22 dead and 119 injured. This is the effect of the Terror Attack unleashed by a suicide bomber at a stadium in Manchester. Could the attack have been avoided? Was the security foolproof? These are pertinent questions that have to be asked. Donald Trump has said that the attack was by "losers." This is correct but the bigger question remains as to how potent the British Police are in the face of terror attacks.
Entry-exit procedure
One can understand that a lone wolf can run amuck in a busy street and the police can only react. However, in the case of an organized event which has restricted exit and entry, the police are the ones who control this access.
Entry into an auditorium or a stadium is restricted and it is the job of the police to screen the persons attending. The fact that a committed Islamic terrorist could enter inside with explosives is a sad commentary on the entry-exit measures of the police. Despite everybody showing solidarity with the victims, not many have asked how the terrorist entered the stadium. How he could have passed the layer of security is a question that the Manchester police must answer.
Intelligence gathering
Another aspect that needs scrutiny is the intelligence gathering information. This appears to be low and a Russian senator has said that the attack could have been stopped if England had been sharing intelligence information with Russia.
If this is true and British intelligence was not sharing information with Russia, it is a matter of grave concern. The fact that 22 have died and 119 injured is a sad commentary on the efficiency of the British police.
The police have identified the attacker as Salman Abedi. Another person has been arrested. This is good but it does not detract from the fact that the police were lackadaisical in entry-exit procedures at the concert.
The fact that the British police foiled seven terror attacks this year is neither here nor there. Raffaello Pantucci, director of international security studies at the Royal United Services Institute has said that the attack was likely to be the handiwork of a group known to the British intelligence services rather than a lone wolf.
Islamic terror
The British government has failed to identify the source of the terror. By refusing to publicly identify" Islamic terror" the British PM and government have done a disservice to the millions of common citizens who want to live in peace. Perhaps they could take a leaf from Donald Trump who identifies "Islamic terror" with impunity.
