Posted on 07/28/2005 9:41:35 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The United States formally introduced the final version of a draft Security Council resolution Thursday that would toughen U.N. sanctions against al-Qaida and the Taliban.
U.S. mission spokesman Ben Chang said Washington hopes for a vote Friday on the resolution, which better defines groups and individuals who should fall under the sanctions regime.
U.N. sanctions currently require all 191 U.N. member states to impose a travel ban and arms embargo against those "associated with" Osama bin Laden's terror network and the former Afghan rulers and to freeze their financial assets.
Among other things, the draft would target those who help finance, recruit for or otherwise support al-Qaida, bin Laden, the Taliban "or any cell, affiliate, splinter group or derivative thereof."
"The resolution clarifies and defines the universe of those associated with al-Qaida-Taliban who would be subject to sanctions," Chang said. "It also underscores the importance of taking measures to combat the financing of terrorism."
For the first time, the draft resolution urges nations to enact recommendations set out by the Financial Action Task Force, a group of more than 50 nations seeking to tighten controls on underground money transfers used to bankroll the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on America and other terrorist activities.
Earlier this year, a U.N. team investigating compliance with the sanctions against al-Qaida and the Taliban found that bin Laden's followers still have easy access to bombmaking materials and money.
The report also noted that no member state reported a violation of the travel ban for the three years the sanctions had been in force - but it was "difficult to believe" no al-Qaida or Taliban member had crossed a national border.
The U.S. draft resolution also would set up a monitoring team to assess national efforts to implement sanctions against al-Qaida and the Taliban. The team would help come up with ways to punish countries that willingly ignore the sanctions.
The resolution also share more information with two other U.N. committees: one that focuses on counterterrorism and one that deals with nuclear nonproliferation. It would ask that the list of those under sanction be included in an Interpol database.
The UN is terribly unfunny joke.
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