Shahzad Book: ISI Scripted Mumbai Attacks

The 26/11 terror attacks that killed 166 people and brought India and Pakistan to the brink of war were scripted by ISI officers and approved before execution by al-Qaida commanders, according to a book just written by slain Pakistani journalist Syed Saleem Shahzad.

The 40-year-old reporter in his book titled ‘Inside Al-Qaeda and the Taleban – beyond bin Laden and 9/11’ describes the Mumbai plan as one pushed through by Ilyas Kashmiri , a key al-Qaida ally with wide links with the Pakistan defence establishment. Shahzad, who was an authority on terrorism in Afghanistan and the neighbourhood, says in the book that the plan was authored by Inter-Services Intelligence officers and executed by Lashkar-e-Taiba.

”With Ilyas Kashmiri’s immense expertise on Indian operations, he stunned the al-Qaeda leaders with the suggestion that expanding the war theatre was the only way to overcome the present impasse. He presented the suggestion of conducting such a massive operation in India as would bring India and Pakistan to war and with that all proposed operations against al-Qaeda would be brought to a grinding halt.”

“Al-Qaeda excitedly approved the attack-India proposal,” Shahzad wrote in the book, excerpts of which were published in The Dawn newspaper.

Shahzad’s friends and family believe the ISI had a hand in his death, but an official statement from the spy agency denied any involvement.

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