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Task of bringing perpetrators of 26/11 Mumbai attacks unfinished: Jaishankar
Though Jaishankar didn’t refer to Pakistan in his remarks, he left little doubt as to where the attackers had come from
The task of bringing the perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks remains “unfinished” and India will never give up on this objective, external affairs minister S Jaishankar said on Friday while paying tribute to victims of the carnage along with members of the UN Security Council.
Jaishankar was joined by UK foreign secretary James Cleverly, Gabon foreign minister Michael Moussa Adamo, Ghana foreign minister Shirley Ayorkar Botchwey, UAE minister of state for international cooperation Reem Ebrahim Al Hashimy, Albanian deputy foreign minister Megi Fino and UN under-secretary general Vladimir Voronkov for a solemn wreath-laying ceremony at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai, which was one of the main targets of the attackers.
Representatives of all 15 members of the UN Security Council, including Chinese deputy consul general Nancy Wang, also participated in the ceremony, which was held at the 26/11 memorial located in the hotel’s lobby. A total of 166 people were killed over four days by a 10-member team of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), including 31 who died in the Taj Hotel.
Though Jaishankar didn’t refer to Pakistan in his remarks, he left little doubt as to where the attackers had come from. Describing the assault as “one of the most shocking terror attacks of our times”, he said Mumbai was “held hostage by terrorists who had entered from across the border”. He noted that 26 citizens of 23 other countries were among the dead.
“Since then, we have endeavoured to bring the masterminds and perpetrators of this attack to justice. This task remains unfinished. Therefore, the coming together of the UNSC’s Counter-Terrorism Committee to this venue is both special and significant,” he said.
In a tweet posted just after his speech, Jaishankar said the gathering of the UN Security Council at the 26/11 Memorial in the Taj Hotel sends a strong message on countering terrorism. “We will hold the masterminds and conspirators accountable. We will never give up,” he tweeted.
“It was not just an attack on Mumbai, but an attack on the international community. Nationals of specific countries were identified before being murdered. As a result, the commitment of each and every member state of the UN to combat terrorism stood publicly challenged,” Jaishankar said in his speech.
“Together, we should send out the message that the international community will never give up on holding terrorists accountable and delivering justice. 26/11 will never ever be forgotten,” he added.
The ceremony was part informal opening session for a special meeting of the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) being hosted by India. The substantive discussions on the main theme of the special meeting – countering the use of new and emerging technologies for terrorism – will be held in New Delhi on October 29.
Jaishankar said the “collective resolve of Indian security forces, brave civilians and the security and staff” of the Taj Hotel averted more casualties and ensured the defeat of the forces of evil.
“We all recall that the victims included ordinary Mumbaikars going about their daily lives at the Chhatrapati Maharaj Terminus Railway Station, the patients, doctors, and nursing staff at the Cama Hospital, the guests and staff of the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, of Café Leopold and the Oberoi Trident Hotel, the Chabad house, where Baby Moshe’s parents were killed, and innocent bystanders on the streets,” he said.
Adamo, who also addressed the gathering since Gabon is the president of the UN Security Council for this month, said the meeting was being held at a place that bears the “indelible scars of an abhorrent phenomenon” that is one of the major threats to global peace.
Terrorist attacks reflect the “barbarity that terrifies humanity” and require a firm and coordinated response, he said. The UN member states must collectively and urgently act to prevent terrorism in all forms, deprive terrorists of resources and explore new ways of action to prevent terrorists from recruiting, he added.
The terrorist threat now includes the use of new technologies, such as crypto-currencies and social media, and the global response should be united and make full use of UN sanctions regimes, Adamo said.
The renewal of CTC’s mandate for four years in 2021 will strengthen the capacity of UN states to prevent terrorist acts by intensifying the exchange of information, judicial cooperation, border controls, and fighting terror financing, he added.
The gathering observed a minute’s silence for the victims of the Mumbai attacks and Jaishankar and Adamo later signed a memorial book.
