If India's response is anything other than a) making like difficult for common man and b) increasing security for the politicians who are already in Z class category security – I would be surprised is an understatement!

It's very unfortunate that India has found a convenient scapegoat in Pakistan. Last year when Samjoha Express was bombed, India as usual rushed to blame Pakistan whereas it was very recently discovered that an Indian Army colonel was responsible for the bombing. I hope the western media is just to Pakistan.

Greetings,
To answer your question about why you are not being allowed to go closer now, I would think that the obvious reason being the actual report of the damage done by 10 militants who were too much for the forces to handle,though the later were 40 times in the number, would raise many questions and it would be tough to answer them.
Indian political system is completely hollowed to such an extent that the the government of the people, by the people is too busy saving face instead serving the people who shell out hard earned money in taxes.
No matter how much pomp and show is created now, the fact remains that the complete mumbai terrorist seige was a hard slap on the face of indian bureuocrats who had tough time managing the situation. what was being done when the people were being slaugheterd in the early hours of the seige?
The actual question remains – How many were actually saved by the Armed forced during the operation ?
What happend to the so called hostage situation and what about the terrorists using the hostages as shields ? none of this was present in either of the operations except in the Nariman house,there too Its not known if the hostages on fourth floor were killed by the blast or by the terrorists.
It was a simple 'Kill when you can' situation and hotages were not taken the shield or for negotiations, or maybe we didn't hear about it.And this leaves the government with lots to answer about the effectiveness of the training of the so called elite commandos who took 7-8 hours to eradicate 2 poorly positioned terrorists in nariman house, also remarkable is the event of trying to remove curtains from second floor using the bamboos, nothing more needs to be said.
The complete operation was severly delayed, under planned and ad-hoc with the operating agencies not having the floor layout maps and initial briefing about the location and action plan.
Why the combing was not done at once in all the floors od Taj Hotel? Were commandos too scared to move in group of 5-7 on each floor ?
Now we know that in Hotel Taj there were only 4 terrorists. Can we answer how many specially trained elite commandos it takes to neutralize such a threat ?
On top of all this the scene of massacre would dishearten anyone of the faith ,so bear with them while they clean the premises and maintain the good operation status on part of the agencies.

Wow..now that is just..disturbing indeed..
It probally was because the Indian government/police had no real controll over the situation at the moment, they simply lacked the central control authority over the situation you see in other countries, like the US for example. And now they try to show some sort of "control" to make them look proffesional.
That being said, i aswell, watching the live coverage from CNN and CNN-IBN, was wondering how authorities could allow people THAT close during the attacks...It strikes me that it was more luck than skill on the police/governments part that not more people got injured outside the hotels during this tragedy.
Saw you was wearing a bulletproof vest during the coverage later on, very smart move indeed :)
Better to play it safe and live another day to tell more stories, than being a fool and try to get the "big" news and end up injured/dead.

Kyrre, Norway

welcome to india.

Sounds ironic, now when there;s no danger they are "'carding" you.
I remember you saying on air how you almost got inside the hotel and noone stoped you.

Anyway, just wanted to say Sara did an amazing job in Mumbai, among the explotions, gun fire and crazy people attacking you. You never looked scared and gave your all to the story. Great job Sara, CNN has a real asset in you.

given how stretched the police was – weren't there 9 or10 attacks? – it would make sense that they had better things to worry about than baby-sitting nosy journalists.

Sara, thank you for sharing this experience with us. I hope that the questions you pose will help make it safer for journalists in future situations like Mumbai. Well done!

they simply lacked the central control authority over the situation you see in other countries, like the US for example. And now they try to show some sort of “control” to make them look proffesional.

Yeah right – we could see that "control" during 9/11 and then again during Katrina ...

It's wild that they are now carding you. I watched most of the coverage and I couldn't believe how close you & others were to the Taj. It seems the Indian authorities were simply unprepared for that large of an attack, and perhaps, very understaffed.

Your reporting was excellent during the entire ordeal. I also wanted to add that I don't blame you one bit for tearing up when reporting the couple from Chicago made it out alive. I teared up as well! It was an emotional few days...

I was wondering if you could comment about all the dogs that were barking and howling toward the end of the standoff. Maybe they were there all along, and I missed them, but it seemed to me they suddenly came out of nowhere and were also very glad it was almost over. :)

I think all of you who are in West are too scared to fight hand to hand with these terrorists, but prefer to use the technology to beat them and no longer remember 9/11 or Madrid boombings when any one can walk up to that place. It is rather stupidity to go so close to battle zone when you know whats happning at that place.

I just wanted to comment on the wonderful reporting done by Sara Sidner in Mumbai during the terrorists attacks. She is a wonderful asset to CNN. Dont ever let her go.She did a most amazing job. Great job Sara.

I suppose the Indian authorities relied on the press to exert their best judgement instead of wasting manpower.
In the US you may have been kept back by the authorities but I think the Indians may have let you make your own choices about your safety.
The western press is so used to letting the authorities make decisions on their behalf that they are stunned when the press is given freedom. Why are you complaining that the press was not kept back? is the press corps a bunch of juveniles who cant exert good judgement for themselves and have to be restrained lest they make a nusiance of themselves?
You were probably carded to prevent opportunits from coming in and being a nusiance now that there was no danger of getting shot.

I would like to congratulate Sara for doing a great job during Mumbai's 9/11. As a reporter you should have been more careful and should have stayed away from trouble spot. I heard you saying on CNN on Friday night that if the similar situation was in USA or UK, reporters would have been stopped miles away.

Indian police were not in a position to realise what was going on in front of them thus all reporters had good time to close to trouble spot.

Be careful next time. CNN & it's viewers need you.

Hi Sara,
I feel media (both Indian and international) should have kept away from the place of action and should have helped the authorities.
Media people should not have tried to get closer to get the 'best view' of the action. The police, army and commandos were busy tackling the situation and the entire area was sealed.

My guess is that the police were pretty busy during the siege and didn't have extra people to put up a cordon to keep over-anxious news crowds away. That was left to the judgement of the reporters and camera people. Which gets back to your own point, I believe.

Police man & Commandos were busy in fixing the mentally tuned mad gun men. They were pretty sure that the common man standing beside them has the spirit of patriotism. So there is no space for the word "Control" . Because this is somewhat beyond everything only for & to the country.

Now after 60 hrs public is held back behind the big rope. Because it is the time for politicians & so called VIPs. They visit to watch the burnt pride. Of course it is confirmed that there is no more danger from the dead gunmen. Left out angry & determined public has kept behind the ropes for the security issues. Who's security !? I don't think I need to explicitly tell ! :-)

I live in Mumbai. It's true, there's no one in charge, there are simultaneous press briefings by multiple people, often contradictory. Even before the Jewish center encounter was over, people were seen next to the building, celebrating, politicians included. It's sad that this tragedy has become a spectacle.

Sara,
That night in Mumbai saw deadly coordinated attacks at six different locations . Everyone was rattled and so was the police force. They had already lost three of their top officials in the attacks that night.
I do agree that things could have been handled better. But, under the circumstances, I think they did the best they could and risked their own lives in trying to free the hostages at three different places.
I remember that evening in September 2001, when watching the images on TV from New Delhi, I was wondering "why the firemen were being allowed into the building which was going to collapse (I had no doubt in my mind that it would), and why the bystanders weren't being asked to move away.
Well, the point I am making is that as a spectator, many things which appear to be logical and apparent, may not be so when you are in the thick of things.
So, whether in Mumbai or in New York, expecting authorities to answer questions may not be the best thing to do.

I saw your coverage on CNN.
I think you are overly critical of India. You have a bias and it was quite visible in your telecast.
the way you were talking about India and Indians was condescending to say the least.
Yes.. it was very brave of you to be standing there with bullets whizzing by. I think the authorities are more interested and concerned about terrorists in the hotel who had hostages than the media who would do anything to get that "exclusive" shot or "scoop".
If the media ( and by this i dont mean only CNN,i mean everyone), had sense they would have self refrain and control and know the difference between right and wrong.

Let Indians be not over whelmed by visit of Condoleezza Rice to India in wake of 26/11 terror attacks on Mumbai. I am sure she is coming here to apply pressure tactics on our Government to stop taking Pakistan’s name in this terror attack. We all as Indians are very well aware that USA has taken Pakistan as is strategic partner to counter terrorism at Afghanistan border, and in its own interest it will want Pakistan to continue Pakistan army deployment at Pakistan- Afghanistan border, this inspite of the fact that USA is aware of the fact that Pakistan has till date not stopped allowing the use of its soil to sponsor terrorism in India. We need to understand that she has declared her visit to India only after Pakistan Government has shown its interest to move its army from Afghan border to Indian border. It’s a very cleaver move by Pakistan, in this circumstance Indian government will not be able to seek USA intervention and seek its support to counter terrorism sponsored by Pakistan. I just want to tell that USA must stop pressurizing India as far as India’s decision to adopt stern army tactics against Pakistan is concerned. Jai Hind

Sara:

First of all – Sara fantastic job at covering the events as they unfolded. Glad you and your colleagues are safe.

I am sure the authorities want to prevent any further damage and/or looting in and around the hotel premises – hence the cordoned off area. This is the only logical explanation that I could come up with.

Simple...Answer. Who dares to go near the war zone ? So there is no need to police anyone. After the gun fire is over, you will see curious crowd walking in. CNN coverage right from the start was Excellent. Good Job Sara

Maybe the Indian government mistakenly assumed that you would have enough common sense to stay away from the big bang area.

that said and done, is sadly the way things operate in India.
frustrating many at times it is, but then no matter how much you try to change things, somethings just never do!

Sara! nice job you did in Mumbai.

The answer to your question is that since this was a fake terrorist attack to have to solid justification to do something against Pakistan. The Indian authorities let you in because they wanted the media to have a look at the cruelty of these terrorists and show this to the whole world. Once their job is done... they are not letting you in. So they are inviting you to the next step of this plot is to cover their investigations and fake nonsense findings in which they are blaming Pakistan without having any base.

So I would like to request you to do your job with honesty and cover the truth only. Take care and be safe. Thanks.

I hope God is seeing what his creatures have done on earth. First it was the Bombay blasts in 1993, then the Gujarat riots, then the killing of chrstians in orissa and now the massacre in south mumbai. We have always prayed for the well being of others but its time now we pray for hell for all these people who take lives of none but innocents. Is hanging the caught terrorist going to be a just punishment for him? No infact it will be a short way out for this remorseless inhuman. We have always heard about the evilness of the indian police. Its time that the police drop to their evil best and make the caught inhuman pay daily for years to come untill his soul cries out for each and every tear.
You hear people talk about attacking pakistan but is that going to solve the problem. How can we say that the terrorirsts did not get any help from those who were brutally murdered in Gujarat by those who were supposed to protect them or those who were murdered in Orissa. To eliminate terror we have to eliminate it from its roots and cannot only happen when there is justice for one and justice for all. We have to join hands not ony as Indians but first as Human Beings or else we shall be ready for much more bloodshed.

The police, the NSG commandos and firefighters did a great job in fighting these terrorists and saving our people. They are heroes in every sense of the word – My question to you is – Where are the articles about the bravery of the firefighters who not only had to fight fire but also the bullets and grenades from terrorists – unlike 9/11 where there were no terrorists firing indiscriminately ?? The firefighters and army did what was most important – save hostages and fight the terrorists. I wish your media gives some credit where its due rather than carping and whingeing about India. But anyway, even if you don't, we indians salute our heroes and may Sandeep Unnikrishnan, Hemant Karkare and others live for ever in our memories as the saviours of Mumbai.

Few things come to my mind:

1. If you believed you were too close to the action, you were being irresponsible yourself - why do you need someone to tell you that?
2. India lets people use their common sense than overload them with police tapes, barricades, instructions, etc. If you lacked that, you were in the wrong country. Sincere advise - when in India (or, in general outside of US), don't expect law enforcement to tell you about what you should know - you know the things such as don't put your cat in the microwave, etc.
3. This is how India practices freedom of press - if you wanted to go inside of Taj, you could have. Freedom comes with responsibility that most media persons demonstrated – It was your chance to shine as well.

Sara, i appriciate the work you did in reporting the Mumbai seige. But what you need to remember is that the police and army were trying to control the situation and when something this big and deadly happens, people lose focus of what needs to be done as a precaution. All are trying to deal with the situation. Many a times, we see the media people create a problem by tying to give the "Breaking" news. Was it so difficult for you to decide on your own what was good for you and what was not? Do you need some authority to tell you what is good for you? Please...

Sara, i appriciate the work you did in reporting the Mumbai seige. But what you need to remember is that the police and army were trying to control the situation and when something this big and deadly happens, people lose focus of what needs to be done as a precaution. All are trying to deal with the situation. Many a times, we see the media people create a problem by tying to give the "Breaking" news. Was it so difficult for you to decide on your own what was good for you and what was not? Do you need some authority to tell you what is good for you? Please...

I too would like to add my kudos to your great job on reporting this incident. Thank you!

I would also like to say that we should not be so quick to condemn and negatively judge the authorities until we have all the facts. That is crucial. Of course there are major concerns for the way events played out and I am sure things could have been done better but there was chaos, in multiple locations with many suspected terrorists. I am sure they were doing their best at the time and will learn valuable lessons for the future just like all other victims of heinous vicious acts such as what has been experienced in Mumbai. Unfortunately we all must come to the realization that we are no longer safe in any part of the world.

Godspeed to the people of India.

Thank you

I'm surprised that this "moderated" set of comments, has one from a lunatic named "M. Nadeem Aslam" calling the attack fake. I'm sure they have qualified psychiatrists in his country, and would urge him to visit one.

To Nadeem who wrote "The answer to your question is that since this was a fake terrorist attack to have to solid justification to do something against Pakistan." – Looks like you are delusional, I am sorry for you.

Firstly, I want to thank CNN for their excellent coverage of the Mumbai terror attacks. I am not in India but I was following the story with immense interest. However, I do have an issue with CNN's reporting. The attack was financed, planned, and coordinated from Pakistan. This was according to several sources in the Indian intelligence department who were interrogating the terror suspect. This was promptly displayed by the Indian media, which said that the terrorists had indeed 'come from pakistan'. Now, it is a well documented fact that pakistan was responsible for the terrorist attacks, as they have been for many of them before. And it is unfair on the part of the Indian security forces if the world media, including CNN keeps on doubting them. In other words, if there is no reason to blame pakistan, then we will not blame pakistan. The fact is that they are responsible for thie heinous cowardly attack and they are, as usual, trying to hind behind America and common rhetoric. CNN should not say that these were terrorists 'allegedly from pakistan' because these terrorists were actually from pakistan. They were well trained, trained as commandos, had plently of real intelligence and were extremely well equipped. I doubt a farmer in India would have learnt to shoot and use grenades the way they did. Finally, yes, India does need radical reforms. Questions like why a city of 18 million does not have an emergency response team, and the total collapse of intelligence needs to be looked into. India needs help from the Western world in combating this scourge of radical Islam. Americans and the Israelis should help India in setting up counter-terrorism units and help them in beefing up their domestic and external intelligence networks. Perhaps a model of the US Dept of Homeland Security will be a positive development in India.

Well you have been carded for two various reasons number one, the indian forces were completly inept to tackle the situation and that is why it took them a long time to subdue the threat.

Secondly whenever india is faced with a similar threat its obvious that the media wont have access to the aftermath because the aftermath contain proofs and evidence of what really happened. Its ironic everytime there is an attack no terrorist lives to tell the tale. the fact of the matter is that India is a big country which hosts people from adverse backgrounds all of whom have a pun to pick so when something goes wrong its easier to turn the other cheek and blame others or your neighbours because that way you dont seem vunerable as a country.

Dear Friends,
We all are with Mumbaikars and other peoples families who lost there loved ones. India as a nation must first strenghthen there internal security before pointing fingers to other nations. Yes Pakistan is involved but who allowed them IN? No political party can stop terrorism unless the public is united and just keep quite in other cities. RAISE BROTHERS AND SISTERS AND DEMAND UR RIGHTS.
Indian

Who is Condi Rice to advise India or Pakistan. Let her country first control Iraq, Afghanistan and their own economy before advising anyone else. Let India and Pakistan uncover who doesn't want the two countries coming closer! perhaps soon to be history, "Bush Administration"...hence Ms. Rice itching to add fuel to fire!

Hi Sara,
As a mature professional, you should be the best person to jugde a situation for yourself. The armed forces and police had a much bigger task to take care of than babysit some jounalists who were trying to get a big story out of this terrible tragedy that stuck our Mumbai.
Thnks.

Even though it sound Ironic but there is a reason, at the time of fighting its known you will not be stepping for your own good. And Law enforment angencies were busy handling Terrorists, but now action is over evidence has to be collacted and you will not to afraid to go inside and structural damage to the building might put at risk. Hence it required to stop you from entering, if not almost everybody in the public would like to enter which was not the case earlier.

Other angle just utilizing the resource when it is required to.

Hi Sara,

Clearly the priority of the authorities was to save the people trapped in the Hotel.

Now we saw that some people from the media think that they are the "most important people" and must be protected at all costs whatever the situation.

Also consider, that if you are showing "live" pictures and updates to your viewers, then the terrorists and their controllers can access this information as well. I would call that naively aiding and abetting the terrorists.

Next time pls. use some common sense. The authorities may make many mistakes. You may get hurt. Choice is ultimately yours.

Stay safe. Take care.

Yes, it is sad and it makes me really angry. The calllous preparednedd of police, army, even Commandos is surprising. It tool 8-9 hrs for commados to reach Mumbai, that to tarvel in a bus provided for commandos. I dont think we plan anything appropriately. We build 2 lane roads, when you need 6. I have lived and grown up in India nad Mumbai, it is a shame to see the kind of equipment used. No headset with any commandos, not Tape to cordon the area. Honestly we dont know how it is done and we dont want to know policing, terrorist threat extra should be managed.

India and Indian belive that the nation is Incredible, i would say we are just lucky to a big nation as an emerging enomies.

I will be correct to say that it will take atleast 2-4 years to change in the internal security side.

I am with you Mathew Hayden , when you say India is a Developing Country.

I really do not agree with Mr. Aslam's comment . This is the kind of denial that we have seen in people from across the border . The fact is that certain elements from across the border are involved , and we cannot ignore this.

It will be good if these people stopped bickering about and do something substancial for their country , because economically the country is a failure , they neither have the money nor the resources to sustain a war . They are right now dependent on grant from IMF and Saudi arabia to help them thru

Sara,

It's the irony. Politicians have just nothing to do now, but to clear any proofs remaining there. I was walking the peace march yesterday, almost cried – I felt we have nobody to protect us for all those three days – no sign or symbol from our leaders – trust me, I didn't knew the name of the CM of Maharashtra until 26th November. We knew him as father of some Bollywood Comedian.

I have seen four of my very good friends die. I can only say, in India it's just we who can do something. I feel like living in Kashmir – there actually is nobody protecting us, they are more to disturb us. Now they are checking innocent citizen's cars, they are questioning us, they have made our lives miserable – but one thing I can say and that is – Few people with guns cannot change Mumbai.

We the citizens of India will only have to ACT. It was pity when I saw the CM and PM on TV. They were like puppets. Now it's enough. No more of this. And yes, in all you did an amazing job – you are the one who almost connected me and my mom in London. Great work, Sara.

Hoping for peace.

As usual, an incident in India and blame went to Pakistan, a country itself under the shackles of terrorism. Nothing new for us but the worst part if the role of indian media. I was amazed to see how they came up with the whole stories of these terrorists being Pakistanis even before the Government of India had anything to say or conducted any investigations. If as per Indian media these people were on a boat from Karachi, what were the Indian Navy doing? They can arrest small fishermen on charges of spying but these 10 highly armed terrorists went unnoticed? That surprising.
Also, 01 police man named Jadhav (he went injured when terrorist opened fire on a police vehicle to have it "carjacked") has clearly stated that the gunmen spoke hindi with strong Punjabi, north indian accent.
Who is right and who is wrong? This is a million dollar question. Let the westren media play is role in clarifying the picture.

Would like to add my appreciation of the work by CNN. Obviously, there was a U.S. angle and a lot more emphasis on the deaths of the Jewish couple which is fine considering you were looking at an international audience. But overall I thought you guys covered it really well. I just wish you would teach a thing or two to our Indian media with their in-your-face bravado.

I think the fact you were being allowed to get in so close was because there was nobody in charge. Depressing but it is the truth.

To M. Nadeem Aslam: Yeah rite. Mate, you need to get yourself checked. Are you for real?

What happened in Mumbai was really bad. If you would have followed the news coverage the Indian government till now has not blamed the Pakistani government. They have blamed certain people in Pakistan. People in India have their views and make their own judgements which is quite prevalent in a democracy. While some hold the view that Pakistan is responsible and want action against Pakistan, there are some who are quite pragmatic and want our politicians to change their style of functioning as well as make sweeping changes with regards to legal framework, intelligence, etc.

P.S. Sorry for my rant, Sara. You did a wonderful job out there.

Erum from Pakistan says that 'India has a convenient scapegoat in pakistan'. Its a humble appeal that she should hold her horses before crying foul. Pakistan just needs to wait for a little while longer and see what their countrymen are doing. It will be wiser for people like Erum to wake up and smell the coffee. Pakistan is a hotbed of fanatics and sooner they face the situation the better it will be for them, who are killing each other a la JW Marriot and hundreds of bombings in Pakistan since 2007. Today's Latest news is that your Pak's PM is pleading with India that we should not 'strike' against them, should the pakistani involvement be established. Now even he realises that its just a matter a time and the whole truth will be out. One question for the Americans – If you are so sensitive towards terror against your people, why are you desisting India from taking a tough stand against Pakistan. If your "War on terror" is justified, why isnt killing of hundreds of Indian citizens reason enough for India to protect her soil and punish the perpetrators of terror??

i just want to say this its not the question of geting carded.in these kind of situations a journalist should have his/her own awareness of security and to remain a safe distance away from flashpoint or danger.Secondly you people have written all about ill planned operation and stuff,let me tell you that both hotels were very big with hundreds of rooms and passage ways.The terrorists knew the layput and were changing positions very fequently while firing at commandoes;thats why it took a fair bit of time to neutralise this threat.thirdly i dont know what you people think abt pakistan or what your perceptions are bt we as indians know who is responsible for all the attacks on our country.pakistan is and will remain a hotbed of anti india operations and sooner the west especially the US realises this,the better it will be for whole of the world

Do you honestly believe it was the police's responsibility to ensure your safety as opposed to fighting the terrorists inside these areas? If your so committed to bringing the "story" to the readers, you jolly well accept the risks associated with it. Quit cribbing about lax security – who on earth said covering a hijacking of sorts would be devoid of any risk? This isn't a damn game of marbles. Secondly, I'd fed up of Pakistan saying we jump the gun and blame them all the time. The reality is the terrorist who was caught admitted he was trained, or from Karachi. Its common knowledge that Pakistan sponsor's terrorism be it directly, or through the ISI and this time we will respond. I want to make it clear that in no way do I support a war, but if the Pakistani government can't fight elements in its own backyard, we will. Jai Hind!

To those who have not been inside the Taj Mahal hotel, it is a 545 guest room hotel. In addition, you have almost an equal number of support rooms, banquet halls, kitchens, housekeeping areas toilets, storage rooms and so on. In short, you have around 1000 rooms for the NSG to search and those rooms are spread over 8 floors with multiple ingress and egress points. Mind you, they are not going in with an objective to kill alone. Their objective is to save as many people possible. They do not know how many people are being held alive. They are in the dark, literally and have terrorists shooting at them with no regard to collateral damage which the NSG have considerable regard for. They are facing grenade attacks and fire set by the terrorists. The NSG cannot 'grenade' them back for fear of collateral damage. They do not know how many terrorists are there. To add to it, anyone can pose as a tourist or a guest considering the racial mix of the guests in the hotel. You are not exactly searching for an albino at a black wedding. So, it is easy for someone in the comfort of their sitting rooms with a cool drink in hand to comment about how it could have been done faster. Add to all that, the terrorists had a plan of the hotel and they were willing to die and take as many as possible with them. Please be fair in your statements. The commandos have done an incrediblly commendable job by putting their lives on the line. Do not undermine it.

That what I believe was intensional from the indian government, so that every one can see the true face of terror, if 90 innocent died with bombing in remote area of Afghanistan no-body report it so extensively.

Its really sad to see that many have stated that this was a fake war staged by India. Hypothetically, assuming that this insane thought process is true...the people who died were 'real'. The deaths were not staged ! So a little bit of empathy could have been shown (in some of the comments on this page) for those who are grieving in India. When the blasts happened in Pakistan Marriott, we grieved from the bottom of our hearts. So its really sad to see that empathy not being reciprocated.

I dont understand why some people are calling it a fake incident. JW Mariott was bombed in Pak – was it fake too? The fact is that the Paki governments – mostly lead by their Army have been very well known perpetrators of terrorism. This fact is globally known and accepted. The regime of the the notorious Gen Jia Ul Haq was well indulged, invloved and proven time and again that Paki establishments and Government organisations have been waging a proxy war against India. They dont have the courage to fight upfront as the mighty Indian army will devastate Pak in minutes. It is beyond doubt and absolutely undebatable that Pakistan is clearly involved in Mumbai's attacks too. There is an increminating evidence this time also. The attack on Indian embassy in Kabul was also planned and executed by Paki agencies and this proof was given to the US government too. In India we dont want to engage with Pak. We are frutrated with this uneducated, backward and fundamentalist neighbour. We want to focus on growth on our economic welbeing and want to rapidly emerge as a global and we are trending positively towards this. So the urge to Pak is to cut this crap and mind your business and let us mind our's.

i followed sara sidner's coverage here in Mumbai and she did an amazing job. I want to thank her. That said, I also witnessed Wilf Blitzer's interview with the Pakistani ambassador to the United States last night. His pathetic responses to Mr. Blitzer and the Pakistani government's prevarication on the issue of Pakistani involvement in the Mumbai attack can only fuel Indian anger against Pakistan. The Pakistani government has to wake up. I have been living in this great city of Mumbai for the past 12 years and it has been wounded. And please, save your pathetic RAW conspiracy theories- like it or not, these terrorists came from Pakistan.

India is actually like one big village. Even the police are ill trained and ill equipped to handle modern day policing which includes terrorist threats, bombings, shootings, hijackings and other riotings. After 9/11, Bali, London, Madrid and Delhi bombings it would be logical for Indian authorities to conclude that India is a high risk country for such terrorist attacks but alas typical Indian authorities and politicians didn't prepare for such situations. I am 100% sure such incidents will happen again and India will be caught off guard and will end up blaming its neigbours. India should act now so that no terrorist would dare repeat such an act and your neighbour should think a 1000 times before even dreaming of hurting India.

why are so many pakistani posters on here in so much denial about the shocking state of terrorism emanating from their country? wake up and stop smelling the hashish boys.

Eram – no Indian army man has been found to have bombed any train – one person is in custody pending investigations into an alleged involvement in supplying explosives – a case far from proven, and one with significant political overtones which will unfold over the next few weeks

and yes, Mumbai police could have done a better job of perimeter control

Duh. I think the police were a bit busy and stressed to be worried about journalists at that point. I think that is one time when you should be worried about yourself and use your common sense.

The same media were critical of the NSG Chief when he tried to push the reporters a yard farther (for they expected a few bombs may explode) by the end of the operation !! Commandos wer stationed evn at d Gateway of India with snipers & NSG were quite sure terrorists cdn't charge out at any part of the operation !! Ladies & gentlemen, I am just defending after NSG got into the act... Ofcourse Mumbai police practically can't be more efficient than an Army or ATF & they made up for the same by their superior sacrifice of 14 brave briGanDs !! I am deeply hurt by some comments & who in the screen thinks, there could be less casualties when armed people in AK47s take on unarmed beuracrat civilians ?? NSG did a good job & deserve praise & of course Nations intelligence could have acted better...
SARA, I SAW U DO A GOOD JOB REALLY !! CONGRATS....

There were hundreds of hostages inside with the authorities gasping for more men. And you wanted some police force specially to watch over you so you could leave your common sense somewhere behind and give a fantastic coverage of the carnage.
Hats off.

Fake terrorism?

Nice term. What other words should Pakistan invent so that they can keep pretending they don't have a growing world menace in their land?

hi sara,
well sara all i can say is that it wasn't a simple murder area or any cirme area where police put up a cordon to keep over-anxious news crowds away.it was a kind of war out there. and fortunately later police put atleast a big rope over there.

thank you

Dear Ms Sider,

You did an extraordinary job, covering this appalling, amazing, tragic story. You, your cameraperson, sound, and lighting people all deserve a good rest, some therapy of your choosing, and awards.

As to your question, I agree with Erum, Subs, Raj Bangalore (very dry), Ram from Mumbai, Greycellsinxs, and, (on a separate note as well), with M. Nadeem Aslam.

The press were supposed to capture as much of the horror of the events, as possible. Now, when Mumbaikers are asking (rightly) 'Where was the help? Why did you take so long?' and so on, the burnt-out, bombed-out shell of the Taj is egg on the Indian government's face, so you are not welcome to show it.

Your question fits well with the questions I have, which can be summed up with the overall question: 'What is wrong with this picture?'

There are so many things wrong with this picture, that I find myself not as certain as M. Nadeem Aslam, but certainly very full of doubts.

1. We are to believe that 10 men held Mumbai hostage, for over 60 hours. Actually, I can believe that, if they had sufficient training, preparation, discipline, single-mindedness, determination, ruthlessness, and lack of conscience. I am more inclined to believe that not all of the terrorist force was caught or killed, and that some have gone to ground, but there were only 9 involved in the destruction of 9/11. Numbers are far less important, than training.

2. Within the first few hours, the top three men in Mumbai's Counter-Terrorism Unit were eliminated. Again, this fits with a group who are extremely efficient and effective.

3. They all knew where they needed to be, and knew their way around, and moved fast. Once in place, they had the advantage. A hotel full of civilians is an ideal base for operations, because the Police, and even the Army, can't go in with their guns blazing. Meanwhile, the terrorists don't care whom they kill, and can take out anyone who tries to stop them. This was neither planned, nor carried out by anyone short of professionals.

4. So, how is it that the Indian government is claiming there is a connection to Pakistan, based upon a mobile-phone they found, which 'the terrorists left behind, or dropped'? Professionals don't leave anything they do not want found! How likely is it that one of these ultra-disciplined terrorists just 'forgot' a mobile phone, in a boat, with a corpse? This is not 'evidence', no matter what the Indian Government says. It was planted! You don't have to have experience with espionage (which I do), to know that! It's too convenient, isn't it?

5. Professionals do not allow themselves to get caught. Unless, of course, there is some reason why they want to be caught. You asked survivors and Police, and Indian commandos, whether they heard the terrorists speak, and everyone said 'no'. Anyone who did hear them speak, did not live to tell the tale. The Indian government expects us to believe that the terrorist they captured is singing like a canary? Someone with discipline such as these guys showed, would not talk, unless he was supposed to talk.

6. The only reason he's talking, is to contradict himself, confuse people, and generally spread disinformation. Nevertheless, the Indian government has picked and chosen from what he's said, and announced that he said he was trained in Pakistan. I would like to know what language he is speaking. I am willing to bet it is English. A good dialectologist could distinguish Urdu from Hindi very easily, and Pakistani Punjabi from Indian Punjabi almost as easily. It would take a specialist in regional dialects of English, to discern whether someone was from India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Kurdistan, Kashmir, or any number of places where the root-language is the same.

7. He's a terrorist! So, he tells the Indian interrogators that he's Pakistani, and was trained in Pakistan, and they believe him? Even the Indian government is not that useless, is it? Yes, it is. They're running with what he said, and bullying Islamabad. My mother, in New York, says news sources she heard, had him saying he was 'supposed to implicate Pakistan'. Evidently, that means Pakistan is implicated, in the bizarre logic of the Indian government.

8. Who stands to benefit, if India (for whatever reason, be it public pressure, or sheer stupidity) makes aggressive moves toward Pakistan? Well, there are those, on the North-West border of Pakistan, who would benefit, if Pakistani forces were moved toward the Eastern border. Can anyone else think of others who stand to benefit?

9. Who stands to benefit from violence toward Jews? I have followed Indo-Pakistani relations for over four decades, and I don't remember Pakistanis ever targeting Jewish people! Does anyone know any differently?

I use the question 'cui bene?', 'who stands to benefit?' to try to work out mysteries like this. I cannot find a single way that Pakistan would stand to benefit. Can anybody?

Have Pakistan-based terrorists shown this degree of professionalism in the past? I don't remember that they have, but I am not so familiar with LeT.

Would anyone in India stand to benefit from a showdown with Pakistan, right now? Do Indian homegrown terrorists have access to such high-grade explosives, and so forth? Is it plausible that some fringe part of the Indian government is behind this? If so, who, why, and why now?

Sara, I would say that the terrorists benefitted from letting you get dangerously close to the burning and shooting. It seems to me, the Indian government benefits most from keeping you out, once it's all over. That leads to some disturbing conclusions.

Sala'am. Shalom. Shanti. Peace.

I feel really sorry as an Indian for the incident in which you were mobbed by an unruly crowd outside the Taj hotel.I was absolutely infuriated and disgusted to see the way those inconsiderate people behaved with you.You tried to handle that mob in a very sensitive and understanding way but could not control them.Those people were apperently ignorant about the importance of international coverage of this event and the dangers that reporters like you have to face in a zone of armed conflict like this one.And most of them were apparently more curious than concerned about the situation acting like they are craving to see some action or at least the lights of the media and may be get their picture on the TV.It was a disgusting show of insensitivity by the people of my country especially on an occasion in which the whole country and the rest of the world is in a state of shock and tragedy.Your body language in the next day of reporting showed the psychological fallout of that incident.
However ,I was happy with the way you recovered and continued your coverage of this tragic event later in the night perfectly maintaining the momentum of the coverage focusing perfectly on your reporting of the actual event exhibiting a spirit of brave and selfless journalism.And it’s only you and others like you who are relaying the actual atmosphere of the situation to the concerned viewers in India, the US and the rest of the world.The actual temperature and intensity of the situation can only be known by concerned viewers across the world with clear and focussed analysis and reporting by you and fellow reporters.You are doing a great job of reporting this significant event trisking your safety,beating fatigue and restlessness.I heartily appreciate your resilience and hard work.

Dear Uma,

A response to your points

1. 4 men held the Taj hostage for 60 hours and not Mumbai as you say. The Taj is a part of Mumbai but not the whole of Mumbai.

2. Within the first few hours, the top three men in Mumbai’s Counter-Terrorism Unit were eliminated. But they were not targeted. The militants wanted their vehicle. Again down to Training i suppose.

3. Agree with point no. 3.

4. Bunch of rubbish. Professionals can make mistakes when under extreme pressure. Look at the way an innocent man was mistakenly gunned down by the officers in London. Was that a deliberate act or were the officers were not professionals? If both statements are not true, then your point no, 4 is invalid. I believe the "professionals" started making mistakes when they were under pressure. Not doing anything is the worst pressure and that is when people make most mistakes. You are right, one doesn't need to be an Intelligence expert or am MI5/6 officer to realise this.

5. This guy was shot and somehow survived. His task was to kill as many as possible before being gunned down. Unfortunatley for him and Fortunately for Indian, he lived.

Additinally, we don't care whether you believe us or not. Stay out of it. It is none of your business. Don't interfere.

6. The only reason he’s talking, is because he is on drugs. You claim you have some espionage experience, then you must know this. Otherwise see latest episode of "Spooks". It is the "done" thing in the spooky world of Intelligence agencies. Ok, it is a drama and hence not really evidence that this sort if thing happens.

But logically, it is the path of least resistance.

7. Your mother actually heard the terrorist say on International TV that 2he was supposed to implicate pakistan". She must have a direct link into the place where this terrorist is being interrogated or you are telling porky pies (lies).

8. Who stands to benefit? Militants in NWFP who may be under pressure at this time.

9. Who stands to benefit from violence toward Jews? I don't know. I can'tthink of anybody. Can you considering what the Israeli response can be?

10. The main reason why the journalists are not allowed in now is because, they get in the way of people trying to do their jobs. It took so long because the services were stretched to their limits and only now are they coming back to normalcy. You may find this difficult to believe. But, it is true.

Take care.

Very interesting answers.

It has already been mentioned, a professional and determined terrorist, (as all these gunmen have been described by commandoes and by the survivors who found themselves face to face with them), will NOT leave evidence as stupidly as leaving a cell phone with calls to Pakistan.

This screams 'implanted evidence' to implicate the obvious target.

As for your question Sara, many have given you a very good and logical answer. The media shouldn't expect a babysitter when there are obviously more urgent issues to address.

On the other hand I think your point also refers to the possibility of having terrorists coming into or escaping from an unsecure war zone. My answer would be, no one is fully prepared for multiple attacks.

Someone mentioned New York's 9/11 and Katrina. I think those are good benchmarks for the US to learn from, and hopefully these attacks in Mumbai will be the same for India.

I also think that the governments of India and Pakistan shouldn't rush to conclusions.

These attacks should be thoroughly investigated.

The people of India should demand for it. Don't allow any more playing with your anxieties and vulnerability.

My deepest condolences to all of you who have lost family and friends in this tragic event.

I have two things to say about the Mumbai attack. 1) Who stands to gain? And 2) " Raise a mullah's skirt and you'll find a Union Jack." and maybe a CIA agent and a Mossad agent holding it up.

The comments by Uma from Liverpool were distateful and stink of racial prejudice. So, according to Uma from Liverpool (and I am sure she belongs to the 'friendly' community) these terrorists were trained in India(possibly by Indian commandos) funded by Indians and trainded to hijack hotels, hospitals and train stations for the benefit of the government of India. All this so that the Indian government could 'request' the Pakistani government to act against anti-Indian elements on its soil. WHAT??

The comments seem typical of pro-Pakistani supporters. First of all, it is important to mention that Pakistan has always advocated terrorism against India and Indian citizens. Simply because they are fighting 'jihadi elements' on its Western border does not change this. Pakistan, as a country, deeply relies on the anti-Indian feeling among its population. Pakistans very existence as a country depends on its support of the jihadi terrorists in Kashmir. It always does this whenever they are facing a crisis at home or when they go for peace talks with India. The Pakistani government usually talks peace but sends the terrorist through the back door, in this case by a rubber dingy through the India Gate. This is a tried and tested Pakistani method. They know that India cannot retaliate as it would mean them pulling out their troops from the Western border, thereby giving the 'jihadis' in the FATA areas a free run, something the Americans will never allow. So, Pakistan understands that India's hands are tied. The government is not going to do anything. There will be the usual summoning of diplomats, suspension of air-rail links but this is nothing unusual. This always happens. And the Indian government has to take a tough stand against Pakistan particularly because elections are around the corner, so there hostile attitude is nothing new.

Comments coming from 'educated' people from the UK like whether these attacks were orchestrated by the Indian government are distasteful and give an idea of the psyche of the average Pakistani supporter. In their twisted perveted minds, they believe that the Indian government deliberately held hostage the 'Taj' hotel, one of the landmarks of Mumbai(a 180 year old structure) to simply 'prove' that Pakistan harbors terrorists. The Indian government also 'instructed' their commandos to fire at the CST station( formely the Victoria station) just so that they could prove that the Pakistani government harbored terrorists. And, the Indian government killed Mumbai's anti-terrorism chief just so that they would 'look good' in the eyes of the world. Amazing comments and it gives us an idea of what the average Pakistani is like.

Pakistan, more specifically, the ISI organized trained, funded and provided logistical support to these murderers. There is no real doubt about that. Even your 'government' in the UK has admitted this. It is no secret that Pakistani's love terrorism. It is in their blood as they cant fight like real men.

India must attack all training camps in Pakistan. It is time we take security into our own hands. Terrrorism from Pakistan will never cease. They love terrorism more than they love their beards.

I dont know if my comments will appear here or not. However, I take Sara's integrity for granted and take this opportunity to pitch in my point of view.
We all know that average Pakistanis are facing same horrible issues that Indians are facing. And the major authorities of Pakistan are helpless against fundamentalist radical elements who propagate terror to fulfill their wicked philosophy. Dear fellow Pakistanis, Indians do not hold any grudge against you or your educated leaders. We are concerned about the rogue religious radicals who are beyond the control of sane civilized citizens, as much as in your country as in ours. Please don't misinterpret our allegations. We do not want to blame "Pakistan", we are just trying to mourn our family and friends who lost their lives.
And.
We are pointing towards the rotten apples who are misusing your country and defaming not only your country but our neighbour as well.
Common Indians do not burn Pakistani flags, neither do they blame Pakistan.
We are about as disgusted by terror as you are! If the machinery is not good enough at your end to wipe off this ideology, that even Americans are unable to control the outflow of brainwashed youth from your backyards. We feel helpless, hopeless and hapless.
So much is being done, but it's just not enough!