02 October 2001

General Assembly Echoes With Condemnations of Terrorism

By Judy Aita
Washington File United Nations Correspondent

United Nations -- Diplomats from more than 50 countries took the podium in the General Assembly October 1 and 2 to express their governments' condemnation of the terrorist attack in the United States and discuss the importance of standing together against terrorism.

The assembly debate on terrorism was moved from the Sixth Committee to plenary session in the great General Assembly Hall to underscore the importance of forging a universal political understanding and global coalition against terrorists and terrorism in every corner of the world. It also provided UN member states an opportunity to express their moral outrage at the attacks which claimed the lives of more than 5,500 innocent men, women and children and express their condolences to the victims' families and the governments of the United States and 60 other nations that lost their citizens in the tragic events.

Because more than 150 nations have signed up to participate, the session on terrorism is expected to continue until October 5.

Among the many nations whose representatives took the podium October 2 were Pakistan, which has sent emissaries to the Taliban leadership in Afghanistan to convey the need to turn over Usama bin Laden for prosecution for several terrorist acts; Yemen, which was the site of a terrorist attack last year on the US naval vessel Cole; and Sudan, which was just relieved of UN sanctions after it increased its cooperation in fighting terrorism.

Ambassador Shamshad Ahmad of Pakistan said "we have always condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestation, including state terrorism. We have never condoned acts of terrorism and have been cooperating with the international community in combating this universal evil. Today again, we have pledged our full support and unstinted cooperation to the fight against terrorism."

The Pakistani government will be part of the international coalition against terrorism and has conveyed its position to the Pakistani people, he said. "It is a difficult path but we are determined to support what is right and what is just."

The ambassador said that international treaties and Security Council resolutions must be implemented. "Freezing assets, closing of bank accounts, denying safe haven, and information sharing are important steps in controlling terrorist acts," he said.

"For a long-term solution, we must unearth the source of the problem and diagnose the disease beneath the skin. Sheer bandages will not heal the wounds that are rooted in the injustices of systems and societies," Ahmad said.

Ahmad also talked of his country's fear of "an impending humanitarian tragedy" as millions of Afghans leave their homes in fear of war. "Pakistan, which has been home to the world's largest refugee population for more than two decades, is now faced with the massive new influx of nearly 1.5 million Afghan refugees."

"How the international community responds to this crisis will be a real test not only of its ability but also of its moral responsibility," he said.

Sudan Ambassador Elfatih Erwa emphasized his country's "full condemnation of this heinous act" and extended his country's "sincere condolences" to the United States and other countries whose citizens were killed.

"Sudan's condemnation and denunciation of acts of terrorism targeting innocent civilians is not borne of the moment, rather it is a reflection of an authentic spirit stemming from our cultural heritage and values," Erwa said.

"Terrorism is a criminal scourge which should not be linked to any culture, race, or religion. Terrorism is terrorism," the ambassador said. "What happened on the 11 of September is an act of terrorism that has nothing to do with Islam whatsoever."

Expressing appreciation "for the wise statement and assurances made by President Bush and other officials of the U.S. administration and European states that war against terrorism in no way means war against Islam," Erwa emphasized "the importance of consolidating values of co-existence among religions and cultures."

Strongly condemning the terrorist acts, Malaysian Ambassador Hasmy Agam said October 2 that "we regard all acts, methods and practices of terrorism as criminal acts that cannot be justified -- regardless of the motivation of their perpetrators -- when innocent, defenseless civilians become their victims."

"Terrorism has no religion or nationality and serves only the selfish personal or group interests of the perpetrators and their sponsors," Agam said.

The ambassador said that a world conference should be held for world leaders to discuss the issue of international terrorism. Such a conference, he said, would provide the necessary political impetus toward completing ongoing efforts to address the problem, including completing a convention on international terrorism.

Ambassador Abdalla Al-Ashtal of Yemen said that his government condemns "without reservation" all terrorist acts and "reaffirms the necessity to combat these acts at all national and international levels."

"Terrorism is a phenomenon synonymous to extremism and blind intolerance," he said. "It is therefore a mistake to make an accusation of terrorism against any nation, people or religion. It is a crime that cannot be justified or be left unpunished. We denounce and condemn criminal terrorist acts anywhere in the world and express our readiness to cooperate regionally and internationally in all efforts to combat that scourge."

"We note with satisfaction the positions some high officials in the U.S. and in Europe that have also denounced retaliatory acts against Arabs and Muslims in their countries," he said.

On October 1 Nigerian Ambassador Arthur C.I. Mbanefo talked about terrorism as a "global menace" and stressed that the response to terrorism must be "global and coordinated ... but our response will only be effective if we stand united and we all openly and manifestly take action against terrorists and their networks."

In 1998 during the terrorist attack on the American Embassy in Tanzania, Nigeria's embassy building was destroyed. In the World Trade Center attack many Nigerian citizens were killed and some remain critically wounded in hospitals, the ambassador said. "Terrorism is no respecter of national frontiers. Terrorism does not respect any nationality, religion, race ethnicity or group," he said. "Indeed there is no country in the world today where there are no foreign nationals."

Terrorism, Mbanefo said, is a violation of fundamental human rights, especially the right to life and peaceful co-existence. "The terror and tragedies that terrorists unleash on innocent and unsuspecting citizens pose a serious threat to the stability of all societies. It threatens existing democratic institutions."

"Emerging democracies are very vulnerable to tragedies which such terrorist attacks cause. That is why the international community must be very determined and firm in their resolve to confront and defeat terrorists, their network and collaborators," the Nigerian ambassador said.

The international community must guard against weapons of mass destruction, particularly nuclear terrorism. "If terrorists are allowed to have access to nuclear materials as well as chemical and biological substances, then humanity may be heading for an abrupt end," he said.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ordzhonikidze warned October 1 that "terrorism is not only a dangerous but also an insidious enemy; it takes advantage of any weak link in the chain of states which fight against it."

"The priority task is to establish a global system to counteract new threats and challenges, which would ensure, among other things, the inevitable punishment of all those responsible for organizing and perpetrating terrorist acts," he said.

"Of special concern are the expanding ties between international terrorism and transnational organized crime, illegal drug business, money laundering and illegal trafficking in nuclear, chemical, biological and other hazardous materials," Ordzhonikidze said. "That is why we, on our part, are not only ready for but also insist on the closest possible international cooperation among members of the international community in fighting against this scourge of the 21st Century."

Nicaraguan Foreign Minister Francisco Aguirre Sacasa said October 1 that "the gravity of these criminal acts has imposed on us new and greater challenges, which we need to face united. ... All members of the United Nations need to apply a coordinated strategy that will make us effective in our long-term battle against international terrorism."

"We need to be conscious that we now face a common enemy, an enemy that operates clandestinely, in a cowardly fashion but with great sophistication, an enemy frequently linked to other international crimes, such as drug trafficking, money laundering and the diverse forms of organized crime that facilitate and finance the commission of these critical acts," Aguirre Sacasa said.

"We need to continue on ahead, to rise without hesitation from this trial and strengthen cooperation in order to declare together a world war on terrorism, a common enemy of all peoples, of all beliefs and religions and of peace and democracy," the minister said.

The foreign minister said that "the first step toward winning the war against terrorism is not to allow us to be frightened by its actions." For that reason Nicaragua decided to go ahead with the meeting of the states parties to the Landmine Convention. "We did not want to surrender to terrorism, we did not want to allow ourselves to be cornered by these sinister forces that attempt to interrupt normality, to paralyze us and turn us into hostages of fear, all in the name of causes that are presented as being noble objectives."

South African Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo read a statement from his government on the developments surrounding the terrorist attacks in the United States.

"South Africa will cooperate with all efforts to apprehend the culprits and bring them to book. Justice must be done and it must be seen to be done," Kumalo said. "South Africa, therefore, recognizes the right of the U.S. government to track down the culprits and bring them to justice. Any action taken should be informed by thorough investigations and incontrovertible evidence."

"The world should unite in the fight against terrorism. In this effort, the immediate task is to ensure that the perpetrators meet their just desserts," the ambassador said. "In the least, the terrorists should be isolated through international cooperation to build an equitable world order."

Bangladesh Ambassador Shameem Ahsan said that in his country "the major political parties, members of civil society, media stood in unity to form a broad national consensus to condemn the attack and to support global action against the perpetrators of such violence."

"In pursuance of this objective, the government also responded positively to the request made by the United States for providing necessary facilities and support for possible multinational action to combat terrorism," he said. "Our response, stems from our principled position and our international commitment to fight this modern day scourge."

Singapore Ambassador Kishore Mahbubani said that "the perpetrators of these terrible crimes cannot go unpunished. They must be brought to justice. Others must be deterred from contemplating similar horrific acts."

"Americans are not alone in this fight against terrorism," Mahbubani said. "Singapore stands with the United States and the international community in this struggle. This is a fight between people who stand for civilized society and those out to destroy it. This is not a fight against Islam."

"We realize that it will be a long and uphill struggle to make the world safer from terrorism, " the ambassador said. "This is a deep-rooted problem that will not go away easily. The terrorists have built up a sophisticated and complex global network and other societies too are at risk."

"Countering terrorism must therefore be a global endeavor. Globally, we need to put together our collective will and wisdom to address the problem in all its dimensions," Mahbubani said. "There will inevitably be sensitivities -- domestic and regional -- that will have to be managed. But we must accept these risks to create a better world."