The Heritage Foundation’s Dr. James Carafano was highlighted in a recent article by Newsmax.com regarding his research on the war on terror. Carafano writes that while the recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai suggest defeat to some, U.S. counterterrorism efforts are working because we haven’t been attacked since 2001. Carafano states that, “In many respects, U.S. counterterrorism programs are working – and not just at home, either. While there has been a flare-up of terrorism in India and the Taliban is resurgent in Afghanistan, as a recent report by the Human Security Project shows, globally, the trend in transnational terrorist attacks and the appeal of the radical bin Laden agenda have been declining for several years.”

The article reports the results from the Human Security Report Project which back Carafano’s findings. It shows that, “Fatalities from terrorism have declined by some 40 percent, concludes the Group, while the loose-knit terror network associated with Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida has suffered a dramatic collapse in popular support throughout the Muslim world.” In his webmemo, After Mumbai: Could it Happen Here? What to Do, Carafano makes three main points that Washington must do to help in terrorist prevention: emphasize cooperation and information sharing between federal, state, and local law enforcement; retain an integrated approach to homeland security and maintain valuable terrorism-fighting tools established under legislation like the USA PATRIOT Act and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Amendments Act of 2008.

The Mumbai attacks show that the War on Terror affects India as well as the U.S. and they have much to gain from working together to combat terrorism. Heritage expert on India, Lisa Curtis emphasizes that the two countries need to get over their distrust of each other in her backgrounder, After Mumbai: Time to Strengthen U.S.–India Counterterrorism Cooperation. Curtis states that, “Indian suspicions revolve mainly around the issue of Kashmir and U.S. policy toward Pakistan, which has provided training, financing and military and logistical support to militants fighting in Kashmir. Washington, for its part, remains concerned about Indian ties to Iran, despite Iranian sponsorship of international terrorism and pursuit of a nuclear weapons capability.”

Let’s hope Washington and New Delhi can put aside their differences and present a new, strong front in the war on terror.