The twin blasts in Hyderabad (India), causing the death of over 40 persons, was a stark reminder of continuing terror potential in India. It is no wonder that India/Delhi figures in the Al-Qaeda’s “cross-hairs”. Another cancerous streak in India’s internal security situation continues to be systematic efforts by ULFA and other sister concerns in North-East at ethnic cleansing, euphemistically being dubbed as driving out Hindi-speaking people.

Kathmandu (Nepal) is again in the throws of crisis with Maoists threatening another “people’s revolution” if no Republic is announced immediately. Meanwhile, Nepal has adopted a new National anthem. Eastern Turkey, Spain and Australia came under the extremists’ scanner during the month. The United States assessed Pakistan as the “most dangerous place” and another US report talked about formation of “Pakistani Taliban”. Great apprehension has arisen about terrorist threat to the 2008 Olympics in China. Alongside these developments, it will be worth taking note of the Indonesian model for fighting terrorism.

There have been many ‘firsts’ during the month. Bhutan has witnessed a historic shift from monarchy to democracy in the election of the first interim Prime Minister. A new planet, 70% bigger than Jupiter, has been discovered. The largest diamond weighing 7000 carats has been found in South Africa. An Ukrainian has come on record as the tallest man at 8’-5”.

There is a great news for private security industry in India. The Central Government has introduced a Bill in Parliament for Private Detective Agencies. Earlier, the Private Security Agencies (Regulation) Act had been passed in 2005.

Finally, it may not be out of place to mention that the Intelligence Bureau of the Government of India has been assessed as one of the top five similar agencies in the world. It is no wonder, therefore, that India is set to give anti-terrorist lessons to foreign armies.

D. C. Nath, IPS (Retd.)
Former Special Director, IB (MHA), Govt. of India,
Executive President & CEO,
International Institute of Security and Safety Management,
New Delhi, India.

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We also take this opportunity to draw the attention of friends to what Indonesia is doing to fight jehadi terrorism - the Indonesian way - in the piece next page.

Doing It Indonesia’s Way: Triumphs in Fighting Terrorism

In early June, the Indonesian authorities made a stunning capture. They shot Abu Dujana, the alleged head of the military wing of the extremist group Jemaah Islamia (J.I), in the leg as he tired to flee. The same day, a squad of Indonesian commandos nabbed Zarkasih, a veteran jihadi leader and J.I’s overall leader. A few months earlier, the police had uncovered an arsenal of deadly bomb-making materials in a house in Java. Since the Bali bombings, Indonesia has terror threats to one of the world’s few triumphs in fighting terrorism. They have earned praise from the US State Department, which lauds its “new urgency on counter-terrorism.“An element of the Indonesia model is the recognition that the words of militants matter more to the potential militants – say, young men thinking of joining a terror group – than some sermon from Muslim moderates. President Yudhoyono has enlisted not just prominent clerics but militants themselves to combat extremist ideas. It’s a strategy that could work other countries where there is already some public anger. Critically, too, the Indonesia model relies upon effective police work rather than military force, because he thinks that military is not the best institution to tackle terror. Jakarta has worked with the US State Department to create an elite counter-terrorism force called Detachment 88. Terrorism hasn’t disappeared from Indonesia, but Yudhoyono and other top officials remain confident they have turned the corner in fighting terror. That’s good news for Indonesia – as well as the world.

Joshua Kurlantzick
Time – August 20, 2007

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