Cause for Concern

While the terrorist scenario in Iraq continued to remain as bad as ever, violence was on the upward swing in neighbouring countries like Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, all having potential for impacting upon the Indian scene. Within India, both the left-extremists and the ULFA remained rather active, with the L.E. variety virtually showing signs of concreted efforts at augmentation of their armoury at the cost of government’s law enforcing agencies.

The Patriot Act in the USA got another extension till March, 2006. The five permanent members of the UN Security Council decided to formally report Iran’s “non-compliance” with nuclear obligations to the UN. A queer situation emerged in Palestine with the Islamist Hamas group coming to power in Palestine, almost as a surprise. How the Hamas itself will behave to this newly-acquired status and how the rest of the world respond to them will take to evolve.

What threats to engulf countries across the globe is the “Cartoon War”, the situation emerging and still unfolding after the publication of cartoon pictures of prophet Muhammad in some Danish newspaper and its subsequent reproduction in Europe. Many in the Islamist camp have taken this as an act of revenge of 9/11 against Islam.

We feel concerned.

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