The tactics used by the terrorists were different from the classical jihadist playbook. Does it mean that Mumbai-style attacks are the new jihadist modus operandi?
First, regarding the perpetrators, all the signs point to the involvement of the Pakistani terror group and al-Qaida affiliate Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT). LeT is in fact a group propped up by Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) and mostly focusing until now on the "liberation" of the Kashmir province.
Even if the operation had been prepared for a long time, the timing might not be coincidental. A week ago Pakistani President
Asif Ali Zardari went on a limb to advance peace with India.
One of the main reasons for the terrorists switching tactics was to grab the world's attention. In fact as of last week before Mumbai, how many people knew that after Iraq India was the second country in the world most afflicted by terrorism? I would suspect not many.
Nonetheless from January 2004 to today,
clipped from: www.metimes.com 