No tolerance for states sheltering terrorists: India

Asserting that cross-border terrorism is of "particular concern" to it, India has said there can be "no tolerance" for countries sheltering, arming and training terrorists.
Addressing a UN session on 'Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice', visiting Member of Parliament from India M Krishnasswamy said here that countries have to renew their commitment for a concerted and continuing global action that ensures zero-tolerance towards terrorism.
"We need to remove the moral and legal ambiguities that allow terrorists to gain succour and even legitimacy. There can be no tolerance for states sheltering, arming, training or financing terrorists. Nor can they absolve themselves of the responsibility to prevent their territories from being used to launch acts of terrorism," Krishnasswamy said yesterday.

He said terrorism remains a "grave threat" to security and stability everywhere and extracts a heavy toll on innocent lives around the world.
"State-sponsored cross-border terrorism is of particular concern to India," Krishnasswamy said, adding that globalisation and significant advances in information and communication technology provide a platform for terrorists to operate across continents on a real time basis.
"This has to be met with a global response," he said.

Krishnasswamy called on the international community to demonstrate the necessary political will to conclude the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism to strengthen the normative framework against the increasingly sophisticated and globalised terrorist challenge.

On the issue of international drug control, Krishnasswamy said the scale of problem involving greater use of new psychoactive substances (NPS) and synthetic drugs is demonstrated by the fact that such NPS now number over 350, much more than the 234 substances under control.
He pointed out that another major challenge is use of synthetic drugs, which are chemically synthesised using certain precursor chemicals.
Since such chemicals have valid industrial, scientific and medicinal uses, it is important that nations control them in a manner, which limits their diversion and abuse but not affect their legitimate uses, Krishnasswamy said.
He further added that drug trafficking is one of the most severe challenges facing the world since money from drug trafficking finances other forms of criminal activity, including terrorism and transnational organised crime, is well documented.

Krishnasswamy expressed concern about the new emerging areas such as cyber-crime, economic fraud, education related fraud and identity thefts, and their links with other criminal and terrorist activities.
"India is of the view that ever-evolving cybercrime poses a new global challenge which calls for more effective global responses. National capacity-building and international cooperation need to be further strengthened," he said.