Thoughts of Terror (part 2)

Bombing public transportation is one of the most heinous and unpredictable forms of terrorism. I guess that's what makes it so effective. From the constant bus bombings in Israel to the hijacking of airplanes in the US and subway bombings in Europe, public transportation seems to be the new target du jour among the fashionable terrorists. And the more frequently they occur the more sophisticated they get. Witness the seven timed and remotely detonated bombs that shook Bombay trains on 11 July, 2006, killing hundreds and wounding thousands.

Although no single group has taken credit for these bombings, and no proof has been disclosed that points to any one organization, this does not (and should not) preclude the world from tackling the larger issue. In fact, it's almost a good thing, in the sense that we cannot blame one group but must instead examine the entire terrorist edifice in all its horror, with all it's linkages between different groups and causes.

The are two possible reasons for these Bombay bombings, assuming that these are Islamic terrorists who perpetrated this crime (given the history, not a bad assumption i think). The first is clearly the India-Pakistan conflict over Kashmir. It's caused 2 wars, brought us to the brink several other times, and has resulted in thousands of deaths. At this point it's impossible to say that either side is completely in the right -- both have committed atrocities. The only innocents are the Kashmiris who suffer the consequences. As a result of this conflict, Kashmiri Islamic terrorists (or separatists, depending on your view) have periodically carried out terrorist attacks such as this one in India. The second possible reason is the religious tension in India between Hindus and Muslims. While the vast, vast majority of Indians that I know living in India don't really care if their friends are Muslim or Hindu, the minority that screams the loudest gets heard. Especially when they tear down mosques/temples, or incite riots as we witnessed a few years ago in Bombay.

As a result, the terrorist attacks probably had one of two purposes -- to either derail the slowly emerging peace talks between India and Pakistan over Kashmir, or to incite Hindu/Muslim violence in Bombay. Thankfully neither of these seems to have happened, largely due to a levelheaded and responsible approach to this crisis by Manmohan Singh, a man who I increasingly respect.

Now it's possible, even probable, that Lakshar-e-Taiba or a related Kashmiri group is to blame. But it's not too early nor is it reasonable to rule out other groups such as al-Qaeda. And although the differences between these groups are certainly not insignificant, the similarities in their terrorist tactics and militant religious fervor are striking. This is what ties these groups together with Hizbollah and Hamas, even though their causes and leaders can be very different. They represent the next great challenge for our times.

India is in a difficult position here. It can't really respond the way that Israel responded -- by trying to dismantle Hizbollah using brute force and decimating Lebanon in the process. There's no way that India wants to risk war with Pakistan over this. And yet there are few other options.....what other pressure can India put on Musharraf to put the brakes on these groups? Can Musharraf, given his precarious position straddling the West and hardline Islamists, even do that? Does he have the power? There really seems to be a very limited set of options except to continue the talks and try to resolve the Kashmir dispute as quickly as possible......but I wouldn't hold your breath.