Posted by
Always To The Right on Monday, December 01, 2008 11:36:01 AM
Last Wednesday a small group of at least 10 gunmen fanned out across the Indian city of Mumbai. [1] In coordinated assaults, they attacked areas frequented by foreigners, killing indiscriminately and taking hostages. The one gunmen captured so far has reportedly admitted to authorities that he [2] received training from Lashkar-e-Taiba,
a group recognized as a terrorist organization by the United States
that has long fought an Islamic insurgency in Kashmir. While the
rationale and responsibility for the attacks are still under
investigation, the incident is not unprecedented and does raise
questions about U.S. domestic security.
Since 9/11, the U.S. has become a much “harder” target for
transnational terrorists. Luck isn’t the reason the U.S. has not been
attacked since that day. In many respects, U.S. counterterrorism
programs are working — and not just at home, either. While there has
been a flare-up of terrorism in India and the Taliban is resurgent in
Afghanistan, [3] a recent report by the Human Security Project
shows that, globally, the trend in transnational terrorist attacks and
the appeal of the radical Osama bin Laden agenda have been declining
for several years.
Nevertheless, it is unrealistic to believe that all homeland
security efforts will deny every attack every time. In particular,
armed assaults and vehicle-borne explosive attacks are tactics that are
not beyond the reach of any modestly funded and committed terrorist
group. Attacks similar to the ones in Mumbai have plagued Russia since
the 1990s. In 1995, 100 civilians died after Chechnyans captured a
hospital in Budyonnovsk. In October 2002, 100 captives died when
Russian special forces stormed a captured theater in Moscow. And in
September 2004, 334 hostages died after a well-armed group of
Chechnyans invaded a school in Beslan. Even the United States has not
been immune from the danger of planned armed assaults. For instance, in
August 2005, a Pakistani national was arrested as part of a terrorism
investigation into a possible plot to attack the Israeli consulate,
California National Guard facilities, and other targets in southern
California.
No administration can guarantee it will stop every attack
everywhere. But if our nation assumes the offensive, the U.S. can take
the initiative away from the terrorists, lessen their chances of
success, and mitigate the damage they cause. Consequently, [4] Washington should continue to:
- Maintain valuable terrorism-fighting tools established under
legislation like the USA PATRIOT Act and the Foreign Intelligence
Surveillance Amendments Act of 2008.
- Keep the Federal Emergency Management Agency as an integral part of
the Homeland Security Department. When an explosion happens, the
government cannot wait until it knows if the incident was a terrorist
attack or an industrial accident. Rather, our nation needs to respond
with alacrity, and that means taking an integrated “all-hazards”
approach from the local to the national level.
- [5] Enhance counterterrorism coordination with allies like India.
Washington and New Delhi would both benefit by pooling their
counterterrorism expertise and increasing joint activities to address
regional and global terrorist threats.
Now is not the time to grow complacent about homeland security.
Article printed from The Foundry: http://blog.heritage.org
URL to article: http://blog.heritage.org/2008/12/01/morning-bell-preventing-the-possible/
URLs in this post:
[1] In coordinated assaults, they attacked areas frequented by foreigners, killing indiscriminately and taking hostages: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122809281744967855.html?mod=article-outset-box
[2] received training from Lashkar-e-Taiba: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122805078242366995.html?mod=article-outset-box
[3] a recent report by the Human Security Project: http://www.hsrgroup.org/
[4] Washington should continue to: http://www.heritage.org/Research/HomelandSecurity/wm2147.cfm
[5] Enhance counterterrorism coordination with allies like India: http://www.heritage.org/Research/AsiaandthePacific/wm2146.cfm