26/11: Seriously not ready
Brigadier Xerxes Adrianwalla takes a hard look at the security response to 26/11 and outlines the urgent systemic changes needed in our approach to combating terrorism.
Brigadier Xerxes Adrianwalla takes a hard look at the security response to 26/11 and outlines the urgent systemic changes needed in our approach to combating terrorism.
Mumbai is surrounded on all sides by water and is just as vulnerable to attack by sea as it was on 26/11. Maharashtra needs formalised maritime governance - a coordination of all maritime activity with a constant, collective awareness of the surrounding maritime domain.
An active, vigilant citizenry is a vital partner in the fight against terrorism. However, Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan, founder of the Lok Satta Party, argues that this can only be possible with a new legal framework that emphasises efficiency and inclusiveness.
The 'double-dealing' of the U.S. and Pakistani army - all with the ambition of military dominance - has significantly aided various terrorist groups. After 26/11, there is no place to hide for the Mike Mullens and countless others who have been apologists for the Pakistan army and the state it controls.
In the aftermath of the Mumbai attacks, the Pakstani deep state role was highlighted. The U.S. has come to realise this reality too. Bilateral information sharing could prove to be vital to combat terrorism - both regionally and globally.
Amidst the ongoing blame game between India and Pakistan, Masood Hasan, a Lahore-based columnist, explores the complex range of Pakistani reactions to 26/11 – from denial to defensiveness to even apathy, and the ramifications of this tenebrous environment.
Last May, U.S. citizen David Headley confessed to being a spy for the Lashkar-e-Taiba. What no one has tackled yet is whether there are other Headleys out there whose actions threaten India, or any other country. Even with thousands of intelligence agencies scouting for terrorist activities, are we really safer?
In the context of security and sovereignty, India is involuntarily Pakistan-centric and Sino-deferential. India must deal with China with deference without degradation, firmness without confrontation, and raise the threshold of its defense posture in physical and policy measures, without upping the ante.
NATO’s poor strategy in Afghanistan has failed to quell the Taliban. Now, India will begin to train the Afghani military, and has proven with its light force tactics in Kashmir that it is better suited for the role than NATO forces.
Shortly after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Dhaka, Gateway House interviewed the Bangladeshi High Commissioner to India, Tariq Ahmad Karim, who commented on the prospects of enhanced relations between the two nations, and the opportunities that lie ahead.