Posted on 09/08/2006 6:29:00 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
UNITED NATIONS - The U.N. General Assembly adopted a long-awaited strategy to combat terrorism on Friday, though many nations lamented that it does not include a definition or say anything about states that commit terrorist acts.
The document, adopted by consensus, is the result of a year of often bitter work to meet world leaders' demands that the United Nations help its 192 members fight the scourge.
Much of the strategy, distributed Thursday, repeats previous commitments — for example, promises to implement earlier General Assembly and Security Council resolutions. It also makes promises that are ambiguous and difficult to fulfill: promoting the rule of law and "a culture of peace;" meeting the Millennium Development Goals; encouraging dialogue between people of different faiths.
Yet there are nuggests that could prove useful, including a suggestion that the U.N. and member nations develop a database on "biological incidents" to counter the threat of bio-terror; take measures to combat terrorism on the Internet; and clamp down on counterfeiting of travel documents.
"I think it is the first time that 192 countries have come together and taken a stand on the issue of terrorism, and now the test will be how we implement it," U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said.
The issue of a counterterrorism strategy has been highly contentious at the U.N. because nations have been unable to agree on what exactly constitutes terrorism. Israel and the Palestinians, for example, both accuse each other of terrorist acts.
In a clear reference to the Israeli-Palestinian stalemate, Syria's U.N. Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari said the strategy, which is nonbinding, "does not prejudice the right of people for self-determination and the struggle for independence."
Few nations sent their U.N. ambassadors to attend the General Assembly session where the strategy was adopted. That is often a sign that nations do not see it as a hugely symbolic event or are not entirely satisfied with it.
According to the strategy, nations would be encouraged to give money to U.N. counterterrorism assistance projects. Border controls would be stepped up to prevent terrorists from crossing state lines or smuggling arms such as nuclear weapons.
Nations would vow to do more to exchange information that could be used to fight terrorism and to "take appropriate measures" to make sure that people seeking asylum have not committed terrorist acts or will not use their new status to do so.
The strategy includes a resolution to "make every effort" to come up with a comprehensive convention on international terrorism. Progress on defIning terrorism has been stymied because one country's terrorists can be another's freedom fighters.
"It also brings together in one place the provisions of a number of existing agreements so you may call that repetitious but it's important to bring it together in one framework," said General Assembly President Jan Eliasson's spokeswoman, Pragati Pascale.
According to the resolution outlining the plan of action, the General Assembly would return in two years to study how effective it has been.
Eliasson acknowledged those difficulties, saying that the strategy does not attempt either to solve or avoid them.
"It's an extremely sensitive subject, it goes to the core of security, it is a very emotional issue rightly so, when so many innocent civilians are killed in terrorist acts all over the world," Eliasson said after the meeting.
After the resolution was passed, the General Assembly hall saw an angry back and forth that has become familiar at the U.N. — Israel traded accusations with Iran, Lebanon and Syria over who they believe is ultimately responsible for terrorism.
Few nations sent their U.N. ambassadors to attend the General Assembly session where the strategy was adopted. That is often a sign that nations do not see it as a hugely symbolic event or are not entirely satisfied with it.
And this is news.
Useless to believe that this organization will ever do the right thing and protect people from disaster.
Before you know it, Kofi's U.N. will be calling the terrorists a bunch of "gunkies."
I'm amazed that he even used the term "terrorism" since the UN won't even acknowledge Hezbollah and other slime organizations as terrorists. And as far as implementing the plan, that's a joke. They haven't implemented or enforced any resolutions ever. It's all smoke. My guess is after the big meeting Kofi and his cohorts had a very expensive dinner and night out on us taxpayers' expense once again. What a bunch of useless flotsam and jetsam. Why can't we get rid of these people?
An organization including Syria, Iran, Pakistan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Egypt, Algeria, Lybia, Sudan, Somalia, France, Venezuela, Brazil, and North Korea to define terrorism & punish states that harbor.
Nuf said.
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