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A TOTAL FAILURE
The first meeting of the India Today Board of Experts on Security and Terror finds the Government's response sorely wanting and anti-terror strategy yet to take off.
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Transcript of first BEST meeting »
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ASK EXPERTS
India Today panel of experts on 'War on Terror' answer surfers' question.
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Citizen Experts
Mohan Menon
Retired IPS officer who also served in RAW
Murad Baig
Author of a book on Indian heritage
Dr Arup Kumar Sen Gupta
Writes that the media has a big role in bringing about the change.
Captain Dinyar Karai
Writes on the counter terrorism strategy that India needs.
Terrorism and Security
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Update
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Videos
While thousands of viewers throughout India declare war on terrorism, Headlines Today anchors pledge to bring a difference.
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India Today Group editors resolve to defeat terrorism
Headlines Today correspondents' pledge
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No people have seen terror like Indians have. Over 18,000 citizens died in attacks in the last decade.
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Lalit Mansingh,
Foreign Policy Expert
Ambassador Lalit Mansingh, India's former foreign Secretary and former ambassador to the US.
 
Is declaring war against Pakistan necessary for India? Why can't we go to the United Nations to solve the problem?
-Manoj (manoj9826901918@yahoo.com)

The UN unfortunately does not have an effective machinery yet from dealing with international terrorism. Besides, the UN Security Council is often deadlocked due to differences among the permanent members. For example, the banning of the Jamat-ud-Dawa (earlier the Lashkar-e-Taiba) was approved by the Security Council recently, after years of being blocked by China. The issue of Pakistani aggression in Jammu and Kashmir has still not been resolved, even 50 years after India took it up with the Security Council!

 
Other Q&As

  • Q: Shouldn't India declare diplomatic war against Pakistan and convince the world community that Pakistan is equally dangerous for the US and other western countries alsoe?

    -Danny (dannypatel72@gmail.com)
  • The international community is already convinced that the terrorism exported from Pakistan is a serious threat to the security of the world. However, India will not be able to eliminate Pakistani terrorism by waging a war against that country.

    For reasons I have explained in response to earlier questions, war is not a viable option. We need to mobilise the international community to collectively exert pressure on Pakistan to give up terrorism as an instrument of state policy. Countries on which Pakistan is most dependent, especially the US, Saudi Arabia and China can play a very important role in this regard.


  • Q: Is the current war-like situation against Pakistan good for the South Asia region?

    -Dipesh (dipeshpatel5@gmail.com)
  • No, certainly not. War like situation creates fear and uncertainty. They scare away tourists and potential investors. South Asia has already been adversely affected by the global financial meltdown not to mention the energy crisis, climate change and terrorism. Restoring peaceful conditions in our region is of utmost priority so that we can focus on development issue.


  • Q: Why haven't we seen a single interview of the Indian leaders in the western media during and after the Mumbai carnage?

    -Rajesh (radham301@hotmail.com)
  • It is not a question of how many interviews are reported in the western media. India's diplomatic offensive has succeeded in convincing most of the world leaders that the recent terrorist attack in Mumbai was plotted and executed from Pakistan. In fact it is widely accepted that Pakistan is currently the epicentre of global terrorism.


  • Q: What can the US, UK and the UN do to help India's cause and efforts against terrorism?

    -Hari (hari_1711@rediffmail.com)
  • The UN has given powerful support by recently banning the Jamat-ud-Dawa, the major Pakistani terrorist organization involved in acts of violence in India. The US maximum leverage against Pakistani since it is the major source of economic and military assistance to that country. Other nations like Saudi Arabia, China, UK and Russia also have recently offered to help in eliminating the terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan.


  • Q: Why is the Indian government afraid of attacking Pakistan even though it has the evidence that those terrorists were from Pak?

    -Bhagwan(bhagwan_thadani@yahoo.co.in)
  • If the purpose is to eliminate the infrastructure in Pakistan, a military attack on that country is not the answer. It may well lead to a full scale war with possible use of nuke weapons against India by Pakistan. We therefore need to sustain an international diplomatic campaign to expose Pakistan as the epicenter of global terrorism and urge the major powers like the US, Russia, China, Britain and Saudi Arabia to press Pakistan to dismantle the terrorist network operating on its soil.


  • Q: Shouldn't the government first deal with the local mafia and gangsters who work like the sleeper cells for the terror outfits operating from outside the country?

    -Champak(champak1periwal@yahoo.com)
  • By their very nature sleeper cells remain hidden and became active only when they received instructions from their handlers. Our international agencies have succeeded in exposing same of these sleeper cells, but most of them continue to evade detection


  • Q: Does India really have concrete evidence against the ISI, LeT or JuD?

    -Ishan(ishansrivastava@in.com)
  • India has, over the years acquired a mass of evidence clearly pointing to the involvement of terrorist groups like the JeM, LeT and HuM in acts of terrorism in India. The evidence gathered after the recent Mumbai attacks, especially from the captured terrorist Azmal Kasab, further confirmed that the entire operation was planned and executed by Pakistani agencies. The intelligence agencies of the United Nations, Britain, Russia and Israel have also come to the same conclusion from their own sources. The problem is that the Pakistani government refuses to accept the evidence and remains in complete denial of any Pakistani involvement.


  • Q: What is preventing the US and India from rooting out the terrorist camps based in the interiors of Pakistan?

    -Ramandeep(ramandeepdr@gmail.com)
  • India has considered the prospects of attacking the terrorist training camps in Pakistan many times in the past, but eventually opted against it.
    Firstly, the camps are makeshift facilities; attacking these camps would be largely symbolic, since the same facilities can be created in some other part of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir or Pakistan. Secondly, there is a danger that a military attack on Pakistan can escalate into a full scale war with a danger of nuclear weapons being used. Pakistan has in fact declared that it will not hesitate in using nuclear weapons if its territory is attacked. Finally, even surgical or precision attacks carry the risk of collateral damage especially the danger of innocent civilians being killed lurks large. This action will cost India dearly in terms of alienating world opinion. Recent American strikes against militant groups in Pakistan have been widely criticised even by friends of the United States. While a military attack maybe necessary, if all other measures fail we should exhaust the diplomatic option before considering a military strike.

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ACTION SO FAR
IT IS TIME FOR ACTION
The India Today Group presents a white paper, 'War on Terror: The Agenda for Action' to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
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Join the War on Terror today
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SMS ‘WAR’ to52424
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Dial All India Toll-Free
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Here's a list of emergency numbers and addresses in 6 important cities.

We bring together stories, videos and pictures on terror attacks across the nation.
India Reacts
The prime purpose of the terrorists is to shatter the peace and unity of the country. The only way to defeat them is by defeating their mindless purpose-- stand with determined resilience with the people of the country irrespective of communal, linguistic and regional barriersn.
Swarnima Bhattacharya ,
Lucknow

Much has been spoken by the leaders, but no concrete work has been done so far. The ministry should not be headed by any politician but by some retired police or preferably some military official.
Shailendra Vikrant , Chandigarh