Investigators have pieced together the details of the attack on Mumbai from the intercepts of the phone calls received by the terrorists from their Pakistani handlers during the 60 hours that they battled the navy and NSG
commandos. Excerpts:
Taj Hotel: November 27, 0108 hours
Handler Wassi speaking to terrorist Ali
Wassi: How many hostages?
Ali: One Belgian. We killed him. One from Bangalore, who had to be controlled with great effort.
Wassi: I hope there were no Muslims.
Ali: None.
Next call, 0126 hours
Wassi: Are you setting fire to the hotel?
Ali: Not yet. We are piling up the mattresses to light the fire.
Wassi: Did you dispose of the body (of the Kuber captain)?
Ali: No. We made a big mistake.
Wassi: What big mistake?
Ali: We forgot to open the cocks of the boat (to sink it). There were huge waves and we thought a navy ship wasapproaching us so we forgot Ismail’s satellite phone behind!
Wassi: The media is saying the ATC chief (ATS chief Hemant Karkare) has been killed. There is also a vazir (minister) there. Don’t let him escape.
Ali: We have set fire to the rooms.
Wassi: People should run helter skelter...and keep throwing grenades at them every 15 minutes.
0310 hours
Wassi: Three vazirs and one secretary of cabinet (a reference to Maharashtra additional chief secretary Chitkala Zutshi) are in your hotel.
Ali: That is great news!
Wassi: Get them and Hindustan will be forced to accept whatever you demand. Do one thing. Throw one or two grenades at the navy commandos.
Ali: We can’t make out who they are...
Oberoi-Trident Hotel: November 27, 0353 hrs
Call from Pakistani handler Zarar Shah to terrorists Abdul andFahad:
Zarar: Brother Abdul, the media is comparing your action to America’s 9/11.
Adbul: (Confused) We are on 10th and 11th floors
Zarar: Kill all. Keep fighting. Don’t take any hostages alive.
Farhad: Three foreigners have been killed, one was from Singapore and the other from China!
Zarar: Kill all! Let’s hear the gunfire, so keep the phone switched on (the terrorists are heard asking the hostages to stand in a line. Sound of firing followed by cheering.)
Nariman House: November 27, 19.45 hrs
Call to terrorists from handlers Abu Kaafha and Wassi:
Abu: Did you speak to Major General (another handler). What did he say?
Imran: The major general said we could do whatever we liked and that theoperation could be concluded tomorrow. He asked us to keep two AK magazines and three grenades and use the rest.
Wassi: Hostages are useful as long as you are not under fire. Kill them and don’t saddle yourself with them. The (Indian) army claims to have saved all the hostages. Israel has also offered through diplomatic channels to help India in the rescue of the hostages. So kill all. It will spoil (India’s) relations with Israel,
Terrorist: Inshallah.
