Terrorism will exist till states continue to fund it: CDS Bipin Rawat

In a veiled attack at Pakistan, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Bipin Rawat on Thursday (January 16) said terrorism will continue to exist as long as there are states that sponsor it and that the only way to end it is to start a US-like global war against terror.

“Terrorism is here to stay so long as there are going to be states that are going to sponsor terrorism and they are going to use terrorists as proxies, make weapons available to them, make funding for them, then we can’t control terrorism,” ANI quoted him as saying at the ongoing Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi.

Also read: Gen Rawat takes charge as CDS, says forces stay away from politics

“We’ve 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 global war on terror. To do that you have to isolate the terrorists. Anybody who is sponsoring terrorism has to be taken to task,” he was quoted as saying.

Appreciating the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) for taking action against countries sponsoring terrorism, he said “diplomatic isolation” is a necessary step to curb state-sponsored terrorist activities.

Also read: General Rawat flouts Army Act with comment on CAA protests

Explaining his role as CDS, Rawat said the CDS is the first among equals but has got clear and well defined responsibilities and some authority over the three service chiefs.

“I think the task is well cut out and we will be able to function within the first framework which has been laid out for the CDS. I don’t visualise any problems. We’ve had meetings with the three chiefs and a lot of decisions have already been taken in the past 15 days,” Rawat said.

Rawat took charge as the CDS on January 1 in New Delhi. Rawat who while taking charge had said that he will keep away from politics, sparked a row in the next few days when he criticised those protesting against the new citizenship law.

(With inputs from agencies)