Bombs Kill 46 at historic site, market in India

[lpara]

<span style='font-family:comic sans ms'>Bombs kill 46 at historic site, market in India

By Ramola Talwar Badam
ASSOCIATED PRESS

BOMBAY, India — A pair of car bombs ripped through lunchtime crowds in India's financial capital, Bombay, yesterday, killing 46 persons and wreaking havoc at a crowded jewelry market and a popular historic landmark. More than 150 people were wounded.
Police Commissioner Ranjit Sharma blamed India's longtime rival, Pakistan, saying suspicion in the blast fell on Islamist militant groups &quot;let loose by the enemy country.&quot;
The groups were the focus of the investigation, but victims from the explosions were almost certain to include both Muslims and Hindus.
The bombs were hidden in the trunks of two taxis and exploded within five minutes of each other, police said. Several people, including one taxi driver, were being interrogated. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the bombings.

But his father feared Muslims would be blamed and that anti-Muslim riots could follow. (http://www.washtimes.com/world/20030826-120208-9701r.htm)

Sounds like terrorists http://www.gopusa.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/troll.gif s to me http://www.gopusa.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/shake.gif</span>

[pcyrdad]

Mars, not Islamic militants, to blame for Bombay blasts: astrologers (http://story.news.yahoo.com /news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20030826/od_afp/india_attacks_offbea t_030826125131)

http://www.gopusa.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tqrolleyes.gif http://www.gopusa.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tinfoil.gif http://www.gopusa.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rolleyes2.gif

[contrapuntal]

This story barely stayed in the headlines for a few hours, even though the death toll was greater than either the UN bombing or the recent bus bombing in Israel. The politics of India and Pakistan are hardly irrelevant to world security, so why isn't this (or the ongoing Kashmir conflict, for example)bigger news?

Any thoughts?

[Terri]

Since no one has answered this I'll throw in a couple of thoughts.

First of all the broadcast and cable media seem to only focus on a small handful of stories and they want those to be the same ones their competition is focusing on.

I think there has been more coverage of it in print media although I would agree that it isn't enough in relation to the seriousness of the story and the importance of these countries to the US.

Secondly it probably isn't controversial enough for the media. Right now they are focusing on political angles of the war on terror and politics itself.

Thirdly, and this is worst of all, I don't think the American people are at all interested in India or Pakistan. Some couldn't find them on a map, some don't understand their importance, and some probably just don't care if they have been hit.

That may sound harsh and I don't know what percentage of the population it covers but I do believe it's true.

There are more reasons but let's see if you think I'm wrong about those.

[LiveFreeOrDie]

Quote[/b] ]Thirdly, and this is worst of all, I don't think the American people are at all interested in India or Pakistan. Some couldn't find them on a map, some don't understand their importance, and some probably just don't care if they have been hit.

Terri I agree with everything you said. But let me expand on your point above. Yes I believe that most Americans who are casual news watchers utilizing the big 3 Networks don't care about India, Pakistan or most other places in the world. However people like me who are cable news junkies and read multiple newspapers and visit dozens of web sites a day are interested. I feel the 24 hour News outlets could pay more attention to other issues since they need to fill 24 hrs instead of just one or two hours a day. But no they fill it with Kobe, Lacy or Los Angeles car chase stories instead.

[jonessa2]

<span style='font-size:11pt;line-height:100%'>What's even sadder, my friend from India says that the numbers we hear about here in the U.S. are a lot fewer * than what actually happened. *IMO maybe life isn't as precious when it comes to some cultures. *Then again, he also said that India is a country where if you have money you can buy anything. *Maybe that's why it costs chicanos just pennies on the dollar to buy a document that would cost an East Indian several thousand.</span>

[wyatt45earp]

A lot of years have passed since a story was circulated around this country that certain mexicans had dug various tunnels under the border to the united states.. The purpose of these tunnels were to smuggle arms into the united states and store in various parts of the country and at a given time there would be a mass of mexicans flooding across the border to join with those already here. They would take up the arms and take back what they perceived to be theirs. Today we have the same substance in a different form. there are always those who are quick to grab on to anything that will enforce their orignal beliefs. Do we believe what we want to believe because we believe it to be true or becuause it fits our purpose?