Is Seattle (or any city) safe from terrorism?

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November 27, 2:32 PM

by Shiwani Srivastava, Seattle Newcomer Examiner

 

Courtesy Belfer Center for Science & International Affairs

First, it took me three hours to get from JFK to Newark International (it should take about an hour).  My cab driver said it was the worst traffic he'd ever seen - and that's saying something.  It turns out a terror threat on the subways (plus train delays at Penn Station) forced people to take to the road. 

But the real rude awakening came when my parents met us at the airport and filled us in on the horrifying siege in Mumbai.  It was disturbing on a number of levels, especially the fact that Americans and other foreigners staying at two of the city's most illustrious hotels were the main targets.  My family and I have visited them many times, and we have relatives near the area - once again terror has hit too close to home, even half way around the world.

On some level, as a New Yorker, I got to used to the possibility of terror post-9/11.  But after having friends and family experience close calls in 9/11, the London and Delhi metro bombings, and now the attacks on Mumbai, it's become clear - every major center of global commerce is a potential target.  And that got me thinking about Seattle - how safe is it really?

Sure, I can understand there being a sense of complacency.  But a 2004 op-ed in the Seattle-Post Intelligencer was featured on the Web site of Harvard's Belfer Center for Science & International Affairs, stating that Seattle was vulnerable to nuclear terrorism.  The reason?  Seattle's growing economic stature and its position as an international port - two factors that haven't changed with time. And there are types of terrorism - like eco-terrorism - to which Seattle is especially susceptible. 

If there's anything this attack in Mumbai proved, it's how important it is to stay ahead of curve.  So, as I'm about to sit down to my Thanksgiving dinner this year, I'm thankful that my friends and family are safe - for now.  But I'm also hopeful that the Mumbai attacks serve as a wake up call to the world (again) and that we take precautions in every major city to prevent this kind of devastation going forward.

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