World Bank President Robert Zoellick warned that the international community must work harder to aid fragile states or risk them becoming safe havens for terrorists. In a conference of international security experts in Geneva Zoellick said such nations - from Afghanistan to East Timor - may become the weak link in the global security chain if they are infiltrated by terrorists, taking advantage of political instability to recruit and train new followers. He said the international community must put greater emphasis on securing development in these countries to help them overcome the effects of failed governments, persistent poverty and civil war. The World Bank President said that aiding so called fragile states is about securing development...both to smooth the transition from conflict to peace and to embed stability so development can take hold.