How the US put an end to terror attacks after 9/11.Why do we not after 26/11?
Two dastardly events in the last decade, 9/11 and 26/11, affected two of the world's largest democracies and, perhaps, changed the manner in which these two glorious nations (famous for the freedoms enjoyed in day-to-day life) decided to tackle the 'intelligence' aspect with regard to new age 'terror'.
While the United States learned from 9/11 and quickly ramped up its human intelligence quotient without compromising on its technical surveillance capability, India perhaps paid greater importance to buying and deploying technical equipment such as CCTV cameras, online surveillance and the like. This, among other things, represents a key difference between the two countries in their ability to get better and perhaps more accurate intelligence with regard to terrorists and their activities. The results are there for the world to see: Post 9/11, there has been no attack on mainland United States and that is phenomenal by any standards. On the other hand, we have had several terror attacks in India post 26/11, including the bombings in Delhi high court on 07/09/2011.
While the United States learned from 9/11 and quickly ramped up its human intelligence quotient without compromising on its technical surveillance capability, India perhaps paid greater importance to buying and deploying technical equipment such as CCTV cameras, online surveillance and the like. This, among other things, represents a key difference between the two countries in their ability to get better and perhaps more accurate intelligence with regard to terrorists and their activities. The results are there for the world to see: Post 9/11, there has been no attack on mainland United States and that is phenomenal by any standards. On the other hand, we have had several terror attacks in India post 26/11, including the bombings in Delhi high court on 07/09/2011.
It is an indication of the extent of internalisation of terrorism as a way of life that each new terror attack results in a markedly subdued response. While the United States takes pride in not having had a single terror attack since 9/11, and that was ten years ago, there have been over half a dozen since the 26/11 siege of Bombay in 2008.
Over two dozen people died in Bombay jus two months ago, and Delhi high court was the sight of a similar attack on 07/09/11 as in May this yeardied 13 people. However, the response of the political class, and indeed of the media and public, is substantially different depending on the city, the location and on the class of victims.
Worse, there is scarcely any remorse with scarcely a mention of the “Q” word, and this while the Government uses up all the IQ of its Harvard-educated minister to dig up dirt on the Bhushans, Hazares and Kejirwals of the world. So, here’s the question neither Parliament nor the opposition, nor the media would want to ask: should government to go, or at least make the offer, just at least to show where the buck stops?
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