Attack in Mumbai

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<b>Patil goof-up, TV cameras ‘compromise’ rescue</b>
Posted online: Nov 28, 2008 at 0044 hrs
Manu Pubby and Anubhuti Vishnoi

New Delhi : A goof-up late Wednesday night by Home Minister Shivraj Patil and the airing of live footage by television channels on Thursday compromised rescue operations at the Trident and Taj hotels in Mumbai by giving terrorists prior information, security forces have said.

The Army and the National Security Guards (NSG), which started search and rescue operations early on Thursday, are <b>fuming over a statement by the Home Minister on Wednesday night that revealed that 200 commandoes are leaving for Mumbai from the capital</b>.

<b>The live coverage of the operation by television channels was curtailed after objections by the armed forces that it was hampering operations.</b> The News Broadcasters Association (NBA) issued an advisory for ‘self-regulation’ and ‘self-restraint’ in coverage to enable smooth functioning of security agencies and safety of those caught in the terror attacks.

The Home Minister, who was talking to television channels, drew flak after he said that the team of NSG commandoes would leave for operations in Mumbai <b>and even revealed the exact time of departure from Delhi, compromising, security forces say, the surprise element in the planned assault</b>.

“It is difficult to believe that the minister did not know that the size and time of arrival of an assault team should never be revealed. Such a disclosure has compromised the security of the operation,” a senior officer said, adding that live coverage by television channels was giving terrorists holed up inside the buildings specific inputs about the assault and movement of security personnel.

<b>An internal advisory by the NBA to 30 channels and 14 broadcasters was send out, with its secretary general Annie Joseph appealing to all news channel editors to exercise due self-restraint and self-regulation in its coverage.</b>

Terming the situation in Mumbai as a national issue and ‘an unprecedented episode that is required to be covered by all members as part of their bounden duty’, the NBA advised that this ‘extremely precarious situation’ should be covered with responsibility. It has asked members to resist from anything that would in any way ‘affect the operation being conducted by the security agencies to control the situation or that would endanger the safety of persons who are involved in the terror attacks’.

During the course of the security agency operations at the Taj and Oberoi hotels in Mumbai which are still continuing till the filing of this report, security agencies had asked the media to stay away from the site several times and were worried that relaying of all details about their positions and movements could inadvertently warn the terrorists. NBA, however, said the advisory sent out to all channels was their own decision and not done on the behest of security agencies.