25 October 2001
Byliner: "The Century of the Americas: The Impact of September 11"
(Grossman says attacks produced "unprecedented" regional cooperation)
(700)
Following is the text of an op-ed column entitled "The Century of the
Americas: The Impact of September 11," by Marc Grossman, U.S. Under
Secretary of State for Political Affairs. Grossman's column is in the
public domain; no republication restrictions.
(begin text)
"The Century of the Americas: The Impact of September 11"
By Marc Grossman
Under Secretary for Political Affairs
U.S. Department of State
The outpouring of sympathy from the people and leaders of the Western
Hemisphere for those murdered on September 11 by Al Qaeda terrorists
was instant, overwhelming and very much appreciated. We extend our
sympathy to those twenty-nine countries in the hemisphere that lost
citizens in the Al Qaeda attack. As President Bush has stressed, the
attack was not against the United States, it was against all who value
freedom. This was an assault by international terrorists on our common
human values, an assault on innocent people trying to earn an honest
living, an assault on everyone's aspirations to live in peace.
We have received offers of assistance for the struggle against
international terrorism from Canada in the North to Argentina in the
South. Virtually every country in the region has expanded efforts to
investigate links between local individuals and organizations and
international terrorist groups through unprecedented law enforcement
and intelligence cooperation. The Bahamas have aggressively
scrutinized suspicious financial accounts. Antigua & Barbuda propose
to change their banking laws. Canada and Mexico stepped up cooperation
with U.S. law enforcement and immigration agencies to buttress
security along common borders. In Lima, the Foreign Ministers of our
OAS partners unanimously approved a resolution calling on members to
act against terrorism. At Brazil's initiative, members of the
Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance -- known as the Rio
treaty -- declared that an attack on one is an attack against all and
agreed to provide mutual assistance against international terrorism.
Democracy is the heart of the values that drive the struggle against
terrorism. Thirty-four out of 35 countries in the hemisphere are
democratic. Unfortunately, Fidel Castro remains on the wrong side of
history. Elsewhere, the picture is brighter. In addition to Peru's
transformational presidential and legislative polls in March, seven
other countries are conducting elections this year. Nicaragua soon
will become the first to do so since the signing of the Democratic
Charter. The U.S. and other countries are providing assistance to the
OAS, Nicaragua's Supreme Electoral Council, and to local and
international NGOs to facilitate free and fair elections in Nicaragua.
While we will respect the results of a fair election, we have serious
concerns about the Sandinistas' history of violating basic human
rights, and ties to supporters of terrorism.
We must also help democracies under attack. Colombians have long
suffered from the terrorism of insurgencies and paramilitary groups
financed by the drug trade. We have criminalized financial support to
Colombian terrorist organizations and denied U.S. visas to their
members. We will continue to work with Colombians to combat the
illegal drug trade, to strengthen the Colombian judiciary, and to
promote economic development throughout the region.
Our goal is a hemisphere united by shared values and shared
prosperity. As President Bush has stated, this is a region that
"trades in freedom." Open markets and sustained growth support
long-term development and strong, democratic societies. President
Bush's Administration remains committed to achieving a Free Trade Area
of the Americas. The FTAA will be the largest free trading area in the
world, encompassing 800 million people. This has the potential to
triple trade flows among the countries of the Americas within a
decade.
The unprecedented hemispheric cooperation that has emerged since
September 11 is contributing to a genuine sense of community among the
governments and peoples of our region. We are very conscious of the
challenges we face -- and they are serious -- at the beginning of the
"Century of the Americas," but also of the opportunity that is before
us.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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