CIA alerted Indian intelligence about pending attacks

On December 1, 2008, we suggested that simply blaming Pakistani intelligence agencies for the recent Mumbai attacks “overlooks the responsibility of Indian intelligence agencies to prevent such attacks by militants”. We cited recent revelations in Indian newspapers that “clear warnings of a coming assault were ignored” and “that Indian intelligence agencies had precise information at least 10 months ago that Pakistani militants were planning an attack”, but failed to act. Indian newspaper The Hindu is now revealing that there were at least two occasions on which the CIA delivered to India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) “warnings of an impending terror attack on Mumbai”. The newspaper cites unnamed “Indian intelligence sources”, who “have confirmed” that two CIA warnings reached RAW, on September 18 and September 24. The second warning was “in response to a request from the RAW” and “expressly stated that the Lashkar[-e-Taiba] was planning an attack on targets where large numbers of foreigners were present, including the Taj Mahal hotel”. Mohammad Ajmal Amir Iman, the sole captured perpetrator of the Mumbai attack, has confirmed that the attack was originally planned for September 27. He claims he does not know the why the operation was postponed for November 26. [IA]

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