LONDON — It's been a year since Pakistan-based militants struck the Indian financial capital of Mumbai, killing 163 people and creating panic among the city's populace. The attacks drew comparisons with the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the United States.
Indian public outrage accompanied the expectation that the "26/11" (Nov. 26, 2008) attacks would force the government to address its systemic shortcomings in security. Yet, a year later, little seems to have changed. The country seems as unprepared for handling similar situations as ever.
The fact that there hasn't been another major attack over the past year has little to do with greater governmental efficiency and preparedness and more to do with Pakistan's having become a target of extremists, against whom the U.S. has pushed Pakistan's security forces to launch major offensives.