Black Cats earned nation's gratitude during Mumbai terror siege

[seemslikeadream]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Black_cats_earned_nations_gratitude_during_Mumbai_terror_siege/articleshow/3772904.cms?TOI_latestnews

NEW DELHI: They're frequently seen guarding the high and the mighty of the land, forming a protecting ring around them with their stern demeanour
and mean-looking submachine guns held across their chests.

Not many know that the Black cats, as the commandos of the National Security Guard (NSG) are better known, are among Asia's finest counter-terrorism units, with its cadres trained to handle a variety of tasks like anti-hijack operations.

They made waves around the world earlier this week when they successfully tackled a group of armed terrorists who had taken over two luxury hotels and another building in India's commercial capital of Mumbai, gunning down 14 ultras and capturing one.

In the process, they also wrested the buildings back from the militants, in one case by slithering down ropes from military helicopters and then blasting their way into the structure.

The birth of the Black Cats - so called after their all-black attire - was in rather traumatic circumstances. Then prime minister Indira Gandhi had been assassinated in 1984 by her own bodyguards provided by Delhi Police and this pointed to the need for a force for exclusively guarding only VVIPs, apart from performing specialised tasks like dealing with urban insurgency.

[SoCalDem]

1. Frankly, I was not terribly impressed with their response..or the crowd control

I keep thinking of those people who died from blood loss, due to the prolonged episode..

They should have flooded that place with military..within HOURS...

and I also wonder how many people died from gunshots & grenades from the police:(

[Lasher]

2. It took 60 hours to subdue the terrorists.

I don't know, maybe the Black Cats did a wonderful job. Maybe they didn't. I just think 2 1/2 days was too long.

[malaise]

3. Not really

People in India are very upset at the lack of security. The Times of India is the equivalent of the National Enquirer.

[Edweird]

4. I'm sure they did the best they could. It wasn't very impressive, tho.

[FarCenter]

5. Suppose that a similar force shot up the San Francisco Embarcadero and took over the Hyatt

How much better do you think the response would be?

[KoKo]

6. Black Cats.....Blackwater....rise of "private security" mercencaries...n/t