MOSCOW. Dec 9 (Interfax-AVN) - International terrorism tops the list of all potential threats to humanity today, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said in Moscow on Monday at a Russian-NATO conference on the role of the military in combating terrorism.
"International terrorism poses a real threat to the entire intentional community, to all countries irrespective of their military or economic might or attitude toward religion," he said.
"The terrorist international, stretching from the Balkans and the North Caucasus to Central and South Asia and further on to the Philippines, threatens the security and stability of the entire world community," Ivanov said. "We have to admit that the international community proved unprepared to effectively resist international terrorism."
"By uniting religious and extremist organizations international terrorism is capable of not only delivering terrorist strikes but conducting large-scale terrorist wars in all parts of the world, including media wars," Ivanov said. "For eight years Russia has been fighting henchmen of international terrorism entrenched in the North Caucasus and we have experience to share with our partners," he said.
"Historically military might was used to restrain aggressors, therefore military means should be regarded as extreme but at times necessary to combat terrorism," he minister said.
He expressed apprehensions that terrorists may use weapons of mass destruction, primarily chemical and biological weapons. "A considerable number of terrorist organizations plan to use weapons of mass destruction. Thus terrorism is becoming a threat to all of humanity," Ivanov said.