12 December 2001
Byliner: Amb. Gutierrez on Terrorism's Economic Impact on the Americas
(Says free-trade initiatives will help diminish aftershocks of Sept.
11) (730)
The following article ("September 11 and its Aftermath: The Impact of
Doing Business in the Americas") is by Ambassador Lino Gutierrez,
Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs.
There are no republication restrictions; the article is in the public
domain.
(begin text)
"September 11 and its Aftermath: The Impact of Doing Business in the
Americas"
By Lino Gutierrez
(Lino Gutierrez is Acting Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere
Affairs in the U.S. Department of State.)
When terrorists struck in New York and Washington on September 11 the
response of the entire hemisphere was immediate, strong, and
supportive. Many of our neighbors have provided this support while
simultaneously dealing with their own sorrow as a result of the
attack. More than 300 nationals from 28 Western Hemisphere countries
were lost in the attack, El Salvador and the Dominican Republic
suffering almost half of the casualties.
In addition, the September terrorist attacks have weakened growth
prospects and the business climate throughout the hemisphere. As our
domestic economy was affected, so were the economies of our neighbors.
And these economic difficulties, in turn, threaten to worsen
democratic and security problems.
In response to the attacks and their aftermath, the United States
government and its allies have developed a comprehensive four-part
approach.
First, we have asked all countries to ratify the 12 international
counterterrorism treaties that allow international cooperation to work
smoothly. This empowers each country to help stabilize the whole. The
Organization of American States, through its Inter-American
Counterterrorism Committee, known as CICTE, is using the treaties to
develop a hemispheric security program that will institutionalize the
collaborative structure being created.
Second, we are working with the nations of the hemisphere to ensure
the identification and seizure of the financial assets of terrorism.
All of the democratic nations of the region moved quickly to review
financial records. Many nations have created or are now creating
financial intelligence units. The places where terrorists can hide
their assets are rapidly dwindling.
Third, we are working with countries to ensure that terrorism is
criminalized in all its forms. Together with the universal
jurisdiction created by the treaties, this strips away much of the
appeal of using the Caribbean or Central America as a pipeline. The
terrorists and their abettors will soon learn that there is nowhere to
hide.
Last, and perhaps most importantly, we are working to improve border
controls. This is in all our interests. The Federal Aviation
Administration has suggested ways to improve airline security, and
airlines are complying with those guidelines. The Immigration and
Naturalization Service provides training to immigration and airline
personnel around the region to increase airport security and border
integrity, as well as to establish cooperative ties to enable
international cooperation on immigration issues. This also helps
reduce corruption.
The greatest enemies of terrorism and organized crime are democracy
and economic stability. Our approach to the hemisphere has remained
the same, based on three critical pillars: sustainable development,
including increasing free trade and economic stability;
democratization and rule of law, including human rights and education;
and promoting hemispheric security, including combating terrorism and
an aggressive but balanced counternarcotics program. Each of these is
necessary to the other.
Earlier enemies learned that America is the arsenal of democracy;
today's enemies will learn that America is the economic engine for
freedom, opportunity, and development. To that end, U.S. leadership in
promoting the international economic and trading system is vital. We
continue to work with the hemisphere on free trade initiatives and
economic growth. But the ultimate goal is the Free Trade Area of the
Americas (FTAA), which has the potential to triple trade flows among
the countries of the Americas within a decade. All 34 democratic
leaders of this hemisphere remain committed to free trade, which was
reaffirmed at the Quebec Summit of the Americas in April.
We continue on our path to a hemisphere that is free, prosperous, and
peaceful. Not even the attacks of September 11 can deter us. The goals
we have now, the goals we have always had, are the best route to
defeating terrorists, criminals, and every other threat we face.
Together we will achieve them.
(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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