20 September 2001
U.S. Begins Consultations at U.N.
(Negroponte meets with Security Council president) (370)
By Judy Aita
Washington File United Nations Correspondent
United Nations -- With the arrival of its new permanent representative
to the United Nations, the United States September 20 has stepped up
its efforts to build an international coalition against terrorism at
the world organization.
One day after he presented his credentials, U.S. Ambassador John
Negroponte met with the president of the Security Council, Ambassador
Jean-David Levitte of France, to discuss possible responses to the
terrorist attacks in New York and Washington.
Speaking with journalists outside the Security Council chambers,
Negroponte said that the United States is in "a period of intense
diplomatic consultations both in Washington, around the world, on a
multilateral and regional and a bilateral basis."
Asked if the United States wants the council to authorize military
force to deal with the terrorists, the ambassador said "we're not
ruling out any options at this point."
On September 12, the council adopted a resolution that unequivocally
condemned the horrifying attacks. In the resolution, the council
called on all states "to work together urgently to bring to justice
the perpetrators, organizers and sponsors of these terrorist attacks"
and stressed that "those responsible for aiding, supporting or
harboring the perpetrators, organizers and sponsors of these acts will
be held accountable." But the resolution did not specifically
authorize the use of force.
Diplomats say that the United States does not need Security Council
authorization to use force against the terrorists because the U.N.
Charter allows U.N. member states to take whatever measures necessary
in exercise of its right of self-defense. After Iraq's invasion of
Kuwait in 1990, the Security Council did specifically authorize member
states to form a coalition to free Kuwait.
Negroponte said that Secretary General Kofi Annan is extremely
concerned about the terrorist attacks. "He believes that the United
Nations has a very important role to play and we certainly welcome his
enthusiastic support for the effort to build this international
coalition against terrorism," he said.
(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International
Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site:
http://usinfo.state.gov)
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