UK to table resolution on terrorism

A draft of the resolution is circulating at the UN building in New York.

Britain said on Wednesday it would table a UN resolution on terrorism this week ahead of the General Assembly meeting, calling on nations not only to condemn terrorism but to act against its incitement at home.

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"It is time we sent out a clear, unified message from the international community that it is no longer legitimate, not merely in terms of committing acts of terrorism but in terms of supporting or inciting it," British Prime Minister Tony Blair said in New Delhi at an EU-India summit.

Britain, which has taken steps at home to silence or deport radical Muslim preachers who incite terrorism since bomb attacks in London in July, wants other countries to do the same.

A draft of the resolution is circulating at the United Nations building in New York.

Britain is "fairly confident" it will be passed, officials said, adding it would call on nations to crack down on those who encourage or support terrorism within their own territories.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman in London said the resolution aimed to endorse a vision set out by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in March on the need for a response to terrorism.

"We think the summit provides an excellent opportunity to do this," said a spokeswoman, adding it aimed to deal with radicalisation as well as simply condemning terrorism.

The prime minister said recent experiences meant the international community should now speak out against terrorism with "passion". He said he hoped the UN summit would produce a reiteration of a strong statement that condemned the incitement of terrorism.

Several of the four men who blew themselves up on London's transport network in July had travelled to Pakistan before the bombings and attended religious schools, police have said.

Blair said he welcomed recent steps by Pakistan to clamp down on madrasas or religious schools that foment terrorism. Some of the schools have been accused of breeding extremism.