So, on 30 November, the BBC posted an article online entitled "The Age of 'Celebrity Terrorism'", a response to government and news speculation into the cause of the Mumbai attacks last week. To read the article, here's the address. Otherwise, I'll try to paraphrase.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7755684.stm
Paul Cornish lays out his interpretation of how the attacks on Mumbai have changed the face of terrorism. Before, and as in V for Vendetta, terrorists laid out their purpose. This dictated the kind of response they received. In Mumbai, the attackers left everything to be infered by the government.
'And perhaps so little is known of the terrorists' cause, because they simply did not feel the need to have one. [...] This could also have been a plan which had a large gap where mission, cause or vision statement ought to have been.'
Instead of terrorism with a purpose, 'we have come to the point where casually self-radicalised, sociopathic individuals can form a loose organisation, acquire sufficient weapons and equipment for a few thousand dollars, make a basic plan of action and indulge in a violent expression of their generalised disaffection and anomie.'
He also points out that at least one terrorist was wearing 'versace' [or a rip off]. Where V wears a mask, the Mumbai terrorists made no effort to hide their identity, but wore 'designer' clothes. Makes a person wonder.
