Soil From Which Terrorists Operate Responsible: Prez

Asserting that responsibility to deal with terrorists ''lies with the State from which they operate,'' India today urged the world community to ''collectively'' defeat terrorism.

''Global problems call for global response,'' said President Pratibha Patil, calling terrorism ''a perverse global phenomenon'' the struggle against which ''must be carried to the world stage.'' Inaugurating an International Conference of Jurists on Terrorism at Vigyan Bhavan, the President said distance and time did not provide insulation from the reach of terrorism in the modern world.

Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan chairing the inaugural session of the two-day meet stressed looking at ''the underlying causes'' and cautioned against ''knee-jerk responses.'' Scheduled almost a year after the 26/11 Mumbai terror strikes, the event is being attended by law professionals from India and abroad, including Chief Justice of Singapore Chan Sek Keong, International Court of Justice Judge Awn S Al-Khasawneh and India's Law and Justice Minister M Veerappa Moily.

Mrs Patil called terrorism ''a common enemy of all nations,'' adding that ''a terror threat against one, is a threat against all.

The global counter-terrorism efforts may be an arduous and lengthy campaign, but must persistently target the entire global network.

''Countries must individually own up responsibilities, as must the international community, in collectively defeating terrorism and not deflect responsibility on to non-state actors.

''The responsibility to deal with them lies with the State from which they operate as it is the sanctuary, support and finances that they receive, which sustains their heinous and perverse acts.'' She pointed to ''a growing nexus between narcotics, drug trafficking, illegal gunrunning and terrorism,'' as well as terrorist use of sophisticated communication technologies and cyber terrorism, and called for stronger laws.

''Rise in the incidents of sea piracy disrupting mercantile shipping and their possible linkages with terror operatives, needs to be factorized while looking at port security laws and maritime conventions.'' President Patil reminded that ''respect for the rule of law is the cornerstone of any civilised society.'' She also stressed ''a just and equitable international order,'' urging delegates to come up with a response, resting upon the pillars of effective multilateralism, international cooperation and defence of legality and human rights.''

-- (UNI) -- 21DI23.xml

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