By AMOL SHARMA, VIBHUTI AGARWAL and GEETA ANAND
NEW DELHI—A bomb exploded outside New Delhi's High Court, killing 11 people and injuring more than 60 in an act of suspected terrorism in the heart of India's capital that further heightened concerns about the nation's security vulnerabilities.
The high-intensity blast occurred Wednesday at 10:14 a.m. near the courthouse reception area. Officials said they believed the bomb was placed in a briefcase.
Terror Strikes New Delhi
Manan Vatsyayana/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesA police officer carried a bombing victim at a hospital in New Delhi.
Terrorist Attacks in India
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Addressing reporters in Bangladesh, where he has been visiting, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said, "This is a cowardly act. We will deal with it. We will not succumb to pressure of terrorism." He added, "This is a long war in which all political parties, all people of India should stand united so that the scourge of terrorism is crushed."
Home Minister P. Chidambaram told Parliament the government has not yet identified the group responsible for the blast. He said investigative teams from the central government and New Delhi police have initiated a probe. Police released two sketches of potential suspects, based on interviews with eyewitnesses.
Some Indian news channels said they had received an email in which the militant outfit Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami claimed responsibility for the attack. Government officials said they were trying to determine if the email was genuine. The group, which has its roots in the mujahedeen war against Soviet troops in Afghanistan in the 1980s, has had close ties in the past to Pakistani security forces. The group's leader, Ilyas Kashmiri, was reportedly killed in a U.S. drone strike in a Pakistani tribal region in June.
There were large crowds gathered at the court Wednesday, the day of the week when the court hears public-interest litigation.
"It was a pile of bodies and broken bones," said Mayank Mishra, a High Court lawyer, describing the scene looking out the window of the courthouse after the blast.
The injured were rushed to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, among others. The prime minister announced compensation of 200,000 rupees each (about $4,300) to the next of kin of those killed in the attack and 100,000 rupees each to those who were seriously injured.
The bombing was the worst attack in India's capital since blasts at shopping centers in 2008 that left 22 people dead. Security experts say Wednesday's bombing is particularly worrying because it comes after a low-intensity explosion in late May outside the same New Delhi courthouse, indicating that the government response had been inadequate. The May blast didn't result in any injuries.
Delhi policeDelhi police released the sketch of two suspects based on accounts of eye witnesses.
"The fact they've struck there in the same place a second time shows they are quite confident they can penetrate whatever security measures are in place," said Prakash Singh, a security expert and retired senior police official. "Security officials will have to look at what instructions were given at the High Court and whether they were followed."
India vowed to redouble efforts to crack down on terrorism after the country suffered its worst-ever terrorist attack nearly three years ago in Mumbai, when Pakistan-based gunmen rampaged through the city and killed 166 people. But despite some moves to beef up intelligence-gathering coordination and strengthen police capabilities, attacks have continued. In July, a series of bombs ripped through crowded shopping areas in Mumbai, killing 20 people and injuring 131. Police have yet to name any suspects for those blasts.
Some national-security experts say Indian police and intelligence agencies are having a difficult time keeping track of terrorist organizations as they evolve, break into smaller cells and form splinter groups. Finding good leads in terrorist cases is getting tougher, they say. "The difficulty is in intelligence collection and surveillance," said Vikram Sood, a national-security expert at the New Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation. "When it comes to terrorism, unless you have preventative information, you're merely doing guard duty."
Mr. Sood added that India needs dramatic reforms to professionalize police forces, with officers typically poorly paid and resources sparse.
Mr. Chidambaram said New Delhi police have improved their capabilities in recent years and had been on high alert Wednesday, as is usual when Parliament is in session. "Despite the capacity that has been added and despite Delhi police remaining on high alert, this tragic event occurred today," he said in his speech to Parliament, adding, "We must remain resolute and united."
The powerful blast came from roughly two kilograms of explosives, a Home Ministry official told reporters. Initial forensic analysis showed the bomb to be nitrate-based, similar to devices in other recent blasts.
Eyewitness Brijmohan Bhushan, a staff member at the High Court, said the blast took place near the first security checkpoint. "I saw huge smoke at the front gate, he said. "There was blood all around and a lot of people crying."
Some lawyers who frequent the New Delhi High Court were angry that the court had been targeted for a second time. "Now we should take some strong steps to counter these things," said Ashish Virmani, a High Court lawyer. "Now isn't the time to back down."
Some lawyers were resigned to the reality that they aren't entirely secure. "Security is tight inside the court, but outside, you know, things can happen," said Sumit Agarwal, who arrived on the scene shortly after the blast. "How far should we extend the security cordon, to India Gate?" he asked, pointing to the monument a quarter mile down the road. "There will be no end to it."
Ravi Shankar Prasad, spokesman for the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, told reporters the attack "is a matter of great pain and agony" and "is deeply regrettable. Why is the government not doing anything?"
—Tom Wright
and Krishna Pokharel
contributed to this article.Write to Amol Sharma at amol.sharma@wsj.com, Vibhuti Agarwal at vibhuti.agarwal@wsj.com and Geeta Anand at geeta.anand@wsj.com
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Eleven Killed, 66 Injured in Delhi Terror Attack
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AFP: Perry to make debut at US Republican debate
Perry to make debut at US Republican debate(AFP) – 1 hour ago
LOS ANGELES — Texas governor Rick Perry squared up to make his debut Wednesday at a Republican party debate, after surging into the race as frontrunner to be the GOP candidate against Barack Obama next year.
The main Republican contenders for the US presidency are to take the stage at the Ronald Reagan presidential library in California Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, for the two-hour debate from 5:00 pm (0000 GMT).
Jobs and the struggling US economy are likely to feature high on the debate's agenda, ahead of a keynote speech by President Obama Thursday aimed at tackling zero US job growth and reviving his own political fortunes.
Perry joined the Republican field for the White House in the last month, energizing a lackluster GOP race and leapfrogging straight into the lead ahead of former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney.
A poll last week by the Quinnipiac University put Perry on 24 percent among Republican and independent voters, followed by Romney -- who set out a 59-point economic plan in Las Vegas on Tuesday -- with 18 percent.
But with no single candidate inspiring voters there is everything to play for at Wednesday's debate, where up-and-coming Tea Party favorite Michele Bachmann will also be seeking to capitalize on the movement's popular appeal.
Bachmann, of Minnesota, will be trying to grab back the spotlight seized by Perry when he announced his candidacy in mid-August, taking media attention away from her victory in a GOP presidential straw poll in Iowa, CNN said.
Also on stage will be former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul of Texas, businessman and former talk show host Herman Cain, former senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, and former Utah governor and US envoy to China Jon Huntsman.
As well as the struggling economy -- seen as a key area of vulnerability for Obama -- the debate could see the candidates stake out positions on Tea Party hot button issues including global warming, abortion and the threat of China.
While much can happen as hopefuls jostle for position ahead of the party primaries, for the moment Perry and Romney appear the frontrunners to take on Obama in the November, 2012 presidential election.
Not among the Republican candidates -- yet -- is former Alaska governor and surprise 2008 vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin, who has kept observers guessing about whether she throw her hat into the White House ring.
Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani also raised eyebrows this week when he said he might even consider running for the GOP nomination.
The tough-talking Giuliani -- widely praised for his handling of the September 11, 2011 attacks -- told reporters on the eve of the 10th anniversary of 9/11 that: "If I think we are truly desperate, then I may run."
Without commenting on the perceived lack of a real GOP heavyweight candidate, he noted that this was how he was elected mayor of New York City. "You know what my slogan was? 'You can't do any worse'," he joked.
The GOP debate -- held at the Reagan presidential library in the picturesque Simi Valley north of Los Angeles -- is the first of three over the next two weeks.
Cable news channel CNN is to host a "Tea Party Republican Debate" on September 12, followed by a Fox News-organized event on September 22, both in Florida.
Copyright © 2011 AFP. All rights reserved. More »
Restaurants may soon accept food stamps - WLOX-TV and WLOX.com - The News for South Mississippi
(CNN) - Fast food restaurants are lobbying to accept food stamps.
The government's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) reportedly handed out more than $64 billion in aid to qualifying families last year. Much of it went to grocery stores, dollar stores, pharmacies and gas stations.
Now, fast food restaurants want in on the business opportunity.
Only four states have taken advantage of a clause that allows restaurants to serve prepared food to SNAP recipients who are disabled, elderly or homeless.
Some health advocates are against expanding the program amid concerns that food stamp recipients won't get the proper nutrition they need.
Copyright 2011 CNN. All rights reserved.
Judge Sets Hearing on AT&T Deal
Charles Dharapak/Associated PressJudge Ellen Segal Huvelle is overseeing the Justice Department’s lawsuit against AT&T.
The federal judge overseeing the case against AT&T’s proposed $39 billion acquisition of T-Mobile USA has asked both sides to discuss the prospects of a settlement on Sept. 21.
In an order signed on Monday, Judge Ellen S. Huvelle of the United States District Court in Washington asked the Justice Department, AT&T and Deutsche Telekom, which is the parent of T-Mobile, to file a joint plan by Sept. 16 on scheduling and managing the case.
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The judge also ordered that “the parties shall be prepared to discuss the prospects for settlement” at a Sept. 21 status conference.
The Justice Department filed its lawsuit on Aug. 31, saying that the acquisition of T-Mobile would “remove a significant competitive force from the market,” which would shrink to three big telecommunications providers from four. A&T has vowed to contest the litigation.
While the government’s criticism of the deal was harsh, officials have also suggested that there is still room to negotiate. At a Aug. 31 news conference, Sharis A. Pozen, the acting assistant attorney general, said: “We apprised them of our serious concerns. And as any party can do, our door is open.”
AT&T also expects to enter in discussions about a possible solution, people briefed on the matter have previously told DealBook.
