The Minds of the Mumbai Murderers

Yesterday The Hindu, an Indian newspaper, released a leaked copy of the dossier the Indian government put together on the Mumbai attacks and sent to the Pakistani government. Included in these documents are recorded phone conversations between the Mumbai terrorists and their handlers in Pakistan. The handlers kept in constant contact with the terrorists and provided orders and advice.

I excerpted some of the more chilling recordings at The Long War Journal . The exchange between the handlers and the terrorist at the Trident Hotel perfectly encapsulated the nature of our enemies: cold, calculating, cunning, manipulative, no regard for human life, sadistic. The exchange is below is between the Two terrorists at the Trident, Abdul Rehman and Fahadullah, and two handlers, one named Kafa and the other who is unidentified.

This transcript speaks for itself:

"Brother Abdul. The media is comparing your action to 9/11," one unidentified handler said. "One senior police official has been killed," referring to the chief of the Anti-Terrorism Squad killed in an earlier gunfight.

"We are on the10th/11th floor," Abdul Rehman responded. "We have five hostages."

"Everything is being recorded by the media," the handler identified as Kafa told Rehman. "Inflict the maximum damage. Keep fighting. Don't be taken alive."

"Kill all hostages, except the two Muslims," the other handler told Rehman and Fahadullah. "Keep your phone switched on so that we can hear the gunfire."

"We have three foreigners, including women," Fahadullah said. "From Singapore and China."

"Kill them," the handler said.

According to the dossier, Abdul Rehman and Fahadullah are recorded ordering all of the hostages except for two Muslims to stand in line. The terrorists then shot and killed the hostages.

The handlers are heard cheering in the background. Kafa then orders the Trident-based terrorists to "find the way to go downstairs."