Washington, Oct 26: US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has stressed on the dilpomatic aspect of the war on terrorism, saying in order to defeat terrorists, it is important to win the "war of ideas". "For every terrorist whom coalition forces capture, kill, dissuade or deter, others are being trained," Rumsfeld wrote in an article published in an american newspaper today. "To win the war on terror, we must also win the war of ideas -- the battle for the minds of those who are being recruited by terrorist networks across the globe," he said. He said the need of the hour is to take the war to the terrorists, "to go after them where they live and plan and hide, and make clear to states that sponsor and harbour them that such actions will have consequences." The US Defence Secretary warned that if the world does not deal with the emerging nexus between terrorist networks, terrorist states and weapons of mass murder, terrorists could one day kill not more than 240 people as in Beirut, or more than 3,000 people as on September 11, but tens of thousands, or more.

Bureau Report