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NEWSWIRE
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Mumbai attacks: Preparation, response could have limited violence |
By Leischen Stelter - 12.02.2008 
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MUMBAI, India--Terrorist attacks here that included the seizure of two major hotels and left at least 174 people dead and 300 wounded has security experts evaluating India's preparedness and response to the incident. While details of the attacks are still under investigation, Offer Baruch, vice president of operation at International Shield, a security services consulting and training firm specializing in global terror threats, said better preparation and response could have minimized the devastation.
While the Taj Mahal Hotel reportedly increased security measures after U.S. officials notified India of a possible attack, Baruch said those additional measures were limited to the hotel's major entrances (the terrorists reportedly entered through the kitchen) and enhanced measures were eased just prior to the attacks. While security can't be expected to maintain a high alert status for extended amounts of time, Baruch said it must "design its physical security with consideration of the whole place as one unit and evaluate the risks including all ways terrorists could penetrate the building."
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There has been wide speculation that the terrorists had help from inside the hotel, which highlights a missing link between employees and security departments, said Baruch. "Every employee is a kind of sensor, but many companies don't use them as a source of intelligence," he said. Baruch said employees need to be trained not only how to report suspicious activity to supervisors, but also on procedures on how to react to this type of event. "There must be a security plan and a checklist in place about what to do if there's an active shooting," he said.
From a broader perspective, Baruch said it is crucial for local law enforcement and security leaders to build relationships and networks within various cultural groups. "There's a big gap facing counter-intelligence today including a lack of cultural understanding," he said. "Law enforcement often doesn't know how to relate and doesn't understand how to develop positive relationships ... Once they understand the socio-structure and how communities operate, when abnormal or suspicious activity occurs, they know what to do."
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| SECURITY DIRECTOR NEWS INFO CENTER |
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