Experts want proper system in place to check terror attacks

With the available intelligence inputs having ‘failed’ in preventing the blast near the BJP office in Malleswaram on Wednesday, experts argue that security units in the State should not wait to learn from more mistakes but should begin putting in place adequate systems to plug the gaps.

They point out how the case has been the same during the past incidents.
Experts, including a few former officials from the external intelligence agency––Research and Analysis Wing (RAW)––feel that this gap can cost dearly, if precautions are not taken to establish concrete intelligence and security infrastructure and, train security personnel and intelligence gatherers adequately.

And, they have reasons for their apprehension. All the four acts of terror in the last eight years in the City have revealed that the counter-intelligence of the groups behind these attacks was more efficient than the intelligence of authorities.

“Take the 2010 Chinnaswamy stadium blast for example, it is clear that the bombs were planted at the spot after the agencies had completed the sanitisation, which was to have been done around the stadium because of the IPL match,” one of them said.
Another retired personnel, referring to the 2008 serial blasts, said: “There was no lack of alerts during that time. Attacks were carried out at many places in the country and, all major cities were alerted of possible attacks.”

‘Low intensity blasts’

The analysis of the state agencies though, are a little different. Some officials believe that, barring the 2005 Indian Institute of Science (IISc) attack, the three blasts were of low-intensity. Authorities here maintain that they were not intended at killing people.

Intelligence sources here say that the acts are more a training exercise. “The focus is to find out if such individuals can make an explosive device, place it at a particular target, get it to explode and flee the scene without being caught,” an official explained.
Experts, however, are of the view that Bangalore is in the cross-hairs of terrorism and one should not mistake the attacks as not too dangerous.

“Every time such attacks take place, the groups that carry out such acts assess the reactions from the local security agencies, the stand of the local government, and what the Centre has perceived this to be and how it acts. They do not do anything without a reason. If we continue to treat them lightly, it won’t be long before we see some high-intensity blasts,” another officer said.