Why Mumbai terror should be more alarming than US 9/11…

The remarkable precision that the terrorists have demonstrated in Mumbai attack should cause a greater concern than the US 9/11 attack. And the reasons are:

1. US 9/11 showed that a country needs to protect its major installations like government buildings, defense headquarters, airports etc. in order to avoid major disasters or being hostage to the terrorists. Mumbai attack sends a message that actually, the world can be taken hostage anywhere as long as vulnerable people are around to be used as shield.
2. Even though the number of people died in 9/11 is much higher, 26/11 in Mumbai tells us that terrorist need not worry about big preparations like pilot training or hijacking. With a far low level of preparation and sophisticated weapons, terrorist can actually cause a bigger damage to nation’s security and citizens’ psyche.
3. US 9/11 suggested that security personnels need far more superior weapons, communication equipments, reliable intelligence, outstanding coordination among the security people to counter these attacks. Mumbai 26/11 reaveals that the police had nothing, and they were helplessly witnessing and facing AK 47 and AK 74 shots. In countries (probably more true about developing nations) where security personnels are not prepared with sophisticated weapons, one can easily imagin a doom.

If US 9/11 is the preface of ‘war on terror’ with an unfinished business in Iraq and Afghanistan, then Mumbai 26/11 appears to be nothing more than just ’Chaper 1′ indicating many more chapters to come before the conclusion. Do we have the same determination to completely eradicate terrorism as we vowed? OR are we immune again since these blasts and gunshots have become so regular that we no longer hear them?

As regards India, it has to wakeup before it’s too late. Some of the things that are immidiately needed:

• Transformation of intelligence services
• Restructuring in command and control for a rapid action in disaster
• State-of-the-art weapons and communication equipments for police and army
• Infrastructure for a quick mobility
• Only professionally qualified people should be allowed to be decision/law makers (like Dr. Man Mohan Singh for Ministry of Finance)
• …..and the list goes on…..