In simple language, there was complete intelligence blackout. None of the intelligence agencies had made any effort to penetrate the modules and cells which normally function from within the clustered Muslim areas in and around Pune and nearby towns.

Such continuous failure to generate Human Intelligence and absence of sophisticated Electronic Intelligence is unpardonable.

David Headley’s case is frighteningly similar to another US informant, which the US would never want to forget. Ali Mohamed — former Egyptian army officer turned CIA operative, Special Forces advisor, and an FBI informant — is one of the most dangerous intelligence operator who compromised the US intelligence community before the fateful September 11, 2001 attacks.

He trained the terrorist cell that attacked the World Trade Center in 1993. Mohamed also played a key role in the US embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998. There is information that he even trained Osama bin Laden’s personal bodyguards.

Our iron ore is finite, unlike the venality of our politicians and kleptocrats. And so, according to conservative estimates, it will last for another 60 years. Under the circumstances, should we start exporting it to China at a throwaway price (compared to what it will fetch when the commodity gets scarce) to the detriment of the future generations? Or should we be conserving the resource and exploiting only that which is needed for the development of the country? Are we not stealing from the future generations?