Two news stories have crossed my desk, so to speak, that talk about an Al-Qaeda connection to the 7/11 Mumbai Bombings:
http://ia.rediff.com/news/2006/jul/12raman.htm?q=tp&file=.htm
http://autofeed.msn.co.in/pandorav3/output/News/a7178664-612f-45eb-8141-88422bc019ef.aspx
The second one is of interest to me because it talks about Al-Qaeda sending out a fax in Kashmir praising the bombings and claiming that Al-Qaeda has started a cell in Kashmir.
I think Al-Qaeda already has cells in Kashmir, and doesn't want to necessarily make announcements in this manner. It smacks of Zacarias Moussaoui standing the courtroom screaming "I am Al-Qaeda", or in other words, it sounds like a bunch of hooey.
Kashmir is one of those global flashpoints that I think Al-Qaeda has been working in for months, training groups like LeT, etc in an attempt to foment trouble.
I do believe that Al-Qaeda had a direct hand in the 7/11 bombing, and is trying to radicalize the Muslim population of India. I can't speak to how successful they can or will or have been, but I think the consequences of us, the US, or the rest of the world for that matter, ignoring the possiblities of radicalized Indian muslims is something we do at our great peril.
