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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 10 NEW DELHI 003013 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NP, AC, PM 
 
STATE FOR INR/MR 
 
STATE FOR SCA/INS, PM/CBM, PM/PRO 
 
STATE FOR SCA/PPD, PA/RRU 
 
STATE FOR AID/APRE-A 
 
USDOC FOR 4530/IEP/ANESA/OSA FOR BILL MURPHY 
 
E.O. 12958:N/A 
TAGS: KMDR KPAO PGOV PREL IN
SUBJECT: SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION: MUMBAI TERROR ATTACKS 
 
This cable reports on relevant media reaction from 
India's English and large non-English press. 
 
SUMMARY: The Indian media across the political and 
language spectrum expressed shock and outrage at the 
continuing Mumbai terror attacks, calling it "India's 
9/11." Editorials lambasted the government for its 
perceived intelligence failure, and political leaders for 
mutual bickering at the cost of inaction. Several 
newspapers saw a Pakistani hand in the attacks, and cited 
post-9/11 U.S. preparedness to demand a rigorous anti- 
terrorism mechanism. 
 
TV reports that the arrested terrorist is a Pakistani 
national. Further reports say that PM Singh and PM Gilani 
have agreed that the Pakistani Army and ISI chiefs will 
fly to India to coordinate the investigation.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
---------------- 
TERROR IN MUMBAI 
---------------- 
 
¶1. "IT'S WAR," editorial in the November 28 centrist 
English Daily THE TIMES OF INDIA (Circulation: 2.1 
million). "This nation is under attack ... India is 
effectively at war and it has deadly enemies in its midst 
... The government should immediately work on an internal 
security doctrine that demarcates the role of various 
security wings and a clear command structure to deal with 
terrorism ... Besides terrorists coming in from the Arabian 
Sea, their looking for Americans, Britons and Israelis 
give the signal that the attack on Mumbai is a spillover 
from the larger war on terror ... South Asian borders are 
notoriously porous ... To tackle terror in India it is 
urgently necessary to stabilize Pakistan and Bangladesh. 
And, India should seek international help now to upgrade 
its own security apparatus, but also to stabilize the 
entire region stretching from Afghanistan to Bangladesh. 
There is no time to waste." 
 
¶2. "A NATION THAT CANNOT AFFORD TO SLEEP," editorial in 
the November 28 nationalist English Daily THE HINDUSTAN 
TIMES (Circulation: 1.6 million).  "India is under 
attack.  And along with it, the idea of India is under 
attack ... One would have thought that our governments, law 
and order machinery and political establishment would be 
prepared to tackle and disarm these noxious forces ... the 
Deccan Mujahideen carries all the hallmarks of the genre 
of terrorist networks that go under the name of al-Qaeda. 
This is 21st century terrorism reaching the shores of our 
country.  Unfortunately, Indian counter-terrorism is 
still in 20th century gear ...  It also needs to implement 
stringent anti-terror-laws ... A department of homeland 
security is still shockingly a non-concept here ...  After 
September 11, 2001, America came together to fight a 
common, shape-shifting enemy. Can we as a nation that has 
known terrorism for far longer - and with far more wounds 
to show - come together to face this nation-crippling 
assault?" 
 
¶3. "AN AFFRONT TO THE INDIAN STATE," editorial in the 
 
NEW DELHI 00003013  002 OF 010 
 
 
November 28 Left-of-Center English Daily THE HINDU 
(Circulation: 5280000). "Mumbai as the country's 
financial and business centre has always been an obvious 
target for those seeking to destabilize the Indian state, 
and terrorists attacks have been occurring in the city 
with a distressing frequency in the recent past.... While 
the Government of Pakistan appears to be serious in 
putting any form of support that its Inter-Services 
Intelligence provided for terrorism behind and in its 
pursuit of improved relations with India, there are 
several groups in the country that go about quite openly 
recruiting and training people for terrorist attacks in 
India. Given the series of attacks within Pakistan 
itself, its government's determination and ability to 
contain terrorist elements within is no doubt open to 
question ... The strengthening of the intelligence 
machinery with increased manpower and more sophisticated 
equipment, brooks no further delay." 
 
¶4. "HOW MANY MORE?" editorial in the November 28 pro- 
economic reform English daily THE BUSINESS STANDARD 
(estimated circulation: 300,000). "This is the age of 
terrorism, and the government has to find a way to 
deliver security in the face of all the challenges that 
such an age poses ... So, despite the protestations of 
peace and friendship by the Pakistan president, it is 
clear that the ISI itself, or rogue elements in it, 
continue to wage covert war against India ... This confirms 
the existence of a jihadi terrorist network operating 
within the country. Is it too much to ask that the 
intelligence agencies penetrate this network and break up 
its cells?" 
 
¶5. "OUR NIGHTMARE, OUR WAKE-UP CALL," editorial in the 
November 28 centrist English Daily THE INDIAN EXPRESS by 
Shekhar Gupta (estimated circulation: 200,000). 
"Posterity will record this as India's 9/11.  But are we 
now stirred enough to also respond to it with the 
equanimity with which the other democracy recovered, and 
has protected its people in the seven years that 
followed? ... But a policy of genuine, non-partisan zero- 
tolerance towards terror of all kinds would have made the 
task of such conspirators much tougher ... Time had come a 
long time ago to depoliticize our response to terror just 
as other great democracies around the world have done. 
We can mourn that we lost all that time.  But now, even 
if a tragedy like this cannot make both sides - in fact 
the entire political class - made amends, we have no 
right to call ourselves a great nation, democracy, 
civilization.  We can't let a bunch of murderous thugs 
rob it all away from us.  We have to also ensure that 
others of their ilk are never to hit our people or our 
foreign guests again. Ever." 
 
¶6. "THIS IS WAR WAGED AGAINST THE NATION," editorial in 
the November 28 pro-BJP-right-of-center English daily THE 
PIONEER (estimated circulation: 365,000). "Had the Prime 
Minister been even remotely serious about combating 
terrorism, his first step would have been to sack the 
Intelligence Bureau chief as well as the head of the 
Research & Analysis Wing ... If the Prime Minister is not 
convinced of the abysmal failure of these two crucial 
 
NEW DELHI 00003013  003 OF 010 
 
 
agencies in providing real time intelligence input and 
undertaking counter-terrorism operations, then there is 
no reason to take note of his labored denunciation of 
terrorism ... Had he been sincere about waging war on 
terror, he would have come up with a plan in his first 
100 days in office, which he spent dismantling the anti- 
terror structure put in place by the NDA Government  ... 
The failure of the Government, however, must not weaken 
the nation's resolve to stand united against the evil 
forces of terrorism." 
 
¶7. "IF THIS IS OUR 9/11, LET'S FIGHT IT LIKE U.S.," 
editorial in the November 28 centrist THE ASIAN AGE 
(estimated circulation: 390,000). "With jihadist forces 
on the rise in Pakistan, terrorists have lately turned on 
their masters in a bid to capture political power with 
the connivance of sections of the ISI, virtually a state- 
within-a-state in that country. These sections have not 
given up their anti-India jihad ...   The spectacular 
nature of Wednesday's multiple strikes on India's 
commercial capital led a former high-ranking US official 
to describe it on CNN as "India's Nine-Eleven". There is 
truth in this, but there is also a fundamental 
difference. America wasn't attacked by an immediate 
neighbor ... If this was India's Nine-Eleven, it is 
possibly time for this nation to respond, just as America 
did seven years ago. The government and Opposition must 
together ensure at Friday's all-party meeting that the 
nation speaks in one voice, and acts decisively against 
the international terrorist dens from which India is 
regularly targeted." 
 
¶8. "MUMBAI PARADIGM OF TERROR," editorial in the November 
28 pro economic reforms English daily THE ECONOMIC TIMES 
(Circulation: 465,000). "Beyond measures such as 
preparedness and response, the extremism that feeds such 
fanatical acts needs to be addressed in the wider socio- 
political arena. That is, without doubt, and as various 
nations around the world have discovered, the best kind 
of pre-emptive measure. That said, installing effective 
anti-terror mechanisms are also a matter of intra-state 
and international cooperation ... India should now press 
hard for greater intelligence sharing within the region." 
 
¶9. "FIGHT TERROR UNITEDLY," editorial in November 28 
right-of-center Hindi daily AMAR UJALA (Circulation -- 
815,000). "India really has no plan to fight terror. And 
if there is ever any movement forward, then politics 
comes in the way. Every time there is an incident, there 
are demands for a federal agency to combat terror. But 
even that gets mired in suspicion that terror laws may be 
misused. Our politicians are playing games with us; then 
do not value our lives." 
 
¶10. "ATTACK ON INDIA'S NATIONAL INTEGRITY," editorial in 
November 28, right-of-center Hindi daily DAINIK JAGRAN 
(Circulation 1.832 million). "The terrorist strike in 
Mumbai has left Indians outraged. India's national 
integrity has been attacked. And this is a proxy war 
being fought against India by another nation. The truth 
is that our government merely pays lip-service to 
fighting terror - there is no real plan, strategy or 
 
NEW DELHI 00003013  004 OF 010 
 
 
political will to fight terrorism. Our leaders only know 
how to play cheap politics in the name of fighting 
terror." 
 
¶11. "HOW MANY MORE!" editorial in November 28 centrist 
Hindi daily HINDUSTAN (Circulation 800,000). "The 
terrorists have challenged the spirit of India by 
attacking its heart - Mumbai. Our security and 
intelligence agencies are a joke! We need to make up our 
mind whether we want to respond to the challenge of 
terrorism by taking serious actions, or just pay lip- 
service." 
 
¶12. "MUMBAI IN GRIP OF TERROR," editorial in November 28 
centrist Hindi daily RASHTRIYA SAHARA (Circulation -- 
290,000). "Earlier it was just bombs. Now bombs are 
passe. Terrorist are aiming straight at people with their 
guns. Our security establishment stands like a mute, 
helpless spectator. We always cut a sorry figure in the 
face of terrorism. All political parties in India should 
come together and take terrorism as their biggest 
challenge. This has to be one concerted fight, without 
political bickerings!" 
 
¶13. "ATTACK ON MUMBAI" editorial in the November 28 
right-of-center Urdu daily RASHTRIYA SAHARA (Circulation: 
153,275): "The degree of organization of this terrorist 
act can be assessed from the fact that the terrorists 
were well acquainted with the streets of the city, the 
internal passages of the hotel and the working methods of 
the military. In his message to the nation, Prime 
Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh had tough words against 
terrorist acts. This reflects the unshakeable resolution 
of the country against terrorism. In his message, he also 
announced the immediate formation of a federal agency. 
These terrorist activities have, however, once again 
proved that we have to do a lot to combat the worst 
menace of terrorism." 
 
¶14. "BACKGROUND OF MUMBAI ATTACK" editorial in the 
November 28 right-of-center Urdu daily HAMARA SAMAJ 
(Circulation: 63,000): "The dreaded terror attacks on 
Mumbai would not only obstruct the ongoing investigations 
of the Malegaon bomb blasts, but also sabotage the proof 
gathered so far in that case. ATS (anti terror squad) 
Chief Hemant Kirkire had very recently pointed out the 
involvement of VHP (Vishwa Hindu Parishad) top leader 
Pravin Togadia in the Malegaon bomb blast. This 
disclosure had unnerved the ranks and files of Rashtriya 
Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP). 
ATS was also collecting proof against Mr. Togadia. 
Involvement of some more BJP leaders was also being 
whisp}red in the political circles. This attack has 
obstructed the investigations of the Malegaon blasts." 
 
¶15. "ARE OUR INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES SLEEPING?" editorial 
in the centrist Urdu daily AKHBAR-E-MASHRIQ (Circulation: 
105,000): "It is really very surprising that the 
terrorists successfully conducted contemptible acts of 
terrorism on such a large scale and that dozens of our 
intelligence agencies were unaware of these plans to 
destroy the peace of the city of Mumbai. It is the need 
 
NEW DELHI 00003013  005 OF 010 
 
 
of the hour for our government to think seriously on this 
issue." 
 
¶16. "UNPRECEDENTED TERRORIST ATTACK," editorial in 
November 28 Communist Party Bengali daily GANASHAKTI 
(Circulation: 100,000). "The well-planned terrorist 
attack makes the antinational conspiracy angle quite 
evident. Neither the federal government nor the 
intelligence agencies could take any measure to restore 
people's confidence. Rather, people are getting more 
panicked. Different fundamentalist organizations are 
trying to exploit this situation to their advantage. The 
Mumbai incident indicates that terrorists will not 
certainly stop there. As a part of an imperialist design 
of destabilizing India, terrorists unleashed this orgy of 
violence with the objective of shattering the nation's 
democratic foundation. People need to remain more alert 
and the security system needs to be strengthened 
further." 
 
¶17. "Wanted: An integrated approach," editorial in 
November 28 DAILY NEWS & ANALYSES - "The latest attacks 
in Mumbai are aimed at undermining international 
confidence in India... International perceptions of India 
over the past years have been increasingly positive and 
there is clearly an effort to alter such perceptions to 
affect foreign investments as well as tourism.... The 
prevailing 'emergency response paradigm', the principal, 
if not exclusive, paradigm of response in India, has 
failed.... Permanent and institutionalized mechanisms of 
response must now be designed to cope with these 
persistent challenges." 
 
¶18. "WAR ON INDIA BY DAY AND BY NIGHT," editorial in 
November 28 left-of-center English daily DECCAN HERALD 
(circulation: 250,000). "The credibility and efficiency 
of the country's governmental and security systems lie 
shattered in the wreckage in Mumbai. The 9/11 attacks in 
the US are not entirely beyond comparison; the planning 
and co-ordination that could have gone into the action 
was out of the ordinary and is marked by a degree of 
brazenness and sophistication unseen till now. It is not 
an attack on Mumbai but is an attack on India. The Prime 
Minister has said his piece on Mumbai. We have heard him 
before, without any great benefit. The Leader of the 
Opposition has also spoken. That has also been heard 
before. After the attack in Mumbai, terrorism in the 
country has acquired a new dimension and meaning. The 
entire society, including the government, political 
parties, the official machinery, the security set-up and 
the people have to respond to it in ways they are not 
used to before." 
 
¶19. "FACING TERRORISM WITH CONVICTION," editorial in 
November 28 independent English daily The New Indian 
Express (circulation:300,000). "The state has to show 
speedy results and a resolve that this is going to be the 
beginning of the end of this nightmare. That includes 
convincing leadership and a resolute focus on basics, a 
revamp of intelligence, of detection, of initiative, of 
strike capability. It is a great thing that the immediate 
reaction across the political spectrum has been an 
 
NEW DELHI 00003013  006 OF 010 
 
 
absence of partisan name-calling and a feeling of being 
together in the same raft. And that Pakistan's government 
says we face a common enemy and has promised full help in 
the investigation. These declarations of intent have to 
be fleshed out in ways people can relate to." 
 
¶20. "IRRESPONSIBILITY," front page signed editorial in 
November 28 right-of-center Tamil daily DINAMANI, 
published in the front page (circulation: 130,000): "Even 
after all this, the Prime Minister is not even thinking 
of changing the Home Minister. The Home Minister himself 
has not come forward to step down by accepting 
responsibility for the security lapse. The National 
Security Adviser Mr. M.K. Narayan also been 
irresponsible. The way in which three English television 
channels are telecasting the events without any sense of 
responsibility is shameful. When the twin towers were 
attacked in New York, the US media acted in coordination 
with security agencies. They did not create panic as our 
Indian media has been doing now." 
 
¶21. "IT IS WAR," editorial in November 28 independent 
Telugu daily EENADU (circulation: 1 million). "The Prime 
Minister has once again mooted a task force to fight 
terrorism and insurgency and asked it to come out with a 
road map. After the September 11 attacks, within a week, 
U.S. was successful in establishing strong security 
agencies to tackle the problem. We are still lagging 
behind in positioning counterterrorism machinery at 
place. The spate of terror attacks has not only let the 
nation be seen as a country soft on terror, but also 
exposed a government that lacks a coherent nationwide 
strategy to deal with internal acts of terror. This shows 
precisely the inaction on the part of the totally 
discredited government that has emboldened the terrorists 
to strike again and again." 
 
¶22. "CRUSH TERRORISM," editorial in November 28, 
independent Kannada daily VIJAY KARNATAKA (circulation: 
700,000): "Thickly populated areas have become the 
targets of the terrorists and their purpose is to 
destabilize the country. Terrorists have changed their 
style of attack this time.  It seems they wanted to send 
out a message to the international community that India 
is no more a safe country and is held under seize. It is 
the need of the hour to avert such moves and sound the 
warning bells to those who help terrorists..." 
 
¶23. "MUMBAI TRAGEDY," editorial in November 28, 
Bangalore-based independent Kannada daily KANNADA PRABHA 
(circulation: 180,000): "A mechanism has to be put in 
place to avert this kind of tragedies. All out effort 
should be made to bring culprits to book and they should 
be mercilessly punished. No one should come in the way of 
police action to root out terrorism. This is horrifying 
and could be termed as treason against the humanity." 
 
¶24. "A TERRORISTS FIELD DAY," editorial in November 28, 
left-of-center Kannada daily PRAJAVANI (circulation: 
550,000): "The people and organizations behind such 
terrorizing incidents should be identified and punished 
severely. No terror-related incidents occurred in the 
 
NEW DELHI 00003013  007 OF 010 
 
 
U.S. after 9/11. If the U.S. can achieve this, why not 
India?  All political parties, both the ruling party and 
the Opposition, should come together to root out 
terrorism from the country." 
 
¶25. "UNITY AGAINST TERRORISM" editorial in the November 
28 right-of-center Urdu daily INQUILAB, Mumbai 
(Circulation: 65,000): "Who are these terrorists, and is 
there any major power behind them that wants to undermine 
our peace and stability? Such questions will take time to 
be properly answered. However, one can safely say that 
the way this whole terrorist attack has been conducted, 
it indicates of enormous planning and organized 
conspiracy. The operation must have been rehearsed for 
months, which is possible to be conducted by only a large 
network... It is extremely unfortunate that at a time when 
we should have focused on resolving economic problems, 
when general elections are not far away, and when we are 
yet to recover fully from the bomb blasts in other 
cities, we have been forced to face this new subversion... 
The forces behind such malicious terror elements must be 
exposed and firmly dealt with.... One of the most important 
requirements for doing this is that we must be united in 
facing the challenge." 
 
¶26. "TERRORISM IN MUMBAI" editorial in the November 28 
right-of-center Urdu daily MUNSIF, Hyderabad 
(Circulation: 60,009): "This terrorist attack is of 
extraordinary nature. Especially the way the Anti- 
Terrorism Squad chief was killed has become a mystery. If 
the terrorists are foreign nationals, how could they 
identify Hemant Karkare and fired three bullets directly 
at him. If any foreign hand is behind the shoot out and 
blasts, as is being suggested, then Mumbai police and 
federal and state intelligence agencies should be held 
responsible...  Mumbai's tragic incident is the handiwork 
of extremely vicious elements. This testing time we must 
face with complete unity and integrity." 
 
¶27. "SECRET OF TERRORIST ATTACK" editorial in the 
November 28 right-of-center Urdu daily HINDUSTAN EXPRESS, 
New Delhi (Circulation: 53,000): "Be it bomb blasts or 
other terrorist attacks in various parts of the country, 
it is the same diabolic mastermind working behind all the 
terrorists and their heinous crimes.... It is very strange 
that the Mumbai incident has appeared at a time when the 
saffron [Hindu] terrorism was being unearthed and the ATS 
was zeroing in on the Hindutva mastermind...  If the 
perpetrators of the attack are Pakistanis, as some 
sources have claimed, then they must be acting on behalf 
of those who are deadly opposed to Hindu-Muslim amity in 
India and to India-Pakistan friendship.... Indian or 
Pakistani, whoever they are, we have repeatedly said that 
their real target is India and its Muslims. They are out 
to serve their nefarious designs by instigating the 
majority community against Muslims, and to destabilize 
the country as our Prime Minister has said. The country 
must stand united to defeat such a terribly sick 
mentality." 
 
¶28. "SEASON IN HELL," editorial in the November 28 
centrist English daily THE TELEGRAPH (Circulation: 
 
NEW DELHI 00003013  008 OF 010 
 
 
251,000). "Incompetence is the only word to describe the 
situation, except that the incompetence has left Mumbai 
strewn with dead bodies. Incompetence always flows from 
the top. It has been obvious for quite sometime, that the 
Union home minister, Shivraj Patil, has no control over 
the critical portfolio he is supposed to handle. The 
Prime Minister cannot be unaware of the fact that Mr. 
Patil cuts a ridiculous figure. Yet he remains the home 
minister... Wednesday night's assault was focused: 
foreigners seemed to have been made special targets. This 
indicates a global dimension previously not noticed in 
terrorist attacks in India...." 
 
¶29. "TIME FOR ZERO TOLERANCE," editorial page article in 
the November 28 centrist English daily THE TELEGRAPH 
(Circulation: 251,000) by veteran columnist Swapan 
Dasgupta. "The Mumbai attack didn't affect the proverbial 
Man from Matunga, it struck at the heart of the Mumbai 
elite in Colaba. The Taj and Oberoi hotels weren't some 
out-of-the-way lunch homes, they are at the heart of 
Mumbai's social and business life. If it could happen 
there...it could also happen in the Taj and Oberoi in 
Delhi, Calcutta and Bangalore. This Mumbai attack has 
brought terrorism to the doorstep of opinion makers - 
those who determine media content...." 
 
¶30. "MAKE NO MISTAKE, IT'S WAR," story in the November 28 
centrist English daily THE STATESMAN (Circulation: 
178,000) by columnist Rajinder Puri. "The attack, its 
scale and nature, are a turning point in terrorist 
attacks against this country. It comes in the wake of 
serial blasts across metropolitan cities of India that 
have steadily escalated. The government's failure to stem 
terrorism has emboldened the terrorists to attack 
brazenly. It is most likely that such attacks will 
proliferate, become deadlier, and come in quick 
succession. Terrorism has declared full fledged war 
against India ... The PM should respond by inviting all the 
major national and regional parties to join a national 
government. The second required step is that a state of 
National Emergency should be declared...." 
 
¶31. "WHITHER CONTINGENCY PLAN?" story in the November 28 
centrist English daily THE STATESMAN (Circulation: 
178,000) by Assistant Editor (News) Chandan Nandy.  "...The 
Maharashtra government failed to implement the 
contingency plan that any state government must execute 
when faced with internal or external threats to the 
country's security... The...failure...stemmed from the fact 
that neither the central IB(Intelligence Branch)nor the 
state police security apparatus could anticipate that 
terrorists would strike at multiple points... The failure 
was further exposed by first asking the Army to take on 
the terrorists...and then 'quietly' removing them from the 
operation...." 
 
¶32. "ATTACKED," editorial in November 28 independent 
Kolkata Bengali daily ANANDABAZAR PATRIKA (Circulation: 
1,400,000). "It is not that many lives are lost in an 
atmosphere of suspicion and fear, but India's destiny is 
also hit. The dream of accomplishing the goals of speedy 
globalization and development cannot be realized with 
 
NEW DELHI 00003013  009 OF 010 
 
 
such a sense of security. The country that was supposed 
to have been in the forefront of global ompetition with 
China will gradually be compared with Iraq or Israel." 
 
¶33. "LET US CONDEMN," editorial in November 28 left-of- 
center Kolkata Bengali daily SAMBAD PRATIDIN 
(Circulation: 273,000). "This incident will negatively 
impact the national economy and tourism. The cycle of 
events makes it clear that no mechanism has yet been 
developed to gather advance information about possible 
terrorist strikes. The government must find out loopholes 
and take necessary steps on war footing." 
 
¶34. "FAILURE OF POLICE AND INTELLIGENCE COMES TO THE FORE 
ONCE AGAIN," article in November 28 left-of-center 
Kolkata Bengali daily SAMBAD PRATIDIN by former Army 
chief General Shankar Roy Chowdhury (Circulation: 
273,000). "Terrorist violence and war against the state 
are completely different and this is unprecedented in the 
entire world... The army is called out on every pretext 
since there is no advance preparation and leadership is 
lacking. This will break the morale of the security 
forces. The government should depoliticize the police and 
the intelligence community and put them to real security 
work." 
 
¶35. "EVERYONE SHOULD NOW STAND UNITED AGAINST TERRORISM," 
editorial in November 28 pro-BJP Kolkata Bengali daily, 
BARTAMAN (Circulation: 447,000)".  "...Different forces are 
trying to disintegrate the country. In this situation, 
all political parties should work in a united manner in 
combating terrorism. Time is not right for passing the 
bucks and it is now the greatest challenge before us to 
sustain the integrity of the nation and protect it from 
the scourge of terrorism." 
 
¶36. "THE BIGGEST TERRORIST ATTACK IN MUMBAI/ARE OUR 
INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES SLEEPING?" editorial in November 28 
Kolkata nationalist AKHBAR-E-MASHRIQ (Circulation: 
65,000).  "...It's very surprising to find that the 
terrorists are doing their work successfully, but the 
Indian intelligence could not get any indication of that 
beforehand. The government should pay its attention to 
this perspective." 
(Similar story appeared in Kolkata's nationalist Urdu 
daily AZAD HIND) 
 
¶37. "TERRORIST ATTACK IN MUMBAI" editorial in November 28 
Guwahati Assamese left-of-center ASAMIYA PRATIDIN 
(Circulation: 160,000).  "The attacks in Mumbai clearly 
demonstrate that the country's internal security faces 
serious threats... The government must review the entire 
gamut of security measures, and enact stringent laws to 
deal with terrorism, and with the people and 
organizations inciting such heinous crimes." 
 
¶38. "INDIA'S 9/11" editorial in November 28 Guwahati 
Assamese independent ASAMIYA KHABOR (Circulation: 
80,000).  "...If 9/11 terror strikes are considered as an 
attack against the United States then the 11/26 attack is 
against India... By attacking the prime installations the 
terrorists have clearly sent out the message that they 
 
NEW DELHI 00003013  010 OF 010 
 
 
can easily destroy India's icons of economic success." 
WHITE