Another major attack in India 'inevitable': Stratfor

Washington, Mar 26 (PTI) India faces the threat of another
major terror attack after the audacious 26/11 Mumbai strikes
with the "jihadist insurgency" intensifying along the western
border and Pakistan seemingly losing control of its militant
proxies, a leading US think tank has warned.

India already has "an array of militant threats" to deal
with, ranging from Naxalites to northeastern insurgents to
Kashmiri militants, Stratfor said in its latest analysis.

"Given the jihadist insurgency also intensifying along
India's western frontier and Pakistan seemingly losing control
of its militant proxies, another major Islamist attack in
India is inevitable," it said.

"Regardless of whether the upcoming elections go off
without a hitch, this is a reality Indian policymakers and
security agencies will face for the foreseeable future," the
think tank said.

The Mumbai attacks last year, it said, had "exposed
Indian security forces' lack of preparedness and
coordination."

"The government responded to the (26/11) attack by
announcing a slew of security reforms and by coordinating more
closely with intelligence liaisons in London and Washington to
improve Indian security practices and enhance intelligence
sharing across state and national lines," Stratfor said.

However, many of the "same critical flaws" in the
security apparatus, including lack of money, manpower and
management skills, remain, it said.

"The nature of India's glacial-paced bureaucracy will
greatly hinder New Delhi's ability to overhaul the country's
internal security network effectively," Stratfor said.

The Indian security apparatus, it said, "is already
bracing itself for another major attack."

Shifting the IPL tournament to South Africa gives the
Indians more forces to secure the country for the national
elections, "but this does not necessarily mean that the threat
level during this time period has subsided," it warned.

"The elections still provide Pakistani-based and
indigenous Indian militants a good occasion to target
politicians, government buildings, and voting booths — to say
nothing of the usual soft targets like crowded marketplaces,
movie theaters, hotels or religious sites," the think tank
said. PTI KIM
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