TERRORISM REQUIRES RESPONSE FOUNDED ON INCLUSION, FAIRNESS, LEGITIMACY, GENERAL ASSEMBLY TOLD, AS DEBATE CONTINUES

Fifty-sixth General Assembly
Plenary
2 October 2001
15th Meeting (PM)




Sustainability of Struggle against Terrorism
Rests on Application of Single Set of Standards to All


There was a vital need for a rational and far-reaching response to the recent terrorist acts focusing not only on the 11 September attacks, but also on terrorism, in general, and, more importantly, on its root causes of injustice and exclusion, Deputy Foreign Minister Javad Zarif of Iran stressed to the General Assembly this afternoon.

As the Assembly continued its consideration of measures to eliminate international terrorism, Mr. Zarif said that, as a global menace, terrorism required a global response founded on inclusion, fairness and international legitimacy, not one of indiscriminate retribution. Terrorists should not be allowed to set the agenda or dictate the response, he added, stating that the legitimacy and sustainability of the struggle against terrorism rested on the application of a single set of standards to all.

The Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Philippines, Lauro L. Baja, stressed the need for an inter-faith dialogue to broaden and promote Christian-Muslim solidarity, noting that terrorists wished to instigate a religious war. Islam was a religion of peace, forbearance and tolerance, and the terrorists who posed as Muslims had been denounced by true Muslims as traitors to the teachings of the Koran, he added.

The representative of Germany added said that what the world was confronted with was not, and must not be perceived as, a “clash of civilizations”. What the world was confronted with was the terrorists’ clash with civilization.

Saudi Arabia's representative, emphasizing that Arab governments and peoples condemned terrorism in all its shapes and forms, said it was necessary, nevertheless, to distinguish between terrorism, on the one hand, and the right of peoples to defend their independence, freedom and human rights when subjected to foreign occupation and domination. The general condemnation of terrorism extended to State terrorism as practised by Israel.

Oman's representative expressed the hope that support for the anti-terrorism campaign would not prevent efforts to seek a final solution to the Palestinian question and the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Among many other representatives, Petko Draganov, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria, spoke out against direct and indirect financing of terrorist networks and their link to organized crime. Funding lay at the heart of the problem of terrorism, he said. In order to prevent terrorism, the international community needed to engage in daily cooperation to dry out terrorist financial sources.

The representative of Cyprus echoed this sentiment, as he told the Assembly that fighting terrorism required the constant vigilance of all countries, so that their financial institutions would not be abused by terrorist networks. He added that terrorist funding was often connected with international criminal cartels involved in the drug trade and trafficking of arms.

The representatives of Bhutan, Uruguay, Lesotho, Australia, Sri Lanka, Austria, Mauritania, New Zealand, Djibouti and Gabon also spoke this afternoon.

The Assembly will meet again tomorrow, Wednesday, 3 October, at 10 a.m. to continue its debate on measures to eliminate international terrorism.



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