9/11 changed US perception of the world forever. Nolonger does the US see the world in terms of our "freedom fighters" versus their "terrorists". During the days of Ronald Reagan, the contras were viewed as terrorists by the rest of the world but the US saw them as freedom fighters. During the same period the US along with its western allies aided and encouragred by the Arab world set training camps all over Pakistan and the tribal areas abutting Afghanistan to train Islamic terrorists who were indoctrinated to wage an pan Islamic war aagainst the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. Had the US accepted the Sopviet occupation of Afghanistan for the simple reason that the landlocked mountainous country did not pose any strategic threat to the US, the world would have been spared the long war of attrition against Islamic fundamentalism. Now this is a war the US and the world cannot lose.
The recent attacks on Mumbai, launched from Pakistan and assisted by the Interservice Intelleigence agency shows that the head of state, Benazir Bhutto,s widower, Mr Zardar, is not calling the shots. On the day of the attacks, November 26th 2008 he announced that the Director General of the ISI would travel to India ans consult with the Indian Governmnet. A day later, acting under obvious pressure from General Kyanni, the Chief of the Army Staff of Pakistan, the President backtracked. It was the pressure brought to bear on Islamabad by the Bush Administration that led to a half hearted crackdown on the Jaish-we- Mohhmad and the Laskar-i-taiyaba. The US has long sought the banning of these organisatiuions but they invariably resurface under a new label.
The Mumbai Terror strikes have completely deligitimused the weak government of Manmohan Singh and there is mounting anger in India against a cynical corrupot political class that is completely insulated from the reality of Indian street level opinion. In spite of more than 240 terrorist attacks over the past 4 years the Indian government has not shown the political will to enact tough anti teror legislation on the lines of the US Patriot Act. Even the half hearted attemts at investigation is stymied by the liberal pro western lobby that starts barking that minorities are being targetted and the ever sensitive vote bamk politicians never fail to back off when such cries are made. India has become a soft state and terrorism has only softened it further. The India political class shows no sigh of having learnt a lesson from the experience of the USA, Israel and even the UK in dealing with terrorism.
The Indian media, [articularly the electronic and television media, more specifically NDTV behaved in a most irresponsible manner by covering live the entire anti terror operation. The terrorists inside Nariman House and the Taj Hotel were aware that commandos were paradropped on the roofs of the buildings and were therfore prepared for the attack. Nearly 100 lives were lost due to the irresponsibility of NDTV and the like. The managing director of this anti national channel was even give a state title by the regime now in power in Delhi.
India, like Isrtael must formulatea doctrine of immediate repprisal for terrorist acts. The MOSSAD must be involved in training Indian intelleigence agencies (the pun is unintended). It is totally unacceptable that India has to use the clout of USA to ensure compliance of Pakistan to ceratain minimum norms of civilised conduct. Being a latger country the state must develop the means to enforce its decisions within the territory held by Pakistan as international law allows states to defend themselves.