INTELLIGENCE: AL-QAEDA BEHIND MUMBAI ATTACKS

The Islamic terrorists who are currently wreaking mayhem and murder in Mumbai, India call themselves the "Deccan Mujahideen." They appear to be a previously little-known branch of al Qaeda, as Western intelligence sources now say. A Newspost Online article reports that "Western intelligence chiefs on Thursday said that the planned and synchronized terror strikes across southern Mumbai had all the markings of a strategy designed by the Osama-bin Laden-led al Qaeda." Yet, even with the ensuing chaos, flights into and out of Mumbai are on schedule, reports NDTV. Newspost continues: As the unprecedented scale of the attacks became clear last night, it looked to be the most co-ordinated terrorist operation since the targeting of the Twin Towers in New York in 2001. Wednesday’s attacks, however, involving the taking of Western hostages made it more likely that the operation’s masterminds were from the core leadership of al-Qaeda, which is based in the lawless tribal regions close to the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, they said. [The intelligence chiefs] also said that in recent weeks they were expecting an al-Qaeda-type spectacular terrorist attack between the end of President George Bush’s administration and the succession of Barack Obama. They said Osama bin Laden’s terror outfit might be plotting an attack to grab headlines before Obama takes over on January 20. RELATED: Shocked industry demands tougher laws against terrorists Hostage Situation Continues at Nariman House One terrorist caught alive, confirms RR Patil Encounter on at Nariman House in South Mumbai Jewish targets in Mumbai carnage How it happened: A blow-by-blow account Irish students lie low as terror attacks rock city centre