New York: Maintaining that the global war against terrorism which commenced after the 9/11 terror strikes were far from over, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on September 22, suggested a four- point, long-term strategy to combat the menace and warned against weapons of mass destruction falling into terrorists' hands.

To win war against terror, he said, "We have to win the war of ideas. We have to expand the constituency of democracy by promoting the ideals of freedom, democracy, rule of law and tolerance, which are our defining strength."

Addressing the prestigious Asia Society in New York ahead of his speech at the United Nations General Assembly, Vajpayee said there should be consistency of approach in demanding from all countries the same high standards in combating terrorism and democracies should act in cohesion, with a threat against one being seen as a threat against all.

Demanding continuity of resolve and clarity of purpose, the Prime Minister said, "We should not be drawn into the gray zone of conflicting policy objectives, which condone ambiguous positions on terrorism."

Observing that the post cold war era has seen a significant proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems, he said the threat of their falling into terrorists' hands looms large.

"The existing regimes for non-proliferation rigorously audit the performance of responsible states, but do not touch the proliferators. An honest re-appraisal is required," he said.

PTI