SHOCK AND OUTRAGE

When Mumbai was taken hostage, news of the attack was splashed on the front pages of the world8217;s dailies as everyone joined hands to condemn terror

When Mumbai was taken hostage, news of the attack was splashed on the front pages of the world8217;s dailies as everyone joined hands to condemn terror

The New York Times
The New York Times observes that the attacks 8220;seem likely to sour relations, fuel distrust and hamper, at least for now, America8217;s ambitions for reconciliation in the region8221;. The paper quotes an American official as saying, 8220;If the Indians believe this was Lashkar-e-Taiba and Al Qaeda, as they are suggesting, we could see a crisis like 2002 with enormous pressure to do something. The key will be if the Indians see an ISI hand.8221;

The Guardian, UK
Former UN secretary-general Shashi Tharoor writes that bombs cannot destroy India and if the attacks lead to the demonisation of the country8217;s Muslims, the terrorists will have won. Author Suketu Mehta answers the question of why terrorists keep attacking Mumbai8212;because, he says, it is where money is made. In addition to expert comment on 8220;India8217;s 9/118221;, The Guardian has a live blog tracking every move of the commandos.

The Jerusalem Post, Israel
Israeli officials have criticised India for 8216;mishandling8217; the situation, but ironically, the ties between India and Israel8212; which is also grappling with Islamist terror8212;have been cemented further by the attack on Mumbai, writes Herb Keinon. Observing that terrorism has become war, not just sporadic attacks, the paper calls for a turnaround in the world8217;s response to it.

Time, US
Talking of the 8220;huge gap between Muslims and Hindus8221;, Aryn Baker writes that the inter-communal crisis has been 150 years in the making. The article concludes that a sense of persecution defines the Muslim identity in India today even as there is a lack of 8220;strong political and civic institutions in the region for people to have faith in8221;.

The Economist, US
Suspecting an al-Qaeda involvement or inspiration, The Economist recounts that a few years ago, when US President George Bush was introducing Manmohan Singh to Laura Bush, he had said that India was a country of 150 million Muslims and not a single al-Qaeda member. The magazine terms the attack on Mumbai 8220;a serious setback or even turning-point in the battle against al-Qaeda and its clones8221;.

The Sydney Morning Herald, Australia
Much is at stake in India, whose struggle with terrorism had gone unheeded by the Western media, writes Sandy Gordon. The Sydney Morning Herald warns that 8220;increased India-Pakistan tension would be highly damaging to the broader war on terrorism8221;.