RENEE

Posted at 8:06 p.m. ET:

Well, regular readers know who "Renee" is.  She is Renee Nielsen, pictured below, our terrific contact in Mumbai, who's been sending us her remarkable reports and insights.  Here is another dispatch, filed today:

- Today, starting at 4 p.m., thousands gathered down at the Gateway of India to march against terrorism. It has been a peaceful protest, but you can see from the live interviews (complete with cursing) that the citizens of Mumbai are very angry with politicians here. Many are calling for the businesspeople/actors (i.e. the ones with money who pay the most taxas and have influence) to put pressure on the politicians to make swift changes and increase security for the city.

Some are calling for the politicians to have minimum educational qualifications plus 10 years of public service before being allowed to run. People here feel the politicians are uneducated, and are corrupt because of it. Some want the age limit to be 60 to get new and younger faces into power. One man even ranted on how the US under President Bush protected his country from terror attacks after 9/11, so why can't India stop these attacks the way the US can?

- Sec of State Rice held a joint conference with External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee in Delhi earlier this evening. The part that jumped out to the media on their endless "Breaking News banners" was this statement: "What has to happen is there has to be a real sense of transparency, real sense of action and real sense of urgency because these are extremists who have the same intention and same goal, and that is to terrorize and send messages to states around the world."

Headlines are reading: "Rice tells Pak to Act Fast."

The consensus has not been to dismiss Rice, as she and Bush are leaving, but more that Obama will continue this policy. I did not hear anyone dismissing Rice as a lame duck.

- The rhetoric between Indian and Pakistan is starting to heat up, especially after Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, on Larry King Live last night, questioned if the one terrorist captured was even Pakistani.

- Zardari also waffled his way past a question about India's demand for handing over 20 terrorists living in Pakistan, saying he was "definitely going to look into all the possibility of any proof that is given to us.

"At the moment these are just names of individuals. No proof, no investigation, nothing has been brought to forward," he said. Some of the names in the Indian list, notably Dawood Ibrahim, are Indian nationals convicted in Indian courts. Ibrahim lives in the same neighborhood in Karachi (Clifton) where Zardari has a home, according to past reports in the Pakistani media.

Asked if he would turn over the fugitives (including Indian nationals) if India provided the proof, Zardari fudged again, just like his predecessor, saying, "If we had the proof, we would try them in our courts, we would try them in our land and we would sentence them." Accounts in the Pakistani media reveal many of the fugitives and outlaws live under ISI protection and patronage.

The interview appeared to have been taped before Indian and U.S officials confirmed the Pakistani plot, based on the confession of the captured terrorist and electronic evidence.   None of the news programs are providing their audience with this major piece of information to provide context. People are outraged over Zardari's comments.

- I've just spent the last 2 hours watching Times Now and Headline News, with their guests panels representing both India and Pakistani perspectives.

The general theme from India: Even the US is putting pressure on you, give up the 20 terrorists on the list! One anchor on Headline News asked Indian Former Army CHief VP Malik: "Do we have proof so soon in the investigation these really are Pakistanis?"  The response: "Everyone knows about it. The terrorists came from Pakistan."

The Pakistani position on all these shows has not differed from President Zardari.  Khalid Rahmaan, from the Institute of Policy Studies in Pakistan, complained:

"India is pointing fingers."

"Are the terrorists really Pakistani?"

"The goverment of Pakistan is saying that India is putting pressure on instead of trying to genuinely investigate."

- The Indian government has stated that military action is NOT off the table.

- At Chhatrapati Shivaji Rail Terminus today, two bags containing eight kg of explosive material were discovered.  This created more outrage by the populace about the competence of the politicians and police - to have missed something so deadly. People have been using the station for days now. Last night another bomb was found outside the Taj.  That also had been missed.

- Pakistani news channels are saying that Hindu Zionists were responsible for the attacks:

- All in all, it's a big mess of accusations and denials between India and Pakistan, played through the media.  The media is not helping, as it sensationalizes every piece of information coming out.

Tensions are high.

Another great report from Renee, filled with stuff we generally don't get here from the mainstream press.

December 3, 2008.