The only aim of terrorists is to spread terror. And when we get frightened, they succeed in their aims.
Today, they have governments scared.
To give into fear with emotional reactions is to give into the terrorists aims.
The terrorist is not really interested in bringing down governments or seizing power. He is more interested in creteing fear among the people. He is more interested in those few hours of terror. After these few hours of terror, he has planted in you a seed from which fear grows.
The next time his agents threaten you with their demands, you may give in. He may want a body, a money, a piece of territory, some arms, and you may say, hey....if that can save lives, then lets negotiate.
And that is where the terrorists have succeeded in their aims. Their ability to hold nations at ransom for their demands have reached a point, where governments call in teams of negotiators.
Instead, let our repsonse be to harden up more. Let us take over their training camps and destroy them. Let us march into POK, and push back the international border. India can no longer afford to sit back and accpet old boundaries drawn in the wake of useless wars. Let Pakistan realize that POK inot their territory and they cannot use it for subversive purposes against the nation.
Let us not accept empty promises from the outgoing Bush government which sponsors the civilian governements in Pakistan, which is so willing to believe Pakistan. Pakistan history has demonstrated that civilian presidents cannot control the armed forces. Eventually the Pakistan army takes over the presidency. It may be no different this time. It is obvious the LeT is a dedicated and sponsored unit of the Pakistan armed forces. I am sure that these commnadoes would not have dared to attack had they not had the backing of the Pakistan navy and army. They could even have been airdropped somewhere inland. And we may never know.
What were the entry points of the terrorists who had housed up at Colaba for the past few months?
It will take months of investigations to know the actual truth.

In the meantime, India needs to stop relying on the US or any other country for help. If anything, it should ask the Chinese to intervene, and help in taking back POK. A task which is improbable without Chinese cooperation.

 

Last night a dark coil of fear lifted from me...it coiled its way out and fled like a snake spirit...it seemed to me like the dark face of terror...soon after the street dog howled....like a wild animal had attacked it...it felt the terror as well...the crows cawed on and on....I could hear vehicles crunching on the gravel, speeding on the roads....and I wondered if the terrorists had been found. All I could think of was, 'is the enemy near?' Was that a terrorist outside...? Still I did not go to the window. Switched on the tv to find out, if perhaps there was a blast somewhere. There wasn't.

A little later all was calm. It was as if nothing had happened.

In the morning, there was nothing, No dogs.
Just some strange brown pellet droppings nearby...which animal was that?? I wonder....

 

And so much had terror influenced us, that every little anamoly is attributed to terror now.

 

Edited From Tracy Chapman's lyrics of Behind the Wall.

With creative license

 

"Last night I heard the howling
Then a silence that chilled my soul
Prayed that I was dreaming

When I felt fear's fingers cold

 

Last night I heard the howlinng
Loud was it behind the wall
Another sleepless night for me
It won't do no good at all"