Sovereignty Under Siege continues......

Afzal’s interrogation further revealed that the real objective of the terror attack was for the terrorists to get into the Parliament House, take some important MPs and ministers hostage, kill some others, and negotiate with the Government of India to secure Kashmir’s liberation in exchange for the lives of the Indian politicians. It was no surprise, therefore, that the terrorists had come prepared for a long haul. They carried sufficient quantities of dry fruits and plastic rope, which were found during the body searches of the five slain terrorists. Carrying dry fruits for sustenance is a common practice amongst fedayeens who are sent on missions that may take days to complete. Dry fruits were also found on every terrorist brought down by security forces in the Mumbai attacks on 26 November 2008.

The plastic ropes found with the terrorists were meant to bind the hands and feet of hostages inside the Parliament House.

However, the terrorists’ plan failed due to the bravery of the security men, who successfully thwarted their attempt.


After the attack, relations between India and Pakistan soured to an extent that large-scale mobilization of the armies of both nations took place along the Line of Control. The two nations were on the brink of war when diplomatic intervention from other countries prevented a flashpoint. Another theory put forward by Adrian Levy and Cathy Scott-Clark—authors of The Siege, which is based on the 26 November attack on Mumbai, and Exile, which is on the last days of Osama bin Laden—suggests that the motive behind the Parliament House attack was to create tension between India and Pakistan so that Pakistani army deployment along the Afghan border was reduced. This would then allow Osama bin Laden to escape into Pakistan as the battle of Tora Bora between the US troops and Al-Qaeda raged in the aftermath of the 11 September attacks.

To be continued..........