Tuesday, February 03, 2009

COMMENTS POSTED ON TIMES OF INDIA'S WEBSITE OVER S. BALAKRISHNAN'S STORY: US THINK TANK WARNS OF MORE ATTACKS ON THE CITY

In an interview: 

http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG454/video_swf.html 

Brian Jenkins warns against fear-mongering and regrets that for last 5 years American people have been scared as hell over by so many measures that were unnecessary. He also feels that all measures against terrorism should be within the boundaries of law that is grounded in its commitment to freedom, human rights and human dignity. He feels US had been fighting the visible portion of the iceberg of terrorism. He thinks that our strategies currently amount to nothing more than like stepping on cockroaches to kill them. He feels with this strategy we will go on all our lives and will not be able to eradicate terrorism, unless we impede the recruitment of young people being inspired in joining the violent movements of "Jihad". 

Here, he has missed how US itself has and is contributing to Jihad with its policy of dictating and not listening. Jihad was a forgotten word till US propaganda used it to fight Soviet Union forces in Afghanistan. Just as US is guilty of promoting Jihad, it is at the same time guilty of infusing similar war-mongering hysteria within its own people through deliberate propaganda. War and violence is no panacea for all ills of the world. 

One hopes all states that are victims of terrorism, should spare and spend more time in listening and less time trying to fight terrorism, piece-meal. We should further reflect if our own misguided policies are in some way initiating, promoting and sustaining violence within our boundaries or without. Our strategies should not be short term responses but we should work on longer term solutions to a problem that cannot be pushed under the carpet.

TOI's analysis has come out with only half of the story. That is very misleading. 

Indian authorities should concentrate on both parts: the problem and its suggested solutions.

Ghulam Muhammed, Mumbai

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http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Mumbai/US_think-tank_warns_of_more_attacks_on_city/articleshow/4067230.cms#write

US think-tank warns of more attacks on city

3 Feb 2009, 0234 hrs IST, 

S Balakrishnan, TNN

MUMBAI: The Rand Corporation, a highly-respected US think-tank, has warned of more terror strikes in India in the "foreseeable future''. It has 

also stated that the 26/11 Mumbai attack had "local assistance''. TOI was the first to report about the Lashkar-e-Taiba "fidayeens'' getting local support to carry out their operation. But the investigators are still to explore the local angle. 

The warning of future attacks came in the course of a testimony given by Brian Jenkins of the corporation before the US senate committee on homeland security and government affairs on January 28. It is titled `Lessons learned from the Mumbai attacks'. 

Jenkins said India will continue to face a serious jihadi terrorist threat from Pakistan-based terrorist groups. "India lacks military options that have strategic-level effects without a significant risk of a military response by Pakistan. Neither the Indian nor US policy is likely to be able to reduce that threat significantly in the short to medium-term. Most likely, the threat will continue to grow. Other extremists in India will inevitably find inspiration and instruction from the Mumbai attacks,'' he observed. 

Apart from targeting the high-profile Taj and Trident hotels, which have a large number of foreigners, the 26/11 attackers also targeted ordinary people at CST rail terminus, Jews at Nariman Point and foreigners at Leopold Cafe. 

Jenkins said, terrorists designed the Mumbai attack to do what the authorities were not expecting. "There were no truck bombs or people attempting to smuggle bombs onto trains, as in previous attacks. Since attacks against high-profile soft targets are relatively easy and cheap to mount, such institutions will remain targets of future attacks. Many of India's older symbolic buildings were not built with security considerations in mind or are at exposed locations. 

Indian security agencies have taken Jenkin's analysis seriously and are urging the government to take appropriate measures.

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