America has been invoked in recent times after every terror attack on Indian soil. Experts and ordinary Indians react with understandable anger, and urge the Indian government to look at the American example of counter terror action. After all, as we’ve been reminded many times, there has not been a single attack on American soil since 9/11. In India on the other hand, there have been at least 15 major terror strikes after the Parliament attack on December 13, 2001.

But this analysis is simplistic because during this time when American citizens have been safe in their malls and subways, their country’s ‘war on terror’ has actually destabilized large parts of the world - the Middle East and India’s own neighbourhood. So if we examine the US record more stringently it becomes clear that protecting its citizens has come at the cost of someone else’s safety. US policies have hurt the security of the region and in fact India as well. The result of American effort in protecting Americans — no further attacks — is good; but the approach is heavily hypocritical and morally unjustifiable. It sends out the wrong message that the means in this “war” don’t matter. So those who invoke the US should be reminded that there is little to emulate.

Some simple numbers first. The 9/11 attacks killed a little less than 3000 people. Within a month of launching strikes in Afghanistan the US surpassed that number in Afghan civilian casualties. You can imagine what the figure must be like seven years on. The US military, however, does not document civilian deaths or “collateral damage” so the exact number is unknown but according to the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, in the last two years alone nearly 8000 people have been killed.

... contd.