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14 November 2001

Byliner: Powell on September 11th Terrorist Attacks

(He discusses the nature of coalition building) (1030)
(This byliner was published in the Office of International Information
Program's electronic journal "U.S. Foreign Policy Agenda," November
14. No republication restrictions.)
Seizing the Moment
By Colin L. Powell
(The author is U.S. Secretary of State.)
The mass murders that were committed on September 11 under the
direction of Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaida network have united the
world against international terrorism. Some 80 countries lost citizens
in the attacks. From our shared grief and shared resolve can come new
opportunities not only to defeat terrorism, but also to work with
other nations on a range of important issues of global concern.
A host of countries and international organizations have answered
President Bush's call for a worldwide coalition to combat terrorism --
among them NATO, the European Union, the Organization of American
States, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Organization
of African Unity, the Arab League, the Organization of the Islamic
Conference, and the U.N. General Assembly and Security Council.
Indeed, the Security Council unanimously adopted an historic
resolution obliging all 189 U.N. member states to stop terrorist
travel, money flows, planning and other support, and to cooperate in
bringing terrorists to justice.
International terrorism poses a multidimensional threat. Our coalition
must use every tool of statecraft to defeat it. Some countries will
take part in the military response against those involved in the
atrocities of September 11. Others, while not participating directly
in military action, will provide logistical support or access to bases
and staging areas or overflight rights. And many will contribute to
humanitarian efforts to help the millions of innocent Afghans who have
suffered under the Taliban regime -- a regime which seems to care more
about Osama bin Laden and his terrorists than its own starving
citizens. Coalition members also will work to disrupt and destroy
terrorist networks by sharing intelligence and other critical
information, cooperating in law enforcement, and cutting off
terrorists' financial lifelines.
This will be a long, hard campaign, measured in years and fought on
many fronts. For such an effort, our coalition will have the
flexibility to evolve.
And the very process of participating in this great global campaign
against terrorism may well open the door for us to strengthen or
reshape international relationships and expand or establish areas of
cooperation.
Already, our alliances in Europe, Asia and the Western Hemisphere have
been reinvigorated by invocations of the collective defense provisions
of the NATO, ANZUS and Rio Treaties.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's reaction to September 11 marked the
beginning of a new period in our bilateral relationship, one in which
a new spirit of cooperation on counterterrorism may also make many of
the tough issues on the agenda more resolvable. Indeed, in the wake of
11 September, it has become clear that not only is the Cold War over,
but the post-Cold War period is also over.
China has also contributed meaningfully to this unprecedented global
effort. I am confident that as we advance our counterterrorism
cooperation with China we will be in a stronger position to sustain
meaningful consultations with the leadership in Beijing on other
subjects of importance to us.
We have also seized opportunities to improve our relations with
Pakistan and India. President Musharaff of Pakistan made the strategic
decision to end his government's support of the Taliban. As a result
of the actions taken by Pakistan in support of our campaign, we can
see the beginning of a strengthened relationship that will grow and
thrive in the years ahead.
Well before September 11, President Bush made it clear that putting
our relationship with India on a higher plane is one of his highest
priorities. With the strong support we have received from the Indian
government since September 11, we are seizing the opportunity to
accelerate the pace of change.
Our improved relations with these two South Asian rivals may now
present an opportunity for both countries to explore new ways of
thinking about stability on the Subcontinent.
The millions of our fellow Americans of the Islamic faith, and the ten
Muslim nations who lost citizens in the September 11 attacks, need no
convincing that the killers and their accomplices pervert Islam when
they use it to justify their appalling crimes. Out of a deep sense of
shared humanity, and a chilling appreciation of common vulnerability
to terrorism, we see new scope to strengthen our relations with the
Islamic world.
In this global campaign, the United States welcomes the help of any
country or party that is genuinely prepared to work with us, but we
will not relax our standards and we will continue to advance our
fundamental interests in human rights, accountable government, free
markets, non-proliferation and conflict resolution, for we believe
that a world of democracy, opportunity, and stability is a world in
which terrorism cannot thrive.
Throughout the campaign against international terrorism, the dedicated
men and women of the State Department at our posts abroad and here in
Washington will be on the front lines just as surely as those who wear
the uniform.
We will not let terrorism hijack American foreign policy. The
President has urged the American people to get back to the business of
their daily lives. So too, the United States will continue to pursue a
full international agenda -- from promoting good governance to
cooperating with other countries to stem the HIV/AIDS pandemic,
establish a post-Cold War strategic framework, launch a new trade
round, and foster peace in the Middle East.
Terrorism has cast a shadow across the globe. But the global resolve
to defeat it has never been greater and the prospects for
international cooperation across a broad range of issues has never
been brighter. As President Bush said the other day when he visited
the State Department: "Out of this evil will come good. Through our
tears we see opportunities to make the world better for generations to
come. And we will seize them."
(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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