KARACHI, Sept 20: French ambassador to Pakistan Regis de Belenet here on Wednesday called for reducing and resolving regional conflicts, consolidating the weak and reconstructing the so-called failed states.

He was giving a talk on “internal security and terrorism” at the Karachi Council on Foreign Relations, Economic Affairs and Law.

Speaking about fight against global terrorism, Ambassador Regis de Belenet said it was not directed against Islam, but against those groups and individuals who were exploiting its name for their own agenda.

The French ambassador relied heavily on the white paper his government had issued on dealing with the menace in France and emphasized that no matter how miniscule the threat was, it should not be taken lightly because it could have recoiling effect on the society. His thrust was on strengthening international cooperation, crisis management policy and to better protect vital infrastructure.

He was of the view that to deviate from the rule of law will amount to playing into the hands of the terrorists and emphasized that use of armed forces should be the last resort and in accordance with the UN resolutions and international law.

The French ambassador agreed with the recent definition of terrorism given by the UN Secretary General Kofi Anan in which he termed it an act intended to intimidate a population or to compel a government or an international body to act.

Referring to the Secretary General’s speech in which he had said that “the targeting and deliberate killing of civilians and non-combatants cannot be justified or legitimized by any cause or grievance," the French ambassador referred to the changing facets of terrorism with globalization.

He said that the perception of conflict between Islam and the West, growing use of internet and the web-based medium for exploiting vulnerable sections of the society was being exploited by the terrorist groups indulging in suicidal bombings etc.

France, he said, was concerned about extension of terrorism in Europe and suggested that such a situation could be tackled by upgrading the capacity of intelligence and security system to ensure effective preventive system.

He emphasized that terrorist threat must be taken into account with all seriousness.

He called for winning the battle of idea against the terrorists and said it could not be done by the security agencies alone. It should involve the people.

He suggested that this could be achieved by avoiding the use of war like terminology, such as clash of civilization, while criticizing terrorist or terrorism.

He also called for reducing and resolving regional conflicts, consolidate the weak and reconstructing the so-called failed states.

Replying to a question, he said that we cannot afford to solve all the problems that fuel terrorist activities.

The French ambassador parried a question when he was asked how he viewed the US attack on

Iraq and Afghanistan, in the light of the UN secretary-general’s latest definition of terrorism.

Earlier, secretary-general of the organization, Ahsan Mukhtar Zuberi, and chairman former chief Justice Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui in their address referred to Western media’s bias, and building wrong image of Islam by bracketing it with terrorism. They emphasized that this approach was counterproductive to the international effort to really address the problem. The French Counsel General was also present.