Lessons from Headley

As the FBI caught David Headley (aka Daood Gilani), more and more evidence is coming out about how the 26/11 Mumbai Attacks were carried out.

1. At least TWO serving Pakistani Army officers of the rank of Majors were instrumental in the arrangements in the lead up to the attacks. If indeed Headley’s information is correct and the role of these two and/or other Army officers established then it could change the entire tone of engagement with Pakistan. India has maintained that the Jehadis could not have done what they did without the backing and / or training from Pakistan Army.

2. FIVE current and past Army officers have been arrested in connection with the 26/11 investigations. In fact now American Intelligence officials believe that the Pakistani military and intelligence officials are encouraging the Jehadis to attack India.

3. Amongst many other targets in India, some of the other targets of attack by Jehadis are National Defense College in New Delhi, Somnath temple in Gujarat and certain Bollywood stars and Shiv Sena leaders in Mumbai.

Interestingly, Muslim Jehadis have had a certain hatred towards this very temple. It has been destroyed at least 6 times by Muslim rulers/kings/invaders. See details below.

4. It seems that Headley and his co-conspirators had done several rounds of various targets and videographed the place well. They had also discussed the potential landing sites in March 2008.

It is fairly obvious that any one from any country could be a Muslim Jehadi in disguise with changed name. If someone has been to Pakistan, then I guess one should be strongly checked and monitored.

The present temple is the seventh temple reconstructed on the original site. The first temple of Somnath is said to have existed before the beginning of the common era. The second temple, built by the Yadava kings of Vallabhi in Gujarat, replaced the first one on the same site around 649.

In 725 Junayad, the Arab governor of Sind, sent his armies to destroy the second temple. The Pratihara king Nagabhata II constructed the third temple in 815, a large structure of red sandstone.
Somnath temple, 1869

In 1024 A.D., the temple was once again destroyed by Mahmud Ghazni who raided the temple from across the Thar Desert. Ghazni was challenged by the king, Ghogha Rana, who at the ripe age of 90, sacrificed his own clan fighting against Ghazni. The temple was rebuilt by the Paramara King Bhoj of Malwa and the Solanki king Bhima of Gujarat (Anhilwara) or Patan between 1026 and 1042. The wooden structure was replaced by Kumarpal (r.1143-72), who built the temple of stone. [5].

In 1296 A.D., the temple was once again destroyed by Sultan Allauddin Khilji’s army. According to Taj-ul-Ma’sir of Hasan Nizami, Raja Karan of Gujarat was defeated and forced to flee, “fifty thousand infidels were dispatched to hell by the sword” and “more than twenty thousand slaves, and cattle beyond all calculation fell into the hands of the victors”. The temple was rebuilt by Mahipala Deva, the Chudasama king of Saurashtra in 1308 A.D. and the Linga was installed by his son Khengar sometime between 1326 and 1351 A.D.

In 1375 A.D., the temple was once again destroyed by Muzaffar Shah I, the Sultan of Gujarat. About 1400 A.D. it was reconstructed by the local public.

In 1451 A.D., the temple was once again destroyed by Mahmud Begda, the Sultan of Gujarat. It was reconstructed again.

In 1701 A.D., the temple was once again destroyed by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb built a mosque on the site of the Somnath temple, using some columns from the temple, whose Hindu sculptural motifs remained visible.