15 October 2002 00:00
ON THE RESULTS OF THE INTERNATIONAL COUNTERTERRORISM CONFERENCE (BASED ON MATERIALS FROM DUMSKOYE OBOZRENIYE NEWSLETTER NO. 112 (1266), OCTOBER 12, 2002)
A delegation of the State Duma of the Russian Federal Assembly took part in the International Conference on Antiterrorism Cooperation held in Washington within the Duma-Congress working group under the aegis of the World Anticrime and Antiterrorism Forum.
Speaking of the course of the conference, Defense Committee member Yevgeny Zelenov said that a thorough discussion had taken place regarding the changes that have occurred in the world since September 11, the problems of combating international terrorism, Russian-American relations, prevention of financing of terrorist operations, and the role and importance of armed forces and intelligence in the struggle against terrorism.
Nonmilitary methods and psychological aspects of antiterrorism, the possibilities of origination of new chemical and biological threats, areas of development of international antiterrorism cooperation by law enforcement agencies, the elaboration of antiterrorist legislation, as well as the questions of charitable activities in support of the fight against terrorism, new data on the activities of bin Laden, and the media's role in coverage of the problems of terrorism were discussed. The conference especially discussed the question of the situation with Iraq.
The sides expressed their views on the questions listed. No agreed conclusions have been made. The American side, moreover, links the notion "terrorism" exclusively with Islamic fundamentalism and Muslim extremism. They see the reasons for its rise in Muslims' envy of the rich American way of life and in the rejection of American culture. The US also perceives the consequences of the collapse of the USSR as one of the reasons for the activization of terrorism.
This cannot be agreed with, believes the deputy. It is inadmissible when characterizing extremism to identify it with the notions "Islamic" or "Muslim." These notions provoke and enhance the suspicions of the Muslim community as to the intentions of the West and, at the same time, enhance sympathies for and solidarity with extremists.
At present the United States has assumed the role of the engine, but the true aim in the struggle against terrorism for it is to establish itself in economically important areas. Hence the unprecedented striving to destroy the regime of Saddam in Iraq by way of an armed incursion. In the course of the discussion of this question not one congressman was ever able to prove the existence of weapons of mass destruction in that country. To our suggestion to create a joint inspection of congressmen and State Duma deputies the answer was: any inspection in Iraq is impossible without the presence of armed forces of other states.
According to Zelenov, the Russian side was extremely surprised when it heard the words of Congress representative Yossef Bodansky that in Iraq, terrorists for the use of toxic agents are being trained and then dispatched to Palestine and Chechnya. To the legitimate question why the US had until now concealed this important information, no intelligible answer was received.
The Russian side suggested preparing jointly with Congress a model law on the combating of terrorism, and initiating antiterrorist legislation. The Americans expressed no great optimism on the subject, and in discussing other questions too double standards could be traced, which constitute in fact the pivot of US policy, Zelenov stressed.
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