Sunday, November 30, 2008

How Pakistan delivered CNN feed to terrorists in Taj and Oberoi to find Indian NSG commandos

This was the most daring and open act of the Pakistan’s ISI to aid the terrorists. But Indian signal intelligence experts caught the Pakistanis red handed in their game.
Vikram Sood, former chief of India’s Research and Analysis Wing (equivalent of American CIA), said lots needed to be self-censored. “It was horrific,” he said. “The terrorists were getting information exactly what was happening outside.”
The visuals were shown despite a Thursday night advisory from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting asking news channels not to report on operational details. The advisory was issued after Home Ministry officials complained that channels were indirectly helping militants keep tabs on the security forces’ operation.
CNN and some American channels continued to criticize Indian commandos and highlighting every minute part of the operation. Pakistan’s ISI took these feeds and sent them directly to the terrorists that created a command and control center in Taj and Oberoi that had direct connection to ISI planners in Pakistan.
Government officials said that the militants in the Taj and Oberoi hotels were getting details of the movement of security forces around the hotels on Wednesday night from Pakistan through satellite phones and laptops, even though cable television lines were snapped in hotels on Wednesday night itself.
“The satellite phone intercepts indicated that television was being used to provide information to militants inside the hotels till Thursday evening when the government issued an advisory,” said and I&B ministry official. Added an official: “The militants knew from where the security forces were zeroing in.” That could have slowed down the operation.
News channels were also advised not to show the bodies of victims till the operation was over as it could give a boost to the morale of the militants inside the hotels. “We also asked the channels not to show the burning hotel rooms repeatedly. If they were shown, then the logo of repeat telecast should be clearly mentioned,” an official said. Though senior ministry officials described the TV coverage overall as restrained and much better than in earlier times, there were lapses.

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