Tonight at 8 pm, HBO will show a documentary called ‘Terror in Mumbai.’ The first anniversary of the Mumbai massacre will be next week.
…with the Mumbai attacks [filmmaker Dan] Reed has an incredible arsenal of footage and recordings at his disposal — including hours of phone calls made between the young men committing the attacks and their older leaders, including spokesman “Brother Wasi”, in Pakistan.
These phone calls, intercepted by Mumbai police who had fed traceable sim cards to known terrorist organizations, are the fascinating centerpiece of the film Notably, the killers, young men from Pakistani villages, frequently show incredible naivety. “There are computers here with 30 inch screens!” exclaims one mass-murderer on the phone to his irritated boss whilst in Mumbai’s iconic Taj Mahal Hotel. He goes on, “It’s amazing — the windows are huge! It’s got two kitchens, a bath and a little shop.” Brother Wasi, sounding exasperated, orders them to set the building on fire (they comply).
The callous nature of their leaders is also exposed. “There’s no harm in throwing a few grenades,” says Brother Wasi at one point. At other points he is coldly urging the scared young men into suicidal situations, ignoring the fear in their trembling voices.
The killers themselves cut tragic, almost sympathetic figures. We see the one surviving terrorism handcuffed to a bed and bleeding; he claims he was “sold” into terrorism by his family.
