U.S. cities might be “partially vulnerable” to Mumbai-like attacks, said a recent study.
One reason is that hotels and other public building are largely unprotected. Another potential weakness is a command-and-control structure that would prevent local authorities from being able to take immediate action, said Jeffrey K. Beatty, anti-terrorism expert and special advisor to TSSI, a security services firm.
In November 2008, a Pakistani based militant organization, possibly with the aid of Indian militants, infiltrated Mumbai by sea and attacked landmarks in the city.
The assailants used small arms fire along with grenades and bombs, which left 179 dead and more than 300 wounded. According to a TSSI study, it appears the attackers were using drugs to stay awake, which enabled them to carry out their mission with fewer men.
“The same group is believed capable of operations within the United States,” said the TSSI study. “The vulnerable sectors in the U.S. are the hotels and other public locations.”
The remedy, suggests TSSI, is to upgrade hotel and public sector action plans and integrate them with law enforcement responses as has been done in cities such as New York and Las Vegas.
The good news, said Beatty, is that since the massacre at Columbine High School, many U.S. cities have done at least some training in handling “active shooter” incidents. “Where the disconnect is likely to come is in the command and control,” he added. “We have to empower local law enforcement to take immediate action. The longer the incident drags on, the more casualties you have.”
The terrorists in Mumbai deployed in groups of two. A group of three or four police officers should have been able to take out two terrorists, he noted.
Another lesson is that port security measures should be expanded, he said. “Port security in the U.S. up until this point has been heavily focused on large oceangoing container vessels. What we learned from Mumbai is that any pleasure or fishing boat could unload terrorists.”
But it’s important to realize that Mumbai was an example of urban terrorism, not a maritime operation, he added. “They could have come in the back of a truck, commercial air, on a parachute. The maritime aspect is only the infiltration phase.”