24 September 2001

UN Resolution Gives U.S. Right to Use Force, Envoy says

By Judy Aita
Washington File United Nations Correspondent

United Nations -- The Security Council's latest resolution against terrorism gives the United States the right to take military action against terrorists in Afghanistan, the current president of the council said September 24.

Asked by journalists what action the Security Council might take against the threat to international peace and security posed by the situation in Afghanistan, Council President Jean-David Levitte of France indicated that some members of the council feel that the United States already has authorization to do what it needs to bring the organizers and sponsors of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon to justice.

He cited Security Council resolution 1368 which was passed unanimously on September 12, just 24 hours after the attacks in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania.

The resolution unequivocally condemned the terrorist attacks and called on "all states to work together urgently to bring to justice the perpetrators, organizers, and sponsors" of the attacks. It says that "those responsible for aiding, supporting or harboring the perpetrators, organizers and sponsors of these acts will be held accountable" and calls on the international community "to redouble their efforts to prevent and suppress terrorists acts."

Levitte said that "based on that resolution the European Council -- that is the heads of state and government of the 15 members of the European Union -- have expressed their unanimous position that this resolution can be used by the U.S. government if they feel they should exercise their right of legitimate defense."

Levitte said that the 15-member Security Council will be briefed at least weekly by senior UN officials on the Afghanistan issue. Current members of the council are the five permanent members: China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, and the United States; along with 10 non-permanent members: Bangladesh, Colombia, Ireland, Jamaica, Mali, Mauritius, Norway, Singapore, Tunisia, and Ukraine.

Meanwhile, a UN spokesman reported September 24 that local UN staff locked up communication equipment and UN offices throughout Afghanistan. However, in Kandahar local authorities took over UN offices and those belonging to some non-governmental humanitarian organizations.

On September 21 the UN sent out a last communication to its staff advising them to comply with a Taliban order to cease communications with the outside world since it was possible that non-compliance could put lives at risk, said UN spokesman Fred Eckhard.

The UN also sent a request to the Taliban requesting that one high frequency radio be allowed to function in each location so that some form of communication would be possible, but the UN has not yet received an answer, Eckhard said.

Many UN activities in Afghanistan have ceased entirely while some are continuing, the spokesman said. The World Food Organization (WFO) continues to assist more than 1 million people with food aid inside Afghanistan in increasingly difficult circumstances. Nevertheless, since September 11 WFO has distributed more than 2,500 tons of food.

A previously planned immunization campaign was begun on schedule September 23 using Taliban ministry of health officials. The UN expects that by the end of the campaign September 25, more than 5 million children will have received immunization shots.