Mumbai 'helpless' to prevent India's version of 9/11
Deadly terror attacks in Mumbai could not have been prevented, security experts admit
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Thursday, 27, Nov 2008 06:57
The unprecedented terrorist attacks in Mumbai could not have been prevented, security experts have admitted.
More than 100 people have died after Islamic extremist gunmen attack seven sites in India's financial centre, with hundreds of people still being held hostages and the city's iconic luxury hotels ablaze.
While terror attacks are relatively common in India, the extent of the coordination of yesterday's assaults and the methods employed by terrorists has never before been witnessed.
A previously unknown group calling itself the Deccan Mujahideen has claimed responsibility for the attacks, which have already been likened to India's version of the September 11th 2001 attacks in New York City.
But there was next to nothing the Indian authorities could have done to prevent the attacks, inthenews.co.uk has been told.
Lord George Robertson, the former secretary general of Nato and the UK defence secretary, said the attacks were indicative of a "disordered world".
"You can't predict the actions of radical individuals... you can only look at overall methods to minimise their actions," he said.
"In order to destroy and disrupt the capability of attacks... we have to know what it is to prevent it."
Lord Robertson was speaking at the launch of a major new report on global security issues released by the Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR).
Lord Paddy Ashdown, the former leader of the Liberal Democrats and the high representative for Bosnia, agreed with the assessment of Lord Robertson, his co-chair on the IPPR commission on national security in the 21st century.
"You often get groups of young men deciding the route to a brilliant new world is to go around killing people," he said.
"There is nothing you can do to prevent than from happening."
At present very little is known of the Deccan Mujahideen besides the etymology of their name – the Deccan plateau is a vast area of central and southern India – and their methods of terrorism.
Previous terror attacks in India have been blamed by the government in New Delhi on foreign influences, with Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency (ISI) frequently singled out.
The Deccan Mujahideen has already attracted comparisons with al-Qaida, which also targets foreigners and western symbols.