Transnational Terror: India’s Options
In the longer run the country’s most potent weapon against terrorism is going to be rapid economic growth and prosperity. Read full article In the 2000s, India has been the victim of at least four major attacks by Pakistan-based terrorists: the Parliament attack in 2001, explosions on Mumbai trains in 2006, embassy bombing in Kabul in 2008 and the recent Mumbai carnage. What can India do to protect itself against future attacks? In broad terms, there are two options: stop the terror at source and tighten security at home. Let us carefully examine each of these options. There are three immediate avenues to tackling the terror at source. First, India could go on a limited war with Pakistan. While this option may help India avenge the attacks it has suffered, it is unlikely to persuade Pakistan to dismantle the terrorist outfits. On the contrary, it is likely to increase public sympathy for the outfits, make future recruitment of terrorists easier and give Pakistani army an easy exit from fighting the Taliban alongside the US army.
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