8 - 14 November 2001
Issue No.559
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online 8 - 14 November 2001 Issue No.559 |
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Defining the terms
Arab ministers of justice expressed their determination to fight all forms of terrorism -- including Israeli state terror, reports Dina Ezzat
The Council of Arab Ministers of Justice has agreed on a mechanism for the implementation of the Arab Anti-Terrorism Agreement concluded in 1998. During the council's meeting in Cairo, which was scheduled to end on Wednesday, the ministers also agreed to consult further on the Arab stand regarding the rules for the projected International Criminal Court (ICC).
During the two-day meeting of ministers of justice, at the Arab League headquarters, they took a strong stance against acts of violence endorsed by the Israeli government and perpetrated by its army, calling them acts of "terrorism."
At the inaugural session of the council meeting, Arab League Assistant Secretary-General Radwan Bin Khadra said that Arab countries have suffered from all kinds of terrorism, including "Israel's systematic and continued terrorism at the cost of the lives of innocent Arab people."
Drumming up support for such a definition has been difficult outside of the Arab world. According to Arab delegates to the UN, efforts made by the Arab group in New York to obtain support for developing a UN-endorsed definition of terrorism were rejected. Moreover, the UN, Arab delegates said, refused even to agree in principle on the need to define the term.
"This is a very serious sign. It shows that the international community is only serious about fighting one particular type of terrorism -- that involving Arabs or Muslims," commented one Arab delegate to the council. He added, "Arab countries have to be clear about this issue with their international partners; there must be enough resolve among Arab states to pressure the West, including the US, to recognise that Israel's actions against the Palestinians, including the targeted assassinations, are acts of terrorism."
According to Bin Khadra, Arab countries have long stood firm against international terrorism. "Our position is not merely a reaction to the tragic events of 11 September," said Bin Khadra. In addition to the 1998 Arab Anti-Terrorism Agreement, Arab countries are signatory to 14 other regional anti-terrorism agreements. These include the 1969 agreement on crimes committed on board planes and the 1971 agreement on preventing the hijacking of planes.
Concerning the ICC, ministers of justice discussed how the court might benefit the Arab people. "We need to be careful," commented Syrian Minister of Justice Nabil Al-Khatib. He said that Arab countries should try to ensure that the obligations arising from membership in the ICC will not outweigh its benefits.
"Our experiences in trying to win support from the international community to try Israeli war criminals in an internationally recognised trial have so far been negative," said Khaled El-Qadra, head of the Palestinian delegation to the council. He added that Arab countries should ensure that their membership does more than paying lip service to the international community.
Deliberations on issues related to fighting international terrorism will be considered by Arab ministers of interior when they meet in January in Tunis. Meanwhile, Arab countries will work on their own definitions of terrorism and legislation to support the implementation of the Anti-Terrorism Agreement.
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