Note
Clear evidence why the UN stands for international peace and security (remember the UN Charter?) but cannot combat the mortal threat which terrorism poses to peace and security today. All of the three committees meeting yesterday to discuss the UN role in fighting terrorism were actually the same Security Council wearing three different hats. The conversation of the committee chairmen focused on such issues as reports due, a few visits to states by invitation of the country concerned, and enhancing dialogue on technical assistance. Four and a half years after 9/11 the UN still has no definition of terrorism. A state like Syria, therefore, has no problem telling the Security Council: "his Government condemned terrorism...his country...had been a victim of terrorist activity...Syria was developing its own national legislation to combat terrorism...Syria...urged the...Committee to consider the legitimate right of peoples to fight against occupation and to liberate their lands. The Arab region was suffering from terrorism every day -- State terrorism in particular, as practised by Israel..." And very few laughed.