19 December 2001
Annan Urges Support For Afghan Interim Authority
(UN Secretary General talks about Afghanistan, Iraq, terrorism) (810)
By Judy Aita
Washington File United Nations Correspondent
United Nations -- The people of Afghanistan have an unprecedented
opportunity to begin anew to build a broad-based government that
defends their rights and set the country on the path of development,
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said December 19. "The chance must not
be missed -- by Afghans, by their neighbors, or by the international
community."
At an end-of-the-year press conference, Annan talked about the
daunting tasks ahead for the Afghan Interim Authority which will take
over on December 22, the United Nations, and the international
community in helping the Afghans, as well as the continuing the
worldwide fight against terrorism launched after the September 11
terrorist attacks on the United States.
A main concern on Afghanistan, the secretary general said, is getting
the many ethnic groups who have been engaged in one war or another for
more than 20 years to work together.
"You do worry about ... getting people to forget their bad habits and
come together to work in the interest of their country and their
people," he said.
"Yes, we had a good agreement from Bonn. But now we have to interpret
it on the ground and realign it with reality on the ground, and with
some personalities on the ground who were not in Bonn. So far, they
have all said the right things, but as we begin to move ahead and
implement the agreement it is not as clear that now people will not
balk," Annan said.
"We will need to be patient. We will need to bring them along. We will
also need to rely on the cooperation of the neighbors -- some of whom
have considerable influence on the parties in Afghanistan," he said.
Afghanistan's neighbors must work with the UN on the basis that a
stable Afghanistan with a government that is loyal to the Afghan
people and determined to live in peace with its neighbors is best for
the region, and they must not support one group against another, which
could lead to divisions, the secretary general said.
The United Nations and, especially, its humanitarian agencies are
worried about security throughout the country. "If the international
force going in is going to focus on Kabul and its environment, what
happens to the rest of the country?" he asked.
On the international war on terrorism, the secretary general said that
if Al-Qaeda terrorists or Usama bin Laden turn up outside Afghanistan,
"we will have to cross that bridge when we get there."
But the best way to continue the fight against terrorism in the long
term is to implement the UN Security Council resolutions and the 12
international conventions on terrorism, the secretary general said.
"The Security Council and the General Assembly have provided a good
basis for the struggle against terrorism. Security Council resolution
1373 is a very good basis for fighting terrorism through international
cooperation, through political, diplomatic, financial and other means.
For the longer term that is the route we should go," he said.
On the United Nations' problem with Baghdad's refusal to allow UN
weapons inspectors into the country, the secretary general said he did
not see any sign from Iraq that it would be changing its position.
Nevertheless, he said that he thought it would be "unwise to attack
Iraq now."
"I have not seen any evidence linking Iraq to what happened on the
11th of September," Annan said. An attack would raise tensions "in a
region that is already under strain because of the Israeli/Palestinian
conflict."
"At the same time Iraq will have to understand that it has to begin
responding to the Security Council resolutions, particularly the
return of the inspectors. All their friends have encouraged them to
respond and allow the inspectors to go back," he said.
"The pressure is on them (Iraq) to respond to the councils' request to
return the inspectors," the secretary general said.
Annan, who recently received the Nobel Peace Prize, said that while
the international community musters its energy and determination for
the worldwide struggle against terrorism and to help Afghanistan, it
must not forget there are many people around the world suffering from
conflict, poverty, and HIV/AIDS.
"We must keep working to resolve conflict in Africa, Latin American
and wherever else it keeps people from focusing on the essential work
of economic and social development. We must continue the fight against
HIV/AIDS and build on the good progress we made earlier this year in
forging a global strategy and raising awareness as well as funds," the
secretary general said.
(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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