Terrorist Attacks
Is the War on Terrorism also a War on the Environment?
The destruction inherent in any act of mass terrorism inevitably causes secondary environmental pollution effects, many of them serious. Acts of terrorism can also be directed against the environment itself, or specific natural resources such as freshwater, oil, or agricultural products.
Environmental concerns might seem trivial and even unpatriotic at a time like this, but the environmental effects of military action pose long-term dangers that we would be foolish to ignore. Thinking in environmental terms at this moment should not be surprising. We must be alert to the likelihood that aggression toward the United States may increasingly take the form of environmental terrorism, including biological and chemical warfare. Even conventional attacks create environmental risk. Witness the concern over asbestos exposure for rescue workers at the World Trade Center. Terrorists may not care about such things, but we should. Our military response should be tailored to minimize and mitigate collateral environmental damage wherever possible. Environmental losses are casualties too. They ought to be included in our strategic thinking about where and what to strike.
This is in our national interest.
Patriotism and environmentalism go hand in hand.
Multiple sites in the Indian city of Mumbai were attacked with bombs and gunfire in a coordinated terror attack that began on November 26, 2008, and lasted for three days. The attacks killed 179 people, including at least 22 foreigners.1 Over 300 injuries were reported.
On March 23, 2009, the trial began for Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, the only gunman charged in the attacks. Kasab was captured during the attacks. He appeared in court through closed circuit television rather than in person, because of security risks. Kasab did accept the government-provided lawyer, and indicated he had yet to receive any legal counsel. American FBI agents are among more than 100 people scheduled to testify in the case.
The Attacks
Indian authorities believe that the attackers entered Mumbai via the waterfront near the two hotels. A fishing trawler is being held for investigation.7
The first attack occurred about 9:30 pm at the Cafe Leopold. As the rampage progressed, gunmen opened fire at several locations throughout the city, including a crowded train station and several luxury hotels. The terrorists were reported to be seeking victims with British or American passports.
Locations Attacked
Deaths
Encounter specialist cop Vijay Salaskar and Additional Commissioner of Police Ashok Kamte were killed during the siege. Hemant Karkare, head of the Indian anti-terrorist squad, also died.
A Virginia man, Alan Scherr, and his 13-year-old daughter Naomi died during the Hotel Oberoi attack while attending a conference with fellow members of the Synchronicity Foundation. New York Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife Rivka Holtzberg were killed in the Nariman House attack after their two-year-old son had escaped with their Indian nanny.