Diplomats Highlight OAS Role in Regional Anti-Terrorism Strategy
(OAS envoys cite importance of hemisphere-wide cooperation) (910) By Eric Bartholomay and Lauren Monsen Washington File Staff Writers Washington -- The swift response of the Organization of American States (OAS) to the September 11 terrorist attacks against New York and Washington demonstrates that "terrorism is a threat that has united us all," says Steven Monblatt, a U.S. diplomat who chairs the OAS Inter-American Committee Against Terrorism (known by its Spanish acronym CICTE). Appearing November 28 at a Foreign Press Center briefing, Monblatt outlined a series of recent OAS initiatives to combat terrorism throughout the Western Hemisphere. He was joined by three South American envoys to the OAS: Ambassador Paul Alberto Ricardes of Argentina, Ambassador Margarita Escobar of El Salvador, and Ambassador Eduardo Ferrero Costa of Peru. Monblatt recalled that the OAS "was the first international organization to condemn the bombings of September 11," pointing out that the OAS issued a statement denouncing terrorism on the very day of the attacks. Moreover, he said, OAS member states reinforced that position by promptly invoking the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance (commonly referred to as the Rio Treaty), which recognizes an attack against one OAS member state as an attack against all the others and directs the signatory parties to provide mutual assistance in the face of aggression. The OAS "followed up immediately by asking that CICTE ... take some effective and practical measures" to thwart terrorist activity in the region, he noted. Monblatt praised the resulting measures as a "collaborative, concrete, pragmatic menu of recommendations to enhance ... hemispheric security against terrorism." Ricardes echoed that view, and emphasized the importance of "collective action" by the OAS nations in thwarting terrorist objectives. He also predicted that CICTE will take steps to boost its financial resources and enhance the skills of its staffers, thereby improving its capacity to respond to terrorist threats. "For the 34 democratic countries of our hemisphere, September 11 marked a turning point in our view about security," Escobar said. "The one message that is clear is, no terrorism in our hemisphere will be allowed or tolerated. The second message is, we will cooperate and coordinate with each other." The diplomats stressed that CICTE's proposals are not targeted at specific terrorist organizations; rather, the goal is to provide a framework that will aid all OAS member states in the fight against terrorism, in whatever manner it might appear. For his part, Ferrero Costa cited the necessity of strict border controls and heightened information sharing among authorities in the hemisphere. In addition, he said, the OAS is working to establish "a broad and comprehensive inter-American treaty in the fight against terrorism." The efforts of the OAS and CICTE are aimed at "breaking up terrorist cells, putting them in jail or expelling them from the hemisphere, and discrediting their tactics," Monblatt added. He indicated that OAS member states are collaborating to eliminate terrorist financial networks and to tighten border security; in addition, CICTE initiatives would address terrorist-related transnational crimes such as small arms and explosives trafficking. One CICTE proposal recommends training sessions to teach employees of banks and money-lending corporations how to recognize and block money-laundering tactics used by drug traffickers and terrorist groups. Border control measures such as identification cards and more comprehensive travel documentation are being considered, in order to limit the mobility of terrorist groups. A "multilateral, multi-disciplinary approach" to border security will yield more effective "identification of terrorist cells, identification of activities, identification of individuals or groups that may be contemplating acts of terrorism in our hemisphere," Escobar said. "Two types of terrorism exist in the hemisphere: indigenous terrorism, where a particular group's aspirations or political agenda is essentially restricted to one country, and international terrorism, where cells have global links," Monblatt observed. "Both kinds of terrorism are present and have been present in the Americas." He conceded that there is no conclusive evidence that al Qaeda, the organization headed by suspected terrorist Osama bin Laden, has cells based in Latin America. However, he expressed confidence "that there have been, within the hemisphere, support cells, fund-raising activities, and transit routes that a number of terrorist groups from outside the hemisphere have used and continue to use in support of their operations." Responding to a reporter's remark on the difficulty of arriving at a universally accepted definition of terrorism, Monblatt flatly rejected any suggestion that there should be distinctions between domestic terrorist groups and those with a more global reach, in terms of their respective motives. "We don't look at the cause," he said. "We look at the action that's committed in the name of the cause." Ultimately, he said, CICTE hopes to ensure that the Western Hemisphere "is not a place that's hospitable to terrorism." Although much remains to be done in pursuit of that goal, Monblatt affirmed that the United States "is very pleased" with the OAS' rapid response to the magnified challenge to regional and international security in the aftermath of September 11. Escobar, in reiterating the hemisphere's stance against terrorism, offered a potent reminder of the high stakes involved. The nations of the OAS will not "depart from defending our [democratic] systems and our way of life," she declared. "That's the bottom line; very simple. It's the way we live." (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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