[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 724 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 724

 Expressing the sense of the Senate on the horrific terrorist attacks 
    and siege in Mumbai, India, beginning on November 26, 2008, and 
                    concluding on November 29, 2008.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            December 9, 2008

 Mr. Casey (for himself, Mr. Voinovich, and Mr. Conrad) submitted the 
        following resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of the Senate on the horrific terrorist attacks 
    and siege in Mumbai, India, beginning on November 26, 2008, and 
                    concluding on November 29, 2008.

Whereas, on the evening of November 26, 2008, evidence strongly suggests that 10 
        terrorists came ashore into the city of Mumbai, India, from a hijacked 
        fishing trawler in the Arabian Sea, and conducted coordinated attacks on 
        major hotels, restaurants, hospitals, and transportation hubs, and a 
        religious center;
Whereas the attackers entered into a standoff with security forces of the 
        Government of India over the next 60 hours at a number of sites, 
        deliberately holding many hostages while trapping other innocent victims 
        with no means of escape;
Whereas authorities of the Government of India brought the horrific three-day 
        siege of Mumbai to a close on the morning of November 29, 2008;
Whereas the final death toll from the siege exceeded 170 victims, with hundreds 
        more injured;
Whereas those murdered include citizens of India as well as 22 foreigners from 
        11 different countries, including the following six United States 
        citizens: Aryeh Leibish Teitelbaum, Rabbi Gavriel Noah Holtzberg, Ben 
        Zion Chroman, Sandeep Jeswani, Alan Michael Scherr, and Naomi Leia 
        Scherr.
Whereas the terrorists who attacked Mumbai attacked a symbol of religious 
        pluralism and outreach, a Jewish outreach center at the Nariman House, 
        murdering six residents of the Nariman House, including Rabbi Holtzberg 
        and his five-month pregnant wife, Rivka, orphaning their two-year old 
        son, Moshe, who was heroically rescued by his Indian nanny, Sandra 
        Samuel;
Whereas nine of the attackers were found dead at various sites where they were 
        engaged in a standoff with authorities of the Government of India, with 
        only one surviving attacker taken into custody;
Whereas evidence collected to date suggests the involvement of an Islamic 
        militant group, Lashkar-e-Taiba, that has ties to al Qaeda and operates 
        out of Pakistan;
Whereas India has endured a series of devastating terrorist attacks in recent 
        years, suffering 3,674 deaths from terrorist attacks in a recent three-
        year period; and
Whereas India, the world's largest democracy, is a strategic partner of the 
        United States, and this bilateral relationship is built on common values 
        and unity against extremism: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) affirms that the people of the United States stand in 
        unison with the people of India in the aftermath of these 
        horrific terrorist attacks;
            (2) condemns strongly the atrocities perpetrated against 
        the people of Mumbai, conveys its deepest condolences to the 
        families and loved ones of those killed, and expresses its 
        wishes for the speedy recovery of the hundreds of people 
        injured in these senseless attacks;
            (3) notes that these attacks did not only target citizens 
        of India, but represented a collective assault against the 
        international community, with 22 foreigners, including six 
        Americans, among those murdered;
            (4) noting that President Bush has offered United States 
        Government assistance, encourages the Government of India to 
        conduct a comprehensive investigation into the attacks and 
        applauds the tone of moderation and restraint exhibited by the 
        Government of India to date in reaction to these horrific 
        attacks;
            (5) urges the Government of Pakistan to investigate 
        aggressively the possible connection of groups based in 
        Pakistan, including the Lashkar-e-Taiba, to the Mumbai attacks 
        and take definitive action to apprehend and detain suspects, 
        and is thus encouraged by the raid on an apparent militant camp 
        on December 7, 2008, and the arrest of key suspects;
            (6) calls upon the Government of Pakistan to take all 
        necessary steps to root out all extremist groups operating on 
        its territory, halt attacks aimed at Pakistan and any other 
        countries, and ensure that no elements of the Government 
        support such groups;
            (7) strongly encourages President-elect Obama to consider 
        ways in which the United States Government can bolster counter-
        terrorism cooperation with the Government of India to ensure 
        that authorities in that country possess all the requisite 
        equipment and training needed to prevent and respond to future 
        terrorist attacks; and
            (8) urges bolstered United States efforts to develop and 
        implement policies and projects to combat all forms of 
        religious extremism, including anti-Semitism, in order to deter 
        the type of targeted attacks like that waged against the Chabad 
        Lubavitch center in Mumbai.
                                 <all>