World recoils in horror

From Tokyo to Los Angeles, people watched terror unfold live on televisions

NEW YORK: The Mumbai gun and grenade attacks dominated television broadcasts across 9/11 scarred America on Wednesday as US officials condemned the terrorist attacks and scrambled to determine the impact on Americans and American business interests. The all guns blazing terrorist attack in Mumbai planted fear almost instantaneously in 9/11 scarred New York as federal authorities warned on Wednesday that Al Qaeda may be plotting a terrorist attack on the subway or on other transit systems in New York during the Thanksgiving holidays.

The intelligence was collected by the FBI which focuses most of its efforts inside the US but also has a significant presence in over 50 countries. NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said they have “deployed additional resources in the mass transit system.”

There were NYPD officers riding on subway trains Wednesday night to reassure jittery commuters, some of whom were avoiding trains altogether after the NYC subway terror threat was issued.

The government’s colour-coded threat advisory system remained at yellow (elevated), and officials said there was no plan to raise the threat level. Even so a statement issued by the Justice Department said that travellers in New York and other cities “may see an increased security presence.”

Furwa Sherpa said she was surprised to see so many uniformed policemen and even a bomb-sniffing dog but decided to press on with her daily routine. “There were fewer people travelling with me on the subway and a lot of NYPD officers were patrolling the Rector Street station when I got off the train,” Furwa Sherpa told DNA after her train ride on Thursday morning. The police have their work cut out in guarding the serpentine subway system, the fourth largest in the world by passenger volume, which carries 4.5 mn people on an average working day.

US offers FBI help
The National Security Council assembled US intelligence experts on Wednesday from the Homeland Security Department and FBI, as well as the state department to monitor the situation. “The US condemns this terrorist attack and we will continue to stand with the people of India in this time of tragedy,” said White House press secretary Dana Perino while adding that the US “stands ready to assist and support India.”

The Justice Department said the FBI was tracking the situation and was prepared to offer assistance. After the 9/11 terror attacks, the US investigative agency has increased its international presence in the shape of legal attaches to over 50 US embassies worldwide.

The US is nervous about its citizens being victims and getting caught in the crosshairs of the hostage drama. Washington has grasped the reality that the terrorist attacks may be playing out half-way around the world in Mumbai but Americans are still being targeted.

This is the third major attack directed at the US and other foreign nationals in South Asia this year. In September, 40 people died in the terrorist attack in the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad. Similarly, a US citizen was killed in the suicide attack in Kabul.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg was quick to acknowledge that the terror attacks were a blatant challenge to the world as Mumbai is a financial outpost for the US. “NYC is in many ways similar to Mumbai: it is a wonderfully diverse city that is a leading centre for business, education, science and the arts,” Bloomberg said.” Obama has been updated on the situation by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. His national security spokeswoman, Brooke Anderson, said Obama will strengthen the Indo-US partnerships ‘to root out and destroy terrorist networks’.