Terrorism & Technology – III : Precision execution

Varun Kapoor *

In the previous two articles we saw how the present day digital world, technology and gadgetry are proving to be a boon for modern day terrorism – both in radicalization, recruitment & training for terrorist activities as well as for terror financing.

Building up of large number of committed cadres and then providing them with adequate finances is the precursor for the third and final stage of a terror functioning – that is final and precise execution. How much ever the organization plans and recruits and finances, without success in achieving the final gruesome outcome, which actually spreads terror in the society and thus furthers their bizarre goals – all their activity becomes fruitless and meaningless.

Here too modern day state of the art gadgetry and techniques are being deftly used manipulated by many terror outfits to further their evil designs. The story of one of the most dastardly attacks in modern history will prove the above mentioned point in stark detail. It was late evening on 26th November 2008 in Mumbai.

A 69 year old man checked into the luxurious suite 632 at the Taj Mahal Hotel facing the royal Arabian Sea. The name of this guest was K.R. Ramamoorthy who was visiting from Bangalore on a business trip. Little did he know that his life was about to change forever. At around 11PM when he was about to retire for the night there was a commotion outside and then a knock on his door and someone said “Room Service” Ramamoorthy immediately guessed something was wrong as he had ordered no room service.

He was retreating into the bathroom when he bumped into a door. The noise gave his presence away and there was a huge hail of bullets through the door and the lock broke. In barged two heavily armed men. They soon beat up the old man and tied and stripped him. These men were terrorists of the Pakistan based Laskar-e-Taiba (LeT) and poor old Ramamoorthy was in caught in the middle of the Mumbai terrorist attack which was later dubbed as the 26/11 attack.

They asked him who he was – he said he was just an ordinary schoolteacher visiting Mumbai. His captors knew that he was lying as no ordinary school teacher could afford to stay in a suite at the Taj. The captors got hold of his ID card from his bed side table. With the name in their possession they contacted their terrorist commanders in Pakistan on satellite phones that they were carrying.

They soon got back information based on the name and description that their hostage was none other than the Chairman of one of the largest private banks in India ING Vysya. The terrorist handlers used a simple internet search and got his photograph and then his place of work. That’s how they identified him.

The captors then asked what they should do with their captive – moments later they got the rather chilling reply from their terrorist headquarters “kill him”! Though an explosion at that instant compelled the terrorists to run outside to face the police and that gave Ramamoorthy time to escape and save his life. Not so lucky were 166 men, women and children who died that day, in addition thousands more were wounded.

The terrorist who attacked Mumbai carried AK-47 and RDX explosives. But then guns and bombs are nothing new to terrorists. But these LeT operatives represented a deeply disturbing new breed of terrorists. They had seen into the future and utilized modern gadgets and digital technology every step of the way to slaughter more and more innocent civilians.

In the gadgetry and technology department they used night vision goggles and GPS handsets to navigate their boat to Mumbai coast. They carried Blackberries containing PDF models of target venues to determine optimal entry and exit points. During the assault they used satellite phones, GSM handsets and Skype to coordinate with their Pakistan based command center, which monitored broadcast news, the Internet and social media to provide real time tactical directions to its ground assault teams.

For example when a bystander tweeted a photograph of Indian commandoes repelling down with ropes onto the roof of the besieged Jewish community building, the command center intercepted the photo and alerted the attackers and directed them to stairwell leading to the roof. When the commandoes came down the stairs they were massacred. When the BBC by reported eye witness account that terrorists were holed up in room 360 or 361, their war room phoned them to reposition themselves and avoid capture.

At every point the LeT attackers exploited readily available technology to gain situational awareness and maintain tactical advantage over the police and the government. They monitored the internet, gathered all open source data and even mounted a sophisticated online counterintelligence operation to protect their operatives. Throughout the assault the terrorists were so dependent on technology that more than one witness reported that many a times the LeT terrorists were shooting their hostages with the guns in their right hand while simultaneously checking Blackberry messages with the left!

Today’s terrorism thus heavily depends upon technological inputs, gadgets, internet and social media for its survival, functioning and effect. The virtual world has thus provided these outfits with sort of oxygen for survival and growth. But if this oxygen is slowly turned off then it can be the best and most effective way in destroying these mushrooming outfits one and for all.

That is the direction that the security agencies are deftly working too – working to succeed – and succeed they will at all cost and come what may!


[Views expressed in the column are of the author himself]