By Jim Kerstetter
Monday, July 28 2008 07:03 AM
URL: http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/security/0,39044215,62044194,00.htm

news analysis Whatever the motivations were for the apparent terrorists who exploded a series of small bombs in India's high-tech hub Bangalore last week, one thing they are not likely to succeed in doing is slowing that city's progress.

According to Reuters' account of Friday's explosions, at least one person has been killed and many more injured. The Guardian newspaper in the United Kingdom also reports two people were killed in Friday's attacks.

As Om Malik notes, residents of several cities in India have grown accustomed to terrorist attacks. They are a terrible part of life in a country that has struggled with extremism in various forms.

Bangalore, of course, is of particular interest to the tech industry. In addition to the large Indian outsourcing companies and smaller software outfits headquartered there, American companies such as Intel and Texas Instruments also have major offices in the city.

Bangalore is no stranger to bombings. The Guardian reports that a courthouse in the city was bombed in May. Authorities there suspect the bombing was linked to a banned Islamic student group.

Were the bombs intended to send a message, and spread fear in a progressive city full of western investment? Definitely. But no one should expect that investment to screech to a halt. Plenty of cities--Tel Aviv, Tokyo, Paris, London, and let us not forget New York and Washington, D.C.--have been attacked by terrorists over the last few decades.

All those cities, especially New York, dealt with the tragedy of those attacks and have gone on to thrive. Let us hope Bangalore is no different. History is on its side.

This article was first published as a blog on CNET News.com.