The
UN Security Council on Friday
night voted 15-0 to adopt an anti-terror resolution, demanding that
all nations freeze finances of suspected terrorists and crack down
on groups that help them.
The measure, backed by the threat of sanctions or military force,
dramatically expands the UN role in the global war on terrorism. It
also requires countries to deny "safe haven" to anyone responsible
for, or supporting a terror attack, and criminalizes the financing
of such attacks.
The resolution was adopted as international law less than three
weeks after terror attacks on the United States, in which more than
6,000 people are missing or killed. The resolution said that the
15-nation council slammed the September 11 attacks on New York and
Washington as "a threat to international peace and security."
UN
Secretary-General Kofi Annan was present at the council chamber as
the council members were convening an open meeting to vote on the
draft resolution.
Many of the provisions in the resolution are contained in treaties
some countries have ratified or are expected to. But the new
resolution, sponsored by the United States, was adopted under
Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, which stipulates economic and
diplomatic sanctions or the use of military force against
countries, which fail to comply with Security Council
decisions.
The main thrust of the resolution is on the financing of
clandestine networks. It would freeze financial assets of people
who have committed, or attempted to commit, terrorist acts or
participated in groups owned or controlled directly or indirectly
by such people.
The resolution also set up a special Security Council committee and
told all governments to report to it within 90 days on steps they
had taken to carry out the resolution.
GOVERNMENTS MUST ALSO:
Criminalize the willful raising, directly or indirectly, of funds
known to be used for terrorist acts;
Freeze without delay financial assets and economic resources of
people who have committed or attempted to commit terrorist
acts;
Prohibit their nationals or anyone on their territory from making
funds or similar services available to terrorists;
"Refrain from providing any form of support, including political or
diplomatic, active or passive" to terrorists;
"Deny safe haven to those who finance, plan, support or commit
terrorist acts" and to those who harbor them;
Ensure that terrorists are brought to justice and appropriately
punished;
Give each other "the greatest measure of assistance in connection
with criminal investigations" into acts of terrorism;
Put effective controls on borders and passports and identity papers
into place.
The resolution does not define a terrorist and does not identify
anyone suspected of the attacks on the United States.
(Xinhua News
Agency 09/29/2001)