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| UN unveils anti-terror plan |
| 2006-05-02 |
| UNITED Nations chief Kofi Annan has unveiled a global counter-terrorism strategy that puts emphasis on the need to address bioterrorism, counter terrorists' growing use of the internet and defending human rights. The 32-page strategy, responding to a call by world leaders at their summit at UN headquarters in New York last September for enhanced UN coordination of the global fight against terrorism, sidestepped the question of defining what terrorism is. "It is also essential that member states conclude, as soon as possible, a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism," Mr Annan said as he outlined his proposals to the 191-member General Assembly. "However, lack of progress in building consensus on a convention cannot be a reason for delay in agreeing on a strategy," he said. For nearly nine years, diplomats have been sweating over a draft convention that would encompass previous texts on the fight against terrorism, including bombings, financing and nuclear and biological threats. But they have so far stumbled over an acceptable definition of terrorism, particularly in the Middle East, where groups seen by some countries as terrorists are viewed by others as freedom fighters. Mr Annan's counter-terrorism strategy is articulated around what he called the "five Ds": Dissuading people from resorting to terrorism or supporting it; Denying terrorists the means to carry out an attack; Deterring states from supporting terrorism; Developing state capacity to defeat terrorism; Defending human rights. Mr Annan's report underscored the need for "innovative solutions" to prevent bioterrorism. "The approach to fighting the abuse of biotechnology for terrorist purposes will have more in common with measures against cybercrime than with the work to control nuclear proliferation," it noted. Mr Annan also stressed that a prerequisite to an effective counter-terrorism strategy was defending the "human rights of all - of the victims of terrorism, of those, of those suspected of terrorism, of those affected by the consequences of terrorism." "States must ensure that any measures taken to combat terrorism comply with their obligation under international law, in particular human rights law, refugee law and international humanitarian law," Mr Annan told UN member states. "Any strategy that compromises human rights will play right into the hands of the terrorists." The General Assembly is to hold consultations on Mr Annan's recommendations on May 11. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #14 Spitballs |
| Posted by: Captain America 2006-05-02 22:31 |
| #13 They had to break for lunch. |
| Posted by: Flavitle Hupineter2895 2006-05-02 21:11 |
| #12 Pg. 1 of 1 |
| Posted by: jim#6 2006-05-02 21:09 |
| #11 What page is "Surrender completely" on? |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2006-05-02 21:01 |
| #10 • Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge said the Monday deaths of two postal workers were "likely due to anthrax," and that more than 2,000 other Washington-area postal workers were undergoing an "aggressive and proactive treatment regimen" to ward off the bacterial disease. (Full story) That was 2001. So I guess people HAVE died from Bioterrorism. Nevertheless The UN has no plan. |
| Posted by: jim#6 2006-05-02 20:53 |
| #9 “Anyone remember the last person to die from "bioterrorism?"” Or from terrorists using a nuclear weapon? As technology advances, small groups with modest funding and moderate technical skills will gain access to nuclear and bioweapons. My guess is that will occur within two decades for bioweapons and a decade or two later for nuclear weapons. (Nanotechnology will lead to cheap isotope separation. One could probably extract the necessary isotopes from a large volume of seawater.) The world has only a couple of decades to prepare for the time when neighborhood gangs can threaten entire cities. I’m no fan of the UN and I don’t expect anything the UN does to be effective. That does not mean that bioterrorism isn’t a real threat. Economic analysis of Japanese project to extract uranium from seawater. http://npc.sarov.ru/english/digest/132004/appendix8.html |
| Posted by: Slaviling Glomong9311 2006-05-02 20:46 |
| #8 Anyone remember the last person to die from "bioterrorism?" Ottilie Lundgren was the last. Robert Stevens, Kathy Nguyen, Thomas Morris Jr. and Joseph Curseen were the others. |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2006-05-02 20:37 |
| #7 Bio-terrorism is way more dangerous than most realize. However, it takes substantial technical expertize to come up with a new killer infectious disease, as opposed to non-infectious agents like Ricin. On a related note, the UN (predictably) seems to skirt around the issue of state sponsored terrorism which grades into asymetric warfare. It would be quite easy for a state to create a new killer bug and release it on their enemies while using vaccines to protect their own people. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2006-05-02 20:30 |
| #6 "Annan has unveiled... sidestepped the question... lack of progress in building consensus on a convention cannot be a reason for delay..." blah blah blah Yawn. What a useless bore. |
| Posted by: Darrell 2006-05-02 19:54 |
| #5 Destined to fail. The Muslim nations will stop it cold. However, Pakistan, then a member of the UN Al Qaeda and Taliban Sanctions Committee was able to forestall a UN decision to also designate the group Lashkar-e-Taiba. Lashkar was finally added to the UNÂ’s consolidated al Qaeda designation list on May 2, 2005, after PakistanÂ’s tenure on the Al Qaeda Committee had ended. |
| Posted by: john 2006-05-02 19:42 |
| #4 2x4: I'm a bit weak when it comes to microbiology and the like, but I'll accept "jihadi whackos" as a nasty bugs needing killin, no problem. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2006-05-02 19:36 |
| #3 They can't even define terrorism. File under pointless PR effort. Close them down and throw them out. They can "plan" somewhere else. |
| Posted by: Thrart Snoper7863 2006-05-02 19:32 |
| #2 Besoeker, right. OTOH I consider Jihadis a form of parasitical infection spread by biological organisms, so in that sense that would fit. |
| Posted by: twobyfour 2006-05-02 19:28 |
| #1 Anyone remember the last person to die from "bioterrorism?" |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2006-05-02 19:16 |