London: Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said that the West has always ignored India’s warnings on terrorism.
“Despite India’s warnings on terrorism, it took 9/11 for us to wake up,” Blair said in an interview to NDTV news channel aired on Monday.
“I used to say towards the end of prime ministership that we should have listened to India more…we should have watched what’s happening there and taken more account of it.
“It’s for our arrogance, something West is known for, that we didn’t quite understand it and ignored India’s warnings on terrorism,” Blair said.
“Now I realize that it is a global war (against terrorism) and it threatens all.”
Asked if terrorism is rooted in Pakistan, Blair said there is strain of extremism in Islam itself.
“I have many Pakistani friends and I have realized that they (Pakistan) too wants to defeat terrorism,” said Blair.
He further said: “I think it has more to do with the fact that this trend of extremism within Islam. What I learnt from the Indian experience is, you can’t hide away from the fact that this (extremism) is an element within Islam.…it doesn’t express itself as an accepted terrorism but as a narrative of extremism about society, about relations between countries and people of different places.”
“I think fundamental has to be confronted. That fundamental, I am afraid, is present as a strain in the Pakistani society,” said Blair.
