Governments must face reality: Terrorists can strike anywhere

This editorial appears in the Yakima Herald-Republic on Thursday, Dec. 4.

The first reaction by some to the terrorist attacks on Mumbai might be: Why should we in this country be concerned about what happens half a globe away?

We can think of at least a couple of reasons:

* In today's global economy, India is a neighbor. The attacks also bring back painful memories of our own experience with terrorism -- the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on Washington and New York. The attacks in India once again reinforce the reality that terrorism can strike anywhere.

* Evidence is mounting that the attacks were carried out by a group partly based in Pakistan. Needless to say, the world community does not need any more potentially deadly tensions between longtime, nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan.

The three-day assault resulted in 172 dead, including six Americans, and 239 wounded in the heart of Mumbai -- India's financial center and considered to be a "safe city." Nine of the 10 men who appear to have carried out the attacks are dead, with the remaining one in custody.

The tragedy in India was described by a Mumbai resident as "our 9/11." While the death toll there pales in comparison to the 2,275 who were killed in New York's World Trade Center alone, the similarities are unmistakable. In our case, the naiveté of a nation was forever shattered. Terrorism that is so much a part of the fabric of existence in other areas of the world could, and did, strike here.

We witnessed a failure of imagination. We simply could not imagine such a thing ever happening on U.S. soil. But it did and now Mumbai residents, who thought such an attack was unimaginable in their city, have also learned that with fanatics willing to die for their cause, there is no safe haven.

What compounds the Mumbai tragedy is that U.S. officials had passed on information that a waterborne attack on the city appeared to be in the works. The fact it apparently was not heeded only speaks to another failure of imagination.

Clearly India's security network needs work and government leaders there can learn from our seasoned anti-terrorism experts who have honed their skills since the lessons of 9/11.

U.S. officials are already highly visible on the diplomatic front as they seek to ease tensions between India and Pakistan. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the Bush administration is urging Pakistan to "follow the evidence wherever it leads." Indian officials have lodged a formal diplomatic protest with their neighbor, demanding strong action against those behind the assault.

Indeed, Pakistani leaders would do well to recall the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan after 9/11 to topple the Taliban regime known to harbor terrorists. Allowing such haven in Pakistan is an outrage that could invite retaliation from India.

That's enough to make anyone nervous, given the fact that both of those neighboring nations have nuclear weapons.

Terrorism is on the march around the world. World leaders had best develop serious imaginations and plans to deal with it because it can strike anywhere, anytime -- even in New York, Washington, D.C., and now a not-so-safe-after-all Mumbai, India.

* Members of the Yakima Herald-Republic editorial board are Michael Shepard, Sarah Jenkins, Bill Lee and Karen Troianello.

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