‘It’s for state to decide what to do with our report’

A nation’s preparedness consists not only of the government apparatus but that of the people too. Had there been better public awareness before 26/11,the 10 intruders could have been spotted by the public and the police informed. But now the Mumbai Police under the new Commissioner of Police has reached out to the public and corporate bodies to extend their cooperation,and that is excellent. Better awareness on the dangers of terrorism is one of the best defences against surprise attacks.

How do intelligence agencies across the world perceive 26/11?

Intelligence agencies perceive 26/11 as the second most important terrorist attack after 9/11. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had anticipated a similar threat and prepared a plan in April 2008,identifying threats from 17 million boats,less than 100-feet long,around its shoreline. The DHS alert had warned about terrorists ramming explosives-laden vessels into a facility or a ship as well as the possibility of entry into the US on small boats. Hence as soon as the Mumbai attack took place,alarm bells rang all over the waterfront American cities.

The US Senate Committee on Homeland Security held a special hearing on the impact of 26/11 on the USA in January 2009. The NYPD (New York Police Department) conducted a dry run of their own security measures on December 5,2008,and found certain aspects deficient.

What was the brief the government gave you?

(a) Whether the police acted upon the intelligence inputs; (b) Whether the police response to the terrorist attack was adequate; and (c) Our suggestions. We submitted our report in May 2009. I do not know the status of the report since I heard from the media that our report has been “Classified”.

Do you regret that the probe may or may never be made public?

I have no comments… It is for the Government of Maharashtra to decide what to do with our report.