Force no answer to terrorism: Gorbachev

     Former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev has criticised the use of force, like that being waged in the Middle East, as a means of combating terrorism.
     Calling for a halt to all hostilities in the troubled region, Mr Gorbachev said the world's problems would not be solved until the root causes of terrorism were addressed.
     It comes as conflict between Israel and the Lebanese-based terrorist group Hizbollah enters its second week.
     "The problem of terrorism and terrorist attacks cannot be ignored and they should be punished," Mr Gorbachev told journalists through an interpreter in Brisbane.
     "But when such a situation occurs, counter measures should be proportional and should be justified."
     Mr Gorbachev, who won the Nobel Peace prize in 1990 for his contribution to ending the Cold War, will lead the Earth Dialogues forum in Brisbane, which will be exploring issues including climate change, energy security and world peace over the next three days.
     He said while terrorism was "unacceptable", understanding the root cause of such radical action was essential to world peace.
     "We should bear in mind that the use of force is not the answer to the root causes of the problems that we are facing in the world today," Mr Gorbachev said.
     "The problems of oppression and humiliation, the problems of backwardness and poverty and ... where we see a kind of conflict of civilisations.
     "So long as millions of people are reduced to just surviving, so long as young people don't have a chance for education and work, you will see fertile ground for recruitment of terrorists."
     He said the world, more than ever, needed to support "peaceful, just and sustainable solutions to the crises which threaten our future".
     "The current violence in the Middle East is yet another demonstration of politics lagging behind the pace of global change," he said.
     "If the leaders of the world's most powerful states lapse back and again see military power as a viable means of resolving disputes, then we should not be surprised if other states also consider it a legitimate course.
     "We must stop the violence and reinstate effective multilateralism."

Australian Associated Press, 21.07.2006