New Delhi
25 October 2006
In an oblique reference to Pakistan, Russia has said that the
international community should unite to face new threats and challenges posed by
countries where there is a groundswell of sympathy for terrorists. The world needs to
focus adequate attention on such countries too, an emissary of Russian President
Vladimir Putin said.
"Al Qaeda of today is not what it was in 2001. [Clones of Al Qaeda] have sprung up
everywhere. They act independently but they are bathed in the ideology and radicalism
of Al Qaeda," Special Representative (International Cooperation in the Fight Against
Terrorism and Transnational Organised crime) Anatoly E Safonov said, alluding to the
new face of terror.
"The Taliban and the Al Qaeda are very active, inflitration is taking place and hostilities
are taking place too. [Elsewhere,] terrorism is spreading its roots, so the problem is
long-term. It is not enough to extinguish the flames, the need is for destroying the
breeding ground," he said, drawing a parallel with how malaria is controlled not by
doctors alone but by drying up the swamps that breed mosquitoes.
Mr Safonov was equally critical of Washington's role in Afghanistan and of the United
States-backed government in Kabul in tackling the narcotics problem. "Apart from his will
which Karzai voices, we do not see noticeable results. The size of seized drugs is larger
and governors and officials may have been sacked or substituted but [the response]
does not correspond to the threat," he said.
He also said Afghanistan will see a "record-breaking" production of heroin worth an
estimated 6,200 tonnes, most of which will reach Europe via Russia or funnelled
eastwards through India. "No effort is also being made to stem the inflow of precursors
(used in the manufacture of drugs) into Afghanistan," he said, "Cartelisation of narcotics
industry is in [its] final stage".
Mr Safonov, who co-chaired the fourth meeting of the India-Russia joint working group on
counter-terrorism in New Delhi on Tuesday rpt Tuesday, said there was a high-level of
trust between New Delhi and Moscow and the two were determining "strategic goals" to
bolster their "sectoral cooperation" in the fight against terror.
"The intelligence agencies of both countries are sharing information. We are also
sharing knowledge of movement of militants and of possible terrorist attacks by suicide
bombers. Our agencies are creating a financial intelligence database too," Mr Safonov
observed. Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit India in January next year as the
chief guest for Republic Day parade.
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