Nicholas Soames: Terrorism cannot be fought by military means alone

From a speech at Chatham House, in London, by the Shadow Secretary of State for Defence

A Fundamental challenge of the international terrorism we are fighting today is ideology. Al- Qa'ida, for example, is often presented as a global terrorist organisation. It is not. Al-Qa'ida is a less of an organisation than an ideology. Whilst it is true that Bin Laden managed to create a base and a structure and some kind of organisation in Afghanistan, it is difficult to see it as a traditional and coherent terrorist network in the way commonly conceived. Indeed, as some have noted, Al-Qa'ida functions like a franchising firm - providing contacts, funding and guidance to many individual cells all over the world.

A Fundamental challenge of the international terrorism we are fighting today is ideology. Al- Qa'ida, for example, is often presented as a global terrorist organisation. It is not. Al-Qa'ida is a less of an organisation than an ideology. Whilst it is true that Bin Laden managed to create a base and a structure and some kind of organisation in Afghanistan, it is difficult to see it as a traditional and coherent terrorist network in the way commonly conceived. Indeed, as some have noted, Al-Qa'ida functions like a franchising firm - providing contacts, funding and guidance to many individual cells all over the world.

Military pressure is but one way of defeating these franchises. Just as important are sound intelligence, political dialogue, diplomatic and economic engagement. Looking back on the Cold War, we should take confidence that the enduring values of freedom and democracy just as much as economic power and military muscle triumphed in the Cold War.

We must have a dialogue with those who do not support terrorism; with those who are free from its influence and find its teachings abhorrent. This means political dialogue, economic help, educational and aid programmes, encouraging democracy, reform and education. Poverty combined with unemployment creates a social climate in which extremists and various populist and religious sects flourish, which in turn provide recruits for violent groups in internal conflicts.

We must do all we can to address those issues that have become a breeding ground for terrorists. We must try and help solve those concerns that some Arabs use to justify supporting and financing violent extremists.