2008 attacks on Uttar Pradeshi and Bihari migrants in Maharashtra, Media coverage and response, Local vernacular media
I have carefully read, and re-read, your signed article in Marathi titled Maazi Bhoomika, Maaza Ladha (My Stand, My Struggle) in the Maharashtra Times of 9 February, and think that some of your arguments are far too nuanced to be simply categorised as hate speech... If Abu Azmi, or some other leaders claiming to represent the 'north Indian voters' in Mumbai have behaved haughtily, and shown disrespect for the city's Marathi-speaking people, protest by all means.


2008 attacks on Uttar Pradeshi and Bihari migrants in Maharashtra, Media coverage and response, Local vernacular media
But why are you yourself showing disrespect to the entire community of north Indians, as is evident from your article and your other reported statements? How can you allow your supporters to take law into their hands and do raada (street mayhem)? Can you justify the politics of violence against a fellow-Indian, as was evident when an innocent employee of HAL was killed in a stone-throwing incident in Nashik following your arrest in Mumbai? *


2008 attacks on Uttar Pradeshi and Bihari migrants in Maharashtra, Media coverage and response, Local vernacular media
A guest is welcomed if he adjusts himself to the host's house. But if he tries to change the host's house through dadagiri, we won't tolerate it. And no means no!


2008 attacks on Uttar Pradeshi and Bihari migrants in Maharashtra, Media coverage and response, Local vernacular media
I am proud of my workers for their struggle! Please don't call it 'Rada' (hooliganism) by giving old and historic references. They hit the streets to protect their own language and culture. Police are visiting their houses again and again and beating them up like cattle to punish them for protecting their language and culture.


2008 attacks on Uttar Pradeshi and Bihari migrants in Maharashtra, Media coverage and response, Local vernacular media
They are tolerating it quietly. For whom? For Maharashtra! For India! It is fashionable for intellectuals here to blame my party for the unsolved problem of Marathi identity. But am I or my party responsible for it? *


2008 attacks on Uttar Pradeshi and Bihari migrants in Maharashtra, Political analysis
Political observers commented that the attacks on North Indians by MNS were a "shrewd ploy" of their chief Raj to embarrass the Shiv Sena and usurp its core Marathi constituency. They also felt Raj was trying to gain a political foothold by imitating his uncle and political mentor Bal Thackeray, who had headed the anti-South Indian campaign—"Lungi Bhagao, Pungi Bajao" (throw out those who wear lungis, celebrate by blowing bugles)—during the formative years of the Shiv Sena in the 1960s.


2008 attacks on Uttar Pradeshi and Bihari migrants in Maharashtra, Political analysis
Kumar Ketkar, the editor of the Marathi daily Loksatta, said though Raj might have achieved what he wanted, but he may have not anticipated the attention it would get. He said, "He thought the media would gobble it up and just create a small storm that will shift the agenda. But the great Amar Singh and Abu Azmi fuelled the issue by taking him more seriously than what he deserves. The confrontational position aided the MNS volunteers to get into the limelight".


2008 attacks on Uttar Pradeshi and Bihari migrants in Maharashtra, Political analysis
Ketkar also said the Shiv Sena would lose in the scenario commenting, "The Sena tried to woo the North Indians after it realised their value as a vote bank in the 2004 defeat. They realised that the demography of the city had changed within a decade. That is when they decided it was time to please the North Indians. Uddhav started organising Uttar Bharatiya functions. This is the year that he bore the fruits of his efforts. That is why Raj decided to strike at the same sentiment that the Sena played in the past—the Marathi Manoos."


2008 attacks on Uttar Pradeshi and Bihari migrants in Maharashtra, Political analysis
The author of The Sena Story, Vaibhav Purandare, said Raj resorted to this measure to stem his party's eroding credibility. He said, "When Raj launched his party, he first started out with an inclusive approach. When he found that it is not working, he had to do something drastic to get back into the limelight. On the other hand, the Sena was actually becoming inclusive. It even began attracting Muslims into its fold. It also began taking up the common man's issues like farmer suicides and power supply. This is Raj's attempt to take the Sena's mass base away to completely embarrass the Sena. And he has succeeded." Both Ketkar and Purandare, however, agreed that Raj was trying to position himself as Bal Thackeray's potential successor.


2008 attacks on Uttar Pradeshi and Bihari migrants in Maharashtra, Political analysis, Alleged Congress support for MNS
Shubhangi Khapre of Daily News and Analysis noted in her article titled Forget political will, Raj has state support, stated, "Ever since its birth on 9 March 2006, MNS has been nurtured by the ruling Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) with an ulterior motive of splitting the Shiv Sena. Ironically, the Sena itself was given a 'protected childhood' in the late 1960s by the then Congress as a tool to war with the Communist Party of India, which had a strong presence in Mumbai.


2008 attacks on Uttar Pradeshi and Bihari migrants in Maharashtra, Political analysis, Alleged Congress support for MNS
Not surprisingly, covertly the administration has provided Raj adequate platform to consolidate the political forum through an emotive Marathi plank. The purpose is to split the 26% Marathi voters in Mumbai, which is rather loyal to the Shiv Sena. The electoral merit of the MNS remains untested but its ability to bond with sons of the soil cannot be cursorily dismissed in Mumbai, Thane, Nashik and Pune."


2008 attacks on Uttar Pradeshi and Bihari migrants in Maharashtra, Political analysis, Alleged Congress support for MNS
She further noted, "Under chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, the Congress sees a double advantage in the strategy: A proactive MNS will divide Sena voters on the one hand and drive Mumbai’s North Indian community — which was being targeted as "outsiders" by the MNS — to Congress's lap. North Indians, who dominate 48 essential services in Mumbai, constitute a sizeable — and hence decisive — vote bank. Forget political will, it is well-calculated political design which has withheld the Democratic Front government from taking stern action against Raj.


2008 attacks on Uttar Pradeshi and Bihari migrants in Maharashtra, Political analysis, Alleged Congress support for MNS
Or else, how does one explain home minister RR Patil engaging in a telephone conversation urging him to slow down instead of arresting his men indulging in violence on streets?" She also said, "(Vilasrao) Deshmukh is no better. He has often said, "My administration will not tolerate divisive forces. Nobody is above the law"." She expressed her views in reference to, Bombay High Court on lashing out at the Maharashtra government over the threat given by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena about displaying the Marathi signboard on the shops and establishments in the metropolis.


2008 attacks on Uttar Pradeshi and Bihari migrants in Maharashtra, Political analysis, Alleged Congress support for MNS
"If you don't have political will, then give that message to the people that we can not do anything," Division Bench of Justice J N Patel and K K Tated said dissatisfied about government's inaction against hooliganism of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena activists. "Why no action has been taken against respondent number six (Raj Thackeray)? Are some people 'untouchable' for you?" Justice Patel asked as government failed to file a proper reply regarding the action taken.


2008 attacks on Uttar Pradeshi and Bihari migrants in Maharashtra, Political analysis, Alleged Congress support for MNS
Congress leader Hussain Dalwai said, "It's a sad commentary on the administration which has come to a stage where it requires the high court intervention". He put the onus of his party's coalition partner, saying, "Whether it is MNS violence in the signboard or dalit killing at Khairlanji it shows an insensitive administration. The NCP president Sharad Pawar should seriously reflect on the working of the state home department." Even NCP leaders including Ajit Pawar and Chhagan Bhujbal have told RR Patil and Deshmukh, in the cabinet meet to "either act or shut up".


2008 attacks on Uttar Pradeshi and Bihari migrants in Maharashtra, Political analysis, Alleged Congress support for MNS
Suggesting that the Maharashtra government was not keen on taking strong action against MNS chief Raj Thackeray, the NDA on Thursday described as "stage-managed show" the arrest and bail for him in cases of violence against north Indians in the state. BJP MP Shahnawaz Hussain said, "Congress is Raj Thackeray's event management company and it is trying to project Raj's arrest as an event instead of making any serious effort to check the violent campaign of MNS against north Indians. There is match-fixing between Raj and the Maharashtra government.


2008 attacks on Uttar Pradeshi and Bihari migrants in Maharashtra, Political analysis, Alleged Congress support for MNS
The state government deliberately books him under small sections and he gets bail." Talking on the attacks on North Indian candidates at the All-India Railway Recruitment examinations in Mumbai, Rajya Sabha MP and JD-U national general secretary Shivananda Tiwari also attacked Congress for "promoting" the MNS chief and comparing him with slain Punjab separatist leader Bhindarwale. "Congress party has a mastery in creating 'bhasmasurs' (self destructing demons). Earlier they created Bhindranwale in Punjab, which killed a Congress Prime Minister. Even this Raj Thackeray is ultimately going to damage Congress," Tiwari claimed. He also alleged that Maharashtra government arrested Raj to carry out a "formality" and as mild charges were pressed, he got bail soon.


2008 attacks on Uttar Pradeshi and Bihari migrants in Maharashtra, Resumption of verbal attacks, Raj Thackeray
While still under the gag order, in an interview with the Marathi weekly magazine Lok Prabha of the Indian Express group, Raj was quoted as saying: "We will go with folded hands and ask them [North Indians] to leave. If they refuse, then we will raise our hands." Lok Prabha editor Pravin Tokekar said: "The MNS chief has technically not made any inflammatory statement.


2008 attacks on Uttar Pradeshi and Bihari migrants in Maharashtra, Resumption of verbal attacks, Raj Thackeray
Even when he says he and his party would go with folded hands to people asking them to leave and only raise hands if they refuse, he treads the ground gingerly without naming any community or party per se". On 3 March, at a party function organised by the MNS at Shivaji Park, after the expiry of the gag order, Raj announced, "I have not given up my mission", thus signalling to his supporters of continuing his stance on the migrant issue.


2008 attacks on Uttar Pradeshi and Bihari migrants in Maharashtra, Resumption of verbal attacks, Raj Thackeray
Then on 3 May, despite legal warnings by the police before his rally, Raj issued a diktat to his supporters to take action whenever they encountered "injustice". At a rally at Shivaji Park, he said, "That north Indians are living in Mumbai is because of our mercy. Let it be known". He told MNS leaders to shed their complacence and advised his supporters to "take action" whenever they felt necessary. He warned that North Indians who did not speak Marathi and did not respect Marathi culture would be driven away.


2008 attacks on Uttar Pradeshi and Bihari migrants in Maharashtra, Resumption of verbal attacks, Raj Thackeray
Raj dared the police in his speech by saying, "Arrest me for this if you can". After analysing the speech amidst demand for action against the MNS chief a senior police official quoted it was "difficult to find an explicit threat or provocation" in the text of his speech to initiate strong legal action against him and "it seems he [Raj] consulted legal experts before making the speech".


2008 attacks on Uttar Pradeshi and Bihari migrants in Maharashtra, Resumption of verbal attacks, Bal Thackeray
On 6 March, Bal Thackeray issued an editorial titled Ek Bihari, Sau Bimari (One Bihari, Hundred illnesses) in Saamna, Shiv Sena's political mouthpiece, saying Biharis were "an unwanted lot" in the country. In what was termed as an apparent bid to recapture his party's Marathi sons of soil plank, which was being hijacked by the MNS leader Raj, Thackeray wrote about Biharis,


2008 attacks on Uttar Pradeshi and Bihari migrants in Maharashtra, Resumption of verbal attacks, Bal Thackeray
"They [Biharis] are not wanted in southern India, Assam and also Punjab and Chandigarh. The Biharis have antagonised local population wherever they had settled. The UP-Bihari MPs have shown their ingratitude towards Mumbai and Maharashtra with an anti-Marathi tirade in Parliament."


2008 attacks on Uttar Pradeshi and Bihari migrants in Maharashtra, Resumption of verbal attacks, Bal Thackeray
He also denounced Bihari MPs, saying they were "spitting in the same plate from which they ate" by criticising Mumbaikars and Maharashtrians. He also wrote, "They are trying to add fuel to the fire that has been extinguished, by saying that Mumbaikars have rotten brains". The outburst was apparently in response to MPs from Bihar who had disrupted the proceedings of the Lok Sabha in protest against the attacks on North Indians. Bihar chief minister, Nitish Kumar, upset with the remarks, demanded that the Prime Minister and the Centre intervene in the matter immediately.


2008 attacks on Uttar Pradeshi and Bihari migrants in Maharashtra, Resumption of verbal attacks, Bal Thackeray
The Saamna editorial prompted at least 16 Lok Sabha MPs from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, belonging to the RJD, JD (U), SP and the Congress, to give notice for breach of privilege proceedings against Bal Thackeray. After the matter was raised in the Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said: "If anybody has made any comment on our members' functioning in the conduct of business in the House, not only do we treat that with the contempt that it deserves, but also any action that may be necessary will be taken according to procedure and well established norms. Nobody will be spared".


2008 attacks on Uttar Pradeshi and Bihari migrants in Maharashtra, Resumption of verbal attacks, Bal Thackeray
On 27 March, in protest against Bal Thackeray's editorial, leaders of Shiv Sena in Delhi resigned citing its "outrageous conduct" towards non-Marathis in Maharashtra and announced that they will form a separate party. Addressing a press conference Shiv Sena's North India chief Jai Bhagwan Goyal said the decision to leave the party was taken because of the "partial attitude" of the party high command towards Maharashtrians. "Shiv Sena is no different from Khalistan and Jammu and Kashmir militant groups which are trying to create a rift between people along regional lines. The main aim of these forces is to split our country. Like the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, the Shiv Sena too has demeaned North Indians and treated them inhumanely", he said.


2008 attacks on Uttar Pradeshi and Bihari migrants in Maharashtra, Resumption of verbal attacks, Bal Thackeray
Evaluating the developments, political observers in Mumbai remarked that the Shiv Sena had been "caught in a bind" by Raj's campaign as it had in recent years sought to portray an inclusive image to try to woo the significant migrant vote in the Mumbai and Thane region in the run-up to the Assembly elections in 2009. To balance this strategy, the party had started speaking up for Maharashtrians to remind them that it was the Shiv Sena was the original voice of the local people.


2008 bombing of Indian embassy in Kabul
The 2008 Indian embassy bombing in Kabul was a suicide bomb terror attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan on 7 July 2008 at 8:30 AM local time. The bombing killed 58 people and wounded 141. The suicide car bombing took place near the gates of the embassy during morning hours when officials enter the embassy.


2008 bombing of Indian embassy in Kabul
Unnamed U.S. intelligence officials suggested to The New York Times that Pakistan's ISI intelligence agency had planned the attack. Pakistan denied this claim. According to British journalist Christina Lamb, United States President George W. Bush confronted Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and stated that in the case of another such attack he would have to take "serious action". Gilani promised to investigate the attack. Subsequently, Pakistani foreign ministry spokesman Mohammed Sadiq described The New York Times report as "total rubbish" and said there was no evidence of ISI involvement.


2008 bombing of Indian embassy in Kabul, Background
During the United States-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, India offered intelligence and other forms of support to the coalition forces. After the overthrow of the Taliban, India established diplomatic relations with the newly elected democratic government, provided aid and participated in Afghanistan's reconstruction efforts through the construction of roads, railways, electricity transmission lines, schools and hospitals. Indo-Afghan relations strengthened in the wake of Afghanistan's persisting tensions and problems with Pakistan, which is widely believed to shelter and support the Taliban. Both India and Afghanistan also developed strategic and military cooperation against the insurgency.


2008 bombing of Indian embassy in Kabul, Background
India pursued a policy of close cooperation with Afghanistan in order to gain friendly influence in Central Asia as well as to keep a check on Kashmiri militants that it claims are operating from the Afghanistan-Pakistan region. India also provides training to Afghan National Army officers and military personnel at its training institutions, including the National Defence Academy and the School of Artillery at Devlali. India has also helped Afghanistan in "capacity-building" by training Afghan pilots and technicians in operating Russian-origin Mi-35 helicopter gunships. India is also a supplier of military parts for Soviet-era Afghan tanks and aircraft.


2008 bombing of Indian embassy in Kabul, Background
By 2007, India had pledged US$850 million to Afghan reconstruction efforts, the largest amount from any country without a military presence in Afghanistan, and later scaled up the aid to more than US$1 billion. India is currently the largest regional donor of humanitarian aid and reconstruction efforts in post-Taliban Afghanistan. About 3,000 Indians are estimated to be working on various reconstruction and developmental projects in Afghanistan, and they have often been subjected to attacks by Taliban insurgents.


2008 bombing of Indian embassy in Kabul, Background
In November 2005, after an incident in which an Indian national was kidnapped and murdered, India deployed 200 soldiers of the elite Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) to provide security for Indian nationals and the projects supported by India. By 2008, ITBP's presence in Afghanistan was steadily increased to over 400 personnel.


2008 bombing of Indian embassy in Kabul, Background
India's growing influence in Afghanistan has upset Pakistan and other pro-Taliban elements. The Times said in an editorial that with the United States and other NATO members unwilling to sustain long-term commitments to Afghanistan, the Taliban see India as the only regional enemy capable of resisting them.


2008 bombing of Indian embassy in Kabul, Background, Other attacks on Indian interests
According to The New York Times, India's external ministry officials have been raising the issue of security of Indian personnel in Afghanistan for the past several months. The Indian consulate in Jalalabad was attacked twice by hand grenades in 2007. One soldier of the ITBP was killed and four others injured in an attack by the Taliban on 5 June 2008. In the aftermath of the attack, India's Home Ministry cautioned its ITBP personnel to take necessary precautionary measures and also to remain at guard against fidayeen (suicide bomber) attacks.


2008 bombing of Indian embassy in Kabul, Background, Other attacks on Indian interests
It also noted that the security being provided by the Afghan Police was "not up to the mark". In spite of these efforts, the embassy bombing of 2008 was later followed up by the 2009 Kabul Indian embassy attack and the February 2010 Kabul attack on Indian citizens and interests in Afghanistan.


2008 bombing of Indian embassy in Kabul, The bombing
The car bomb detonated at approximately 8:30 a.m. local time on 7 July 2008. The Indian embassy, which is in the center of Kabul, is located across the street from the office of the Interior Ministry of the Government of Afghanistan and is close to several other government buildings. The bombing occurred on a busy, tree-lined street where people usually line up at the embassy gates to apply for visas to India. An explosive-packed Toyota Camry, driven by the suicide bomber, rammed into two Indian diplomatic vehicles entering the embassy and detonated.


2008 bombing of Indian embassy in Kabul, The bombing
The gates to the embassy were blown off and the walls of some buildings in its compound were damaged. A plume of smoke and dust was seen rising from the center of Kabul city, and the explosion was heard several miles away. Several nearby shopkeepers also became immediate victims of the attack, and the nearby Indonesian embassy also suffered damage. Kabul Police immediately sealed off the area.


2008 bombing of Indian embassy in Kabul, The bombing
A statement released by the Afghan interior ministry said, "The initial findings of the ministry show that the main target of this attack has not been security forces like in most attacks but has been particularly planned to target the Indian embassy". There was immediate confusion and panic in the Indian embassy after the bomb blasts. According to a CNN reporter, a man who answered the phone at the Indian embassy abruptly hung up, saying, "We are not fine. All communications have been cut off".


2008 bombing of Indian embassy in Kabul, The bombing
The Ministry of External Affairs of Government of India was reported to be in touch with India's ambassador to Afghanistan, Jayant Prasad. The Indian ambassador and his deputy were inside the building complex at the time of the explosion but were not hurt. Indian External Affairs Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, called for an emergency meeting of officials in Delhi after the bomb attack to review security arrangements. An anonymous person reported that rumours said the Indian embassy had previously received bomb threats.


2008 bombing of Indian embassy in Kabul, Casualties
Most of the 58 dead were locals and included two top Indian officials. Senior Indian Army officer Brigadier Ravi Datt Mehta was entering the embassy gates in a car along with V. Venkateswara Rao when the attack took place. Both were killed in the blast.


2008 bombing of Indian embassy in Kabul, Casualties, Indian casualties
An Indian Air Force IL-76 aircraft was sent to Kabul to retrieve the four bodies.


2008 bombing of Indian embassy in Kabul, Casualties, Casualties from other states
Six Afghan police constables were killed and five others sustained injuries. An Afghan Indian Embassy employee by the name of Niamutullah was also killed in the blast. The five Afghan guards outside the Indonesian Embassy were killed, and two Indonesian diplomats were injured in the attack.


2008 bombing of Indian embassy in Kabul, Investigations
Afghanistan's intelligence agency Riyast-i-Amniyat-i-Milli, India's Research and Analysis Wing and the United States' CIA are reported to be scanning vast volumes of intercepted communications and questioning informants to find some clues. According to CNN-IBN, Indian and Afghan agencies believe that the Pakistani Army's 324 Military Intelligence Battalion based in Peshawar had planned the attack on the Indian embassy and executed it in collaboration with either the Taliban or al-Qaida. Afghanistan's Interior Minister has stated that the suicide bombers were trained in Pakistan.


2008 bombing of Indian embassy in Kabul, Investigations
India's ambassador to Afghanistan, Jayant Prasad, stated that, after reviewing the scene, the main target of the attack was believed to be the Indian embassy building. He also added that, considering the huge amount of explosives used in the attack, it was clear that target was not top Indian diplomatic officials but the embassy itself. Bomb scene review further revealed that the embassy guard killed in the attack had his hand on the closed gates.


2008 bombing of Indian embassy in Kabul, Investigations
The ambassador stated that it is likely that the guard did not open the gate because he saw a suspicious car driving behind an embassy vehicle. The suicide attacker then might have decided to explode his device near the gate rather than inside the embassy's compound. According to investigating officials, much of the impact was taken up by the sand filled blast barriers. These barriers, which were built across the embassy for added protection just one week before the blast, saved it from structural damage.


2008 bombing of Indian embassy in Kabul, Investigations
An investigative report in the Times of India identified the attacker as "22-year-old Hamza Shakoor from Gujranwala district in Pakistan," citing unnamed sources. It also claimed that "intelligence about an imminent attack was remarkably precise, giving an indication about the centres of planning and execution." US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates added that the US was offering help to Afghan and Indian governments to investigate further. Soon American officials came to believe that the attack was conducted by the Haqqani network, a Taliban group led by Maulavi Jalaluddin Haqqani from Pakistan.


2008 bombing of Indian embassy in Kabul, Investigations, Pakistani involvement
On 13 July India stated their suspicions about the ISI's involvement in the attack. India's National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan said, "We have no doubt that the ISI is behind this."


2008 bombing of Indian embassy in Kabul, Investigations, Pakistani involvement
On 1 August 2008, United States intelligence officials said that the Pakistani intelligence services helped the Haqqani network plan the attack. Their conclusions were based on intercepted communications between Pakistani intelligence officers and the perpetrators before the attack. CIA deputy director Stephen R. Kappes had visited Islamabad before the attack to confront senior Pakistani officials with information about support provided by members of the ISI to militant groups. The officials said that the ISI officers involved had not been renegades, indicating that their actions might have been authorised by superiors in the Pakistan Army. It confirmed suspicions that were long held, an 'aha moment'.


2008 bombing of Indian embassy in Kabul, Investigations, Pakistani involvement
US officials also called into question the reliability of Pakistan as an ally in the American War on Terror. According to an article by British journalist Christina Lamb, President George W. Bush confronted Pakistani prime minister Yusuf Raza Gillani in Washington D.C. with evidence of ISI's involvement in the Kabul attack and warned that in case of another attack he would have to take "serious action".


2008 bombing of Indian embassy in Kabul, Investigations, Motivations
During the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, which was backed by Pakistan, India had supported the Northern Alliance that opposed the Taliban. After the fall of the Taliban in 2001, India opened four consulates in Herat, Mazari Sharif, Kandahar and Jalalabad and backed Hamid Karzai's national government as well as the US-led ISAF against the Taliban insurgency. India is Afghanistan's fifth-largest bilateral donor and its growing presence in post-war Afghanistan has caused much concern to the Taliban and Pakistan as it views Indian measures as a threat to its influence in the region.


2008 bombing of Indian embassy in Kabul, Investigations, Motivations
The President of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf, had accused Afghan President Hamid Karzai of "favouring" India. Islamabad has also reportedly accused Indian consulates in Kandahar and Jalalabad of providing support to insurgents in Pakistan's troubled Balochistan region, a claim repeated by Urdu newspapers to conservative and hardline Islamic constituents in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region. Coupled with Pakistan's old and documented animosity towards India, analysts claim Pakistan had strong motives to target Indian nationals and their economic projects in Afghanistan.


2008 bombing of Indian embassy in Kabul, Investigations, Motivations
The statement by Afghan President Hamid Karzai noted that "enemies of Afghan–India ties were behind attack" without clearly specifying which enemies. On 7 July 2008, Afghanistan's Interior Ministry claimed that the attack was carried in collaboration with "a regional intelligence service" and added that the bombers received training in Pakistan. Afghanistan has in the past blamed its neighbour Pakistan and its intelligence service ISI for various terror incidents on its soil.


2008 bombing of Indian embassy in Kabul, Investigations, Motivations
Denying its involvement in the attacks, a Taliban spokesman said in a statement, "they (India) send secret military experts to Afghanistan and they train the Afghan army. Had we carried out the attack, we would have claimed responsibility for it with pride since we have good reasons for it." The Taliban spokesman also implicated Pakistan instead and further stated that the attack had its roots in the regional Indo-Pakistan rivalry. On 8 July, Afghanistan stated that it had no doubts that the attack was carried out in collaboration with "foreign intelligence agencies", again an implicit reference to Pakistan's ISI.


2008 bombing of Indian embassy in Kabul, Investigations, Motivations
Prime minister of Pakistan Yousaf Raza Gillani denied any involvement of ISI in the attack and also remarked that his country had no interest in destabilising Afghanistan. Subsequently, there have been reports of Afghan officials blaming Pakistan directly and explicitly for the attack on the Indian embassy. Indian security analysts at the Institute of Conflict Management have claimed that "the ISI-backed Taliban will not allow any Indian consolidation in Afghanistan, nor will they allow any stability in Kabul."


2008 bombing of Indian embassy in Kabul, Investigations, Denials by Pakistan
Immediately after the report in The New York Times, Pakistani foreign ministry spokesman Mohammed Sadiq described it as "total rubbish" and said there was no evidence of ISI involvement. "The foreign newspapers keep writing such things against ISI, and we reject these allegations." On 15 October, in an India-Pakistan bilateral meeting to address cross-border terrorism and ceasefire violations, Islamabad denied any role of the ISI in the 7 July bombings. Pakistan's National Security Advisor Mahmud Ali Durrani denied involvement when asked to comment on reports alleging that ISI masterminded the Kabul blasts. It was also clarified that the Kabul bombings will be discussed in detail at the meeting of the joint anti-terror mechanism later the same month.


2008 bombing of Indian embassy in Kabul, Investigations, Denials by Pakistan
On 23 October, it was reported that India had shared sensitive information with Pakistan that pointed towards the ISI's alleged complicity in the embassy bombing as both countries ended a special meeting of their joint-terror mechanism on a "positive" note.


2008 bombing of Indian embassy in Kabul, Further threats to Indian nationals
A bomb was found on a bus transporting 12 Indian road construction workers of Border Roads Organization to Afghanistan on 8 July 2008 in Zaranj, Nimruz, a day after the attack on Indian embassy in Kabul. The engineers and workers on board reported having noticed a "suspicious package" after boarding the bus on the day, but it was only after further investigation that it was revealed that a remote-operated bomb had been placed on board. Provincial governor Ghulam Dastgir Azad placed the blame for the attempted bombing of the workers on Taliban militants, who have been responsible for more than a dozen worker deaths in the area over the last few years.


2008 bombing of Indian embassy in Kabul, Calls for Indian military intervention
According to some defence analysts, India should increase its military presence in Afghanistan not only to protect Indian projects and nationals there, but also to aid the coalition forces to improve the overall security situation in the war-torn country. Gurmeet Kanwal, head of the Center for Land Warfare Studies, said, "I would say the time has come to live up to our responsibility. If it involves military intervention, so be it." C. Raja Mohan, an Indian foreign policy analyst, urged India's government to increase military presence in Afghanistan and also added "Afghanistan needs to be stabilised.


2008 bombing of Indian embassy in Kabul, Calls for Indian military intervention
Pakistan needs to be stabilised. This requires more drastic remedies." In April 2008 Afghanistan's Defense Minister formally requested India's help in counter-insurgency operations during his visit to New Delhi. India has already provided large-scale military equipment to the Afghan National Army and has also given crucial intelligence inputs to the United States-led coalition forces. Several members of the Afghan army have undergone anti-terrorist training in India and in April 2007, the Indian Army also sent a delegation to set up an army training school in Afghanistan and Uzbekistan.


2008 bombing of Indian embassy in Kabul, Calls for Indian military intervention
In September 2007, India held a joint military exercise with the United Kingdom to train British forces in counter-insurgency operations, particularly those in Afghanistan. India also has an operational air force command at the Farkhor Air Base in neighbouring Tajikistan. Indian Express said in an editorial, "after the Kabul bombing, India must come to terms with an important question that it has avoided debating so far. New Delhi cannot continue to expand its economic and diplomatic activity in Afghanistan, while avoiding a commensurate increase in its military presence there.


2008 bombing of Indian embassy in Kabul, Calls for Indian military intervention
For too long, New Delhi has deferred to Pakistani and American sensitivities about raising India's strategic profile in Afghanistan." However, some analysts have feared that if India joins the United States-led coalition forces in Afghanistan, it would harm the soft power it has gradually built in the region as a result of the widespread popularity of Bollywood films and Indian television soaps among Afghans.


2008 bombing of Indian embassy in Kabul, Reactions, India
Pranab Mukherjee, India's External Affairs Minister, condemned the "cowardly terrorists' attack" and added that "such acts of terror will not deter us from fulfilling our commitments to the government and people of Afghanistan." India also rushed a high-level emergency team of experts to review the situation.


2008 bombing of Indian embassy in Kabul, Reactions, India
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said, "the target is clearly the innocent citizens. Efforts to spread chaos and disturb peace will not be allowed to succeed at any cost. The government is determined to defeat nefarious designs of terrorist elements. The perpetrators of these heinous acts will be dealt with firmly. The security agencies are already working in this regard. All sections of society are required to remain calm and extend fullest co-operation to them."


2008 bombing of Indian embassy in Kabul, Reactions, Afghanistan
Afghan Foreign Minister Rangeen Dadfar Spanta visited the embassy soon after the attack to show his support. His ministry's spokesman, Sultan Ahmad Baheen, said, "the enemies of Afghanistan and India's relationship cannot hamper our relationship by conducting such attacks". He added, "India and Afghanistan have a deep relationship between each other. Such attacks of the enemy will not harm our relations."


2008 bombing of Indian embassy in Kabul, Reactions, Afghanistan
A statement released by the Afghan foreign ministry said, "the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan strongly condemns today's terrorist attack on the embassy of the friendly and brother country of India". Afghan President Hamid Karzai later called Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh and expressed his condolences. On 14 July Karzai declared whom he believed to be the foreign state behind the attack, stating, "Now this has become clear. And we have told the government of Pakistan that the killings of people in Afghanistan, the destruction of bridges in Afghanistan ... are carried out by Pakistan's intelligence and Pakistan's military departments."


2008 bombing of Indian embassy in Kabul, Reactions, Pakistan
In a statement, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi condemned the bombing at the Indian embassy in Kabul, stating that "Pakistan condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations as this menace negates the very essence of human values". A spokesman for Pakistan's foreign ministry also dismissed claims of Pakistan's involvement in the attack as "total rubbish".


2008 bombing of Indian embassy in Kabul, Reactions, International
On behalf of states around the world, their respective representatives commented on both the attack and the resulting casualties:


2008 breach of the Egypt–Gaza border
On 23 January 2008, Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip set off an explosion near the Rafah border crossing, destroying part of the 2003 wall. The United Nations estimates that as many as half the 1.5 million population of the Gaza Strip crossed the border into Egypt seeking food and supplies. Due to fears that militants would acquire weapons in Egypt, Israeli police went on increased alert.


2008 breach of the Egypt–Gaza border
Egypt had closed the Rafah border crossing in June 2007, days before the Hamas took control of Gaza at the end of the Fatah-Hamas conflict; The breach followed a blockade of the Gaza Strip by Israel beginning in part that same June, with fuel supply reductions in October 2007. A total blockade had begun on 17 January 2008 following a rise in rocket attacks on Israel emanating from Gaza.


2008 breach of the Egypt–Gaza border
Although Israel demanded Egypt reseal the border due to security concerns, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak ordered his troops to allow crossings to alleviate the humanitarian crisis, while verifying that the Gazans did not attempt to bring weapons back into Gaza. In five days, Gazans spent some US$250 million in the North Sinai Governorate's capital of Arish alone. The sudden enormous demand there for staple products led to large local price rises and some shortages.


2008 breach of the Egypt–Gaza border
On 24 January, the United Nations Human Rights Council condemned Israel for the fifteenth time in less than two years, calling the blockade collective punishment. However, the proceedings were boycotted by Israel and the United States. On 27 January, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert promised that Israel would no longer disrupt the supply of food, medicine and necessary energy into the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, President Mubarak announced plans to meet separately with representatives of Hamas and Fatah in order to come to a new border control agreement.


2008 breach of the Egypt–Gaza border
On 3 February, Gaza's Foreign minister, Mahmoud al-Zahar, announced that Hamas and Egypt would cooperate in controlling the border without Israeli control, "perhaps jointly with Abbas". Abbas' Government said that Egypt had agreed to restore the 2005 border agreement giving Abbas control over the Rafah crossing, but excluding Hamas. Israel, on the other hand resisted Abbas' control of any crossing point. The border was closed—except to travelers returning home—eleven days after the breach.


2008 breach of the Egypt–Gaza border, Background
Egypt had pledged to help control their border with Gaza along the Israeli Gaza Strip barrier subsequent to the Israel's unilateral disengagement plan which ended their 38-year occupation of Gaza in 2005 (q.v. Philadelphi Route). U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice brokered a deal with Israel giving the Palestinian National Authority control over the Rafah Border crossing under the remote video observation of European Union and Israeli monitors (q.v. European Union Border Assistance Mission Rafah).


2008 breach of the Egypt–Gaza border, Background
After Hamas won the 2006 Palestinian legislative election in January 2006, an international diplomatic and financial boycott of the new Hamas-led government began. Beginning in June 2006, a series of battles erupted between Palestinian gunmen and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) during 2006 Israel-Gaza conflict, which ended in a truce on 26 November.


2008 breach of the Egypt–Gaza border, Background
In December 2006, Hamas began fighting to expel Fatah. Hundreds of rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza had continued despite the November truce. In March 2007, the Palestinian Legislative Council established a national unity government, with 83 representatives voting in favor and three against. Government ministers were sworn in by Mahmoud Abbas, the chairman on the Palestinian Authority, in a ceremony held simultaneously in Gaza and Ramallah. In June 2007, Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip and removed Fatah officials. Following the Battle of Gaza, the international sanctions were terminated in June 2007 while at the same time a new and more severe blockade of the Gaza Strip was initiated.


2008 breach of the Egypt–Gaza border, Background
In response to the violent clashes, President Abbas declared a state of emergency and dissolved the national unity government on 14 June. Hamas gained complete control of the Gaza Strip on 15 June, after forcing out Fatah. The Israeli government closed all check-points along its border with Gaza in response to the violence. Egypt closed its border when fighting between Fatah and Hamas started on 7 June. The European Union monitors ended their oversight at the frontier on 14 June due to security concerns. Egyptian officials said that a decision to reopen Gaza's border would be made in consultation with the European Union and Israel. Hamas seized control of Gaza on 15 June.


2008 breach of the Egypt–Gaza border, Humanitarian crisis
Beginning in June 2007, Israel limited its exports to Gaza to nine basic materials. Out of 9,000 commodities (including foodstuffs) that were entering Gaza before the 2006 elections, only 20 commodities were to be allowed in. In July 2007, Israeli officials planned to open the border crossing at Rafah to allow stranded Palestinians to return to Gaza but were deterred by Hamas's threats to open fire on the refugees.


2008 breach of the Egypt–Gaza border, Humanitarian crisis
In October 2007, Israel began limiting fuel supplies to the territory. Ongoing rocket attacks on Israeli civilian population centers, such as Sderot, prompted the Israeli government to declare the Gaza Strip a hostile entity in September 2007, enabling it to further limit exports to Gaza. Hamas responded that Israel had effectively declared war by labeling Gaza as an "enemy entity."


2008 breach of the Egypt–Gaza border, Humanitarian crisis
In December 2007, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) confirmed the need for humanitarian relief in the Palestinian territories. In a statement, the ICRC described the living conditions of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip as "alarming" and called for Israel to ease restrictions on the movement of goods into Gaza and the West Bank.


2008 breach of the Egypt–Gaza border, Humanitarian crisis
According to a United Nations study, by January 2008, the economic effects of the blockade had reached a critical threshold. Finally, on 17 January 2008, following a rise in the number of rocket attacks, Israel sealed the border completely.


2008 breach of the Egypt–Gaza border, Humanitarian crisis
On 20 January, the only power plant in Gaza shut down. The United Nations officials implored Israel to reverse its decision to seal all border crossings with the Gaza Strip, warning that the violence in the region and the lack of crucial supplies for 1.4 million Palestinians was provoking a humanitarian crisis. Israel accused Hamas of "fabricating" the power shortage, pointing out that the power plant in Gaza produces only a minority of the territory's power. Israel stated that the blackout occurred for media purposes and stated that Hamas had timed it themselves. Israel said it was still providing nearly 70 percent of the territory's power directly.


2008 breach of the Egypt–Gaza border, Humanitarian crisis
Following widespread international concern about an impending humanitarian crisis, and a warning from the United Nations that World Food Programme aid to about 860,000 Gazans could be halted within days because of the blockade, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak decided to ease restrictions on the flow of goods into Gaza for a day on 22 January, permitting shipments of fuel for Gaza's power plant and cooking oil to enter Gaza.


2008 breach of the Egypt–Gaza border, Breaching of wall
On 22 January, gunfire erupted after a group of Hamas demonstrators, mostly women, forced open the door of the Rafah Border crossing and fled into Egypt.


2008 breach of the Egypt–Gaza border, Breaching of wall
Overnight on 23 January, gunmen set off a number of explosions along the wall near the crossing. Palestinians packed into cars and donkey carts, crossed the border into Egypt from Gaza on foot, to buy essential goods. Between 200,000 and 700,000 Palestinians crossed over to Egypt and bought items at shops at the Egyptian half of Rafah and the North Sinai Governorate's capital, Arish. A Palestinian security guard later told The Times of London that militants had been steadily cutting through the base of the Israeli Gaza Strip barrier with oxyacetylene torches for months.


2008 breach of the Egypt–Gaza border, Breaching of wall
While Egypt allowed Palestinians to enter Egypt, it did not let them travel very far; Palestinians were not allowed to travel further than Arish. Egypt said that it would not use force to send back Palestinians. Foreign ministry spokesman Hossam Zaki said the border would be closed again when all the Palestinians had returned.


2008 breach of the Egypt–Gaza border, Breaching of wall
Ahmed Yousef, a senior adviser to Gaza's Prime Minister Ismail Haniya, warned that "The next time there is a crisis in the Gaza Strip, Israel will have to face half a million Palestinians who will march toward Erez," a border crossing with Israel, and on to towns left during the 1948 Palestinian exodus. Israeli security officials said militants had exploited the breach in the border wall to send armed men into the Sinai to infiltrate Israel across the Sinai-Israel border. The officials said the militants were eager to hit back in response to Israeli attacks in recent weeks and predicted attacks from Sinai within the next two weeks.


2008 breach of the Egypt–Gaza border, Breaching of wall
On 25 January, Egyptian security forces blocked almost all illegal entry points along the border with Gaza to try to stem the flow of Palestinians wanting to leave. Egyptian forces in riot gear erected barbed wire and chain-link fences along the border to prevent more Palestinians from crossing. Palestinians attempted to break through, and several were injured in the resulting clashes.


2008 breach of the Egypt–Gaza border, Breaching of wall
After the repair, Palestinians used a bulldozer to knock over the new fence, creating an opening once more. As the border crossings entered their fifth day, Egyptian border police began stopping Gazans from entering in vehicles and blocked off the road beyond Rafah to Arish. In Rafah there was little left to buy, and it appeared Egypt had decided to restrict the resupply of goods to El Arish and Rafah in order to peacefully end the crossings and reestablish control over the border.


2008 breach of the Egypt–Gaza border, Breaching of wall
On 28 January, Egyptian security forces and Hamas militants strung barbed wire across one of the breaches, sealing it off. The Egyptians began repairing one of the two remaining breaches on 29 January.


2008 breach of the Egypt–Gaza border, UN reaction
On 24 January, the United Nations Human Rights Council condemned Israel for the fifteenth time in less than two years. The Council released a statement calling on Israel to stop its military operations in Gaza and to open the Strip's borders to allow the entry of food, fuel and medicine. It asked the international community to ensure that Israel stop its actions in Gaza, which it referred to as "collective punishment of the Palestinian civilians that leads to disastrous humanitarian and environmental consequences."


2008 breach of the Egypt–Gaza border, UN reaction
An official resolution was presented by Syria and Pakistan on behalf of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference to the United Nations Security Council but could not be agreed upon. Thirty nations voted in favor of the resolution, one (Canada) voted against the resolution, 15 countries abstained, and one (Gabon) was absent. Both Israel and the United States boycotted the proceedings, which ended with a call for Israel to lift its siege of Gaza but made no mention of the Palestinian rocket attacks on communities in the western Negev.


2008 breach of the Egypt–Gaza border, Israeli government response
Israel demanded Egypt reseal the border and launched air strikes against the Gazan half of Rafah overnight on 24 January, killing Mohammed Abu Harb, the commander of Hamas's military there.


2008 breach of the Egypt–Gaza border, Israeli government response
At a court hearing on 27 January, the Israeli government promised to resume supplies of fuel, but not at normal levels, for another week. Later that day, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert promised that Israel would no longer disrupt the supply of food, medicine and necessary energy into the Gaza Strip. Israel then launched additional air strikes targeting the Gazan military in Rafah, but there were no injuries.


2008 breach of the Egypt–Gaza border, Border-control talks
Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister, and Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian National Authority which controls the West Bank, held talks on 27 January in Jerusalem on the border breach. Abbas reportedly wants to take over Gaza's border crossings, including the one with Egypt that Palestinians in Gaza breached, but Israel resisted the idea of giving the West Bank-based government control of the Gaza crossings, citing concerns about security.


2008 breach of the Egypt–Gaza border, Border-control talks
Hamas and Fatah, who controlled Gaza before the last election, have accepted an invitation from Egypt to hold separate talks in Cairo on the border crisis. All sides hoped to create a plan to keep the border between Egypt and Gaza open. A Hamas delegation also met with Saudi Prince Saud al-Faisal who has acted as a mediator between Hamas and Fatah.


2008 breach of the Egypt–Gaza border, Border-control talks
An Israeli defense delegation secretly visited Cairo on 28 January and discussed the situation with top Egyptian officials the London-based Asharq Alawsat newspaper reported. According to the report, the delegation relayed to Egypt Israel's fears that Palestinian militants would smuggle weapons and explosives through Egypt's open border with the Gaza Strip. The Egyptians stressed that Israel was the one responsible for the deterioration of the situation in the Gaza Strip and the eventual breaching of the border wall.


2008 breach of the Egypt–Gaza border, Border-control talks
Hamas stated they would accept a return of the EU monitoring mission if it were to reside in Egypt or the Gaza Strip, as opposed to being based in Israel.


2008 breach of the Egypt–Gaza border, Border closure
The border was closed by Egypt with Hamas's cooperation, except for travelers returning home, on 3 February.


2008 breach of the Egypt–Gaza border, Economic effects
In Arish alone, Gazans spent some US$250 million over five days. Palestinians and Egyptians complained about soaring prices and shortages, especially of food. Enormous demand for staple products from Gaza caused rampant inflation, as did the Egyptian government's decision to restrict goods coming into the border region in an effort to encourage the Palestinians to go back home. Palestinians also accused Egyptians of price gouging, where prices have risen to the point where the cost of goods is sufficiently high that supply matches demand.


2008 breach of the Egypt–Gaza border, Economic effects
The breach created tens of thousands of temporary new jobs in Gaza where the returning caravans set up shop; unemployment had been at 40 percent. Egyptian merchants also crossed into the Gaza Strip to sell their wares. The food brought in from Egypt during the first six days would last Gazans three months, fuel about two days and cement for two weeks if the borders are resealed, according to various estimates from economists, business leaders and gas station owners.


2008 breach of the Egypt–Gaza border, Economic effects
However, were the border to remain open long term, Gaza's workers and manufacturers who had worked in the more upscale Israeli market before layoffs during the Second Intifada would have trouble competing in Egypt's low-wage economy, according to West Bank economist Nasser Abdel Karim.


2008 cyberattack on United States
The 2008 cyberattack on the United States was a malicious attack done by foreign actors on the United States Department of Defense. Described at the time as the "worst breach of U.S. military computers in history", the defense against the attack was named "Operation Buckshot Yankee". It led to the creation of the United States Cyber Command.


2008 cyberattack on United States, History
It started when a USB flash drive infected by a foreign intelligence agency was left in the parking lot of a Department of Defense facility at a base in the Middle East. It contained malicious code and was put into a USB port from a laptop computer that was attached to United States Central Command. From there it spread undetected to other systems, both classified and unclassified.


2008 cyberattack on United States, History, Operation Buckshot Yankee
The Pentagon spent nearly 14 months cleaning the worm, named agent.btz, from military networks. Agent.btz, a variant of the SillyFDC worm, has the ability "to scan computers for data, open backdoors, and send through those backdoors to a remote command and control server." It was suspected that Russian hackers were behind it because they had used the same code that made up agent.btz before in previous attacks. In order to try to stop the spread of the worm, the Pentagon banned USB drives, and disabled the Windows autorun feature.


2008 decisions of the Supreme Court of Japan
Following is an incomplete list of the 2008 Decisions of the Supreme Court of Japan.


2008 decisions of the Supreme Court of Japan
The Supreme Court of Japan (最高裁判所 Saikō-Saibansho; called 最高裁 Saikō-Sai for short), located in Chiyoda, Tokyo is the highest court in Japan. It has ultimate judicial authority to interpret the Japanese constitution and decide questions of national law (including local bylaws). It has the power of judicial review; that is, it can declare Acts of Diet and Local Assembly, and administrative actions, to be unconstitutional.


2008 decisions of the Supreme Court of Japan
The court decided a total of 51 cases in 2008.


2008 elections in India
Multiple State Assemblies of India went to elections in 2008.


2008 elections in India, Legislative Assembly elections
The first batch of elections for the year were announced by the Election Commission of India (ECI) on 14 January 2008. This included the elections to the Legislative Assemblies of the states of Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura. Elections in all polling stations of all three states were conducted using electronic voting machines (EVMs).


2008 elections in India, Legislative Assembly elections
Elections to the state Assembly of Karnataka was announced by the ECI on 2 April 2008. This was the first election to be held under the new boundaries drawn up the Delimitation Commission of India. The elections were split into three phases. Elections in all polling stations of the state were conducted using EVMs.


2008 elections in India, Legislative Assembly elections
Elections in four states - Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram and Rajasthan - and in the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT) were announced by the ECI on 14 October 2008. Of these, only Chhattisgarh would have elections in two phases. All others would have a single phase election. Counting for all constituencies were held on the same day. All these elections were held in accordance with constituencies newly delimited by the Delimitation Commission of India. As has become the practice, EVMs would be used in all polling stations of all constituencies. Elections dates in Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram were subsequently amended by a new notice passed by the ECI on 29 October 2008.


2008 elections in India, Legislative Assembly elections
On 19 October 2008, the ECI announced elections to the state Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir. EVMs were used in all polling stations across the state. Taking into account various factors including weather, academic schedules and law & order situation in the state, the election is scheduled as a 7 phase marathon.


2008 elections in India, Legislative Assembly elections
*1 In Meghalaya, the Indian National Congress (INC) was the single largest party and was invited by the Governor to form the Government. However, their Chief Minister D. D. Lapang was unable to secure enough support in the Assembly. The Meghalaya Progressive Alliance (MPA) is a post election alliance formed by the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), United Democratic Party (UDP), Hill State People's Democratic Party (HPDP) and others including two independents


2008 elections in India, Legislative Assembly elections
*2 In Nagaland, the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) retained control of the government. The single largest party in the Nagaland Assembly was the Nagaland People's Front (NPF) whose leader formed the new Government.


2008 electoral calendar
This electoral calendar 2008 lists the national/federal direct elections held in 2008 in the de jure and de facto sovereign states and their dependent territories. Referendums are included, even though they are not elections. By-elections are not included.


2008 end-of-year rugby union internationals
The 2008 end of year rugby tests, also known as the Autumn internationals saw Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina, the Pacific Islanders and Canada tour the northern hemisphere. The tour ended with the traditional 'final challenge' Barbarians match, against Australia, which was the first rugby union Test at the new Wembley Stadium. Also a Bledisloe Cup match was contested by New Zealand and Australia outside of either country for the first time; held in Hong Kong with the hope of raising awareness of rugby in China.


2008 end-of-year rugby union internationals
The test matches took on added significance, with seedings for the 2011 Rugby World Cup draw to take place on 1 December at stake. For the first time in the history of the Rugby World Cup, the International Rugby Board used the IRB World Rankings to seed teams in the World Cup draw. Teams will be assigned to four-strong seeding pots based on their rankings; each team within a pot will be drawn into a different pool for the World Cup finals.


2008 end-of-year rugby union internationals, Week 4
Going into Week 4, the main storyline was the battle for fourth place in the IRB World Rankings. New Zealand, South Africa, and Australia were entrenched in the top three. The team that stood in fourth place on 1 December would avoid being drawn into the same pool as one of the Tri Nations powers in 2011. Four teams could have ended the week in fourth place: Argentina, England, France, and Wales.


2008 end-of-year rugby union internationals, Week 4
The missed conversion by Ronan O'Gara on Ireland's only try of the match proved huge for Argentina. With the other results on the day, the Pumas would have dropped to fifth place, behind England, if O'Gara had converted, as it would have given Ireland a win by more than 15 points. As it turned out, Argentina retained fourth by a narrow margin.


2008 end-of-year rugby union internationals, Week 5
The battle for fourth place in the IRB World Rankings finished this weekend, with Argentina remaining in fourth place without playing as England lost and Wales failed to achieve the 15-point winning margin required. Argentina therefore took top seeding for the following month's 2011 Rugby World Cup draw along with the three Tri-Nations teams.


2008 end-of-year rugby union internationals, Week 5
The other major news of the week was New Zealand's trouncing of England, completing a successful Grand Slam tour for the All Blacks. This was the All Blacks' third such successful tour, with the previous ones being in 1978 and 2005.


2008 end-of-year rugby union internationals, Effect on World Cup seeding
Following the 29 November tests, the twelve teams who qualified automatically for the 2011 Rugby World Cup were seeded thus:


2008 global rice crisis
The 2008 global rice crisis occurred between January and May 2008, the international trading price of rice jumped dramatically, increasing more than 300% (from USD $300 to $1,200 per ton) in just four months. By December 2008, prices had decreased substantially, if not returned to previous levels, marking an end to the crisis.


2008 global rice crisis, Causes
While the rice crisis did occur at the same time as the 2007–2008 world food price crisis, Tom Slayton has argued the spike in rice prices are a special case. Slayton argues that the price increases were a result of rising oil and petrochemical prices (peaking in July 2008); and export restrictions by a number of countries. Trying to protect citizens from inflating rice prices due to growing oil costs, some national governments, namely India and Vietnam, began restricting export of rice.


2008 global rice crisis, Causes
Partly because of increasing wheat prices, the Indian government decided to increase the percentage of rice (over wheat) in its food distribution programs. To help secure food security, India (the source of more than 10% of world rice trade) stopped all non-Basmati exports in October 2007, lifting the ban temporarily, then re-applying it in April 2008. and some retailers began rationing sales, due to fears of insufficient global supplies of the grain. Vietnam, fearing shortages due to a cold wave on the Red River Delta in mid-January 2008, banned sales to international rice traders. Both of these cases caused a steady increase in prices during the first months of 2008. Other countries, including Egypt and Pakistan, as well as Brazil followed by placing their own restrictions on rice exports, helping to drive up the price even further.


2008 global rice crisis, Causes
As the market prices rose, Thailand developed an idea for a new organization to regulate rice supplies and prices. This new organization would've mirrored the system used in oil sales by the Organization for Petroleum Exporting Countries. The proposal for the Organization of Rice Exporting Countries never flourished, but the idea scared markets, allowing rice prices to reach very high levels.


2008 global rice crisis, Causes
In late April 2008, rice prices hit 24 cents a pound, twice the price that it was seven months earlier.


2008 global rice crisis, Causes
Six years of drought in Australia's rice-growing regions may also have encouraged people to fear a reduction in global rice supplies, and helped cause the commensurate rise in global prices.


2008 global rice crisis, Effects
While Japan, which produces enough rice for its domestic needs, maintained a constant pricing and no consumer concern, Countries in West Africa as well as the Philippines, dependent upon imports to provide the staple food of rice, were particularly hard hit by increasing prices. Growing panic over retail prices in the Philippines spread across Asia. "People panicked everywhere," according to economist Peter Timmer. "In Ho Chi Minh City, for heaven's sake, the center of the second-largest rice exporting surplus in the world, supermarkets and rice markets got cleaned out in two days."


2008 global rice crisis, Effects
On 15 April, the Philippines, the world's largest rice importer, urged China, Japan, and other key Asian nations, to convene an emergency meeting, especially taking issue with those countries' rice export bans. "Free trade should be flowing", Philippine Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap stated. In late April 2008, the Philippines government requested that the World Bank exert pressure on rice exporting countries to end export restrictions.


2008 global rice crisis, Effects
Asian rice consumers and agricultural commodity traders around the world had been aware of the problem for months, but it garnered widespread attention in the United States in the week beginning April 21, 2008 when a Costco Wholesale Corporation store in San Francisco, California limited rice purchases to five 20-pound bags per customer. Later in the week, on April 23, the outlet reduced that number to two. Also on April 23, Wal-Mart division Sam's Club announced it would limit the sales of 20-lb. bags of long-grain rice to four per customer. Other sources stated that the limits were only placed on imported rice, and that non-imported medium- and short-grain rice remained in comparative abundance.


2008 global rice crisis, Effects
Also on April 23, "Thai shipments of rice" to a major Canadian rice wholesaler, Western Mills, Ltd. abruptly ceased:


2008 global rice crisis, Effects, Food Riots
Deadly riots over the rising price of food erupted in Haiti on April 4, 2008,  due primarily to a jump in the price of rice, "the main ingredient of the Haitian diet,". Six people were killed in the unrest, including a U.N. peacekeeping soldier on April 12, and the unrest subsided only when the nation's Prime Minister resigned and the government lowered the price for a bushel of rice. These developments caused alarm in the highest levels of global economic analysis and planning.


2008 global rice crisis, Ending the crisis
While there was no physical shortage of rice, increasing prices created a panic that supplies could not match demand. This fear was lessened when the United States allowed Japan to export unsold American rice (stockpiled in Japan because of a World Trade Organization decision). As of 16 May, anticipation of the move had already lowered prices by 14% in a single week. Although the rice from Japan was never actually sold or shipped, the world market price continued to fall every month of 2008 thereafter.


2008 in Afghanistan
See also: 2007 in Afghanistan, other events of 2008, 2009 in Afghanistan and Timeline of the War in Afghanistan (2001-14).


2008 in Afghanistan, October
What made the Afghan campaign a landmark in the U.S. Military's history is that it was prosecuted by Special Operations forces from all the services, along with Navy and Air Force tactical power, operations by the Afghan Northern Alliance and the CIA were equally important and fully integrated. No large Army or Marine force was employed.


2008 in Afghanistan, Deaths
- Senior Airman Jonathan Antonio Vega Yelner aka "Wingnut". Killed in action 29 April 2008 in the Tag Ab valley of Kapisa province.


2008 in Albania
The following lists events that happened during 2008 in Republic of Albania.


2008 in American soccer
The 2008 season was the 96th year of competitive soccer in the United States.


2008 in American soccer, National team, Men, Senior
The home team or the team that is designated as the home team is listed in the left column; the away team is in the right column.


2008 in American soccer, National team, Women, Senior
The United States Women's National Soccer Team was coached by Pia Sundhage.


2008 in American soccer, Major League Soccer, Table
(SS) = Supporters Shield winner; (E1) = Eastern Conference champion; (W1) = Western Conference champion


2008 in American soccer, Major League Soccer, Playoffs
1 The New York Red Bulls earned the eighth and final playoff berth, despite finishing fifth in the Eastern Conference. They represent the fourth seed in the Western Conference playoff bracket, as only three teams in the Western Conference qualified for the playoffs.


2008 in American soccer, USL First Division, Table
Commissioner's Cup, bye to semifinal round of playoffs  First round of playoffs


2008 in American soccer, USL First Division, Table
† Rochester deducted 1 point for use of an ineligible player on August 10, 2008


2008 in American television
The following is a list of events affecting American television in 2008. Events listed include television show debuts, finales, cancellations, and new channel launches.


2008 in American television, Programs, Debuts
The following is a list of shows that premiered in 2008


2008 in Armenia
The following lists events that happened in 2008 in Armenia.


2008 in Australia
The following lists events that happened during 2008 in Australia.


2008 in Australian literature
This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 2008.


2008 in Azerbaijan
The following lists events that happened during 2008 in the Republic of Azerbaijan.


2008 in Bangladesh
2008 (MMVIII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2008th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 8th  year of the 3rd millennium, the 8th  year of the 21st century, and the  9th   year of the 2000s decade.


2008 in Bangladesh
The year 2008 was the 37th year after the independence of Bangladesh. It was also the second year of the regime of the fourth caretaker Government led by Fakhruddin Ahmed.


2008 in Bangladesh, Economy
Note: For the year 2008 average official exchange rate for BDT was 68.60 per US$.


2008 in Belarus
The following lists events that happened during 2008 in Belarus.


2008 in Belgian television
This is a list of Belgian television related events from 2008.


2008 in Belgium
The following lists events that happened during 2008 in the Kingdom of Belgium.


2008 in Bosnia and Herzegovina
The following lists events that happened during the year 2008 in Bosnia and Herzegovina.


2008 in Brazilian football
The following article presents a summary of the 2008 football (soccer) season in Brazil, which was the 107th season of competitive football in the country.


2008 in Brazilian football, Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
The Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 2008 began on May 10, 2008, and concluded on December 7, 2008.


2008 in Brazilian football, Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, Relegation
The four worst placed teams, which are Figueirense, Vasco da Gama, Portuguesa and Ipatinga, were relegated to the following year's second level.


2008 in Brazilian football, Campeonato Brasileiro Série B
The Campeonato Brasileiro Série B 2008 began on May 9, 2008, and concluded on November 29, 2008.


2008 in Brazilian football, Campeonato Brasileiro Série B, Promotion
The four best placed teams, which are Corinthians, Santo André, Avaí and Barueri, were promoted to the following year's first level.


2008 in Brazilian football, Campeonato Brasileiro Série B, Relegation
The four worst placed teams, which are Marília, Criciúma, Gama and CRB, were relegated to the following year's third level.


2008 in Brazilian football, Campeonato Brasileiro Série C
The Campeonato Brasileiro Série C 2008 began on July 6, 2008, and concluded on November 23, 2008.


2008 in Brazilian football, Campeonato Brasileiro Série C
Atlético Goianiense declared as the Campeonato Brasileiro Série C champions.


2008 in Brazilian football, Campeonato Brasileiro Série C, Promotion
The four best placed teams in the final stage of the competition, which are Atlético Goianiense, Guarani, Campinense and Duque de Caxias, were promoted to the following year's second level.


2008 in Brazilian football, Copa do Brasil
The Copa do Brasil 2008 began on February 14, 2008, and ended on June 11, 2008. The Copa do Brasil final was played between Corinthians and Sport.


2008 in Brazilian football, Copa do Brasil
Sport won on away goals after 3-3 in aggregate score.


2008 in Brazilian football, Youth competition champions
(1) The Copa Nacional do Espírito Santo Sub-17, between 2008 and 2012, was named Copa Brasil Sub-17. The similar named Copa do Brasil Sub-17 is organized by the Brazilian Football Confederation and it was first played in 2013.


2008 in Brazilian football, Brazil national team
The following table lists all the games played by the Brazil national football team in official competitions and friendly matches during 2008.


2008 in Brazilian football, Women's football, Brazil women's national football team
The following table lists all the games played by the Brazil women's national football team in official competitions and friendly matches during 2008.


2008 in Brazilian football, Women's football, Brazil women's national football team
The Brazil women's national football team competed in the following competitions in 2008:


2008 in Brazilian football, Women's football, Copa do Brasil de Futebol Feminino
The Copa do Brasil de Futebol Feminino 2008 began on November 1, 2008, and concluded on December 17, 2008. The Copa do Brasil de Futebol Feminino final was played between Santos and Sport.


2008 in Brazilian football, Women's football, Copa do Brasil de Futebol Feminino
Santos declared as the cup champions by aggregate score of 6–1.


2008 in Brazilian television
This is a list of Brazilian television related events from 2008.


2008 in British music
This is a summary of 2008 in music in the United Kingdom.


2008 in British music, Music awards, Popjustice £20 Music Prize
The 2008 Popjustice £20 Music Prize was awarded to Girls Aloud - "Call the Shots"