02 October 2001
General Assembly Echoes with Condemnations of Terrorism
(Countering terrorism must be a global endeavor, delegates say) (1980)
By Judy Aita
Washington File United Nations Correspondent
United Nations -- Diplomats from more than 50 countries took the
podium in the General Assembly October 1 and 2 to express their
governments' condemnation of the terrorist attack in the United States
and discuss the importance of standing together against terrorism.
The assembly debate on terrorism was moved from the Sixth Committee to
plenary session in the great General Assembly Hall to underscore the
importance of forging a universal political understanding and global
coalition against terrorists and terrorism in every corner of the
world. It also provided UN member states an opportunity to express
their moral outrage at the attacks which claimed the lives of more
than 5,500 innocent men, women and children and express their
condolences to the victims' families and the governments of the United
States and 60 other nations that lost their citizens in the tragic
events.
Because more than 150 nations have signed up to participate, the
session on terrorism is expected to continue until October 5.
Among the many nations whose representatives took the podium October 2
were Pakistan, which has sent emissaries to the Taliban leadership in
Afghanistan to convey the need to turn over Usama bin Laden for
prosecution for several terrorist acts; Yemen, which was the site of a
terrorist attack last year on the US naval vessel Cole; and Sudan,
which was just relieved of UN sanctions after it increased its
cooperation in fighting terrorism.
Ambassador Shamshad Ahmad of Pakistan said "we have always condemned
terrorism in all its forms and manifestation, including state
terrorism. We have never condoned acts of terrorism and have been
cooperating with the international community in combating this
universal evil. Today again, we have pledged our full support and
unstinted cooperation to the fight against terrorism."
The Pakistani government will be part of the international coalition
against terrorism and has conveyed its position to the Pakistani
people, he said. "It is a difficult path but we are determined to
support what is right and what is just."
The ambassador said that international treaties and Security Council
resolutions must be implemented. "Freezing assets, closing of bank
accounts, denying safe haven, and information sharing are important
steps in controlling terrorist acts," he said.
"For a long-term solution, we must unearth the source of the problem
and diagnose the disease beneath the skin. Sheer bandages will not
heal the wounds that are rooted in the injustices of systems and
societies," Ahmad said.
Ahmad also talked of his country's fear of "an impending humanitarian
tragedy" as millions of Afghans leave their homes in fear of war.
"Pakistan, which has been home to the world's largest refugee
population for more than two decades, is now faced with the massive
new influx of nearly 1.5 million Afghan refugees."
"How the international community responds to this crisis will be a
real test not only of its ability but also of its moral
responsibility," he said.
Sudan Ambassador Elfatih Erwa emphasized his country's "full
condemnation of this heinous act" and extended his country's "sincere
condolences" to the United States and other countries whose citizens
were killed.
"Sudan's condemnation and denunciation of acts of terrorism targeting
innocent civilians is not borne of the moment, rather it is a
reflection of an authentic spirit stemming from our cultural heritage
and values," Erwa said.
"Terrorism is a criminal scourge which should not be linked to any
culture, race, or religion. Terrorism is terrorism," the ambassador
said. "What happened on the 11 of September is an act of terrorism
that has nothing to do with Islam whatsoever."
Expressing appreciation "for the wise statement and assurances made by
President Bush and other officials of the U.S. administration and
European states that war against terrorism in no way means war against
Islam," Erwa emphasized "the importance of consolidating values of
co-existence among religions and cultures."
Strongly condemning the terrorist acts, Malaysian Ambassador Hasmy
Agam said October 2 that "we regard all acts, methods and practices of
terrorism as criminal acts that cannot be justified -- regardless of
the motivation of their perpetrators -- when innocent, defenseless
civilians become their victims."
"Terrorism has no religion or nationality and serves only the selfish
personal or group interests of the perpetrators and their sponsors,"
Agam said.
The ambassador said that a world conference should be held for world
leaders to discuss the issue of international terrorism. Such a
conference, he said, would provide the necessary political impetus
toward completing ongoing efforts to address the problem, including
completing a convention on international terrorism.
Ambassador Abdalla Al-Ashtal of Yemen said that his government
condemns "without reservation" all terrorist acts and "reaffirms the
necessity to combat these acts at all national and international
levels."
"Terrorism is a phenomenon synonymous to extremism and blind
intolerance," he said. "It is therefore a mistake to make an
accusation of terrorism against any nation, people or religion. It is
a crime that cannot be justified or be left unpunished. We denounce
and condemn criminal terrorist acts anywhere in the world and express
our readiness to cooperate regionally and internationally in all
efforts to combat that scourge."
"We note with satisfaction the positions some high officials in the
U.S. and in Europe that have also denounced retaliatory acts against
Arabs and Muslims in their countries," he said.
On October 1 Nigerian Ambassador Arthur C.I. Mbanefo talked about
terrorism as a "global menace" and stressed that the response to
terrorism must be "global and coordinated ... but our response will
only be effective if we stand united and we all openly and manifestly
take action against terrorists and their networks."
In 1998 during the terrorist attack on the American Embassy in
Tanzania, Nigeria's embassy building was destroyed. In the World Trade
Center attack many Nigerian citizens were killed and some remain
critically wounded in hospitals, the ambassador said. "Terrorism is no
respecter of national frontiers. Terrorism does not respect any
nationality, religion, race ethnicity or group," he said. "Indeed
there is no country in the world today where there are no foreign
nationals."
Terrorism, Mbanefo said, is a violation of fundamental human rights,
especially the right to life and peaceful co-existence. "The terror
and tragedies that terrorists unleash on innocent and unsuspecting
citizens pose a serious threat to the stability of all societies. It
threatens existing democratic institutions."
"Emerging democracies are very vulnerable to tragedies which such
terrorist attacks cause. That is why the international community must
be very determined and firm in their resolve to confront and defeat
terrorists, their network and collaborators," the Nigerian ambassador
said.
The international community must guard against weapons of mass
destruction, particularly nuclear terrorism. "If terrorists are
allowed to have access to nuclear materials as well as chemical and
biological substances, then humanity may be heading for an abrupt
end," he said.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ordzhonikidze warned October 1
that "terrorism is not only a dangerous but also an insidious enemy;
it takes advantage of any weak link in the chain of states which fight
against it."
"The priority task is to establish a global system to counteract new
threats and challenges, which would ensure, among other things, the
inevitable punishment of all those responsible for organizing and
perpetrating terrorist acts," he said.
"Of special concern are the expanding ties between international
terrorism and transnational organized crime, illegal drug business,
money laundering and illegal trafficking in nuclear, chemical,
biological and other hazardous materials," Ordzhonikidze said. "That
is why we, on our part, are not only ready for but also insist on the
closest possible international cooperation among members of the
international community in fighting against this scourge of the 21st
Century."
Nicaraguan Foreign Minister Francisco Aguirre Sacasa said October 1
that "the gravity of these criminal acts has imposed on us new and
greater challenges, which we need to face united. ... All members of
the United Nations need to apply a coordinated strategy that will make
us effective in our long-term battle against international terrorism."
"We need to be conscious that we now face a common enemy, an enemy
that operates clandestinely, in a cowardly fashion but with great
sophistication, an enemy frequently linked to other international
crimes, such as drug trafficking, money laundering and the diverse
forms of organized crime that facilitate and finance the commission of
these critical acts," Aguirre Sacasa said.
"We need to continue on ahead, to rise without hesitation from this
trial and strengthen cooperation in order to declare together a world
war on terrorism, a common enemy of all peoples, of all beliefs and
religions and of peace and democracy," the minister said.
The foreign minister said that "the first step toward winning the war
against terrorism is not to allow us to be frightened by its actions."
For that reason Nicaragua decided to go ahead with the meeting of the
states parties to the Landmine Convention. "We did not want to
surrender to terrorism, we did not want to allow ourselves to be
cornered by these sinister forces that attempt to interrupt normality,
to paralyze us and turn us into hostages of fear, all in the name of
causes that are presented as being noble objectives."
South African Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo read a statement from his
government on the developments surrounding the terrorist attacks in
the United States.
"South Africa will cooperate with all efforts to apprehend the
culprits and bring them to book. Justice must be done and it must be
seen to be done," Kumalo said. "South Africa, therefore, recognizes
the right of the U.S. government to track down the culprits and bring
them to justice. Any action taken should be informed by thorough
investigations and incontrovertible evidence."
"The world should unite in the fight against terrorism. In this
effort, the immediate task is to ensure that the perpetrators meet
their just desserts," the ambassador said. "In the least, the
terrorists should be isolated through international cooperation to
build an equitable world order."
Bangladesh Ambassador Shameem Ahsan said that in his country "the
major political parties, members of civil society, media stood in
unity to form a broad national consensus to condemn the attack and to
support global action against the perpetrators of such violence."
"In pursuance of this objective, the government also responded
positively to the request made by the United States for providing
necessary facilities and support for possible multinational action to
combat terrorism," he said. "Our response, stems from our principled
position and our international commitment to fight this modern day
scourge."
Singapore Ambassador Kishore Mahbubani said that "the perpetrators of
these terrible crimes cannot go unpunished. They must be brought to
justice. Others must be deterred from contemplating similar horrific
acts."
"Americans are not alone in this fight against terrorism," Mahbubani
said. "Singapore stands with the United States and the international
community in this struggle. This is a fight between people who stand
for civilized society and those out to destroy it. This is not a fight
against Islam."
"We realize that it will be a long and uphill struggle to make the
world safer from terrorism, " the ambassador said. "This is a
deep-rooted problem that will not go away easily. The terrorists have
built up a sophisticated and complex global network and other
societies too are at risk."
"Countering terrorism must therefore be a global endeavor. Globally,
we need to put together our collective will and wisdom to address the
problem in all its dimensions," Mahbubani said. "There will inevitably
be sensitivities -- domestic and regional -- that will have to be
managed. But we must accept these risks to create a better world."
(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International
Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site:
http://usinfo.state.gov)
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
