In the immediate aftermath of 26/11, even before the post-mortems begin and the excuses are offered up, three points need to be made. These are preliminary reactions but I think they will remain valid even weeks from now.
First, it is utterly and completely bizarre that while we whine about the Home Ministry, the intelligence establishment gets off scot-free even as Indians are murdered on the streets.
It is impossible for the police to guard every building or check every passenger. All over the world, terrorism is fought through intelligence. A good security service penetrates terrorist cells, monitors radio traffic and picks up intelligence about terrorist activity.
The Bombay attacks prove that we have the worst intelligence service of any major power in the world. These attacks were meticulously planned, involved two dozen attackers, many more terrorists in back-up roles, vast quantities of arms and ammunition and, probably, crores in funding.
Yet, our intelligence services had no idea that such an attack was being planned. Clearly, intelligence is the last quality that we should associate with our spymasters.
These attacks also demonstrate the hollow nature of the many claims made by various police forces to have broken the backs of terrorist cells and arrested various terror masterminds.
The terrorists are completely unaffected by the puny efforts of our security forces. They strike when and where they want to. And Indians die.
Weve had enough excuses. Heads must roll. You would have thought that by now at least one of the countrys spymasters would have offered to resign.
No one has. And so, dismissals become imperative.
Second, we should recognise that there is a new dimension to these attacks that was missing from earlier terrorist strikes. The aim of the Bombay terrorists was to continue the global jihad on Indian soil. Thats why they sought out American and British passport holders and thats why Israelis and Jews were among the principal targets of the violence.
Combine that shift in emphasis with the sophistication of these attacks and some conclusions become inevitable. Clearly, these terrorists were funded and, probably, armed and trained by global jihadi forces. These were not angry students making homemade bombs. These were world-class terrorists.
That should tell us that India is now part of the global terrorist battleground. If the international jihadi network decides to treat us on par with Israel, England, America and other countries that are seen as enemies of its twisted version of Islam, then the Bombay attacks may only be a beginning. Worse may follow.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/28/2008 11:43 ||
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#1
India is now part of the global terrorist battleground
Welcome aboard. Sorry its under this circumstance, lets talk about your neighbors...
Gotta wonder if the terrs are really cognizant of the FACT that they are branding their "religion" as a cancerous, destructive and suicidal ideology on par with National Socialism and Communism? They are definitely not realizing that their every act hastens the day where the civilized world will be forced to be eradicate Muhammidism along with its centers of power and its most serious adherents...
And the less fighting-back "normal" Muslims do, the more they advance that day.
#2
"The Bombay attacks prove that we have the worst intelligence service of any major power in the world. These attacks were meticulously planned, involved two dozen attackers...
Yet, our intelligence services had no idea that such an attack was being planned. Clearly, intelligence is the last quality that we should associate with our spymasters.
These attacks also demonstrate the hollow nature of the many claims made by various police forces to have 'broken the backs' of terrorist cells and arrested various 'terror masterminds'.
...
We've had enough excuses. Heads must roll. You would have thought that by now at least one of the country's spymasters would have offered to resign.
The article's excessively negative. The USA failed to stop 9/11, the UK 7/7, Israel any number, yet all have successfully stopped many other attacks. We have to be lucky every time, the terrorists only have to get lucky once and suddenly our security forces are deemed worse than useless.
#3
Bulldog, there were a lot in the US asking the same thing on 9/12. And Bush followed it up in dimwitted fashion by giving DCI Tenet a medal instead of firing his ass on the spot.
1) Intelligence is always imperfect at best. Only in Tom Clancy novels do the spies know and see all.
2) It's too early to be yelling for heads to roll. See what happened and then apply the lessons learned. If there are reasons for heads to roll than go to it. But, scapegoating is not productive.
3) In a democracy the "good guys" are fighting with at least one hand tied behind their back by the political situation. (See Jamie Gorelick and "the Wall")
#5
I have always said a small arms attack was the next best chance at a mass casualty attack anywhere in the world except Euroland.
Weapons and recruit are both incredibly easy to obtain and the damage is nothing compared to the fear instilled in the populace, the whole reason to be for terrorism.
#6
Far too pessimestic, in my opinion. Just another skirmish on the front lines against terrorists. Indians are talking about this being a 911 type wakeup call for their nation. Set aside differences and recognize that terrorists threaten everyone, not just the nominal targets of the day. Pakistan's ISI chief has gone to India to help 'interview' the illegal combatents. These appear to be changing times. What will be next?
Posted by: Richard of Oregon ||
11/28/2008 13:14 Comments ||
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#8
"India is now part of the global terrorist battleground"
It has already have been. Check past terror attacks. Bush "Warmonger" in leftist parlance had to stop a serious almost quasi war between Pak and India in 2002. I wonder if it shouldn't have been better that Pakistan took a beating.
#9
small arms attack was the next best chance at a mass casualty attack anywhere in the world except Euroland
Bad, I don't think such an attack would work too well in US malls in 'flyover country' like Dallas or New Orleans. And it might be one of those Pyrrhic things in places like Boston or San Francisco.
#12
"The aim of the Bombay terrorists was to continue the global jihad on Indian soil" > IMB the posternal Asian Jihad focii, however imperfectly, IS THE GENER DESTABILIZATION AND BREAKUP OF ASIA'S STATUS QUO AND GEOPOL ORDER. INDIA IS JUST ONE STRATEGIC FRONT OF SEVERAL IN MAINLAND ASIA.
IIRC PAKISTANI DEFENCE FORUM PERT OP-ED > MUMBAI, INDIA = ASIA = ISLAMIST-DESIRED NEXUS OF EXTREMIST TERROR + NUCLEAR WEAPONS/TECHNOLOGIES.
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