On TV: HBO Documentary Film Terror In Mumbai

Back on Valentine’s Day, I blogged about an Economic Times (India) piece which said Chicago and several other major U.S. cities had received training for terror attacks similar to what took place in Mumbai, India, where members of Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistani terrorist organization, attacked the Taj Mahal Palace hotel and other sites in the city formerly known as Bombay between November 26 and November 29, 2008, killing 164 people and wounding at least 308.

If true, then public safety agencies recognize the potential for an “American Mumbai” taking place.

This morning, I want to share with you an informative resource related to that 2008 attack- the 2010 BAFTA award-winning HBO documentary film Terror in Mumbai. From the HBO website:

Terror in Mumbai features exclusive audio tapes of the intercepted phone calls between the young gunmen and their controllers in Pakistan, and testimony from the sole surviving gunman…

Terror in Mumbai presents a moment-by-moment account of the horrific attacks through interviews with survivors and Indian police officials, archival news coverage, extensive video surveillance footage of the terrorists in action, and chilling audio excerpts of cell-phone conversations intercepted by security forces. The phone intercepts provide a grotesque running commentary as the controllers, watching events unfold on live TV, direct the gunmen, telling them where the security forces are, which of their hostages should be killed and how to do it. With the killers wounded and asking what to do next, the tapes reveal the controllers calmly urging them to fight to the death and not allow themselves to be taken alive.

Trailer

HBO Video

Watching Terror in Mumbai made me feel like I was along for the ride. Being able to listen (actually, read English subtitles) to the actual cell phone conversations between the terrorists and their handlers was key. HBO isn’t kidding when they say “the phone intercepts provide a grotesque running commentary.” The interrogation of the lone surviving terrorist was real interesting as well. All of this provides tremendous insight for viewers as to how an “American Mumbai” could go down.

Now, I was lucky enough to catch the award-winning HBO documentary film on TV some time ago. Maybe you can too. Otherwise, Terror in Mumbai is uploaded on YouTube here (file entitled “26/11 Terror In Mumbai- Dispatches”)

(Editor’s note: Link added to SPTV and “Resources” page)