The cost of attack - revisited

I started this blog in the aftermath of the attack in Mumbai in 2008. Life has come a full circle. The terrorists have struck this again this week. At that time I had mentioned that it was almost inevitable that there would be another attack since India did not have a strategy to increase the cost of attack for the terrorists.
This view is being echoed now by Brahma Chellaney when he writes

"The ugly truth is that transnational terrorists see India as an easy target because it imposes no costs on them and their patrons."

The sad part is that the government's response is pathetic. In Jan 2009, I had pointed out the hollowness of Mr. Chidambaram's remarks when he commented the price that the perpetrators of the attack would pay if it were repeated would be enormous! So what is the price they are paying? Mr. Chidambaram's credibility for one. His latest comment that "there was no intelligence failure because there was no intelligence" seems kafkaesque.

Mention must also be made of the perversion of the Congress spokesperson Digvijay Singh, who yet again raised the issue of "Hindu Terror" by pointing a finger at the possible involvement of RSS in the blast, while admitting that he had no evidence to back it. Considering that he is supposed to be the mouthpiece of Shri Rahul Gandhi, who had earlier mentioned the same "terror" to the US Ambassador (wikileaks report), it is a wonder that we are not heading for another split based on religion (ofcourse, the communal BJP is to blame, not the "secular" Congress).

My sincere condolence to those who lost their dear ones, and a word of advice - stay away from crowds - this attack is not likely to be the last !

The nuclear sell-out progresses

The government introduced the nuclear "no-foreign liability" bill in Parliament on the last day of the session. Apparently, this was on the basis of a deal with some parties in opposition that the bill will be referred to a committee of the house that would be chaired by the opposition. As expected, this has not happened, with the bill being referred to a committee in the Rajya Sabha - chaired by a congressman. While the SP is crying foul, the government is secure in the thought that they have thrown a bone in the direction of the SP in agreeing to the obnoxious and racist suggestion of the SP and other parties of their ilk to include caste in the latest census. Not surprisingly, since this is a Congress initiative, there is no protest (a few columnists aside) in the English media to this extremely retrograde and communal move. 

The congress spin doctors initially tried to explain away the infirmities of the nuclear bill though half-truths and obfuscation. Brahma Chellaney's article here is worth a read for getting a real picture on the issues with the bill. But with the PM busy out-sourcing and sacrificing India's defence and foreign policies to American interests, and the key opposition party in slumber, we can only hope that the many gods Indians pray to are watching over India's interests.  

Not for the BHL's

Despite almost a week elapsing, the events in Mumbai do not seem to have triggered serious, publicly available analysis from the people who should know their job - the defence and strategic affairs analysts. Read Strategic motivations for the Mumbai attack by George Friedman of Stratfor for a view which expounds in detail what I had hinted at in my earlier post The cost of Attack.

In It’s time Pakistan got slammed for harbouring terrorists R Vaidyanathan of IIM Bangalore advocates a response that I symphatise with, but its not for bleeding heart liberals (BHL's) as he says !

Post-nuclear deal - can we use USA help

The rebuff that the government of Pak and India received from the Pak Army establishment on the demand to send the ISI chief to India, has presumably gotten the US secretary of state to head towards India to cool tempers. Unfortunately, at present there seems to be no tempers to cool - atleast among the political leadership.

India is at present in a position to demand the highest possible help from the USA in terms of both, equipment and intelligence to plan its rejoinder to the ISI threat. Bruce Reidel, the incoming President's South Asia advisor is no sympathiser of Pakistan. However, the ability of the currently, leaden-feet leadership of the India to turn this to India's advantage is in doubt.

If ever there was a need for a popularly elected (not nominated) political leadership in India, it is NOW.