THE attack on Mumbai aims to destabilise the Indian and world economies.

It is probably misconceived in the purely practical sense, but there is no denying its spectacular success in the purely terroristic sense.

As for the Indian Prime Minister’s promise to exact a heavy price from those responsible – how? The terrorists intended to die. That is why, no matter how superb your security and intelligence, you can never guarantee against another such attack.

In recognising this fact, our strategy should be to react, when the inevitable happens, judiciously and realistically – most emphatically not the way George W Bush reacted to the original atrocity on 9/11. His reaction then has done everyone far more harm than any amount of al Qaida successes could have done.

Tony Kelly, Crook.