02 October 2001
Focus on Terrorism Should Strengthen U.S.-Latin Ties, Say Diplomats
(Multilateral cooperation viewed as "more important than ever") (2100)
By Lauren Monsen
Washington File Staff Writer
Washington -- In the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks
on New York City and the Pentagon, U.S. and Brazilian diplomats agree
that an enhanced alliance between the United States and the countries
of Latin America is vital to the interests of the entire Western
Hemisphere.
At a forum hosted on September 28 by the Center for Strategic and
International Studies (CSIS), where panelists discussed the
hemisphere's response to terrorism, Thomaz Guedes da Costa -- a
prominent security expert from Brazil -- said that he expects to see
"extensive bilateral and multilateral cooperation" in what he
described as the "silent war" on terrorism.
"Many steps can be taken in [the areas of] law enforcement and
exchange of information" throughout the Americas, he declared. Da
Costa added that a wide range of largely unpublicized, but critical,
assistance efforts will constitute "the undercurrents of this ocean"
as nations around the globe respond in their various capacities to the
shared threat of potential terrorist activity.
Some countries in the hemisphere are still evaluating how best to
marshal their resources against terrorism, he noted, and some may
still be debating how deeply they should involve themselves in such
initiatives. But leadership requires making tough decisions, he said,
and Brazilian officials are rising to the occasion "because in this
new war, they are the tip of the spear" in explaining the scope of the
problem to the Brazilian population.
Mexico and Canada, as the United States' nearest neighbors, "are
integral parts of the U.S. homeland defense" strategy, da Costa said.
Since President Vicente Fox of Mexico has signaled that he would like
his nation to assume a larger role on the world stage, Mexico's policy
on combating terrorism will almost certainly be of great interest to
observers in the region. "How will Mexico engage? Will it become a
global player?" he asked. "I'm sure that other [Latin American]
countries will face a similar challenge, but not to the same extent
that Mexico will."
Roger Noriega, U.S. ambassador to the Organization of American States
(OAS), vividly recalled learning of the World Trade Center and
Pentagon attacks while in Lima, Peru, as a member of the U.S.
delegation headed by Secretary of State Colin Powell at a conference
for Western Hemisphere foreign affairs ministers. "The [conference]
agenda was the Inter-American Democratic Charter, an important
statement of [regional] solidarity," he remembered. The meeting was
already underway when an aide approached and informed Powell about the
unfolding crisis in the United States. As television news reports
began broadcasting images of the devastation, "Secretary Powell felt
it was very important not only to witness these terrible events, but
to initiate a response," Noriega said.
With security forces suddenly in a state of high alert and flight
schedules thrown into disarray, "conference delegates found themselves
grounded in Lima [for several hours], and a flurry of diplomacy
began," he told the CSIS audience. Noriega praised Brazil, Argentina
and Chile for being "at the forefront" of immediate efforts to
assemble a hemisphere-wide alliance against terrorism, and cited
Brazil -- in particular -- for its leadership. By calling for the
invocation of the Inter-American Treaty of Mutual Assistance (commonly
known as the Rio Treaty), which regards an attack on any OAS member
state as an attack on all the others, "Brazil demonstrated an
understanding that the world had changed" from the moment that
terrorists struck New York and Washington, he declared.
"The Rio Treaty, representing a commitment to collective hemispheric
defense, is very important," Noriega said. During the layover in Lima,
"we were able to reach out to several Canadian diplomats," he said,
"and we made it clear that our vision of the Rio Treaty would include
a place for Canada and the Caribbean nations," regardless of the fact
that those countries are not signatories to the treaty. "Canada and
the nations of the Caribbean should at least have observer status" in
discussions concerning the treaty's implementation, he said, adding
that Canadian officials "were very sympathetic" to the overtures.
The treaty, formally invoked by unanimous vote at the OAS on September
19, directs regional governments to offer "effective reciprocal
assistance to address these attacks and any similar attacks," Noriega
observed. Under the terms of the treaty, he said, "such state parties
shall use all available methods to pursue, capture and punish the
perpetrators" of aggression against an OAS member state.
"What we witnessed at the OAS is a very, very strong expression of
political will on the part of the member states," Noriega said.
"[Countering] this attack on humanity requires widespread cooperation.
Brazil chairs the Rio Treaty committee, and member states will use
this mechanism to keep the other members informed" of their actions to
thwart terrorist objectives.
He indicated that the OAS has taken additional steps since invoking
the treaty, as well. "The OAS is moving already, pursuant to the
resolution of the [regional] foreign ministers, to update the Rio
Treaty and to draft a new convention against terrorism," he pointed
out. To that end, he said, "the OAS will coordinate a response from
high-level policy-makers before the end of the year."
The ultimate goal, Noriega proclaimed, is "to drain the swamp, to
inhibit the ability of terrorists to operate in this hemisphere." On
September 11, hijackers "not only murdered innocent people, they
attacked our common principles and ideals," he said. "The OAS is the
perfect mechanism to move this [anti-terrorism] effort forward, and
the Rio Treaty is not only a symbolic but a practical tool for this
purpose."
Ruben Barbosa, Brazil's ambassador to the United States, was the third
and final panelist at the CSIS forum. The September 11 terrorist
assaults produced "a huge reaction in Brazil," he said. "What happened
was a crime, was unacceptable." The Brazilian public "condemned the
attacks in the strongest terms," as did Brazil's President Fernando
Henrique Cardoso, who "right from the beginning" made his position
against terrorism abundantly clear, Barbosa stressed. "He [also]
recognized that this was a different kind of war."
In promoting "solidarity in the fight against this [terrorist]
aggression," the Rio Treaty operates on "the same principles as NATO
[the North Atlantic Treaty Organization]," Barbosa said. Moreover, the
Brazilian government believes that "the multilateral approach [in
combating terrorism] is the appropriate one," because a coalition can
strengthen the legitimacy of whatever actions are taken and can help
"build support for international law," he said.
Barbosa then asked, rhetorically, "what is expected from us by the
United States?" Brazil, like many other countries in Latin America, is
committed to providing "an exchange of information and intelligence,
tighter control of its borders, and close monitoring of financial
transactions" to curb money laundering and to prevent funds from
reaching suspected terrorists, he said.
"The Rio Treaty states that all [signatory] countries are required to
comply with these obligations," the ambassador pointed out. "[Yet]
according to the treaty, no state shall be required to use armed
forces without its consent. This provision is important, and Brazil
feels it should be emphasized." In any event, "the United States has
indicated that countries should contribute according to their various
capacities," Barbosa said. "The region is not in the forefront in the
fight against terrorism, but we are ready to do what we can."
Throughout Latin America, however, "there are concerns that a new Cold
War will develop," he cautioned. "For Brazil and its neighbors, this
is significant. There are fears that Latin America will drop off the
United States' radar screen" as the U.S. government concentrates
primarily on the terrorist threat. Growing anxiety in the Western
Hemisphere over the region's overall status in the context of U.S.
foreign policy was exacerbated, he said, by the fact that there was
scant mention in the U.S. press about the OAS resolution to invoke the
Rio Treaty. Barbosa warned that many Latin American leaders worry that
this lack of attention suggests that the United States does not attach
much importance to the region.
Several U.S. officials attending the CSIS forum assured Barbosa that
the paucity of U.S. media reports on the OAS initiative was by no
means a barometer of the United States' interest in the Western
Hemisphere, which they said is gauged much more accurately by
President Bush's strong affinity for Latin America. Bush has
repeatedly declared that the hemisphere is an area of particular
consequence to him, since its geography gives it greater proximity to
the United States than any other region. Additionally, Bush insisted
on inviting President Vicente Fox of Mexico as his first guest for an
official state visit to Washington. For his part, Barbosa agreed that
Bush has received more Latin American heads of state at the White
House during his first two months in office than any U.S. president in
recent memory.
Besides invoking the Rio Treaty, the OAS member states issued a
resolution highlighting the aftershocks and the economic uncertainty
stemming from the terrorist attacks. "Economic unrest may affect trade
and investment, which are already diminishing in the region," Barbosa
noted. "This is very alarming to Latin America." He spoke again of the
pervasive fear that "U.S. attention to the region may fade at a time
when it is most needed."
The economic slowdown in the United States and Europe had already
affected Brazil before the terrorist attacks occurred, he said,
hinting that worsening conditions might exacerbate instability in the
hemisphere. Brazil remains a major trading partner for the United
States, so its economic health could have far-reaching implications,
Barbosa argued. "Social and economic problems in Latin America
shouldn't be ignored, even though the United States' main focus now is
the fight against terrorism," he said.
Da Costa, too, expressed concern about potentially serious financial
repercussions in Latin America from the terrorist attacks. "Don't
forget," he said, "we have presidential elections [in Brazil] next
year, and the economic impact [of the attacks] will make a
difference." Barbosa expanded on that theme: "Violence is increasing
throughout the region, because of poverty and the resulting social
problems. Things are changing rapidly in many areas, and additional
burdens are being put on our shoulders in the wake of the attacks.
Tourism has been affected; the insurance industry is being affected.
Governments are required to respond. These are the new tensions we
have to live with."
The Bush Administration, said Noriega, realizes that many people
around the world "are worried that the United States is focused on
Afghanistan and the Middle East -- at the expense of other regions,
including Europe -- so Latin America should not feel isolated." But,
despite those fears, the United States hopes that its partners will
recognize that there will undoubtedly be "collateral gains" to the
collective fight against terrorism, he said. Noriega predicted that
more funding would become available for law enforcement efforts to
help protect the entire region, contributing significantly to the
hemisphere's security.
Furthermore, "security can't be looked at in purely military terms,
but also in terms of economic and immigration matters," said an
official from the U.S. Department of Defense. "The countries of the
Western Hemisphere will be very much of a player in this arena: in
fact, their standing may well be enhanced."
Noriega said that the United States was "enormously grateful" to its
fellow OAS members for invoking the Rio Treaty. Some countries "may
have to grapple with the domestic political implications [of the
attacks] within their own territory, and the United States is
sensitive to that," he added.
Da Costa urged the United States' friends in the hemisphere to display
sensitivity, as well. "I'm not sure that the Latin American
governments are aware of the changes in the American psyche that have
occurred since September 11," he said. Like Noriega, he foresaw "all
types of collateral gains" resulting from collective efforts against
terrorism. Nonetheless, "there will have to be improvements in
intelligence sharing and collective security measures" throughout the
region, he added.
"In the Americas, we have multilateralism because of our common
principles and ideals," Noriega concluded. "We're not pursuing
multilateralism of the lowest common denominator, but of the highest
values. The Rio Treaty is an illustration of this." The United States,
he said, looks forward to working closely with its regional partners
in the fight against terrorism, and also on a broad range of other
critical issues.
(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International
Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site:
htt://usinfo.state.gov)
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