International Response: U.N. General Assembly Urges Multilateralism

Speakers at the fourth day of a special five-day U.N. General Assembly debate yesterday expressed solidarity with the United States and called for multilateralism and a comprehensive approach in fighting terrorism after the Sept. 11 attacks.

Fijian Ambassador Amraiya Naidu called for strengthening dialogue.  "This is our opportunity to seize the new culture of conflict prevention, driven by the secretary general, as a critical platform for member states to chart our destiny much closer towards international peace and security in the new millennium."

Maltese Ambassador Walter Balzan stressed multilateralism, while Portuguese Ambassador Francisco Seixas da Costa called for reflection and warned against "looking at the trees where a forest exists."  Countries must act "simultaneously in all the different areas that may be relevant," Seixas da Costa said.

Swaziland and Ghana called for a high-level U.N. conference on the issue, while Iraqi Ambassador Muhammad Duri rejected reports of rejoicing in his country after the attacks (U.N. Newservice, Oct. 4).

For highlights from the United Nations of yesterday morning's session, click here.  For the afternoon session, click here.

British Ambassador Jeremy Greenstock yesterday was named chairman of a new Security Council committee on terrorism, which will monitor implementation of a Sept. 28 council resolution on the financing of terrorism and cooperation in anti-terror efforts (U.N. Newservice II, Oct. 4).

Opposition Figure Blasts Vendrell As Afghans Eye U.N. Role

A key Afghan opposition figure, Hizbe Islami chief and former Prime Minister Gulbuddin Hekmatyr, has accused U.N. Afghanistan envoy Francesc Vendrell of cooperating with the United States, even before last month's attacks, in "actively pursuing a military plan to overthrow Taliban and install [former King] Zahir Khan [Shah] in their place" (News Network International/Karachi Business Recorder, Oct. 5).

Opposition commander Ismail Khan yesterday said the country's ruling Taliban, which harbors alleged terrorism mastermind Osama bin Laden, should be involved in governing Afghanistan even after their potential fall from power.  "Americans must be more careful and attentive this time," he added.  Eliminating bin Laden will not put an end to terrorism, he said, but "toppling the Taliban and creating a representative government will" (Agence France-Presse/Dawn, Oct. 5).  Afghans living in opposition-controlled northern areas, though, told AFP the Taliban should have no role in a future government (Jean-Claude Chapon, AFP, Oct. 5).

Khan added that young men in Badghis and Goor provinces, where heavy fighting is taking place, are defecting in large numbers to the opposition (AFP/Dawn).

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw yesterday said the world will help rebuild Afghanistan if the Taliban falls (Associated Press/Miami Herald, Oct. 5).

U.S. Official Says Pre-emptive Strikes Could Smooth Aid Drops

A senior U.S. defense official said yesterday that pre-emptive strikes against Taliban air defenses could facilitate U.S. aid deliveries to the country.  Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld declined to comment (Jamie McIntyre, CNN.com, Oct. 4).

NATO countries yesterday agreed to a list of U.S. requests for measures including access to their airspace and ports and use of early warning aircraft.  The measures are "not time limited," Secretary General George Robertson said (Suzanne Daley, New York Times, Oct. 5).

French Defense Minister Alain Richard said U.S. strikes are unlikely before several weeks.  Important decisions have yet to be made by Washington and its allies, Richard said (Emmanuel Georges-Picot, AP/Nando Times, Oct. 4).  Pakistani officials meanwhile said the United States may wait for the end of next week's meeting of the Organization of the Islamic Conference before attacking (Anwar Iqbal, United Press International, Oct. 5).

U.K., Pakistan Accuse Bin Laden As Countries Continue To Eye Roles

The United Kingdom yesterday released a report in which bin Laden is accused of being behind the attacks.  According to the document, bin Laden warned of an attack "on or around Sept. 11" and called associates back to Afghanistan before the attack, while one of his most senior collaborators was "responsible for the detailed planning of the attacks" and some of the hijackers were members of bin Laden's al-Qaeda terrorist network (Patrick Tyler, New York Times, Oct. 5).  Prime Minister Tony Blair, who read part of the document to Parliament yesterday, is in Pakistan today as part of a diplomatic tour that will also take him to India and Oman (CNN.com, Oct. 5).

For the text of the U.K. document from the New York Times, click here.

U.S. evidence against bin Laden "certainly provides sufficient basis for indictment in a court of law," a Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman said yesterday (John Burns, New York Times, Oct. 5).

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said yesterday that Egypt will not commit troops to international antiterrorism efforts (AP/Nando Times, Oct. 4).  Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov said Turkmenistan's military bases will not be used either (Xinhua News Agency, Oct. 5).

Association of Southeast Asian Nations ministers will discuss terrorism in Singapore next Tuesday through Thursday (Sa-nguan Khumrungroj, Bangkok Post, Oct. 5).  Thai Senator Kraisak Choonhavan said ASEAN should not back U.S. action unless the U.N. General Assembly provides further authorization (Bangkok Post, Oct. 5).

Indonesia meanwhile has banned its citizens from fighting for the Taliban in a potential war with the United States (Deutsche Presse-Agentur, Oct. 5).

In a special session presided over by President Fidel Castro, Cuban lawmakers yesterday signed nine U.N. terrorism treaties (Anita Snow, AP, Oct. 4).

Mexican President Vicente Fox yesterday toured the ruins of New York's World Trade Center with Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Governor George Pataki.  Fox also addressed the United Nations and spoke at a Catholic Mass.  Mexico will cooperate with anti-terror efforts, he said, adding that it was too early to commit to providing military assistance (Alan Clendenning, AP, Oct. 5).

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International Response:  Doctors Call for More Cooperation on CBW

Doctors yesterday called for stronger international cooperation against chemical and biological warfare at a three-day Geneva meeting of the World Medical Association's governing council. They warned that casualties from such attacks could be greater than those from nuclear weapons (Clare Nullis, Associated Press, Oct. 4).

"The WMA called on governments to acknowledge and act on the extreme danger of chemical and biological weapons," the organization said in a statement at the opening of the meeting (Richard Waddington, Reuters/Yahoo! News, Oct. 4).

"We are deeply concerned about the possibility of future terrorist attacks making use of chemical or biological weapons, and we need a globally coordinated effort to prepare for such an event," said American Medical Association President Richard Corlin (Nullis, AP). "We have to increase our vigilance and improve coordination between military defense and medical areas. ... The level of readiness is only spotty.  I don't think we have in place the systems needed" (Waddington, Reuters/Yahoo! News).

According to an AMA paper presented at the council, "The release of organisms causing smallpox, plague and anthrax could prove catastrophic in terms of the resulting illnesses and deaths compounded by the panic such outbreaks would generate. ... Given the ease of travel and increased globalization, an outbreak anywhere in the world could be a threat to all nations."

In the same paper, the AMA says governments need to educate the public about the risks of bioterrorism and warns that if such an attack were successful, its consequences "could far exceed those of a chemical or even a nuclear event."  The potential misuse of advances in the genetic manipulation of organisms and biotechnology are of "special concern," the AMA says.

The U.S. association recommended that the WMA work with the World Health Organization and other health bodies to set up an "international consortium of medical and public health leaders to monitor the threat of biological weapons, to identify actions likely to prevent bioweapons proliferation, and to develop a coordinated plan for monitoring the worldwide emergence of infectious diseases."

The proposed declaration is expected to be formally adopted by the world association next year at its Washington assembly.  This year's event, scheduled for New Delhi, was cancelled because of the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States.  The organization represents 8 million doctors and medical associations in 70 countries, AP reports.

The organization's warnings come just one day after U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson told the U.S. Congress that the country's doctors are ready to deal with a bioterrorist threat and a month after the WHO issued a bioterrorism warning and urged governments to prepare themselves (Nullis, AP).

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Threat Assessment:  French Authorities Reassess Blast at Chemical Plant

French authorities are investigating whether a September chemical plant explosion, previously considered an accident, may in fact have been a terrorist act.  “A new piece of information reached us today which shows that there might have been a terrorist origin” to the explosion, Environment Minister Yves Cochet said yesterday.  Twenty-nine people were killed in the explosion at the AZF chemical fertilizer plant in Toulouse on Sept. 21.

Police reported that Hassan Jandoubi, who had been hired to work at the plant only five days before the incident, was found dead at the scene wearing clothes “in the manner of kamikaze fundamentalists.”   Other reports said that Jandoubi had argued with workers displaying the American flag the same morning as the explosion.

Prior to the latest developments, Toulouse’s prosecutor said he was “99 percent” sure that the explosion was an accident (Associated Press/South China Morning Post, Oct. 5).

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U.S. Response: Legislation Underway to Improve Nuclear Plant Security

New legislation making its way through the U.S. House of Representatives would direct the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to design new security requirements for nuclear power plants (see GSN, Sept. 25), according to the Boston Globe. 

The bill, which passed by a voice vote in the House Energy and Commerce Committee yesterday, would give nuclear plant guards broader authority on carrying weapons, making arrest, and even the use of deadly force.  The NRC would also have to issue new rules on a wider range of threats power plant operators must prepare for to get a license.  These new threats include attacks from different groups at the same time, suicide attacks and attacks from aircraft.

“We cannot afford to sit until the terrorists target one of these facilities before we take action,” said Representative Edward Markey (D-Mass.), one of the bill’s sponsors (Josef Herbert, Associated Press/Boston Globe, Oct. 4).

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U.S. Response: Senate Bill Would Fund Biochemical Attack Preparations

Two U.S. senators introduced a bill Tuesday that would give federal, state and local governments $1.65 billion to respond to biological or chemical weapon attacks (see GSN, Oct. 4).  The funds would help create vaccine stockpiles, improve chemical agent detection and increase training for law enforcement and rescue departments.  The bill would also help improve public health agency coordination and increase hospital capacity to deal with outbreaks (Reuters/Yahoo! News, Oct. 3).

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U.S. Response:Quadrennial Defense Review Focuses on Homeland Defense

The U.S. military must focus on protecting U.S. citizens and U.S. territory, said Stephen Cambone, principal deputy undersecretary of defense for policy, in a speech last night at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.  Cambone briefed the audience on the new Quadrennial Defense Review Report (QDR) released by the Pentagon on Monday.

Major Report Themes

Cambone said the QDR prioritizes homeland defense.  “To be effective abroad, we have to be safe here at home,” he said, adding that homeland defense requires effort at many government levels, not just the Defense Department.  He said the Pentagon must rethink the Unified Command Plan, a blueprint for the military’s forces and missions, and should size its forces with homeland defense as the first priority.  “We thought we had a bit more time to figure that out,” Cambone said, referring to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Cambone said a major issue the United States will face is continuous surprise.  The Pentagon might be able to identify how the United States could be threatened, but it cannot predict who will threaten the country and where or when those threats will strike, he said.  The report says it is much easier today than in the past for forces hostile to the United States to acquire the means to wreak havoc.

The report reaffirms the importance of deterrence, and Cambone said the concept of deterrence remains sound.  However, he said the United States must apply the concept differently than in the past.  Strategic nuclear deterrence is no longer sufficient.  The United States must continue its “forward presence” and transform its forward forces.  Cambone said the United States should work “with persistence and resolve” to deter an enemy that includes suicide attackers.  He added that deterrence could fail, so the military must be prepared to respond to attacks.

Another key element of the report is the emphasis on “asymmetric threats,” particularly weapons of mass destruction.  Cambone said that many U.S. opponents could not successfully confront the U.S. military directly, so they will continue to apply asymmetric tactics.  Such opponents will also attempt to find sanctuary in places the United States cannot reach, such as concealed hideouts, treacherous terrain and countries such as Afghanistan.  The United States must deny the availability of sanctuary to its enemies, which will require intelligence and assistance from allies.  The military must also find ways to combat surface-to-air missiles, mines and other enemy defenses so it can project its power into enemy territory. 

The report says that the U.S. military should be able to fight two simultaneous conflicts and decisively win one.  Cambone said the report’s authors were thinking about conflicts in regions, not about a global campaign against terrorism.  The military must also be able to conduct small-scale operations, such as evacuating U.S. civilians from conflict areas.

Most of the report was already completed when terrorists attacked New York and Washington on Sept. 11, although it includes some updates.  Cambone said its proposals are still relevant, and some of them were prescient of the attacks.

National Missile Defense

Cambone said the United States and Russia have been engaged since May in discussions on how to form a new strategic relationship (see GSN, Oct. 1) that increases the ability of both countries to pursue their own security interests and cooperate to promote mutual interests.  He said he sees no reason why the United States should not pursue its interest in national missile defense while working together with Russia to combat terrorism (Kerry Boyd, GSN, Oct. 3).

Click here to view the Quadrennial Defense Review Report.

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International Response: U.N. Delegates Call For Terrorism Definition

On the second day of a special five-day U.N. General Assembly debate called after the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States, most speakers condemned the attacks but many stressed the need to reach agreement on a definition of terrorism before proceeding to fight against it.

Yemeni U.N. Ambassador Abdallah Salih al-Ashtal said implementation of a Security Council resolution passed last week could be affected by the lack of an agreed definition (Note: You may need to download free software to view this PDF file).  Malaysian Ambassador Hasmy bin Agam said international agreements would be hard to enforce in the absence of a common definition, adding that "the legitimate struggles of peoples under colonial or alien domination and foreign occupation for self-determination and national liberation" should not be seen as terrorism.  The world body's Arab Group, represented by Libyan Ambassador Abuzed Dorda, echoed bin Agam's words, saying resistance to occupation is not terrorism and calling for an international conference to define terrorism (U.N. Newservice, Oct. 2). 

The group called the Palestinians victims of "modern terrorism" and demanded a quick end to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, a stop to linkages between Islam and terrorism and a global campaign against the poverty and injustice it said cause terrorism (Edith Lederer, Associated Press/Yahoo! News, Oct. 3).

Pakistani Ambassador Shamshad Ahmad raised the issue of the Indian-controlled disputed territory of Kashmir, linking the dispute to the fight against terror.  "Our universal obligation to fight terrorism in all its forms must not deflect us from the need for just, lasting and honorable settlement of the Palestine and Kashmir disputes, which will bring durable peace and stability to the world at large," Ahmad said (Press Trust of India/NDTV.com, Oct. 3).  U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, who met with Indian External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh, promised the international anti-terror coalition will target not just Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda terrorist network, the leading suspects in the Sept. 11 attacks, but "terrorism as it affects nations around the world, to include the kind of terrorism that affects India" (CNN.com, Oct. 3).

For highlights of yesterday morning's General Assembly debate, click here.  For highlights of the afternoon session, click here.

In other U.N. news, Secretary General Kofi Annan said yesterday on ABC's Good Morning America that existing Security Council resolutions give Washington the right to launch military strikes against those behind the attacks.  "The Security Council resolution described the attack as a threat to international peace and security and has also reaffirmed the right of individual and collective self-defense," Annan said (Dawn, Oct. 3).  Former Afghan Prime Minister Gulbeddin Hekmatyar has written to Annan asking him to "prevent another massacre" in Afghanistan, saying the United States is "determined to attack our country and does not heed the urgent demand of the world community to avoid another war" (Natalia Shilo, ITAR-Tass, Oct. 3).

Current Security Council President Richard Ryan yesterday said Africa and terrorism will dominate this month's council agenda.  The council will act rapidly to create a committee to implement last week's terror resolution, Cowen said, adding that the committee's chairman will be chosen from among all council members and not, as is customary, from among only the nonpermanent members (U.N. Newservice II, Oct. 2).

Rumsfeld Sent To Middle East By Bush, Who Warns Taliban Again

U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who is in the Middle East for political and military meetings in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Egypt and Uzbekistan, today said intelligence and not firepower will be decisive in the anti-terrorist campaign (Robert Burns, AP/RealCities.com, Oct. 3).

As the United States continues to mass troops for a possible strike against Afghanistan, whose ruling Taliban harbors bin Laden, President George W. Bush told reporters yesterday that there will be "no timetable" and "no negotiations" with the Taliban.  "There will be a consequence" for the Afghan rulers if they do not turn over al-Qaeda members in Afghanistan and destroy terrorist camps, Bush said (Emediamillworks Inc./Boston Globe, Oct. 3).

Washington has showed NATO clear evidence that bin Laden was involved in the attacks, NATO Secretary General George Robertson said yesterday (Paul Geitner, AP/Nando Times, Oct. 2).  In related news, United Arab Emirates officials have discovered activity in bank accounts linked to a bin Laden contact that prove bin Laden's involvement, the London Daily Mirror reports.  According to the newspaper, investigators have learned that three of the Sept. 11 hijackers returned $15,000 in unused funds to the bin Laden "money man"'s $500,000 account two days before the attacks (Oonagh Blackman, London Daily Mirror, Oct. 3).

U.S. officials have said their intelligence has identified 23 terrorist training camps in Afghanistan that the United States will target in a military strike, the Washington Times  reports, adding that Chinese troops are moving toward the Afghan border region in anticipation of a U.S. attack (Bill Gertz, Washington Times, Oct. 3).

Opposition Readies Itself

Western special forces units are already carrying out surveillance operations in Taliban-controlled zones, former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani said this morning.  Officials of the opposition Northern Alliance, which is affiliated with Rabbani's deposed government, said today that they have met with U.S. officials to discuss a coordinated action against the Taliban and added that Iran and Russia are continuing to provide the opposition with military assistance (France Television, Oct. 3, UN Wire translation).

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf is asking former Afghan King Zahir Shah to send a representative to Islamabad, the Pakistani capital, to discuss the possibilities for governing Afghanistan in the event of the Taliban's fall, Agence France-Presse reports (AFP, Oct. 3).  Meanwhile, powerful tribal leaders in Afghanistan are angered that the former king, exiled in 1973, is becoming aligned with Washington, Moscow and the Northern Alliance, according to AP (Kathy Gannon, AP/Yahoo! News, Oct. 2).

For Dexter Filkins's New York Times profile of the deposed government's U.N. ambassador, Abdul Ghafoor Rawan Farhadi, click here.

Reportedly Reeling Taliban Seeks Negotiations

Citing reports from countries near Afghanistan, European External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten yesterday told the European Parliament the Taliban is in its "terminal phase."  Patten was part of a three-member European Union delegation that visited Muslim countries last week to discuss terrorism (AFP/Cyberpresse.ca, Oct. 2, UN Wire translation).

The London Telegraph reports today that, according to anti-Taliban sources in Pakistan who were once allies of the Taliban, Taliban military commanders in border provinces are about to revolt against their leaders.  The commanders have been holding meetings and could act at any time, the newspaper reports (Alex Spillius, London Telegraph, Oct. 3).  A Northern Alliance spokesman today added that 10,000 Taliban soldiers are ready to defect to the opposition (France Television).

Taliban Ambassador to Pakistan Abdul Salam Zaeef said yesterday that the regime is "ready for negotiations" about bin Laden.  "It is up to the other side to agree or not.  Only the way of negotiation will solve our problems."  Bush has repeatedly ruled out talks on the matter (Ted Anthony, AP, Oct. 3).

An ongoing disagreement pitting the U.S. State Department against the country's Defense Department and CIA centers on whether Washington should actively seek to overthrow the Taliban, the Financial Times reports.  The newspaper adds that the dispute is slowing U.S. aid to opposition forces (Stephen Fidler, Financial Times, Oct. 3).

Countries Aid, Admonish U.S.

Kazakhstan yesterday offered "all the means at our disposal" to the United States for the anti-terrorism fight (AFP II/Cyberpresse.ca, Oct. 2, UN Wire translation).  Uzbek military sources said U.S. scouts are focusing on a former Soviet base in Khanabad, Uzbekistan, as they seek a location to deploy troops (Colin McMahon, Chicago Tribune, Oct. 3).  Tajik President Emomali Rahmonov told Powell Tajikistan will "cooperate closely" with Washington (AFP II, Oct. 3).  The International Crisis Group, which released a new report on Central Asia and the current crisis, said U.S. military action in Central Asia should be accompanied by long-term efforts in favor of political and economic stability (Integrated Regional Information Networks, Oct. 2).

After meeting with German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Shara said anti-terror efforts must be "frank and open" and free of any "hidden plan against any country" (AFP III/Cyberpresse.ca, Oct. 2, UN Wire translation).  The Arab League yesterday expressed opposition to rumored strikes against Iraq in connection with U.S. anti-terrorist action, saying it "truly does not see why an Arab country would be attacked, especially because such an eventuality would lead to a very serious situation across the Middle East and would harm any idea of a coalition" (Le Monde, Oct. 2, UN Wire translation).

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is meeting in Brussels with EU and NATO officials, yesterday said he is convinced bin Laden played a role in the attacks and called for a new era in Russian-Western relations in conjunction with anti-terrorism efforts (CNN.com II, Oct. 3).

Philippine President Gloria Marcapagal-Arroyo said her country will "go every step of the way," providing intelligence and logistical help and the use of airspace to the United States.  The president has offered Philippine troops pending the approval of the country's Congress (Mark Landler, New York Times, Oct. 3).

North Korea's official Radio Pyongyang said yesterday that the United Nations should prevent major powers from threatening the sovereignty of smaller countries as part of a response to the attacks (Korea Times, Oct. 4).  Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said he is "supportive of any operation designed to fight terrorism," adding that a U.S. military strike on Afghanistan "will not be seen as an excessive [operation] compared to the crimes the terrorists have done" (AP/South China Morning Post, Oct. 3).  The Association of Southeast Asian Nations should not participate directly if war breaks out, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad said yesterday, adding that countries should instead address the causes of terrorism (Kuala Lumpur Star, Oct. 3).

Warning against a revenge crusade by the United States, Cuban Vice Foreign Minister Angel Dalmau said yesterday in Havana that Cuba supports a coalition led by the United Nations (Xinhua News Agency, Oct. 3).

Somalia has created a terrorism committee after a U.S. list of alleged terrorist groups, issued following the attacks, included the Somalia-based al-Itihaad al-Islamiya.  President Salad Hassan Abdikassim announced the committee's creation yesterday (South African Press Association/News24, Oct. 2).

Commentator Blasts U.N. "Deal With The Devil"

New York Post commentator Leonard Greene writes this morning that the United Nations made a "deal with the devil" in lifting sanctions on Sudan after the country agreed to cooperate in anti-terrorist efforts.  Greene says Sudan secured diplomatic credentials for bin Laden associates and Sudanese embassy staff in New York, London and Rome raised money for bin Laden.  The country's own "campaign of terror," he says, referring to a 12-year-old civil war between the northern government and southern opposition, has claimed 2 million lives and enslaved 300,000 people.

"Make no mistake about it," Greene says, "the war against terrorism has already begun, and the first casualties are proportion and conscience.  We are making deals with one group of terrorists in an attempt to capture another" (Leonard Greene, New York Post, Oct. 3).

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U.S. Response: Senators and White House Disagree on Antiterrorism Bill

Efforts on antiterrorism legislation slowed yesterday when Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) said the White House reneged on an agreement regarding an antiterrorism bill the U.S. House of Representatives passed on Monday.

Leahy said the White House had agreed to his compromise proposal to allow the FBI and other law enforcement agencies to share sensitive information with intelligence agencies, such as the CIA and National Security Agency, in emergencies as long as the agencies obtained a court order afterward.  The White House later backed off from the proposal, according to Leahy and other Democratic sources.  The White House proposal would allow law enforcement agencies to share data, such as wiretap and grand jury information, with intelligence agencies without obtaining a court order, as current law requires. 

Attorney General John Ashcroft said the Senate was not moving as fast as it should given the current terrorist threat to the United States (John Lancaster, Washington Post, Oct. 3). 

U.S. Freezes Terrorist Assets

Meanwhile, over $100 million of suspected terrorist assets have been frozen in U.S. and foreign banks since Sept. 11, a senior Treasury Department official said yesterday.  The Washington Post reported that the assets belonged to organizations and individuals with links to terrorism, not to Osama bin Laden or his al-Qaeda network directly.  The Treasury Department official said freezing the assets was part of the “continuing campaign against the Taliban, bin Laden and his associates.”   

The FBI has identified at least $500,000 in accounts controlled by the Sept. 11 suspected hijackers. 

Investigators will refrain from freezing certain assets in hopes that they can track the flow of money to learn more about the terrorist network (DeYoung/Eggen, Washington Post, Oct. 3).

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U.S. Response: NRC Investigates Measures to Improve Nuclear Security

The head of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission urged several U.S. states last week to consider adding the National Guard or state police to private security protecting nuclear power plants. “While there have been no credible threats against nuclear installations, in the current situation it would make sense for liaison to be established between nuclear facilities and state authorities” in case government security forces are needed, Commission Chairman Richard Meserve wrote to 40 state governors (Marc Schogol, Philadelphia Inquirer, Oct. 2).

The commission had earlier asked plant operators to heighten security after the Sept. 11 attacks in New York and Washington (see GSN, Sept. 25).  Operators have increased patrols, restricted access to plants and run background checks on employees and contractors.

The NRC is now reevaluating the security procedures with which plant operators must comply.  The NRC said that although reactors were built to withstand tornados and earthquakes, they were not built to deflect the impact from a large airliner, and high-tech security measures, such as access requiring handprints, have not always succeeded in stopping NRC teams posing as intruders.

Some experts suggest the federal government take over nuclear plant security, which currently rests primarily in the hands of utility companies (Peter Spotts, Christian Science Monitor, Oct. 2).  “We first of all believe that our robust emergency-protection plan provides a solid foundation to respond to unforeseen events,” said Jeffrey Benjamin, vice president of Exelon, a major nuclear plant operator.  However, Benjamin added, “We are dependent on the federal government to protect us in the events of acts of war” (Schogol, Philadelphia Inquirer).

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International Response: Annan Seeks Stricter WMD Limits

U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan yesterday urged all nations to strengthen their restrictions on nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. In light of the September bombings in New York and Washington, Annan told the General Assembly, "we must now strengthen the global norm against the use or proliferation of weapons of mass destruction."

"It is hard to imagine how the tragedy of September 11 could have been worse, yet the truth is that a single attack involving a nuclear or biological weapon could have killed millions," Annan said.

The greatest danger, Annan said, could arise "from a non-state group or even an individual acquiring and using a weapon of mass destruction."  Such an actor could use a weapon without needing to acquire ballistic missiles or any other sophisticated delivery systems, he said.

In the broader fight against terrorism, Annan said U.N. members have a clear mission:  to ensure that the 12 U.N. conventions and protocols on terrorism are joined and implemented by all nations.

Annan singled out two of these conventions as particularly useful, the International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings and the 1999 Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism. The convention on terrorist bombing entered into force May 23 and the financing convention still needs 18 ratifications before it can enter into force.

In addition, Annan urged the completion of a 13th convention, the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (Federal News Service transcript, Oct. 1).

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International Response:  Annan, Others Stress Cooperation

As the U.N. General Assembly yesterday began a five-day debate on terrorism, called in response to the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States, Secretary General Kofi Annan called for international cooperation and stressed the importance of the world body in fighting terrorism.

The world community has reacted with "unprecedented speed and unity" so far, Annan said, citing U.N. Security Council resolutions adopted Sept. 12 and Sept. 28 (Note: You may need to download free software to view these PDF files).  "Out of evil can come good," he said of the attacks.  "Paradoxically, these vicious assaults on our common humanity have had the effect of reaffirming our common humanity."

This week's session "has a critical role to play," Annan continued.  "It must signal the beginning of immediate, practical and far-reaching changes in the way this organization and its member states act against terrorism."

The secretary general called for international cooperation, saying the United Nations "is uniquely positioned to serve as the forum for this coalition"; stressed the legitimacy conferred by the world body; urged countries to sign, ratify and implement 12 U.N. treaties related to terrorism, in particular the International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings and the Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism; proposed a 13th, comprehensive treaty, calling for an end to disputes among member states over a common definition of terrorism; called on countries to protect innocent civilians; and emphasized the need to strengthen efforts to control weapons of mass destruction in light of the attacks (U.N. release, Oct. 1).

Also speaking to the assembly yesterday, New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani expressed opposition to any further inquiries into the causes of terrorism, calling instead for quick, decisive action against terrorist groups. 

"This is not a time for further study or vague directives," the mayor said.  "We're right and they're wrong.  It's as simple as that," he added (New York Office of the Mayor release, Oct. 1).

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Negroponte made his first major U.N. address on the occasion.  Negroponte mentioned the al-Qaeda terrorist network -- whose leader, Osama bin Laden, is the leading suspect in the Sept. 11 attacks -- by name in calling for broad international commitment and urgent implementation of the Sept. 28 Security Council resolution, which the ambassador said "will deny the terrorists financing, safe haven and other forms of support."  The coming conflict is "not a battle against Islam," Negroponte added, noting that there are "over 1,200 mosques and 2 million Muslims in the United States."

Negroponte also stressed the relationship between New York and the United Nations.  "I lived here during World War II.  I lived here during the Korean War.  And I lived here during some of the worst moments of the Cold War," he said.  "During those difficult times, we New Yorkers came to believe we had a special relationship with the world through the vision of men like  [Winston] Churchill and [Franklin Delano] Roosevelt, [Dag] Hammarskjold and U Thant.  What they dreamed, and what they built, right here in my hometown, was an institution that rejected conflict and embraced cooperation" (U.S. Mission to the United Nations release, Oct. 1).

For highlights of yesterday morning's General Assembly debate, click here.  For highlights of the afternoon session, click here.

Outside the assembly hall, most delegates agreed that multilateral action against terrorism is necessary, Earth Times reports.  Venezuelan delegate Domingo Blanco said unilateral U.S. action would be acceptable -- "If you get mugged and you have the ability to catch or punish your mugger, will you call the police?" he asked -- but a Zimbabwean delegate was more representative of the common wisdom, according to Earth Times.  "Any legitimate action that will be taken has to be sanctioned by the U.N.," the delegate said (Gayatri Iyer, Earth Times, Oct. 2).

U.S. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said yesterday that there was general agreement among the delegates about the need to take action against terrorism.  "It's called a 'debate'; I don't think there's actually too much disagreement over the need for such measures," he said.  "The U.S. is participating fully.  Our overriding objective is to see the unequivocal and unified condemnation of international terrorism" (U.S. State Department release, Oct. 1).

Officials Stress Involvement of Mercenaries, Threat of Chemical Weapons

The United Nations and countries should take into account the involvement of mercenaries in terrorist acts as they analyze and react to terrorism, U.N. Special Rapporteur Enrique Bernales Ballesteros said yesterday in a report to the General Assembly.  Ballesteros asked for a broader mandate in order to study mercenaries' involvement in arms trafficking, terrorism and organized crime and their use by private security companies to intervene in countries' internal affairs (U.N. Newservice, Oct. 1).

In a statement released Friday, the U.N. Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons condemned the attacks and called on countries to implement the Chemical Weapons Convention, an act the organization said would aid antiterrorism by reducing the threat of chemical terrorism (U.N. Newservice II, Oct. 1).

Blair Warns Taliban

U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair today warned Afghanistan's ruling Taliban, which harbors bin Laden, that it faces "proportionate" and "targeted" U.S.-led military strikes unless it hands bin Laden over immediately.  In a speech at a Labor Party conference, Blair announced the strikes will "eliminate hardware, disrupt their supplies, target their troops."

"There is only one outcome:  our victory, not theirs," he said (CNN.com, Oct. 2).

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf told the BBC yesterday that U.S. military strikes on Afghanistan seem inevitable and are likely to lead to the end of Taliban rule (Chandrasekaran/Sipress, Washington Post, Oct. 2).

Meanwhile, the Taliban has offered to share power in key provinces near Pakistan with tribal representatives, the Taliban-linked Afghan Islamic Press has reported.  The Afghan rulers are at the same time planning to imprison anyone found supporting deposed king Zahir Shah, whom the United States is backing as a possible transitional leader.

Pakistani Afghanistan expert Rahimullah Yusufzai said the moves are due to the Taliban's desire to keep control of their spiritual capital, Kandahar, which is also the center of power for the former king's Durrani tribe.  "The Taliban can afford to cede control over certain provinces, but they will fight very hard to retain Kandahar, especially now that Zahir Shah is being talked about as a possible leader," Yusufzai said (Bokhari/Luce, Financial Times, Oct. 2).  The Taliban yesterday threatened to wage a bloody war against any government backed by foreigners, rejecting plans agreed to this week in Rome by the ex-king and other opposition figures (Agence France-Presse/TF1.fr, Oct. 2, UN Wire translation).

The Straits Times reports that U.S. President George W. Bush has approved covert action in favor of the Afghan opposition, citing acknowledged support for the opposition by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.  "Clearly, we need to recognize the value they bring to this antiterrorist, anti-Taliban effort and, where appropriate, find ways to assist them," Rumsfeld said (Lee Siew Hua, Straits Times, Oct. 2).

Washington is also considering using radio and television broadcasts to persuade ordinary Afghans that U.S. strikes in Afghanistan would not be aimed at them, a senior Bush administration source told CNN (Koppel/Labott, CNN.com, Oct. 2).

Countries Endorse, Reject U.N., U.S. Actions

The Bush administration yesterday released a list of 19 countries, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan and the major European banking centers, that have responded to a call to freeze the assets of bin Laden and his associates.  As many as 140 countries have either refused or failed to respond so far, officials added, though (Joseph Kahn, New York Times, Oct. 2). 

Canada said yesterday it is lifting nearly all economic and political sanctions against Pakistan, which is supporting the U.S.-led antiterrorism campaign (Reuters/MSNBC.com, Oct. 1).

Iraq today rejected last week's Security Council resolution on financing, calling it an "American resolution" adopted "in an improvised manner" (AFP/TF1.fr II, Oct. 2, UN Wire translation).  The Organization of the Islamic Conference, although it condemned terrorism, yesterday joined Iraq in refusing to support the resolution (AFP/Jordan Times, Oct. 2).  Cuban U.N. Ambassador Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla yesterday accused Washington of forcing the council to support "hegemonic and arbitrary decisions."  The Sept. 11 attacks were "insane," Rodriguez Parrilla said, but "Cuba will never participate in any military action" (AFP, Oct. 1).

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Mohamed Javad Zarif has said that the United States should avoid launching a new Cold War against countries that remain outside the antiterrorism coalition.  Although the Sept. 11 terrorists must be brought to justice and the Taliban should be replaced, the deputy minister said, any coalition must have U.N. authorization (Elaine Sciolino, New York Times, Oct. 1).

The Russian and Iranian defense ministers, whose countries provide equipment to the Afghan opposition, met today to discuss bilateral cooperation and terrorism (Associated Press/MSNBC.com, Oct. 2).  Uzbekistan meanwhile agreed to allow U.S. military aircraft to use its airspace (Colin McMahon, Chicago Tribune, Oct. 2).

French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine arrived yesterday in Marrakech, Morocco, for the third phase of a visit that also took him to Algeria and Tunisia.  The trip is meant to emphasize the common views of France and the three North African countries about the fight against terrorism, AFP reports (AFP/Voila, Oct. 1, UN Wire translation).

This year's Beirut summit of La Francophonie, the international organization of French-speaking countries, is due to be postponed following the attacks, Le Monde reported yesterday.  The summit was scheduled for Oct. 26-28 but could instead take place next September (Lucien George, Le Monde, Oct. 1, UN Wire translation).  The Commonwealth countries -- the United Kingdom and its former colonies -- were also slated to meet this month, but the summit was postponed after the United Kingdom, Canada and India pulled out following the attacks (Reuters/Johannesburg Business Day, Oct. 1).

A Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry spokesman said Sunday that last week's Security Council move should severely damage the international operations of Tamil Tiger rebels (The Island, Oct. 1).

Japan is stepping up security around its nuclear reactors in the wake of the attacks (AP II/MSNBC.com, Oct. 2).

Human Rights Watch, Newspapers Comment on U.N. Role

Human Rights Watch Executive Director Kenneth Roth yesterday called for the protection of civilians in case of military action.  "We hope the General Assembly will demand that human rights principles not be compromised in any action taken as a consequence of the attacks," he said (Human Rights Watch release, Oct. 1).

"The true stature of the United Nations is being put to the test," Asahi Shimbun said in an editorial yesterday, adding, "This is a duty never imagined at the inception of the United Nations, a body founded after World War II largely to deal with disputes between countries."  The Japanese daily called for the United Nations to be at the center of antiterror efforts, urged "multidimensional engagement" and warned that treaties are useless without countries' commitment.  Military action, it said, must be based on U.N. resolutions.

"The major powers which serve as permanent members of the Security Council must not resort to Machiavellian maneuvering," the newspaper said (Asahi Shimbun, Oct. 1).

Last week's Security Council resolution is "so comprehensive ... that a country failing to discharge its responsibilities runs the risk of total international isolation," Dawn says in an editorial today.  The Pakistani daily calls on the Taliban to cooperate with antiterrorism efforts and to be "amenable" to the formation of a "broad-based government acceptable to all sections of the population" -- the only way to "establish peace and concord in the country on a durable basis" (Dawn, Oct. 2).

The New York Daily News in an editorial today expresses support for Giuliani's call for decisive action.  "The Parliament of Man, as the U.N. has been called, is uneasy about stark choices, preferring endless and meaningless debates and pronouncements couched in diplospeak," the newspaper says.  "That's not the way of New York -- or its straight-talking mayor."

"It might seem antithetical, rallying the members of a peacekeeping organization to war," the daily continues, "but in the words of the mayor, if those nations fail to stand up to the evils of terrorism, they 'will fail in (their) primary mission as peacekeepers.'  As Giuliani emphasized, the ultimate goal is nothing less than 'unconditional victory over terrorism and terrorists.'  Unconditional.  It's a word the U.N. has not heard in a long time.  Get used to it" (New York Daily News, Oct. 2).

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U.S. Response: Energy Funding Cuts Hurt Nonproliferation Programs

With threats looming of terrorist attacks using weapons of mass destruction, the defense authorization bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives last week (see GSN, Sept. 26) substantially reduces funding to the U.S. Energy Department for programs designed to detect and protect against such threats, according to House Armed Services Committee member John Spratt (D-S.C.).  “These cuts are so shortsighted and the exact opposite of what we should be doing,” said Spratt.

Cuts in the fiscal 2002 authorization bill would impede DOE efforts to deploy a new system for early detection of biological warfare acts, according to Spratt, as well as hurt development of new satellite sensors that detect atmospheric nuclear explosions or the production of weapons of mass destruction.  As part of his fiscal 2002 budget, issued prior to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, President George W. Bush proposed reducing the DOE nonproliferation program by $101 million from the current $874 million. 

Even deeper cuts were proposed for DOE’s nonproliferation and verification research and development program, according to Spratt.  Congress set up the program after the Gulf War to help develop satellite sensors used to monitor weapons of mass destruction.  The Bush budget reduces funding for the program from the current $227.5 million to $170 million.  “This cut may delay the effort to build new sensors in time to be placed on replacement satellites,” Spratt said. 

Before the authorization bill was passed, House Republican leaders added $10 million back to DOE’s overall nonproliferation account, according to Spratt, but no funding was given back to the sensor and technology development program.  A U.S. Senate version of the bill provides more funding for the DOE’s nonproliferation program, but it too is below current levels (George Lobsenz, Defense Week, Oct. 1).

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Bin Laden: Israel Concerned Over Unconventional Attack

Israel may be the target of an unconventional attack by members of suspected terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden’s organization, according to Israeli officials.  Bin Laden associate Nabil Ukal said after his arrest and interrogation last year that he was planning to poison Israeli water sources.  Israel has learned that bin Laden’s men have trained in chemical and biological warfare, but still focuses its resources on groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah, which are considered more of a threat (Tel Aviv Ma’ariv, Sept. 25 in FBIS-NES, Sept. 25).

In the Manual of Afghan Jihad, an 11-volume how-to guide on terrorism, a chapter offers instruction on how to create and use poison gas.  Details are given on everything ranging from what specific plant life could be used, to how to make, the gas, to what quantities are needed to kill.  The volumes were recently obtained by the Associated Press through a Libyan fighter disgruntled with bin Laden (Associated Press/New York Times, Oct. 1).

Bin Laden has a long history of attempting to obtain weapons of mass destruction, such as chemical and biological warfare agents (see GSN, Sept. 19).  At least two attempts by bin Laden’s organization al-Qaeda to buy enriched uranium to make a nuclear weapon were described in an affidavit recently filed by the U.S. Department of Justice in the British extradition case of two suspected al-Qaeda members.  Bin Laden may be foregoing the use of weapons of mass destruction, in favor of conventional weapons (see GSN, Sept. 27), wrote Avigdor Haselkorn in the Detroit News.  “While chemical and biological attacks could certainly cause mass killings and could even be pinpointed against a building such as the Pentagon, such attacks would not provide the spectacular destruction that bin Laden sought,” wrote Haselkorn (Avigdor Haselkorn, Detroit News, Oct. 1).

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Threat Assessment: U.S. Officials Say More Terrorism Likely

Top U.S. officials said this weekend that more terrorism against the United States is likely and could include chemical and biological attacks (see GSN, Sept. 27).  “We think that there is a very serious threat of additional problems now.  And, frankly, as the United States responds, that threat may escalate,” Attorney General John Ashcroft said on Sunday’s CBS Face the Nation. 

U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said he would adjust the military’s command structure to increase homeland defense (see GSN, Sept. 28) in light of the “probability” that terrorists eventually will obtain weapons of mass destruction.

White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card Jr. said that some terrorist organizations probably possess chemical and biological weapons.  “I’m not trying to be an alarmist, but we know that these terrorist organizations, like al-Qaeda, run by Osama bin Laden and others, have probably found the means to use biological or chemical warfare, and that is very, very bad for the world,” he said. 

Card also said that the U.S. government would “do everything we can to defend the United States,” in response to a question if the United States could use nuclear weapons in retaliation for a chemical or biological attack (Dana Milbank, Washington Post, Oct. 1).

Federal Biochemical Attack Preparations

Card promised that the Bush administration is working to increase supplies of vaccines to prepare for a biological attack.  The administration said Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration are working to provide adequate medication and immunization products (Kenneth Bazinet, Daily News, Oct. 1).

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U.S. Response: Washington Authorities Prepare for Biochemical Attacks

Transit authorities and hospitals in the U.S. capital are devising plans to respond to a biochemical terrorist attack, the Washington Times reported.

Washington’s subway and local and federal agencies will simulate a terrorist chemical attack at a subway station in early December to test a sensor system designed to detect chemical agents and authorities’ responses.  The simulation will involve Metro Transit Police and D.C. fire and police departments who will not be notified of the test’s exact date or time.  The test is part of a five-year, $17 million test program.  The Washington subway, the only transit agency in the United States with the sensing technology, began preparations following the 1995 subway chemical attack in Tokyo, Japan.

Transit Police Chief Barry McDevitt said Metro began installing sensors to detect chemical agents in subway stations in 1999.  Sensors are installed inside and outside certain stations, and Metro plans to install sensors on subway cars.  The sensor system would show where chemical agents are in the subway system and could track the spread of chemical agents, showing the best exits for the public and entrances for rescue workers.  The system would allow Metro operators to change the airflow inside the subway system, moving chemicals away from passengers.  Metro also has air filters that could dilute toxins.  The sensors would sound an alarm to alert the public in the vicinity of chemical agents to “run the other way,” according to one source. 

“Our scientists have estimated that if one can respond within six minutes … over 1,800 lives would be saved in a small-scale sarin nerve-gas attack,” said Page Stoutland, former director of the Energy Department’s Chemical and Biological Nonproliferation Program.

Metro might install biological weapons sensors by the end of 2001 (Daniel Drummond, Washington Times, Sept. 29).

Hospital Preparations

Washington hospitals are increasing education and updating emergency plans to respond to biochemical attacks.  Georgetown University Medical Center has held three seminars and additional staff meetings since Sept. 11 to train hospital personnel to recognize symptoms of biological attack.  The center convened a task force in 1999 that created response scenarios for small, large or massive biological attacks.  Dr. Luciana Borio, a fellow at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Civilian Biodefense Studies, said many physicians are not used to looking for signs of biological attack, and raising their awareness is the first step in preparing a response.

George Washington University’s Medical Center faculty have training in nuclear, biological and chemical exposure.  Dr. Keith Holtermann of George Washington said most hospitals do not have electronic records, which makes spotting similar cases difficult.  “There’s not a protocol for community hospitals, or even university hospitals, for detecting this,” he said.

Holtermann said cost cutting has also eroded medical facilities’ ability to handle a massive attack.  In the past, hospitals were able to attain an extra 100 or 200 beds when necessary, but they no longer have that excess capacity, he said. 

Holtermann said hospitals do not want to spend resources on plans for scenarios that might happen “once in a lifetime,” so he suggested strengthening the systems hospitals use every day so that those systems can expand to respond to large biological attacks. 

A 1993 U.S. congressional Office of Technology Assessment report estimated that an aerosol attack using 100 kilograms of anthrax upwind of the Washington metropolitan area could kill 130,000 to 3 million people (Matthew Cella, Washington Times, Sept. 29).

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United Nations: General Assembly Takes Up Terrorism

As the U.N. General Assembly prepared for this week's five-day debate on terrorism, the world body's Security Council Friday approved a broad antiterrorism measure proposed by U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Negroponte in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States.

The council in its resolution established a committee to monitor the resolution's implementation, calling on countries to report on the subject within 90 days; called on countries to crack down on the financing of terrorism by freezing terrorists' funds and criminalizing the provision or collection of such funds; said countries should themselves refrain from supporting terrorist groups and prevent would-be terrorists from using their territories to commit acts of terrorism and create strict laws and sentences related to terrorism; and called on countries to cooperate with each other by sharing intelligence, helping in each other's investigations and using border controls to restrict terrorists' movements.

Before granting refugee status, the council said, countries should make sure asylum seekers have no connection with terrorist acts.  The resolution also highlights the connection between terrorism and international issues such as money laundering; organized crime; illegal drugs; and the smuggling of nuclear, biological, chemical and other weapons.  Greater international cooperation is needed to ensure security, it said (U.N. release, Sept. 28).

The resolution has "considerable significance" and "provides a legal foundation for forming a coalition against terrorism," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.  France has also welcomed the resolution (BBC Online, Sept. 30).  Jordan Saturday promised its full support as well (Agence France-Presse/Jordan Times, Sept. 30).

Musa Qorbani, a member of the Iranian Parliament, expressed opposition, however, saying the council cannot resist the influence of powerful countries he called arrogant.  Iran will not join a U.N. antiterrorism campaign unless the world body can ensure the security of all members without discrimination, Qorbani told the Tehran Times (Islamic Republic News Agency, Sept. 30).

Citing U.S. sources at the United Nations, Toronto's National Post reports that Canadian laws were the inspiration for the council's call for stricter refugee regulations (Steven Edwards, National Post, Oct. 1).

Irish Foreign Minister Brian Cowen, whose country takes up the council presidency today, was to meet with U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan today.  Calling military action "just one component in the whole range of responses that we simply have to come up with" to fight terrorism, Cowen said he expects the month's agenda to focus on "this whole question of the fight against terrorism" (Mark Sage, Press Association, Oct. 1).

Annan, Giuliani Address General Assembly

Annan was scheduled to address the General Assembly today as it begins its weeklong terrorism discussion.  In a draft of his remarks, Annan advocated tougher international measures to control nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, saying the Sept. 11 attacks could have been even worse had such weapons been used.

"The truth is that a single attack involving a nuclear or biological weapon could have killed millions," Annan said.  "While the world was unable to prevent the attacks, there is much we can do to help prevent future terrorist acts carried out with weapons of mass destruction."

The secretary general called for a 13th treaty to build on the 12 existing U.N. terrorism-related treaties.  Diplomats, however, stressed the difficulty of reaching quick agreement on such measures, saying a draft antiterrorism treaty last year failed because of disagreements over issues including how to define terrorism (Reuters/South China Morning Post, Oct. 1).  .

U.S. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher Friday expressed optimism about an existing convention that the United States signed last year but has not ratified.  "There is, I think, a growing international momentum for signing and then implementing this International Convention on the Suppression of Financing of Terrorism," Boucher said (U.S. State Department release, Sept. 28).

Japan yesterday decided to ratify by the end of the year the 12 existing U.N. treaties against terrorism, according to government sources.  Laws on biochemical weapons would have to be revised in order for Tokyo to ratify the pacts, the Daily Yomiuri reports (Daily Yomiuri, Oct. 1).

New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani -- only the third mayor of New York to speak at the world body -- addressed the assembly this morning after being introduced by Annan.  Telling the gathered representatives that "America came from all your nations," the mayor called the Sept. 11 attacks "a direct assault on the founding principles of the U.N. itself" (CNN.com, Oct. 1).

Officials from 145 countries are to address the assembly this week (Arieff, Reuters/South China Morning Post).  Negroponte will make his first major speech (Associated Press/ABCNews.com, Oct. 1).

U.N. headquarters remains closed to the public, with sand-filled dump trucks blocking off portions of First Avenue and 42nd Street.  "It's the new world we live in," one U.N. official told the Washington Times.  "If terrorists are looking for symbols, this is a big one" (Betsy Pisik, Washington Times, Oct. 1).

More Than 100 Countries With U.S., Says Shelton

More than 100 countries are supporting the United States in its antiterrorism campaign, outgoing Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Henry Shelton said yesterday.  "So it'll be not only America and America's political, diplomatic, economic, military power that'll be applied, but it'll be an international effort that will also bring in the great capabilities of our partners, our allies and our friends around the world," Shelton said (Reuters/Miami Herald, Sept. 30).

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto yesterday called bin Laden a warlord, saying he has a force of 12,000 armed men in Afghanistan.  Bhutto called for capturing bin Laden, ousting the Taliban and bringing back the former king (Karen Matusic, Reuters/Boston Globe, Oct. 1).  Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, however, said yesterday that Washington has provided no proof of bin Laden's guilt.  "All I know is from the television," Musharraf said (AFP/Times of India, Oct. 1).

Despite what U.S. officials call tacit assurances that Saudi Arabia will allow U.S. troops to use a base in the country to stage military strikes on Afghanistan, Saudi Defense Minister Prince Sultan Saud said yesterday that Saudi facilities will not be used to launch strikes against Arabs or Muslims.  "We will not accept in our country even a single soldier who will attack Muslims or Arabs," he said (AP/Nando Times, Sept. 30).

Sudan's ruling National Congress party said yesterday that there are no terrorist camps or terrorism-linked bank accounts in the country.  U.S. officials last week said Sudan had detained 30 people in arrests related to the Sept. 11 attacks.  Party Secretary General Ibrahim Ahmed Omar called Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon the "biggest terrorist in the world" (AP/CNN.com, Sept. 30).

The United Kingdom is expected to announce today that it has frozen $90 million in Taliban assets following the U.N. resolution on the financing of terrorism (CNN.com II, Oct. 1).

Russian President Vladimir Putin is to meet today in Brussels with NATO Secretary General George Robertson to discuss global antiterrorism efforts (AFP/European Internet Network, Oct. 1).  U.S. Undersecretary of State John Bolton and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Georgy Mamedov met this weekend in Moscow to discuss related "military-political issues," a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman said (AP/Baltimore Sun, Sept. 30).

Commonwealth of Independent States countries have agreed to act as one in the fight against terror, Putin said Friday (Deutsche Presse-Agentur/EIN, Sept. 28).  Uzbek President Islom Karimov and Tajik President Emomali Rahmonov Friday agreed to increase cooperation against terrorism (AFP/EIN, Sept. 28).

Bosnia and Herzegovina has denied the existence of terrorist camps on its territory.  The country's Foreign Ministry said it will cooperate with any international efforts against terror (AFP/EIN II, Oct. 1).  Muslim-Croat Federation Interior Minister Mohamed Besic warned Friday that 70 people "involved in bin Laden's organization" are preparing to leave Afghanistan for Bosnia (Daria Sito-Sucic, Reuters/Washington Times, Sept. 29).

"A peaceful solution could still be possible," Cuban President Fidel Castro said last week of the international crisis (Anita Snow, AP/Nando Times, Sept. 29).

Mexico will help the United States by supplying oil, freezing funds and monitoring its border with the United States, President Vicente Fox said Friday (CNN.com, Sept. 29).

U.N. criteria allowing the use of weapons to defend U.N. members may help Japan ease restrictions on the use of arms by its Self-Defense Forces, the Daily Yomiuri reported this weekend.  Japan's three ruling coalition parties have agreed to relax the restrictions in light of the current global antiterrorism movement, but have not worked out the details (Daily Yomiuri, Sept. 29).

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