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CONTENTS:

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK:

1. World
2. Africa
3. Americas
4. Asia Pacific
5. Europe
6. Middle East
7. South Asia
8. Cyberterrorism and Information Warfare
9. Finance
10 Human Rights
11. Law and Legal Issues
12. Transportation
13. Weapons of Mass Destruction
14. Recently Published

FEATURE ARTICLE: Blood Diamonds and Timber: The Liberian Sanctions Program

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK

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1. World

The G8 Summit http://www.g8usa.gov/ concluded with a number of measures including:
* Extended debt relief but did not reach agreement on the Highly Indebted Poor Nations or on debt relief for Iraq
* Endorsing the International Atomic Energy Agency's action program to increase effectiveness of nuclear non-proliferation and radioactive waste management. http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/News/2004/G8_summit2004.html
* Backed a global initiative to develop an HIV vaccine
* Supported improvements in airline security
* Agreed on a Middle East plan with the Quartet meeting this month

North and South Korea have agreed measures to reduce border clashes including the end of propaganda broadcasts and a common system of flags and warning systems particularly for opening radio communication and sharing information at sea where there have been a number of armed clashes. China continues working with North Korea and the US and last week expressed doubt of the degree of North Korea's nuclear program and called for the US to stop making undocumented allegations and to be prepared to compromise when multilateral talks resume.

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2. Africa

Democratic Republic of Congo government loyalist forces defeated a coup attempt initiated by renegade presidential guard Major Eric Lenge (who is being sought). This followed fighting in the eastern town of Bukavu whose occupation by rebel soldiers had just ended. Such events add to the difficulties of the already troubled transitional government.

Ivory Coast government troops attacked rebel positions in the north with gunships in the first such action in almost a year. Five government soldiers and 15 rebels were killed in the operations.

Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD), the largest rebel group, named Chayee Doe (younger brother of former Liberian President Samuel Doe) their new leader earlier this week, but he died after an operation just two days later. Former leader Sekou Conneh, who had been in a power struggle with his wife Asha, has been suspended. A LURD commander said this would not slow down the disarmament process now underway.

Nigerian troops and Ijaw militants in the southeast clashed last weekend, killing at least fifty people. In Adamawa state, Nigeria, clashes between the Muslim minority and Christian majority sparked by a dispute over locating a new mosque next to the home of a Christian tribal chief, killed at least ten and possibly as many as thirty. After two days of fighting a curfew was imposed. Royal Dutch/Shell published its latest Shell Report, including an admission that its oil activities in Nigeria had fueled conflict, corruption and poverty. There are reports that the persistent problems could force Shell to leave Nigeria, that supplied about a tenth of the company's global oil production. http://www.shell.com

The UN Security Council has approved an advance team to be sent to Sudan ahead of the full political mission. G8 leaders called for the Sudanese government to disarm the Janjaweed militias they support. The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) published " Insecurity in South Sudan: A Threat to the IGAD Peace Process", emphasizing the need for democratic transformation. http://www.iss.co.za/AF/current/2004/sudanjun04.pdf

Ugandan rebels of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) launched the fourth raid in as many weeks against a refugee camp in the north, killing at least 19, and burning more than 200 homes.

Zimbabwe has announced it will nationalize all farmland and game parks and ban private land ownership. http://www.herald.co.zw/index.php?id=32773&pubdate=2004-06-08

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3. Americas

In Chile, with General Pinochet's immunity lifted, attention has turned again to Operation Condor including documents obtained by the National security Archive that indicate the 1976 car-bombing might have been prevented. http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB125/index.htm

Colombia's largest rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) is said to have a new leader, Guillermo Leon Saenz ("Alfonso Cano") who had previously been FARC's ideological head. It is believed that former leader Manuel Marulanda is dead or dying of cancer. The smaller rebel group, the National Liberation Army (ELN) is considering an offer from the government under which it would offer a ceasefire in exchange for ELN stopping offensive operations.

The US Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on oversight of the Department of Justice with respect to terrorism and other topics. It included testimony from John Ashcroft regarding the use of torture and controversial documents prepared by the Justice Department that effectively state that the US President as Commander in Chief is above the law, apparently laying the foundation for the detentions at Guantanamo Bay and subsequent treatment of prisoners. http://judiciary.senate.gov/hearing.cfm?id=1212 A useful summary of policy evolution is in "The Road to Abu Ghraib" from Human Rights Watch http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2004/06/09/iraq8785.htm

The Department of State and the Terrorist Threat Integration are revising the 2003 edition of "Patterns of Global Terrorism" after discovering that it was incomplete and incorrect. Rather than a decrease in terrorist attacks, there was a significant increase. A new report will be issues when the corrections have been completed. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2004/33433.htm

The Defense Department issued new guidance on investigating detainee deaths, requiring an immediate report to investigators who would then contact the medical examiner. http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2004/nr20040610-0892.html

Venezuela is preparing for a referendum on President Chavez's government scheduled for August 15.

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4. Asia Pacific

Indonesia has denied reports that Islamic militants in Jemaah Islamiah were planning assassinations of the Australian, British and US ambassadors.

The Philippines election results won't be final for some time yet, but an independent count indicates President Arroyo narrowly re-elected.

In South Korea, the US is discussing plans to withdraw 12,500 of its 37,000 stationed troops by 2006. Of these, 3,600 are being re-deployed to Iraq.

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5. Europe

Coordinated raids in Belgium, Italy and Spain led to the detention of some 17 suspected Islamic militants. Belgian prosecutors have filed charges against four suspects that thought to be planning terrorist attacks, possibly against NATO targets. Spanish authorities investigating the March 11 Madrid bombings arrested six people on explosives charges. Two mine workers were arrested later on similar charges. Italian authorities arrested three suspects in Milan including Rabei Osman Ahmed, who Spain plans to extradite.

In Bosnia, the Srebrenica Commission has completed its report, admitting for the first time that Bosnian Serb security forces carried out the 1995 Srebrenica massacre of 8,000 Muslims. The report "identifies 32 locations of mass graves, 11 of which were previously unknown; elaborates on the participation of military and police units of the RS Ministry of Internal Affairs; alludes to orders for the participation of police units from Republika Srpska Krajina and the Republic of Serbia; and contains documents making clear that 'Operation Krivaja' had three planned phases -- the attack on Srebrenica, the separation of women and children, and the execution of males".
http://www.ohr.int/ohr-dept/presso/pressr/default.asp?content_id=32657

In Corsica, France, there has been a series of explosions targeting a government building, tourist facilities, and private holiday homes. The attacks were not claimed but are typical of separatist violence.

German police investigating last week's nail bomb in Cologne that injured 22 people say they do not yet understand the motive for the attack but have no evidence that it was either terrorism or racism.

An Italian election rally in Bologna was interrupted by a bomb. Five people were injured as they listened to an address from Deputy Prime Minister Fini of the National Alliance. NA offices in Sardinia were also attacked with a bomb earlier in the week.

Russian authorities in Ingushetia have closed down the last Chechen refugee camp and returned the residents to Chechnya. The death toll from last week's market bombing in Samara has risen to 11.

In Northern Ireland, there has been a rash of explosions and attempted bombings against homes and vehicles. The attacks have been linked to the loyalist paramilitary Ulster Volunteer Force.

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6. Middle East

Iran has rejected any new limitations to its nuclear programs and says it must be recognized as a nuclear power. France, Germany and the UK have given a draft resolution to the International Atomic Energy Agency criticizing this attitude. Iran denies that it is developing weapons but wants to continue to process uranium using processes that have dual use in energy and weapons programs. There are reports that Iran has been buying nuclear components on the black market.

In Iraq, assassinations, deadly bombings, gunfights, and other attacks, continued throughout the week. The UN Security Council unanimously approved a UK-US resolution on the future of Iraq. Nine of the largest militias have agreed to disband, but not yet two large groups, the Mahdi Army and Falluja Brigade. As the summer heat intensifies, saboteurs have seriously damaged the electrical grid. Electricity in Baghdad is available only 6-12 hours per day.

Israel plans to offer high compensation payments to Jewish settlers willing to leave Gaza. The Israeli cabinet approved in principle Prime Minister Sharon's Gaza withdrawal plan, but it came at the cost of Sharon losing his parliamentary majority following two resignations. Israeli police report a 15 percent increase in settler attacks against Palestinians since January. The Center for Economic Policy Research calculates that over the last three years terrorism has reduced Gross Domestic Product in Israel by at least ten percent.

In southern Lebanon three rocket attacks were launched towards Israeli military positions in the disputed Shebaa Farms area. One landed near an Israeli naval boat and the other two inside Lebanon, near a UN post. Israeli jets retaliated by moving into Lebanese airspace and attacking a reported Palestinian position within 12 miles of Beirut. Lebanon filed a letter of protest to the UN Security Council. UN monitors in the region have warned of possible escalation along an already tense border.

In Saudi Arabia attacks against foreigners continued with an attack against that killed a BBC cameraman and seriously injured a reporter, two US nationals were killed, and another kidnapped. Al Qaeda has claimed responsibility for some of the attacks.

In the West Bank, a 13-year-old boy was shot in the head and killed by Israeli troops and in a separate incident shot dead a Palestinian man during a raid.

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7. South Asia

Attacks in Afghanistan continue to increase. Eleven Chinese construction workers were killed. Although the Taliban was believed responsible, they have denied the attack, saying that China has no troops in Afghanistan and therefore Chinese are not targets. The US military claims that their 3-week-long offensive in the southeast killed more than 80 anti-government militants, The upsurge in attacks has slowed voter registration and is likely to force another delay in elections. The Red Cross, previously allowed to visit only the US detention center in Bagram, will now be allowed to visit the Kandahar detention center.

India's Andhra Pradesh state government and the People's War Group have agreed to talks aimed at ending some thirty years of the Maoist insurrection. In the state of Assam, a grenade was thrown in a theater, injuring ten people. Separatist groups opposed to Hindi films are believed responsible.

In Indian-administered Kashmir, a tourist hotel was attacked with grenades by separatists of Al Nasirin. Some 40 people were killed and 22 wounded. In a

Maldives President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom announced sweeping reforms and constitutional changes to limit presidential powers and improve human rights.

Nepal's Maoist rebels of the All Nepal National Free Students Union (Revolutionary) called a school strike, closing thousands of schools. An Indian-run private school that remained open was attacked with a bomb but there were no casualties.

Karachi, Pakistan saw another militant attack when gunmen opened fire near a bridge close to the US consulate, killing 11 people. Lieutenant General Ahsan Saleem Hayat was passing in a motorcade at the time and that has led to speculation that he was the target of an assassination attempt.

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8. Cyberterrorism and Information Warfare

Symantec reports on the VBS.Pub worm that "If the day is the 6th, 13th, 21st, or 28th, the worm will delete all the files from the computer". http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/vbs.pub.html

Microsoft released its June security patches, including two moderate vulnerabilities. A new security hole in Internet Explorer allows attackers to gain control of a computer, even when fully patched, when clicking on a hyperlink. The attack combines one known unpatched flaw with several new ones to trick the browser into running remote code as a local help file. http://secunia.com/advisories/11793/

Pointsec reports on the sale of laptops with sensitive information being purchased online for small sums. http://www.pointsec.com/news/news_pressrelease.asp?PressID=2004_June_8

The Moscow Times reports that: "Russian computer gangs are directly responsible for some two-thirds of the 21 billion junk e-mails that clog up inboxes all over the world each day. And the explosion of junk e-mail -- from 20 percent of all messages at the end of 2002 to 55 percent at the end of last year -- is due almost entirely to Russian groups who sell 'trojan' programs and lists of infected computers that can be used to send out messages to fellow spammers abroad...". The report is based on information from the London-based Spamhaus Project. http://www.spamhaus.org http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2004/06/10/042.html

Reflecting the extent to which financial services are being disrupted by computer viruses, the US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has issued "Guidance on Developing an Effective Computer Virus Protection Program". http://www.fdic.gov/news/news/financial/2004/fil6204a.html

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9. Finance

The US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has designated Assad Ahmad Barakat, alleged member of Hezbollah, and two of his companies as entities involved in terrorist financing using operations in the tri-border area of South America. http://www.treas.gov/press/releases/js1524.htm OFAC also updated the program brochure on terrorism. http://www.treas.gov/offices/eotffc/ofac/sanctions/t11ter.pdf
In addition, a US federal court has reaffirmed protections for financial institutions filing Suspicious Activity Reports. http://www.fdic.gov/news/news/financial/2004/fil6704.html

A new form of identity theft uses fraudulent life insurance policies to launder drug money. Paulette Martin and Richard Gunn have been indicted in US federal court for a large program utilizing this technique. http://www.ice.gov/graphics/news/newsrel/articles/060804md.htm

Embargoes on Liberian diamonds and timber will continue for the time being, as the UN Security Council said it would help cement the peace process. For details on the sanctions, see this week's Feature Article, below.

Surveys from US Trust, ING Financial Markets, and JP Morgan Private Bank all reflect concerns that terrorism and political risk will have a negative impact on the economy, and thereby have a negative impact on personal wealth. http://www.ustrust.com/, http://research.ing.com (subscribers), http://www.jpmorgan.com/

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10. Human Rights

The World Health Organization's "Economic dimensions of interpersonal violence" report finds that "Violence devastates lives and also imposes major economic costs on societies around the world, some of which spend more than 4 percent of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on dealing with violence-related injuries". http://www.who.int/mediacentre/releases/2004/pr40/en/

The International Labour Organization issued "Helping Hands or Shackled Lives? Understanding child domestic labour and responses to it" that describes international exploitation of up to ten million children around the world. They feature stories of three children from Senegal, the Philippines, and Guatemala. http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/inf/features/04/domestic.htm On a similar topic, Human Rights Watch reports that up to a third of sugarcane workers in El Salvador are children, some as young as eight, and recommend a boycott of the sugar so produced. http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2004/06/10/elsalv8772.htm

The UN Conference of Trade and Development discussed the links between international trade and poverty reduction. http://www.unctad.org/ For this conference, Oxfam released a new report, "The Rural Poverty Trap" finding that " Six of the ten poorest countries in the world are less prosperous than they were twenty years ago...." http://www.oxfam.org/eng/pr040610_trade_unctad_report.htm

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11. Law and Legal Issues

Rabei Osman Ahmed, ("Mohamed the Egyptian"), was arrested with two others in Italy. Spain will request his extradition in connection with the March 11 attacks in Madrid.

Pasteur Bizimungu, former President of Rwanda, has been sentenced to 15 years prison for embezzlement, inciting violence and associating with criminals.

David Hicks, an Australian held in indefinite detention at the US naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, will face war crimes and other charges before a US military tribunal in August. http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2004/nr20040610-0893.html

Juan Lopez-Grijalva, a former Honduran Army Lieutenant, will be deported on charges connected to the "kidnapping, torture, rape and murder of approximately 184 people who disappeared in Honduras during the 1980s". http://www.ice.gov/graphics/news/newsrel/articles/honduransquad.htm

Sami Omar Al-Hussayen, accused in US federal court of using computer expertise to provide assistance to terrorists, was cleared of three terrorism charges as well as counts of making a false statement and visa fraud. The jury deadlocked on several other minor charges and for those a mistrial was declared. http://www.id.uscourts.gov/hussayen.htm

Nadia Desdemona Lioce, linked to the Red Brigades guerilla group, has been sentenced to life in prison in Italian court for her role in the death of a police officer during a gunfight on a train in March 2003.

Terry Nichols will continue to serve a life sentence for his role in the 1995 Oklahoma City after the jury that found him guilty of 161 murders deadlocked over his sentence. Prosecutors had hoped the jury would choose the death penalty.

Eugene Terreblanche, white supremacist and leader of South Africa's Afrikaner Resistance Movement (AWB), has been released from prison after serving three years of a 5-year prison term for the 1996 attempted murder of a black security guard.

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12. Transportation

The International Institute for Strategic Studies' Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore last weekend covered a variety of regional topics including security of the Strait of Malacca, where a quarter of international maritime trade passes through and attracts piracy and terrorism. The conference site with summaries of the discussion is at http://www.iiss.org/shangri-la.php?PHPSESSID=dbdc24dd11bee9a3b1ef4dfda68334cf and related press coverage is collected at http://www.iiss.org/shangrilapress.php?confID=65 In addition, note an excellent article in the June 12 edition of The Economist, "Shipping in South-East Asia: Going for the jugular" http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displayStory.cfm?story_id=2752802

The US General Accounting Office reports on "Aviation Security: Further Steps Needed to Strengthen the Security of Commercial Airport Perimeters and Access Controls". They write that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) needs to develop a plan to meet the requirements of the Aviation and Transportation Security Act. For example, they must address specific measures such as requiring fingerprint-based criminal history checks and security awareness training for all airport workers and requiring airport vendors to develop security programs. http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-04-728 http://www.tsa.gov/public/display?theme=44&content=09000519800ac831

TSA has begun the second phase of rail security testing, evaluating new technologies for screening baggage. http://www.tsa.gov/public/display?theme=44&content=09000519800abf1d

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), the first subway system in the US, has now become the first to say they will conduct random checks of passengers' bags. http://www.mbta.com/insidethet/press_releases_details.asp?ID=1015

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13. Weapons of Mass Destruction

United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) submitted their latest report finding, among other things, that items potentially usable in Iraqi weapons programs had been removed and are found in scrap-yards outside Iraq, including a site in the Netherlands containing a missile engine. http://www.unmovic.org/ http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=S/2004/435 http://www.unmovic.org/

The US General Accounting Office published "Nuclear Nonproliferation: DOE's Effort to Close Russia's Plutonium Production Reactors Faces Challenges, and Final Shutdown is Uncertain". They recommend the Department of Energy reach agreement on the necessary steps with Russia, change the reactor shutdown agreement to reflect revised completion dates, jointly develop a plan to address employment of the current nuclear workers. http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-04-662

Another GAO report addresses "NRC's Liability Insurance Requirements for Nuclear Power Plants Owned by Limited Liability Companies" that finds that of 103 operating nuclear power plants, 31 are owned by 11 LLCs and that 8 subsidiaries are licensees or colicensees for 27 of the 31. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is studying whether their existing regulations are sufficient to take into account limited liability. http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-04-654

A third report on nuclear issues looked at "Low-Level Radioactive Waste: Disposal Availability Adequate in the Short Term, but Oversight Needed to Identity Any Future Shortfalls". It expresses concerns over weaknesses in internal controls and other areas that could lead to problems as "storage volumes and duration increase in the absence of reliable and cost-effective disposal options", leading to potential increases in safety and security risk. http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-04-604

At least seven workers at the Children's Hospital and Research Center in Oakland, California, US, were exposed to live anthrax bacteria that had previously tested dead. http://www.biomedcentral.com/news/20040611/03 Meanwhile, the US Food and Drug Administration has approved a simplified anthrax exposure test. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_18207.html

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14. Recently Published

Andrew Exum, "This Man's Army: A Soldier's Story from the Front Lines of the War on Terrorism" Gotham http://www.thismansarmy.com/

David Gilbert, "No Surrender: Writings From An Anti-Imperialist Political Prisoner" Abraham Guillen Press/Arm the Spirit http://www.akpress.org/dosearch.php?itemid=4573

Etgar Keret and Samir El Youssef "Gaza Blues: Different Stories" David Paul (fiction) http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3776305.stm

Bernard Lewis, "From Babel to Dragomans: Interpreting the Middle East" Oxford University Press http://www.us.oup.com/us/catalog/general/subject/HistoryWorld/MiddleEastern/?view=usa&ci=0195173368

Robin Moore, "Hunting Down Saddam: The Inside Story of the Search and Capture" St Martins

Marlene van Niekerk, "Triomf" Overlook Press (fiction) http://www.overlookpress.com/book.php?ISBN=1-58567-500-8

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FEATURE ARTICLE: Blood Diamonds and Timber: The Liberian Sanctions Program

The UN Security Council met on June 10 to conduct a mid-term review of the sanctions on Liberia, taking into account the goals of the sanctions, whether they had been effective, and the current situation in Liberia. This article summarizes that information, and asks whether, looking at the same data, you agree with the decision taken by the Security Council.

Liberia was founded in 1822 as a haven for slaves freed form the US and became an Africa's first independent republic in 1847. It was a stable government, underpinned by rich natural resources, and dominated by the minority African-American settlers. This ended after violent food riots in 1979 that led to the 1980 military coup by Samuel Doe. Doe's dictatorship let to economic collapse and, in turn, a civil war led by Charles Taylor and his National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL). They began an uprising and a splinter NPFL group executed Doe. Fighting continued among competing rebel groups, and against the Liberian army, and West African peacekeepers, until a peace agreement was finally brokered in 1995 and Charles Taylor was subsequently elected president.

Fighting continued, but much of it moved to Liberia's borders. Located in West Africa along the North Atlantic Ocean, Liberia shares a border with Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Ivory Coast. Rebel forces used these border areas, particularly in the north with Guinea and Sierra Leone, to launch attacks, and Liberian forces did not hesitate to cross the border in pursuing their disputes.

Meanwhile, the lengthy crisis in Liberia helped to destabilize Sierra Leone. Beginning in 1991, the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) fought the government in a brutal civil war known for gruesome atrocities against civilians. It is this situation that led to sanctions against Liberia.

Security Council resolution 788, adopted in November 1992, imposed a complete arms embargo against Liberia to try to end its supply of the RUF and other armed groups fighting in Sierra Leone. This resolution was replaced in 2001 with more comprehensive sanctions. Resolution 1343 imposed a new arms embargo, banned the Liberian diamonds trade, and prohibited travel for members and associated of the Liberian government. In May 2003 the sanctions were renewed and the Security Council added an embargo on the timber trade. In each case, there were direct links between the sale of diamonds and timber and provision of arms to RUF and other rebels, and have been directly connected to Charles Taylor. Even after Sierra Leone's war was declared over in 2002, the UN found that Charles Taylor's government had not fully ended its support for Sierra Leone's rebels, particularly through the illicit sale of diamonds.

In 2003 the simmering conflict in Liberia came to a boil when rebel forces of Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) and the Movement for Democracy in Liberia (MODEL) opened several battlefronts and advanced to the outskirts of the capital Monrovia. In August Charles Taylor bowed to international pressure to step down and is now in exile in Nigeria. Conflict continued until the end of the year when a transitional government (the NTGL) was established and UN peacekeepers stepped in. Charles Taylor was indicted for war crimes in June 2003, and in March 2004 the Security Council unanimously voted for Resolution 1532 that froze his assets to prevent his funding any efforts to undermine the peace process.

Today, the situation remains unsettled. This week the situation was described as follows:
" Following the deployment of UNMIL [the UN Mission in Liberia], there is now hope for a lasting peace in Liberia. Disarmament is proceeding calmly. Corruption remains widespread, however, and the task of rebuilding is daunting. Liberia still has no public electric or water utilities, even in the capital, Monrovia. Food security and health care also remain a concern".

The report also provided details on the effectiveness of the sanctions. Regarding arms, "The Panel has found no evidence of weapons trafficking into Liberia since August 2003. However, organized, international smuggling networks remain in place and could be reactivated at any time. Disarmament is progressing, but there is a strong possibility that factions may have cached weapons either within Liberia or in neighbouring countries. As a result, regional stability continues to be a subject of concern. Therefore, the sanctions on arms should remain and the ECOWAS moratorium on small arms should be implemented. Further, the origin of weapons surrendered in the disarmament process should be established."

On the subject of diamonds, they reported that "In the context of poor internal security, diamond mining in Liberia has virtually ceased. In consequence, current levels of smuggling are negligible. The National Transitional Government has begun taking urgent steps towards the establishment of an effective certificate of origin scheme for trade in rough diamonds that is transparent and internationally verifiable, with a view to joining the Kimberley Process. It is recommended that these positive steps should be accelerated by financial and technical support from the international community.".

Finally, regarding timber, "Sanctions appear effective; there is no evidence of widespread exports. However, the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) is still not deployed in the forest-rich south-east of Liberia, and the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) does not function outside Monrovia. Given evidence of past FDA complicity with human rights abuses and widespread corruption, a comprehensive review of the industry is required by an independent authority. Likewise, the lack of trained personnel, including accountants, suggests that a management company should be appointed to run the Authority. Until the Forestry Development Authority is operational and security is achieved, the conditions necessary to lift sanctions will not be met, as the revenue from forestry and the security forces used by logging companies could be a source of regional instability."

The Committee also reviewed the impact of sanctions, reporting that " The sanctions on Liberia have contributed significantly to ending the country’s 14-year cycle of armed conflicts and laying the foundations for lasting peace and good governance. The erosion of former President Taylor’s power base was a direct result of the sanctions, as has been the inability of former warring factions and their expatriate counterparts to use diamonds and timber to prolong the conflict. At the same time the sanctions on diamonds and timber have had some adverse effects, relating to the absence of employment for thousands of Liberians, the loss of tax revenues to the Government and road maintenance opportunities previously provided by logging companies (see S/2003/793). Despite these hardships, a poll undertaken by the Panel indicates that many Liberians now understand the rationale for all the sanctions imposed on their country and view the current efforts by the international community to facilitate reforms in Liberia as positive steps towards durable peace and sustainable development."

Given all this information, the Security Council "felt that peace was still fragile and that the conditions for the lifting of the sanctions were yet to be fully met". The sanctions therefore would be continued but this was "not meant to be punitive...but to ensure that the peace process was irreversible". To support continued reconciliation and reconstruction, the Security Council ended with a call for the international community to provide timely assistance as previously promised.

After reading this article, do you agree with the decision to continue sanctions? Check out the additional resources below, including the excellent reports by Global Witness, and send email to to let us know what you think.

Further Reading:

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