British Prime Minister Tony Blair has defended his foreign policy as part of a global struggle of values and ideas in the fight against terrorism.
Mr. Blair told journalists in London the struggle against terrorism is not a clash of civilizations but a clash about civilization. He said terrorism will not be defeated until its ideas, which he calls "the poison that warps the minds of its adherents" is confronted head-on.
He conceded that the U.S.-led war in Iraq has encountered problems but called efforts to describe it as Western imperialism nonsense.
Mr. Blair criticized his opponents who suggested what he called a doctrine of benign inactivity in such areas as Sierra Leone, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq. He said the advance of democracy in Afghanistan and Iraq is the most effective answer to terrorist propaganda.
Some information for this report provided by AP and Reuters.