|
Does the Navy have any answers? |
|
By: A MiD-Day Correspondent |
|
Date:
2008-12-22 |
|
Place: Mumbai |
|
|
MiD DAY had asked these questions to the government on December 4. Now, we put the Navy spokesman on the hot seat
Did the state govt have intelligence on the terror attacks of November 26?
1. Navy spokesman Capt manohar nambiar says
Yes, there were inputs, but they were not actionable inputs, as clarified by Navy Chief Admiral Suresh Mehta.
MiD DAY says
If the Navy had inputs, but not actionable intelligence, it should have prompted them to re-approach intelligence agencies for further information on the same. As former deputy chief minister R R Patil stated in the Nagpur assembly, terrorists crossing the international border was the biggest lapse on the part of central intelligence agencies and so, the Navy's too.
What others say
Times of india (december 18)
Last month even before the 26/11 attacks, the Navy, which constantly patrols the 125 oil wells at Bombay High (left), had issued warning about a terrorist attack on the nation's oil wealth.
Indian express (december 18)
The ATS had arrested a zari worker from the city, who was also a Pakistani spy, on October 10 last year. Photos of the Mumbai coastline and Navy ships had been found from Md Qamar Shafi Afghani.
What action did the state govt take on the intelligence provided?
2. Navy spokesman Capt manohar nambiar says
As there were no specific details on the inputs, the attacks could not be stalled.
MiD DAY says
The dingy MV Kuber (pictured right) was apparently seized by the Pakistani navy two years ago and its captain Amarsinh Solanki was detained for over a year for illegally venturing into Pakistani waters. So, why did the Navy not keep a close eye on the captain and the vessel both key factors in the terror attacks on Mumbai on November 26.
What others say
Times of india (december 1)
Details suggest that the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard may have failed to carry out their brief by ignoring an intercept from the Research and Analysis Wing warning of an attempt to infiltrate a jihadi gang in Mumbai.
Indian express (december 15)
An internal probe into the possible intelligence lapses around the terror attacks has pointed fingers at the IB for not "refining" its inputs and at the Naval Headquarters for keeping its Western Command out of the loop about an infiltrating Lashkar vessel.
Could the attacks have been handled more effectively?
3. Navy spokesman Capt manohar nambiar says
If we had proper inputs, the Navy and Coast Guard would have reacted positively.
MiD DAY says
Sunday MiD DAY reported that a major naval exercise, Defence of Gujarat, (Mumbai at Gujarat's cost? November 20) took place between November 17-22. So, is it not inefficiency on the part of the Navy that a dinghy with terrorists aboard, and possibly firearms too, was able to slip by an armada of ships whose prime responsibility was to check every ship passing by that particular sea route?
What others say
Indian express (december 20)
The smallest and often the most neglected arm of the defence forces the Navy is surprisingly the most well-off in terms of equipment, but has two critical gaps, one in surveillance capabilities that has already been exploited by the Mumbai terror attack planners, and the other under the sea, where battles of the future will be decided. The Navy has enough warships, but lacks enough "eyes in the sky". It is struggling with a long list of delays and faulty equipment from Russia.
What is the state government doing to prevent more attacks?
4. Navy spokesman Capt manohar nambiar says
The Navy and the Coast Guard have enhanced surveillance in waters around our coast and seas.
MiD DAY says
Fishing associations admit that in deep waters, most of the time, their boats are not checked. And even if they're checked, the authorities have no way to cross-check the identification shown. Will checking at these points be made more stringent? Furthermore is there any demand on the part of the Navy to beef up local support systems such as the poorly-equipped coastal police stations, one of which has only six firearms for a force of 27 policemen?
What others say
Indian express (december 20)
The lone aircraft carrier, the INS Viraat (right), is over 50 years old, well beyond its service life, and has been in refit for almost a year to keep it going till the Gorshkov arrives, hopefully, in 2012. While the Navy will shortly be getting new and highly capable MiG-27 K carrier-borne fighters from Russia, a year behind schedule, it will not have an aircraft carrier for them. The fighters are not configured to fly from the Viraat and will be restricted to shore duties, eating into precious flying hours till the Gorshkov comes in. |
|
|
