NEW DELHI: With many foreigners caught in the Mumbai attack, western diplomats in the capital are rattled. Embassies here are scrambling to get details, including information on their nationals and relevant phone numbers. A diplomat said, “I see footprints of a much bigger international group here. The fact that they wanted US and UK passport-holders as hostages and attacked a Jew, gives a more international dimension to the attack.”
“This is almost a military attack…the operation has been carried out with military precision, hunting out those they wish to harm and create maximum impact,” another diplomat said. He felt the attack added a new dimension to terror tactics, one which all countries must now be prepared to face.
The international dimension the diplomats spoke of was evident from the fact that top US intelligence and counter-terrorism officials held a meeting at the White House as Washington conveyed to New Delhi its readiness to help in the wake of the “horrific” terror attack.
India and the US have a joint anti-terror mechanism to shore up global response to the scourge. They regularly share information. But after this the two sides are likely to work even more closely together. “The US government continues to monitor the situation closely,” a White House spokesman said, adding, “This includes the safety and security of our citizens, and we stand ready to assist and support the Indian government.”
President-elect Barack Obama called Indian ambassador Ronen Sen in Washington to convey his condolences. The US will work “with India and nations around the world to root out and destroy terrorist networks”, Obama’s transition team said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the foreign ministry besieged by phone calls from India and abroad by relatives of people stuck in Mumbai hotels set up a special cell with phone lines to assist Indian and foreign missions.
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