Monday, December 1, 2008

Terrorists Target Financial Centers

Over seven years removed from the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, the incident in Mumbai increasingly resembles a bookend of sorts in the chronology of global terrorism. Much like the cosmopolitan city of Mumbai, New York City represented not only a logistically ideal, civilian-dense target right on America's coastline, but a symbolic strike against American capitalism and finance. Much like New York City, Mumbai stands as a symbol of diversity and freedom in a country often plagued by sectarian divisions and strife. Crown jewels in two of the world's largest and most prosperous democracies.

While the attacks on Mumbai on November 27 were shocking and appalling, unfortuantely it was hardly the first time India's financial hub has experienced such terror. Far from it, in fact. There were at least two other incidents in Mumbai where the death toll exceeded 200. Once in March 1993 and just two years ago, a series of bombs went off within an 11-minute span on the crowded Mumbai commuter trains, claiming 209 lives and injuring over 700.

On July 11, 2006, seven bombs were set off by pre-deposited pressure cookers and the timing, during the evening rush hour, inflicted maximum casaulties. Initially, Indian authorities suspected involvement by Lashkar and Students Islamic Movement of India, a banned domestic terrorist group, as well as affliiation with the Pakistani secret service ISI.

The bombings had a brief chilling effect on Indian-Pakistani relations after signs of a thaw. Three days after the attacks, India announced that it would suspend talks with Pakistan until President Pervez Musharraf abides by his 2004 pledge to end all support to cross-border terrorism. But within two months, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh re-started talks with Musharraf's government, stating that ending the three-year long peace process would signal a victory for the separatist terrorists.

Read about five terrorist attacks here.

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