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War in Afghanistan coming to early end: Vajpayee

Asserting that the US-led military campaign in Afghanistan was coming to an 'early and successful conclusion', Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Saturday said India would play an active role in UN efforts to create a post-Taleban administration.

Addressing a conference on national security in New Delhi, Vajpayee said the Taleban was 'on the run from city after city in Afghanistan'. He said the global community would now have to focus its efforts on broadening the campaign against international terrorism.

"We are satisfied that the war in Afghanistan is now showing all the signs of coming to an early and successful conclusion," the prime minister said.

"The UN is actively trying to put in place a stable, broad-based and representative post-Taleban administration in the country. India will play an active and positive role in this endeavour," he said.

Emphasising that the campaign against terrorism should not be limited to 'fighting only certain symbols and symptoms', Vajpayee reiterated that global community should now address the problem of trans-border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.

The conference of state chief ministers has been called to discuss tougher measures to tackle terrorism, including the controversial Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance that opposition parties say can be misused.

Without naming Pakistan as a sponsor of terrorism in Kashmir, he said: "All murderous groups, wherever they may be - in Kashmir or elsewhere - must be declared terrorist organisations by all civilised nations."

"Their sources of funding have to be plugged. Countries giving safe sanctuaries or any other kind of support for them must be placed under sanctions," he added.

"There should also be a concerted awareness campaign against extremist ideologies that misuse the name of religion," Vajpayee said.

New Delhi accuses Pakistan of supporting, training and arming terrorist groups operating in Jammu and Kashmir, which has been affected by insurgency since 1989. Islamabad, however, says it only offers moral and political support to Kashmiri groups.

Vajpayee said his recent consultations with leaders like US President George W Bush, Russian President Vladimir Putin and British Prime Minister Tony Blair had resulted in greater appreciation for India's stand on terrorism.

"Needless to add, all this augurs well for our own relentless battle against terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and elsewhere in India."

At the same time, he called for greater consensus within the country on measures like the POTO and cohesiveness in the fight against terror groups.

He called for a free and frank debate on the decree.

"It is possible that terrorist groups, out of desperation, might try to create some mischief," he said, adding that these groups were under pressure due to campaign against the Taleban and successes achieved by Indian security forces in counter-insurgency operations.

"India is high on the list of terrorists' targets, but our structures and procedures are lax. We have a porous border with several neighbours. Our long seacoast also needs to be better patrolled," Vajpayee said.

"A large number of foreign nationals who have come on visitors' visas have become traceless. These vulnerabilities need to be plugged."

The prime minister also called for speedy implementation of programmes to modernise state police forces.

To deal with possible threats 'arising out of chemical, biological and nuclear materials' being obtained by terror groups, the states should set up quick response teams.

Indo-Asian News Service

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