like a science'

"For me, astrology is not a factor. I would rather look at other factors like the market scenario," says Raj, one of the students.

Before I can ask him another question, his friend Alok stops sipping his tea and adds: "No way would I ever consult an astrologer - it has no scientific base to it at all."

As I walk away I can hear some of his friends murmuring: "Ridiculous, who would ever consult an astrologer on serious financial matters?"

But there is the question of whether these students' views really do reflect a changing attitude towards astrology.

Business analyst Mudar Patherya is sceptical that a new generation of Indian business leaders will turn their backs on this ancient tradition.

"Yes, there are some who think that it is all mumbo-jumbo," he says.

"But there are many others who believe that there is a science to astrology and that if you plan what you do according to the stars or the planets, your investment or product will be profitable."
Astrologer and two clients Astrology may be unscientific to many, but others are keen to seek guidance from the stars

That is good news for astrologers like Abhishek Dhawan. Every day he gets new requests.

His latest one is what colour a company should use to brand its new product - do the stars recommend blue for success?

He is getting ready to turn his phone off for the day and go home. Before he does - maybe I should get some financial advice.

Now, what time was I born...?

In Depth: The situation in Ukraine

If you are wondering about what is happening in between Russia and Ukraine, here is an interesting article on Washington Post that will definitely illuminate you.

How Ukraine got where it is today, in 486 words

BY TERRI RUPAR, Washington Post

The roots of the current standoff in Crimea go back a few days, and weeks, and years, and centuries. Here's a look at how the situation evolved; my 486 words, not counting captions, start now:

A Russian service member guards the Belbek airport on Tuesday. (Vasily Fedosenko/Reuters)

A Russian service member guards the Belbek airport Tuesday. (Vasily Fedosenko/Reuters)

What has happened in the past few days

Thousands of Russian troops have entered Crimea, a peninsular portion of Ukraine with strong ties to Russia and which is home to Russia’s Black Sea fleet. Ukraine’s interim government has called this an invasion, and U.S. and European officials have warned Russia that it will face consequences if it doesn’t withdraw. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the troops aren’t Russian but that he has the right to send in troops.

What happened in the previous two weeks

Protests (explained below) in the capital of Kiev had looked like they were dying down, but then a measure in parliament to limit the president’s powers stalled. Protesters were angered, and police responded; scores were killed over the next few days.

Protest leaders and then-President Viktor Yanukovych came up with a deal to hold elections in December. Parliament also took action, slashing a lot of the powers the president had.

As the opposition gained power, Yanukovych fled Kiev for Russia. Photos of his mansion and fabulous car collection went viral. Yanukovych insists that he’s still president, but the opposition has set up an interim government and set elections for May 25.

What happened three months before that

Yanukovych announced that Ukraine would seek increased cooperation with Russia, a sign he was moving away from Europe. This angered some Ukrainians, and they took to the streets in Kiev’s Independence Square, also called the Maidan. Protests largely took place in Kiev and in other cities in the Europe-leaning western part of Ukraine.

What happened nine years before that

In 2004, Yanukovych won a flawed presidential election, and Ukrainians filled the streets to protest. Thousands demonstrated in what was known as the Orange Revolution. A new vote was ordered, and Yanukovych lost. (He won the presidency in 2010, however.)

What happened 22 years before that

Ukraine got its independence when the Soviet Union collapsed through a 1991 referendum. The country is about as big as Texas with about twice half as many people.(Corrected March 5, 7:20 a.m.) At that point, 54 percent of voters in Crimea favored independence from Russia. The peninsula created its own constitution and legislature and has a significant amount of autonomy.

What happened about four decades before that

In what was considered a gesture of goodwill, in 1954, the Soviet Union transferred ownership of Crimea to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, which was formed in 1922.

What happened two centuries before that

Catherine the Great, in the late 1700s, developed coal and iron industries in what is now the eastern part of Ukraine. She later took the west on as well, but she and other Russian rulers were mostly focused on the fertile land of the east, compared with the forests of the west. Russians moved into southeastern Ukraine to battle the Ottoman Empire and banned the Ukrainian language. Russia managed to keep the peninsula as part of its territory even after losing the Crimean War.

Friday 13, 2013

What a day it was. On this day India saw sentencing of four accused in the most heinous case of gang rape of a 23 old girl; all the accused were sentenced to death. In contrast, the day also saw release of Grand Masti - a comedy movie whose plot seems obvious from its name itself. This happened in a country whose National Father once showed us three monkeys - one taught us not to speak bad, another not to hear bad, third told us not to see bad. On one hand we protested the gang rape and talked about Sanskar but on the other we watch a movie which lies on vulgarism. I had seen people using filth language (five of ten words) and they don't care how that going to impact the sub-conscious minds of children.

Anyway, the day also saw Narendra Modi's anointment as the PM candidate of BJP and the Voyager I's exit from the solar system itself. Advani would have been thinking "Wish I could send Modi with Voyager I..."