India today underlined the problem of "state complicity" in terrorism and called for a global pact to combat the menace. "We must squarely face the issue of state complicity," said Hardeep Singh Puri,India's permanent ambassador to the UN during a discussion on the root causes,impact and responses to terrorism. He said while some states justify acts of terrorism,others "have also irresponsibly used terrorism as an instrument of state policy". "Nations that believe they can switch violence on and turn it off are being short-sighted," he stressed. He warned that terrorists will be the first to turn on their erstwhile benefactors once these benefactors have outlived their utility. The top Indian envoy also underlined the need of a global compact to battle terrorism. He described the failure of the UN to produce a comprehensive treaty as one of the most "egregious instance of institutional failure." "UN response has been sub-optimal," he said,noting that throwing money at the problem or using more force will not end terrorism.
