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AUTHOR:
TerrorismCentral Editorial Staff

TITLE:
TerrorismCentral Newsletter - September 18, 2005

SOURCE:
TerrorismCentral, September 18, 2005

TEXT:

International efforts dominate the News Highlights this week, including Middle East coverage of the speech given by Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to the UN General Assembly, detailing their nuclear strategy, while US moves towards nuclear preemption are summarized in WMD, below. This week's Feature Article, "Counterterrorism at the 2005 World Summit" provides highlights from the Security Council presentations and the full text of the new anti-terrorism resolution.


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:
Counterterrorism at the 2005 World Summit

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK


1. World

The United Nations' General Assembly 2005 World Summit was held 14-16 September 2005. 154 heads of State of government addressed the Summit, which also hosted more than 5,200 other delegates and over 2,200 journalists. A draft outcome document had been developed at the last hour that was greatly watered down from the original, and is generally seen as providing limited value at best. The approved outcome document included these major elements:

* Commitment by all governments to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015, supported by promises of additional financing and debt cancellation of heavily indebted poor countries;
* Condemnation of terrorism "in all its forms and manifestations, committed by whomever, wherever and for whatever purposes" and support for measures against nuclear terrorism (Details on this issue in the Feature Article, below)
* Creation of a Peacebuilding Commission
* Acceptance b of the collective international responsibility to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity; and a willingness support this with action
* Steps to strengthen the UN human rights machinery including a new UN Human Rights Council and the recently established Democracy Fund
* UN reform through stronger oversight capacity and independent advisors
* Recognition of the serious challenge of climate change, commitment to act through the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, provide necessary assistance to the most vulnerable, and agreement to create a worldwide early warning system for all natural hazards.
* Increasing prevention, care, treatment, support, and surveillance by offering additional resources for HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria, and associated World Health Organization initiatives.
* Improving the Central Emergency Revolving Fund to support rapid emergency response.
* Deciding to revise and update the UN Charter by winding up the Trusteeship Council, marking completion of UN?s historic decolonization role, and deleting anachronistic references to "enemy States".
http://www.un.org/ga/59/hl60_plenarymeeting.html

The new World Bank report, Where is the Wealth of Nations", released in advance of the UN Summit, reports that taking into account the actual value of natural resources, net savings per person are negative in the world's poorest countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Current indicators not taking into account resource depletion and environmental damage, such as gross domestic product, do not accurately estimate development needs.
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:20648103~pagePK:34370~piPK:34424~theSitePK:4607,00.html

The Gallup International Voice of the People 2005 poll, commissioned by the BBC World Service, found that 65 percent of citizens around the world do not think their country is governed by the will of the people. Only 13 percent trust politicians. For detailed findings and analysis go to
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4247158.stm

A woman in Jakarta has become the first fatality attributed to avian influenza in Indonesia. Three more have died and more are infected. The World Health Organization warns again that the virus will mutate and be transmissible by humans, leading to an inevitable pandemic, whose threat must be addressed well in advance.
http://www.who.int/csr/don/2005_09_16/en/index.html
http://www.who.int/topics/avian_influenza/en/


2. Africa

Burundi's last remaining rebel group, National Liberation Forces (FNL), rejected the government's offer of peace talks, but suggested they may be willing to negotiate with representatives of Burundi's three ethnic groups. FNL attacked northern Bujumbura with rockets and hand grenades, killing at least one civilian.

A Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) army spokesman denied reports that large numbers of troops were joining dissident former general Laurent Nkunda, who is fomenting rebellion in the northeast. The army says there have been no more than 100 deserters, and most of those had been persuaded to return.

Rwandan Hutu rebels with the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDRL) operating near the Rwandan and Burundi borders arrested 48 dissident DRC soldiers, including 11 officers, and returned them to DRC, where they were arrested. The International Crisis Group warned that the security threat posed by FDRL must be dealt with immediately: "The FDRL members must understand that if they refuse to disarm and go home to Rwanda, they will face military action". Furthermore, "As the Congo enters its third year of the transition, the process remains fragile and the Congolese people continue to pay a heavy price. An estimated 1000 men, women, and children are still dying each day from the consequences of the turmoil. Only with strong international engagement can the transition to peace and stability be achieved".
http://www.crisisgroup.org

Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has opened initial contacts for possible talks with the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF).

In the Darfur region of Sudan, violence against civilians continued while a sixth round of peace talks opened in Nigeria. The African Union is mediating the talks with the government, the Sudan Liberation Army, and the Justice and Equality Movement according to the signed Declaration of Principles that is meant to lead to a comprehensive peace agreement. Issues under discussion are the sharing of power and wealth, as well as security arrangements.

Ugandan rebels with the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) have crossed the White Nile for the first time to attack villages and burn down houses in southern Sudan.


3. Americas

Brazilian parliamentarian Roberto Jefferson, who had made the original allegations of corruption in the ruling Brazilian Labor Party, has been expelled from the parliament after admitting he had personally benefited.

In Chile, thousands gathered on 11 September to mark the 32nd anniversary of General Pinochet's coup and pay tribute to the over 3,000 victims of his regime. At least 9,000 marched to the General Cemetery in the capital Santiago, demanding justice rather than pardons for those involved in human rights abuses. Violent incidents began outside the cemetery, then major clashes began inside, possibly instigated by a local anarchist group. 10,000 police were deployed and in the clashes, 21 of them were injured. One teenager was shot and killed. There were more than 80 arrests.

In southern Putumayo region, there was further fighting between Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels and paramilitaries with the Central Bolivar Bloc of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC). Three civilians, including two young girls, were killed and 26 injured.

Haiti has registered 30 candidates for upcoming elections. They will not include jailed Catholic priest Gerard Jean-Juste, who had been put forward as the presidential candidate for the Lavalas Family party of ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Jean-Juste was arrested on suspicion of involvement in a journalist's murder.

In the Mexican state of Michoacan, the director of State Security, Rogelio Zarazua, was assassinated in a restaurant as he dined with his wife. A bodyguard was also killed. The three gunmen are believed connected to a drug smuggling gang

Peru has given a new passport to former President Alberto Fujimori, who plans to return from Tokyo in time for the April 2006 elections. In Peru he has been banned from office until 2010. Japan has refused extradition requests under which Fujimori would face charges of human rights abuses and corruption.

At the US naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as many as 200 inmates (of 500 detainees) are involved in a protest to demand release or immediate trial. 128 detainees are on hunger strike. 18 have been hospitalized and 13 are being force-fed through a tube. The protestors say they are willing to die, and the Pentagon says they will not permit this.
http://www.ccr-ny.org
http://www.defenselink.mil/home/features/gitmo/

The US states of Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi continue relief efforts after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Estimated recovery costs now exceed $200 billion. In New Orleans, floodwaters are being drained and the mayor has called for businesses to begin returning, although relief agencies warn residents that living conditions are not yet safe.

Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez told the UN General Assembly that the US is a terrorist state and that he has proof of a US plan to invade Venezuela. US officials accused Venezuela of not doing enough to stop drug trafficking, but were unable to garner support for coordinated action against Chavez.


4. Asia Pacific

China will no longer treat death tolls in natural disasters or related information as state secrets.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-09/12/content_3480446.htm

Indonesia's Aceh province has taken the first step under the peace agreement. Rebels with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) have come out of the jungle to surrender their arms. The rebels handed in about 278 weapons by 17 September and in 800 return troops have been withdrawn. The disarmament process will continue in stages until the end of the year, when only 14,700 soldiers and 9,100 police officers will remain.

North Korea's nuclear program is under discussion in multiparty talks being held in China. A Chinese proposal to allow North Korea to use nuclear energy for power production is under review, and negotiations have been extended until Monday. Prior to the new Chinese proposal, the talks had reached an impasse over a new demand from North Korea that it be given a light water nuclear reactor. North Korea has been offered security guarantees, and, and free power if all nuclear programs are abandoned. North Korea says a civilian nuclear program is not negotiable and without it they will ramp up weapons production.

New Zealand's ruling Labor Party won a narrow victory in the general election and will need to operate in a coalition government. They are only one seat ahead of the opposition National Party, which is also attempting to form a coalition.

Papua New Guinea marked 30 years of independence on 16 September.

Philippines police in Mindanao clashed with a group of former separatist guerillas turned bandits and freed a woman grocer they had held captive for 19 months. The Philippines government plans to auction off Imelda Marcos' jewel collection, valued at up to $10 million. She claims they were family heirlooms. The government believes they were acquired through embezzlement of government funds.

Uzbekistan has outlined charges against the first 15 men due to go on trial next week in connection with the May disturbances in Andijan. The UN has evacuated 11 Uzbek refugees from Kyrgyzstan, where they fled after the events in Andijan.


5. Europe

As Armenia and Azerbaijan proceed with peace talks, the International Crisis Group suggests: " All sides in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict need to prepare their people for peace much better if the seeds of their high-level peace talks are to bear fruit. There is need to counter hate propaganda and unlock the potential for confidence building and dialogue between average Azeris and Armenians. Neither community appears prepared to agree to the kind of settlement being considered by the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers in the negotiations sponsored by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe. There is no way for any peace process to succeed unless leaders from all sides start actively selling the idea to their people. Rising military expenditures and increasing ceasefire violations are ominous signs that time for a peaceful settlement may be running out."
http://www.crisisgrop.org

Croatia's Supreme Court ordered the retrial of eight former military police charged with torture and killing Serb prisoners in 1992, after finding the original 2002 trial had been flawed. The trial opened on 12 September.

Germany is home to as many as 5,000 potential Islamic suicide attackers, according to the state of Bavaria's Interior Minister, Guenther Beckstein. Beckstein is the likely new interior minister following a possible victory by the Christian democrats in the general election, with exit polls suggesting a narrow victory, requiring coalition support to form a government.
http://www.netzeitung.de/spezial/kampfgegenterror/357387.html (in German)

In Athens, Greece, neo-Fascists from across Europe gathered to attend a 2-day rally, despite a government band. Security forces trying to contain the meeting clashed with anarchists trying to disrupt the meeting. The rightists dispersed, but the anarchists turned petrol bombs and stones against the police, who responded with tear gas.

Ireland's Department of Justice is examining extradition requests submitted by Colombia regarding three Irish Republicans convicted of training Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels. The Foreign Ministers of Ireland and Colombia will meet in New York next week.

In the Netherlands, police freed the kidnapped daughter of the owner of a chemical company that has been accused of shipping chemicals to Iraq in violation of export controls. Those responsible and their motive are not yet known.

In Russia's North Caucasus region a series of attacks raises the specter of a widening conflict. At the beginning of the week rebel attacks killed eight members of Russian security forces, then numerous attacks took place on Friday. In Dagestan, a policeman was shot dead. Three explosions in Ingushetia targeted a courthouse and a police patrol, causing no casualties. An explosion in North Ossetia caused major disruption when part of a cargo train was derailed.

Spanish police conducted raids in the eastern province of Valencia. They arrested 20 suspected neo-Nazis.

Switzerland's intelligence services coordinator Jacques Pitteloud, said that more needs to be done to monitor and perhaps expel people linked to terrorism and that the "war on terror" could take three decades.
http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/swissinfo.html?siteSect=105&sid=6071034&cKey=1126427499000

British home secretary Charles Clarke, despite personal reservations, put forth proposed new anti-terrorism legislation that includes:

* Extending detention without trial from 14 days to three months, subject to weekly judicial review
* New offences of inciting or glorifying terrorism, and proscribing groups that engage is these
* New offenses of publications that incite or are useful to persons engaged in terrorist acts or preparations, including attending a terrorist training camp
* Extending criminal trespass to include nuclear power stations
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk

Speaking with the home affairs committee, Clarke revealed that hundreds of people are under surveillance and that he has approved a control order against a British citizen.
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmselect/cmhaff/uc462-i/uc46202.htm

The home secretary has also ordered the deportation of seven Algerians, including those acquitted of an alleged ricin plot earlier this year, despite the likelihood of torture in Algeria.

Eight supporters of the Hull City football (soccer) team have been indefinitely banned from the club for taunting supporters of he London team, Queens Park Rangers, over the 7/7 bombings.

In Northern Ireland, an Orange Order parade that sparked major riots last weekend left a residue of violence that has resulted in rioting and related violence throughout the week. Protestors have several times blocked roads, and engaged in sectarian attacks, including arson and bombs. The riots reflect fear of the future peace process following Irish Republican Army disarmament, divisions within protestant groups, and the failure to regenerate the economic and social life of the area.

The loyalist Ulster Defence Association (UDA), believed to have played a significant role in the rioting, has called for an end to violence. The British government announced that the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), and the related Red Hand Commando (RHC) ceasefire is no longer recognized.


6. Middle East

In Gaza, Israeli troops completed their withdrawal on Monday, leaving behind scenes of chaos, including arson attacks on synagogues and thousands of people breaching the border fence to cross into Egypt. Palestinian security forces have now sealed the border and stabilized the situation.

Iran's nuclear programs were the topic of heated discussion last week. UN Secretary General Annan said the situation threatened the fabric of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke in New York before the UN General Assembly. He warned that "once certain powerful States completely control nuclear energy resources and technology, they will deny access to other States and thus deepen the divide between powerful countries and the rest of the international community". Declaring that religious principles prohibit Iran from developing nuclear weapons, he accused "hegemonic powers" of misrepresenting their efforts in "nothing but a propaganda ploy". He referred to cooperation with IAEA and is "prepared to engage in serious partnership with private and public sectors of other countries in the implementation of uranium enrichment program in Iran". Iran " in its pursuit of peaceful nuclear technology, considers it within its legitimate rights to receive objective guarantees for uranium enrichment in the nuclear fuel cycle". Negotiations with France, Germany and the UK "will be commensurate with the requirements of our cooperation with the Agency regarding non-diversion of the process of uranium enrichment to non-peaceful purposes in the framework of the provisions of the NPT". South Africa's participation would be welcome. He also suggested moving forward with NPT decisions and that a committee be mandated to "compile and submit a comprehensive report on possible practical mechanisms and strategies for complete disarmament", "investigate how nuclear weapons were transferred to the Zionist regime" and propose practical measures for a nuclear weapons free Middle East.
http://www.un.org/webcast/ga/60/statements/iran050917eng.pdf

Iraq and US troops seized control of Tal Afar after a 2-day offensive. They estimated that 156 insurgents had been killed. More than 20,000 people were displaced. The Iraqi Red Crescent Society has set up camps to host displaced families, and has appealed for aid as it is the only group involved in their relief. This introduced a week in which the insurgents were ascendant. On Monday, a huge car bomb outside a restaurant killed two and injured 15. A series of major attacks across Baghdad began on Wednesday. In the worst incident a car bomb killed at least 112 people and injured more than 500. Other bombings and shootings across the country killed and injured dozens more. Fresh attacks on Thursday killed at least 31, while an onslaught of suicide bombs on Friday killed more than 30 and injured dozens more. A car bomb on Saturday killed at least 30, injuring many more. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, leader of al Qaeda in Iraq, has declared all out war against all Shias in Iraq.

As Iraq moves closer to civil war, both Sunni and Shiite clerics are calling for calm and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani has issued a desperate plea before the UN General Assembly for more help to stop the country from becoming a base for international terror. http://www.un.org/webcast/ga/60/statements/iraq050917eng.pdf The World Bank issued a grim assessment of the country's recovery, which violence has slowed more than expected.
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,date:2005-09-16~menuPK:34461~pagePK:34392~piPK:64256810~theSitePK:4607,00.html#Story3

Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf shook hands at the UN and exchanged greetings. Although they did not continue their conversations from two weeks ago, President Musharraf addressed a meeting of the American Jewish Congress, where he said "I am convinced that peace in Palestine will revive the historical ties between Islam and Judaism".
http://www.presidentofpakistan.gov.pk/

Israel's Supreme Court ordered the government to consider other options for routing the West Bank barrier to cause less injury to Palestinian villagers living there. The Court rejected the International Court of Justice ruling that the barrier was illegal and should be dismantled, saying they had not considered Israel's security needs.

In Lebanon, a powerful explosion went off in an eastern suburb of Beirut, killing one and injuring 22.

Saudi authorities had said that most-wanted al Qaeda militant Mohammed al-Suwailmi had been killed in a shoot-out with Saudi forces. Now they believe it was his brother Ahmad. A tape posted online attributed to Mohammed al-Suwailmi claims to prove he is still alive.

Syria agreed to allow the UN team investigating the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri to question witnesses, believed to include security officials.


7. South Asia

Afghanistan held its first parliamentary and local elections in more than three decades. More than 12 million voters could choose from 5,800 candidates. Turnout was reported as brisk but not as heavy as last year's presidential elections (75 percent). A series of attacks attributed to Taleban militants took place before and during the vote. Watch for next week's Feature Article that will cover this historic event in detail. Also note a BBC special "One Day in Afghanistan".
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/south_asia/4237950.stm

Bangladesh's home ministry offered an unspecified but large reward and released photographs of the men wanted for a series of more than 400 small bombs that were exploded across the country in July, killing two people and injuring more than 100. Abdur Rahman is head of Jama'atul Mujahideen and Bangla Bhai leads Jagrata Muslim Janata, both banned militant Islamic groups.
http://www.thedailystar.net/2005/09/12/d5091201011.htm

In the Indian state of Assam, Indian troops attacked three United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) posts. Twelve separatists were killed. ULFA warned that the army should not attack its bases right after they had formed a peace negotiation team, and that if military attacks continue they will strike back. Jharkhand state, Maoist rebels raided a village, killing 13 people. It marked the first attack specifically targeting civilians. Previously, civilian casualties were incidental in attacks against security forces.

India, Pakistan, and Kashmir's Hurriyat coalition of moderate parties continued discussions on curbing violence and working towards a lasting peace, despite ongoing clashes between Indian security forces and militants. The militant Hizbul Mujahideen ruled out a ceasefire and insisted on independence, and said Hurriyat's talks were pointless. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that ending cross-border violence would make it easier to improve human rights and withdraw troops, but Pakistan needs to stop the flow of terror into the area.

Nepalese police have arrested more than 500 demonstrators, including several opposition leaders, as they protested King Gyanendra's seizure of power. Several dozen people were injured.

Nepal's Maoist rebels have released 60 soldiers who had been held for more than a month after a rebel attack on their barracks. The International Crisis Group focuses on the Maoist rebel ceasefire announced recently: " The unilateral ceasefire announced by the Maoists could lead to resolution of Nepal's worsening civil war, but only if the international community changes its approach, especially towards the ineffective and divisive monarchy. In the seven months since the royal coup, there has been a significant increase in violence. The international policy of encouraging cooperation between the palace and the political parties is at a dead end. However, the coup also unintentionally prompted a tentative dialogue between the political parties and the Maoist insurgents, which is making progress towards developing an agenda for negotiations. There may still be a place for the monarchy in a new Nepalese political constellation, but efforts should now be concentrated on restoring peace and democracy, not preserving or defining the royal role."
http://www.crisisgroup.org

Pakistan has proposed construction of a 1,500-mile long security fence along its border with Afghanistan. The US backed the proposal, but many Afghans expressed skepticism.

Near the Afghan border, Pakistan continued operations that led to numerous arrests, as well as retrieval of weapons and ammunition. They claim to have destroyed a major al Qaeda hideout, seizing a Chinese-made spy plane, and arresting 20 militants. The operation is continuing.

Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga has said that the country must become a federal state.
http://www.presidentsl.org/data/speech/2005/address_NY's_asia_society%20.htm


8. Cyberterrorism and Information Warfare

Secunia warns of a highly critical vulnerability in the Firefox browser due to an error in handling certain domain names.
http://secunia.com/advisories/16764/

Disklabs purchased a hundred hard disk drives and 50 memory cards from eBay and analyzed them, finding documents were easily accessible and internet caches easy to reconstruct.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/09/13/smut_recovery_survey/

The stolen laptop containing personal data of 98,000 students and applicants of the University of California at Berkeley has been recovered. It could not be determined whether data was accessed, and investigators believe theft of the machine was the only motive. It was recovered from an online auction site, and a suspect has been arrested and charged.
http://idalert.berkeley.edu/update914.html

University of California at Berkeley researchers have found that computer passwords can be cracked simply by listening to keystrokes. They recommend alternatives such as two-factor authentication.
http://www.cs.berkeley.edu/~tygar/papers/Keyboard_Acoustic_Emanations_Revisited/preprint.pdf

Microsoft announced its monthly security release would cover one vulnerability, which is rated critical. A day after the announcement, the patch was pulled due to a significant quality issue.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/09/14/secfocus_patches/

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) has determined that the September 12 power outage causing two million people to loose electricity was caused by an error in a work order.
http://www.ladwp.com/


9. Finance

British arms manufacturer BAE is accused of paying nearly $2 million to former Chilean dictator General Augusto Pinochet's front companies, as late as June 2004. The allegations, revealed in documents obtained by the Guardian, are now the subject of an investigation by the Serious Fraud Office in the UK and also by investigators in Chile. This is not the first time that BAE has been accused of such dealings. Last year the BBC found that BAE had oiled a Saudi arms deal with a GBP60 million slush fund.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/chile/story/0,13755,1570335,00.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/chile/story/0,13755,1570165,00.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/chile/story/0,13755,1571403,00.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4247550.stm

The US Department of Treasury has designated Banco Delta Asia SARL as a "primary money laundering concern" under Section 311 of the USA PATRIOT Act because it represents an unacceptable risk of money laundering and other financial crimes. They are accused of being " a willing pawn for the North Korean government to engage in corrupt financial activities through Macau, a region that needs significant improvement in its money laundering controls". The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network also proposed a rule to prohibit US financial institutions from establishing, maintaining, administering or managing any correspondent account in the US for or on behalf of this bank.
http://www.treas.gov/press/releases/js2720.htm
http://www.fincen.gov

Lebanese authorities approved disclosure of the bank accounts of some suspects in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Former Central Bank governor Edmond Naim said this measure has no impact on the bank secrecy law and that Lebanon's money laundering laws were already well advanced.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=3&article_id=18542#

Ahead of Swiss Bankers Day 2005, the Swiss Bankers Association called for caution in lifting bank secrecy provisions or freezing foreign accounts following several recent cases based on foreign requests.
http://www.swissbanking.org/

The US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation issued Bank Security Act guidance for Hurricane Katrina victims.
http://www.fdic.gov/news/katrina/index.html

The UN Convention against Corruption will enter into force in December following the 30th ratification, by Ecuador, needed for its approval. The Convention has been signed by more than 100 countries. It provides for international cooperation to return assets illegally acquired by corrupt individuals and to prevent and detect plundering of national wealth as it occurs.
http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/crime_convention_corruption.html


10. Human Rights

Frances Newton, convicted of murdering her husband and two children, has been executed in the US state of Texas. She is the first black woman executed since the civil war and the third woman executed in Texas since the death penalty was reintroduced in 1982. An American Bar Association request for a stay in order to review new evidence was refused, and she was killed with lethal injection.

The UN special rapporteur on torture, Manfred Nowak, concludes that the police, armed police and Royal Nepalese Army use torture against suspected Maoist rebels to extract confessions, obtain intelligence, and related purposes. The rebels use torture and mutilation to extort money, punish non-cooperation, and intimidate others.
http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/747EA6831C54890AC125707E00508573?opendocument

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) warns that human trafficking in south-eastern Europe is reaching alarming proportions and exhibiting new trends, including an increase in the number of male victims.
http://www.iom.int/en/news/pr884_en.shtml

In the Ontario province of Canada, Premier Dalton McGuinty has ruled against a former attorney general's recommendation that Sharia law be used to settle family disputes. Protests against this were held in major Canadian cities and in Europe. Speaking to the Canadian press he said, " There will be no religious arbitration in Ontario. There will be one law for all Ontarians".
http://www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050912.wxsharia12/BNStory/National/

Christian Aid has released a new report, "The Shirts off their Backs" that describes how rich individuals and multinational companies avoid paying taxes, causing losses of revenue in poor countries of some $500 billion a year, and helping to keep the developing world poor.
http://www.christian-aid.org.uk/indepth/509tax/index.htm


11. Law and Legal Issues

Tayseer Alouni was arrested again in Spain. The al-Jazeera reporter is accused of financing al Qaeda, and of having a strong relationship with Immad Yarkas ("Abu Dahdah"). Yarkas is on trial on suspicion of heading an al Qaeda cell that supported the 9/11 attacks. Another suspect, Jamal Hussein was also rearrested with Alouni. The two men had been granted bail for health reasons, but were taken into custody to ensure they do not flee before the verdicts are determined later this month.

Colin Harbinson was remanded into custody in Northern Ireland on firearms and explosives charges and for having a balaclava for purposes connected with terrorism. His actions were linked to loyalist unrest last weekend.

Stephen Hatfill had sued US Department of Justice officials for violating his civil rights when labeling him a person of interest in the anthrax investigation, harming his reputation and employment options. A judge dismissed two claims to hold individuals responsible, but upheld a third which seeks a declaration of unconstitutional deprivation of employment and a ban on future violations, opening the possibility that Justice officials could be held accountable. A fourth privacy claim also stands, but was not part of this ruling.

Hemant Lakhani, a British citizen, has been sentenced by US court to 47 years in prison following his April conviction of attempting to support terrorism in connection with an FBI sting operation involving the attempted sale of a missile.

Sredoje Lukic, wanted for alleged crimes committed against Bosnian civilians when he was a member of a paramilitary group during the Bosnian war, surrendered to Serbian authorities and has been sent to the UN tribunal in the Hague.

Hussain Osman (Hamdi Issac) lost his appeal in Italy against extradition to the UK, where he is expected to arrive in the near future. He is a suspect in the failed London bombings of 21 July.

Scott Larson, a US peace activist named a national security threat by Australia, was detained after participating in a Sydney protest against US military contracting firm Halliburton. He was deported to the US after spending five days in prison, in solitary confinement. He was billed nearly A$11,700 to cover his airfare as well as the two guards that escorted him, and another fee for his prison stay. Legal action against Australian officials will be taken to understand why he was considered a security risk.

John Main was remanded into custody in Belfast after denying charges connected with allegedly throwing a pipe bomb and shooting at Northern Ireland security forces last Saturday.

General Augusto Pinochet was stripped of immunity from prosecution by Chile's Supreme Court, clearing the way for the former dictator to stand trial for his role in the 1975 disappearance and death of 15 dissidents.

Rois ("Iwan Darmawan") has been sentenced to death in Indonesian court for providing a driver, van, and other materials used in the 2004 bombing of the Australian Embassy in Jakarta. Rois continues to deny the charges.

Myron Tereshchuk has been sentenced in US court to more than three years in prison for having ricin, which is designated as a biological weapon, and other weapons in his home.


12. Transportation

A Colombian airliner with 23 passengers and crew, including a congressman, was hijacked. A father and son were armed with grenades, and during four hours of talks agreed to begin releasing passengers and crew, then surrendered at a military airfield near Bogota. The action may have been linked to a failed compensation claim related to the father's disability. Four prior hijackings since 2000 were connected with rebel groups.

The 9/11 Public Discourse Project warns that unscreened air cargo leaves open a major loophole for terrorist attacks.
http://www.9-11pdp.org/

The UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and a group of maritime experts have agreed a number of recommendations on how companies and countries should handle people in peril at sea.
http://www.unhcr.ch/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/news/opendoc.htm?tbl=NEWS&id=43283d744

The World Food Program (WFP) ship chartered to carry tsunami aid to Somalia is en route following an agreement with the pirates that had captured it more than 11 weeks ago. WFP says no ransom was paid.

Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand have begun joint air patrols of the Malacca Strait to deter piracy.

The US Government Accountability Office released " Border Security: Strengthened Visa Process Would Benefit from Improvements in Staffing and Information Sharing"
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-05-859
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-05-994T


13. Weapons of Mass Destruction

The US Department of Defense is developing formal guidelines for the pre-emptive use of nuclear weapons in cases such as:

* "an adversary using or intending to use WMD against U.S./international alliance forces and/or innocent civilian populations that conventional forces cannot stop"
* "imminent attack from adversary that only nuclear weapons effects can safely destroy/incinerate"
* " attacks limited to adversary WMD that could be employed against the United States.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/10/AR2005091001053.html
http://www.nukestrat.com/us/jcs/JCS_JP3-12_05draft.pdf

At the UN World Summit, about 35 States signed the nuclear terrorism treaty but disarmament and nonproliferation were dropped from the Summit document.

British Energy has announced the Dungeness B nuclear power station that it operates will be extended by ten years, to 2018.
http://www.british-energy.com/article.php?article=99

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued record-keeping requirements for the Bioterrorism Act to permit identification and tracing of items that could pose a public health threat.
http://www.fda.gov/oc/bioterrorism/bioact.html
http://www.ahpa.org/update_05_0912.htm
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/
http://www.fda.gov/OHRMS/DOCKETS/98fr/05-18039.pdf

Jaish al-Taefa al-Mansura, an al-Qaeda linked Sunni group in Iraq, claimed it had fired shells filled with a chemical agent against government ministries. US forces dismissed the claim, made on a web site.


14. Recently Published

Akhil Reed Amar, "America's Constitution: A Biography", Random House

Bryane Michael, editor. "Anti-corruption training programmes in central and eastern Europe" Council of Europe Publishing. (Case studies of the Czech Republic, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Russian Federation, Serbia and Ukraine.)
http://book.coe.int/EN/ficheouvrage.php?PAGEID=36&lang=EN&produit_aliasid=1957

Kathy Gannon, "I Is For Infidel", Public Affairs

Tracy Kidder, "My Detachment", Random House

Jill Lepore, "New York Burning: Liberty, Slavery, and Conspiracy in Eighteenth-Century Manhattan", Knopf

Martha Brill Olcott, "Central Asia's Second Chance", Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
http://www.carnegieendowment.org/publications/index.cfm?fa=view&id=16649&prog=zru

Tim Pritchard, "Ambush Alley: The Most Extraordinary Battle of the Iraq War", Random House

Pedro Sanjuan, "The UN Gang", Doubleday


FEATURE ARTICLE: Counterterrorism at the 2005 World Summit

As the United Nations' 2005 World Summit proceeded, Security Council Heads of State and Government held a meeting on Threats to Peace and Security. In particular, the meeting addressed measures to prevent conflict, particularly in Africa, and to reinforce efforts to counter terrorism.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan opened the discussion, saying, "We must be at the forefront of the fight against terrorism," and calling on the international community to complete a comprehensive convention that outlaws terrorism in all its forms.

Next, President Benjamin William Mkapa of Tanzania said, "We need to agree on, and pursue an effective strategy that will address the root causes and underlying conditions of terrorism and conflict".

Russian President Vladimir Putin said his country is ready to take practical steps to strengthen the UN's central role in ensuring international security and stability.

Greek Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis emphasized "actions to combat terrorism and the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms are not mutually exclusive".

US President George Bush stressed the "solemn obligation to stop terrorism at its early stages" including freezing terrorists' assets, denying them freedom of movement and preventing them from acquiring weapons, including weapons of mass destruction.

Argentina's President Nestor Kirchner said that tackling terrorism required a legitimate international response that entailed looking at the problem in a broader perspective rather than unilaterally, and that there should be a closer relationship between preserving human rights and combating terrorism.

Chinese President Hu Jintao said the Security Council should address both symptoms and root causes with a comprehensive strategy including prevention, peace restoration, peacekeeping and post-conflict reconstruction, in strict accordance with the UN Charter.

Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika condemned all manifestations of terrorism, called on all states to work together under UN authority to combat it, and recommended an agreed definition of terrorism that recognized the legitimate struggle for self-determination.

UK Prime Minister Tony Blair said that to defeat terrorism the Security Council must show the same determination as the terrorists: "They play on our divisions. They exploit our hesitations. This is our weakness. And they know it".

Benin's President Mathieu Kerekou said combating terrorism required scrupulous respect for State sovereignty, international law, human rights and international humanitarian law. Regarding conflict prevention, he suggested a regular evaluation of risk situations around the world to appraise existing threats.

Romania's President Traian Basescu of Romania suggested, "global anti-terrorism can be sustained only by action taken at the Security Council level. It has to be a UN undertaking as a whole,"

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said , "We must prevent terror from breeding in hotbeds of hopelessness,.... In combating irrational violence, the best means at our disposal are the promotion of a culture of dialogue, the promotion of development and the unyielding protection of human rights".

Similarly, French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin called for "resolute action on everything that fuels terrorism ? the inequalities, the persistence of violence, injustices and conflicts, the lack of understanding among cultures," since force alone "does not answer peoples' frustrations, it does not address the roots of evil."

Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen was appalled that a few countries are still blocking a common definition of terrorism. He said, "Terrorism can never be justified. Terrorism is never a legitimate weapon. The targeting and deliberate killing of civilians is unacceptable. Full stop".

Japan's Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura said the Security Council must play a key role in addressing anti-terrorism and conflict prevention in Africa and should be reformed to reflect today's reality.

Finally, Philippines President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (this month's Council president) said the US as the biggest victim of terrorism today was the natural leader in the war on terror, and the best equipped to fight it. She called for the Counter-Terrorism Committee to coordinate intelligence with the US.

The Security Council then unanimously adopted Resolution 1624, the full text of which follows:Resolution 1624 (2005)
Adopted by the Security Council at its 5261st meeting, on 14 September 2005

The Security Council,

Reaffirming its resolutions 1267 (1999) of 15 October 1999, 1373 (2001) of 28 September 2001, 1535 (2004) of 26 March 2004, 1540 (2004) of 28 April 2004, 1566 (2004) of 8 October 2004, and 1617 (2005) of 29 July 2005, the declaration annexed to its resolution 1456 (2003) of 20 January 2003, as well as its other resolutions concerning threats to international peace and security caused by acts of terrorism,

Reaffirming also the imperative to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations by all means, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, and also stressing that States must ensure that any measures taken to combat terrorism comply with all their obligations under international law, and should adopt such measures in accordance with international law, in particular international human rights law, refugee law, and humanitarian law,

Condemning in the strongest terms all acts of terrorism irrespective of their motivation, whenever and by whomsoever committed, as one of the most serious threats to peace and security, and reaffirming the primary responsibility of the Security Council for the maintenance of international peace and security under the Charter of the United Nations,

Condemning also in the strongest terms the incitement of terrorist acts and repudiating attempts at the justification or glorification (apologie) of terrorist acts that may incite further terrorist acts,

Deeply concerned that incitement of terrorist acts motivated by extremism and intolerance poses a serious and growing danger to the enjoyment of human rights, threatens the social and economic development of all States, undermines global stability and prosperity, and must be addressed urgently and proactively by the United Nations and all States, and emphasizing the need to take all necessary and appropriate measures in accordance with international law at the national and international level to protect the right to life,

Recalling the right to freedom of expression reflected in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the General Assembly in 1948 ("the Universal Declaration"), and recalling also the right to freedom of expression in Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights adopted by the General Assembly in 1966 ("ICCPR") and that any restrictions thereon shall only be such as are provided by law and are necessary on the grounds set out in paragraph 3 of Article 19 of the ICCPR,

Recalling in addition the right to seek and enjoy asylum reflected in Article 14 of the Universal Declaration and the non-refoulement obligation of States under the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees adopted on 28 July 1951, together with its Protocol adopted on 31 January 1967 ("the Refugees Convention and its Protocol"), and also recalling that the protections afforded by the Refugees Convention and its Protocol shall not extend to any person with respect to whom there are serious reasons for considering that he has been guilty of acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations,

Reaffirming that acts, methods, and practices of terrorism are contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations and that knowingly financing, planning and inciting terrorist acts are also contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations,

Deeply concerned by the increasing number of victims, especially among civilians of diverse nationalities and beliefs, caused by terrorism motivated by intolerance or extremism in various regions of the world, reaffirming its profound solidarity with the victims of terrorism and their families, and stressing the importance of assisting victims of terrorism and providing them and their families with support to cope with their loss and grief,

Recognizing the essential role of the United Nations in the global effort to combat terrorism and welcoming the Secretary-General?s identification of elements of a counter-terrorism strategy to be considered and developed by the General Assembly without delay with a view to adopting and implementing a strategy to promote comprehensive, coordinated and consistent responses at the national, regional and international level to counter terrorism,

Stressing its call upon all States to become party, as a matter of urgency, to the international counter-terrorism Conventions and Protocols whether or not they are party to regional Conventions on the matter, and to give priority consideration to signing the International Convention for the Suppression of Nuclear Terrorism adopted by the General Assembly on 13 April 2005,

Re-emphasizing that continuing international efforts to enhance dialogue and broaden understanding among civilizations, in an effort to prevent the indiscriminate targeting of different religions and cultures, and addressing unresolved regional conflicts and the full range of global issues, including development issues, will contribute to strengthening the international fight against terrorism,

Stressing the importance of the role of the media, civil and religious society, the business community and educational institutions in those efforts to enhance dialogue and broaden understanding, and in promoting tolerance and coexistence, and in fostering an environment which is not conducive to incitement of terrorism,

Recognizing the importance that, in an increasingly globalized world, States act cooperatively to prevent terrorists from exploiting sophisticated technology, communications and resources to incite support for criminal acts,

Recalling that all States must cooperate fully in the fight against terrorism, in accordance with their obligations under international law, in order to find, deny safe haven and bring to justice, on the basis of the principle of extradite or prosecute, any person who supports, facilitates, participates or attempts to participate in the financing, planning, preparation or commission of terrorist acts or provides safe havens,

1. Calls upon all States to adopt such measures as may be necessary and appropriate and in accordance with their obligations under international law to:

(a) Prohibit by law incitement to commit a terrorist act or acts;
(b) Prevent such conduct;
(c) Deny safe haven to any persons with respect to whom there is credible and relevant information giving serious reasons for considering that they have been guilty of such conduct;

2. Calls upon all States to cooperate, inter alia, to strengthen the security of their international borders, including by combating fraudulent travel documents and, to the extent attainable, by enhancing terrorist screening and passenger security procedures with a view to preventing those guilty of the conduct in paragraph 1 (a) from entering their territory;

3. Calls upon all States to continue international efforts to enhance dialogue and broaden understanding among civilizations, in an effort to prevent the indiscriminate targeting of different religions and cultures, and to take all measures as may be necessary and appropriate and in accordance with their obligations under international law to counter incitement of terrorist acts motivated by extremism and intolerance and to prevent the subversion of educational, cultural, and religious institutions by terrorists and their supporters;

4. Stresses that States must ensure that any measures taken to implement paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 of this resolution comply with all of their obligations under international law, in particular international human rights law, refugee law, and humanitarian law;

5. Calls upon all States to report to the Counter-Terrorism Committee, as part of their ongoing dialogue, on the steps they have taken to implement this resolution;

6. Directs the Counter-Terrorism Committee to:

(a) Include in its dialogue with Member States their efforts to implement this resolution;
(b) Work with Member States to help build capacity, including through spreading best legal practice and promoting exchange of information in this regard;
(c) Report back to the Council in twelve months on the implementation of this resolution.

7. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.

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