Column : We always overcome

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: massive international sympathy. This was then blown. The government pursued a punitive strategy of “us and them”, most dramatically in Iraq. It was combined with severe, illegal restrictions on civil and human rights at home and abroad. Guantánamo Bay, Abu Ghraib, the lack of resolve vis-à-vis the plight of Palestinians and the invasion of Lebanon, all played directly into the narratives of alienation and injustice that support terrorists’ cause.

In Madrid, 11-M marked more of a turning point. It occurred on the eve of an election and the government of PM Aznar lost credibility and votes because it was perceived to be making political use of the attacks, prematurely and incorrectly claiming that they were the responsibility of Basque terrorists. The new government of PM Zapatero pursued a systematically more inclusive agenda, including vis-à-vis immigrants.

The UK, while tarred with the brush of association with the Iraq war, did better than the US after the 2005 attack of 7/7. There was a significant effort to reach out to British Muslim communities. However, this was almost certainly not enough: there remain large numbers of alienated young Muslim men (and women), providing fertile breeding ground for radicalisation. There was also major investment in the intelligence services, often working with communities, and substantial success in identifying subsequent plots. But this was blighted by the insistence of Prime Ministers Blair and Brown on an extension of the time of detention without trial, beyond what the security services said they needed. This looked like political posturing.

The statistical evidence on terrorism suggests no direct relationship with poverty. Terrorism does not go away with development. Most terrorists are educated. But greater political liberties are associated with less terrorism. These are general associations. Beyond this, specific action makes a difference. An effective state intelligence and security service is of course necessary. International action is needed to respond to international threats. But of equal importance is pursuit of an agenda of reconciliation and debate that undermines the narratives of injustice that provide succour to the terrorists’ cause.

So soon after such a searing collective experience, as a foreigner I do not want to comment directly on the Mumbai experience. However, I believe the international experience provides cause for hope: great cities can recover quickly, socially and economically, from major terrorist attack. But this depends on the choices made by political and other leaders.

Major terrorist attacks in India since 2006