About 25 Indian soldiers and 100 police officers with automatic weapons are stationed at the Taj-Mahal today after authorities received a threatening letter, allegedly written by an al-Qaida member or sympathizer. The author declares that al-Qaida members plan to blow up the monument which attracts millions of tourists per year. Authorities have not provided any details on the letter at this time including the proposed date of the attacks. The Taj-Mahal is located just 130 miles from New Delhi.
Just this Tuesday, thousands of soldiers deployed to cities across the country as India celebrated its Independence Day. The celebration was held under a terror alert.
Indian government official Ashok Kumar cautions that the letter could be a false alarm but assures that his government isn't taking any chances. Police Superintendent Dipesh Juneja stated that his department is currently prepar[ing] "a complete dossier of every resident living within 500 mts radius of the monument." Juneja hopes the dossier will assist soldiers in identifying and tracking new visitors to the Taj.
Uttar Pradesh, the state where the Taj is located, has also requested that civilian and military aviation officials declare a 2.5 mile no-fly zone around the monument. Additionally, the military has set up a number of bunkers around the Taj-Mahal's entrance gates. Soldiers and para-military personnel will man the bunkers 24/7.
Security all over Uttar Pradesh has been tightened, especially in the mass transit sector. While bags have never been permitted in the building, authorities have now banned all liquids as well.
Article comments
1 - Mayank Austen Soofi
Those Al Qaeda idiots aint aware that Taj Mahal was built by a Muslim emperor. But since when such concernes have stopped them from taking lives?
2 - Victor Plenty
They probably know the Taj Mahal was built by a Muslim emperor, but they might not care about that because it is in territory currently controlled by Hindus.
Depriving a Hindu-majority country of the revenue from the tourists who visit the Taj Mahal could be more important to al-Qaeda zealots than preserving a monument built by a Muslim.
3 - IgnatiusReilly
Why does Al Queda get the benefit of the doubt but Karr didn't? Did they just cover using the facts in your journalism class?
BTW, you might want to check the breaking news as his DNA doesn't match. The world awaits your retraction or correction.
4 - Lady Dragonfyre
IgnatiusReilly:
Why does Al Queda get the benefit of the doubt but Karr didn't?
1. Karr admitted to the murder. 2. This article is straight news, not opinion.
Did they just cover using the facts in your journalism class?
No, they didn't JUST cover using the facts. Straight news isn't the be all/end all of journalism. They also covered satire and op-eds.
They also emphasized that taking a condescending attitude toward a subject isn't an effective way to foster communication.
However, I DO regret that I mistakenly placed this article in the wrong category.
BTW, you might want to check the breaking news as his DNA doesn't match. The world awaits your retraction or correction.
I HAVE been monitoring the breaking news regarding the Ramsey investigation. I read that the DNA didn't match the DNA from the scene; however, I wanted to wait a week or so to see if the case against Mr. Karr WOULD be dropped, as I suspected it inevitably would. I didn't want to drive the editors crazy by sending them updates every day as the case developed.
The case has been closed mainly because all the evidence we have on Karr can neither prove nor disprove his involvement. The DNA places another person at the scene, yes, but that fact alone cannot prove or disprove that the unknown perp was alone. The DNA evidence we have strongly suggests that Karr had nothing to do with the crime, but the entire case against him is now too inconclusive to warrant a trial.
I have since put in a request to the editors that my article either be rescinded or updated with an announcement stating that the case has been dropped.