Israel Matzav

Of course: Obama trip to Mumbai will skip Nariman

President Obama is going off on yet another taxpayer funded trip immediately after the midterm elections. One of his destinations is Mumbai, where his party has booked the entire Taj Mahal hotel. The hotel was one of the targets of Islamist terrorists who attacked Mumbai two years ago. But there is one Islamist target Obama will avoid. You guessed it: The Chabad House at Nariman House.

But don't worry. The Lubavitchers don't want him there anyway.

The Maharashtra home department has said a firm no to US President Barack Obama's proposed visit to the erstwhile Chabad House — one of the places targeted during the 26/11 attacks.

A senior home department official said, “The US President wanted to visit sites in Mumbai that were attacked by terrorists. But we feel that it would be a great security risk if he goes to Nariman House, which is in a crowded area. We have conveyed this clearly to the US authorities. At the same time, he will visit Hotel Trident and, possibly, CST station, which too were the gumnen's targets.” Sources in the government said Obama was also likely to visit Mani Bhavan.

Senior police officials said that even the Israel government felt the location was too much of risk. “The Jewish religious centre has now shifted to a building opposite Mantralaya,” a senior official said.

Meanwhile, the US consulate spokesperson did not wish to comment. She said that the president's schedule was yet to be finalized.

Read the comments to that post and you'll see how strongly the community opposes Obama coming there. Heh.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:52 AM