[Blair says world was reluctant to recognise Kashmir terrorism
NEW DELHI: British Prime Minister Tony Blair said in comments broadcast on Friday that the world had been reluctant to recognise the insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir as terrorism.
“Personally I have always condemned terrorism in respect of Kashmir,” Blair told NDTV television in an interview recorded while he was in New Delhi Thursday for talks with Indian leaders.
“But I think there has been a reluctance – not confined to the UK alone incidentally – to see this terrorism for what it is, but the world has woken up.”
India has in the past asked Britain, the US and other countries to use their influence with Pakistan to ensure that the “infrastructure of terrorism” is shut down, but has complained that its calls go unheeded.
Blair said: “Terrorism is not only an obstacle to progress and that is true whether it is Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, Kashmir, Chechnya, wherever. The fact is, all it does is cause hatred and make dialogue impossible. And therefore my very strong view is that we should never compromise with it, we should never justify it, and we should realise that it is in our common interest to defeat it.” Blair’s comments came just days ahead of the anniversary of the September 11 2001 terrorist attacks and just over two months after the July 7 attacks in London in which four suicide bombers killed 56 people. Terrorism was a steady theme running through Blair’s two-day stopover in India after a visit to China.
On Wednesday, India and the EU at their sixth summit adopted a plan to strengthen ties, including in the fight against terrorism. Blair was representing the EU presidency.
On Thursday, Blair won Indian support for a draft UN Security Council resolution that would commit countries to combating incitement to terrorism as well as terrorism itself.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said he favoured a “zero tolerance” approach toward terrorism, speaking at a press conference addressed by both leaders at the end of Blair’s New Delhi visit.
“Terrorism has no religion, terrorists have no religion and they are friends of no religion,” Singh said.
“We agreed that there can be no justification whatsoever for terrorism on any grounds – religious, political, ideological or any other.” afp
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default...0-9-2005_pg1_8
NEW DELHI: British Prime Minister Tony Blair said in comments broadcast on Friday that the world had been reluctant to recognise the insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir as terrorism.
“Personally I have always condemned terrorism in respect of Kashmir,” Blair told NDTV television in an interview recorded while he was in New Delhi Thursday for talks with Indian leaders.
“But I think there has been a reluctance – not confined to the UK alone incidentally – to see this terrorism for what it is, but the world has woken up.”
India has in the past asked Britain, the US and other countries to use their influence with Pakistan to ensure that the “infrastructure of terrorism” is shut down, but has complained that its calls go unheeded.
Blair said: “Terrorism is not only an obstacle to progress and that is true whether it is Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, Kashmir, Chechnya, wherever. The fact is, all it does is cause hatred and make dialogue impossible. And therefore my very strong view is that we should never compromise with it, we should never justify it, and we should realise that it is in our common interest to defeat it.” Blair’s comments came just days ahead of the anniversary of the September 11 2001 terrorist attacks and just over two months after the July 7 attacks in London in which four suicide bombers killed 56 people. Terrorism was a steady theme running through Blair’s two-day stopover in India after a visit to China.
On Wednesday, India and the EU at their sixth summit adopted a plan to strengthen ties, including in the fight against terrorism. Blair was representing the EU presidency.
On Thursday, Blair won Indian support for a draft UN Security Council resolution that would commit countries to combating incitement to terrorism as well as terrorism itself.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said he favoured a “zero tolerance” approach toward terrorism, speaking at a press conference addressed by both leaders at the end of Blair’s New Delhi visit.
“Terrorism has no religion, terrorists have no religion and they are friends of no religion,” Singh said.
“We agreed that there can be no justification whatsoever for terrorism on any grounds – religious, political, ideological or any other.” afp
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default...0-9-2005_pg1_8
The terrorists are also consuming Pakistan itself!
Comment