By Soman Baby
COUNTRIES which harbour or sponsor terrorists must be brought to book, a top Indian official declared in Bahrain yesterday.
Security in Iraq and this region is also a global issue, said Indian Prime Minister's Special Envoy to the Middle East C R Gharekhan.
He was speaking on Regional Security and International Co-operation at the second Gulf Security Conference in Bahrain.
The three-day conference, which ended yesterday, was organised by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) at the Ritz Carlton Bahrain Hotel and Spa.
The over-riding preoccupation of the international community in recent years has been with the emergence of terrorism as a global phenomenon, said Mr Gharekhan.
"India has been no stranger to this menace, and has been a victim of terrorism for much longer than other countries," he said.
"Recently about two weeks ago, an Indian citizen, who was engaged in helping the people of Afghanistan in building its roads, was brutally murdered by the Taliban."
Recent events in Iraq have brought home the fact that a politically unstable area can become the spawning ground of terrorists, said Mr Gharekhan.
"Linkages with illicit trafficking in narcotics, as well as in small arms have enhanced the destructive potential and lethal reach of the terrorists," he noted.
"The fight against terrorism has to be long-term, sustained and comprehensive. It cannot be adhoc, selective or compartmentalised in terms of region or religion.
"No terrorist network can sustain itself without a safe haven and without external support."
Mr Gharekhan talked about India's support to the people of Iraq and Palestine.
"We strongly support the right of the Iraqi people to freely determine their political future and control their natural resources," he added.
"We are confident that the forthcoming elections on December 15 will see the involvement of all the people of Iraq, leading to the formation of a truly representative government."
As for the Palestinian issue, support for the Palestinian cause has been a central feature of India's foreign policy since even before India achieved independence in 1947, said Mr Gharekhan.
"We believe that there can be no military solution to the Palestinian issue," he noted.
"India has welcomed the Gaza disengagement and hopes that it will lead to a resumption of the peace process."
The security and stability of the Gulf region as well as the wider Middle East is of paramount concern to India, said Mr Gharekhan.
"As such, we are ready to contribute to the security and stability of this region in any manner feasible," he added.
"We could identify areas for co-operation, like sharing our experiences and expertise in combating terrorism, maritime security and military training."
Mr Gharekhan endorsed the views expressed by Bahrain's Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa in his speech on Friday at the conference, that the many challenges facing the region and by extension the world, cannot be solved by any one country.
"I endorse his call for a strong, co-operative and complimentary web of international links as the best long-term guarantee of regional security and stability," he affirmed.
"India is willing and able to participate in this co-operative endeavour."
The Indian delegation to the conference included New Delhi-based National Security Council Secretariat deputy director Kapil Kaul as well as Indian Ambassador Balkrishna Shetty.
Defence, interior and national security ministers, security advisers, scholars and academics from the GCC, Yemen, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Singapore, France, Russia, the UK and the US were among those taking part in the conference. China, India and Germany joined them for the first time.
