‘Paris attack similar to Mumbai, will be game-changer’

Draw-ing parallels between the Paris and the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks in terms of low-cost and level of sophistication, security experts Saturday said that the mayhem will be a “game changer” for how the West looks at the threat posed by terrorism.

Over 120 people were killed as terrorists attacked sites throughout the French capital and at Stade de France stadium during a friendly football match bet-ween France and Germany. French President Francois Hollande was also present at the stadium when the attack occurred.

John Miller, deputy commissioner of Intelligence and Counter-terrorism of the New York police department told CNN that the Paris attack resembles the Mumbai terrorist attack in terms of low-cost and low resources and it carried the various features of the 26/11. Bruce Hoffman, head of the national security programme at Georgetown University, referred to a call given by Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden five years ago to carry Mumbai-type attack across Europe.

“The attacks show a level of sophistication we really haven’t seen in an urban area since 2008 in the attack in Mumbai,” Michael Leit-er, former director National Counter terrorism Centre, was quoted as saying by NBC News. “This will be a game changer for how the West looks at this threat,” Leiter said. Retired Air Force General Michael Hayden said the Paris violence was “certainly a terrorist attack” and that “our fears have been realised” because the assau-lts greatly mirror the 2008 terrorism in Mumbai that killed at least 166 people, including six Americans. “We had great fear that we would see copycat versions of that attack... we’re seeing that carried out tonight in Paris,” Gen. Hayden said. “It shows the fragility of free societies. It shows the great danger that international terrorism presents to all of us,” he said.

Brian Michael Jenkins from Rand corporation told The Press Enterprise newspaper that the Paris attacks were reminiscent of the November 2008 assault on the densely crowded city of Mumbai, where teams link-ed to an Islamic militant organisation carried out a series of coordinated shooting and bombing.