CDS Bipin Rawat Underscores Need To Wage War Against Terrorism Like Americans Did Post 9/11 Attacks

Speaking strong and straight, India's first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat on Thursday (16 January) stressed that terroism can be brought to an end only by waging a war against it the way Americans did post 9/11 attacks, reports The Indian Express.

Speaking at the Raisina Dialogoue 2020, CDS Rawat stressed, “As long as there are states which sponsor terrorism, we will have to live with the menace. We need to take the bull by its horns.”

Emphasising on the American way of dealing with terrorism post 9/11, CDS Rawat said, “We have to bring an end to terrorism and that can only happen the way Americans started after 9/11, they said let’s go on a spree on the global war on terror. To do that you need to isolate the terrorists, anybody who is sponsoring terrorism has to be taken to task.”

However, now a peace deal with Taliban is required, Gen Rawat said.

"It must be a negotiated peace deal so that the Taliban stops using terrorism," he added. Hinting that the US should maintain its presence in Afghanistan, the CDS said that though Afghan security forces are now equipped to fight back terror groups in Afghanistan but they still need support.

CDS Rawat further added that diplomatic isolation and blacklisting by Financial Action Task Force can be good measures to deal with terrorism sponsored by particular states. He also stressed on the need to curb the radicalisation through online mediums and underscored, "We have to address the ideology of radicalisation."

He also observed, “Terrorism is here to stay so long as there are states that will sponsor terrorism and use terrorists as proxies, make weapons and funding available for them. The war on terror is not ending, it is something which is going to continue, we will have to live with it until we understand and get to the roots of terrorism.”

(With inputs from IANS)