US statement on attacks leads to UN 'anxieties'
Members of the UN Security Council have expressed ‘‘anxiety’’ over the prospect of US-led military action against terrorism being extended beyond the borders of Afghanistan, Secretary-General Kofi Annan has said.
Mr Annan said that he had personally raised the issue with the US and been assured that, while ‘‘keeping their options open’’, there were no current plans to widen the scope of the action.
Concern was sparked by an October 7 letter to the Security Council from the US Ambassador to the UN, which hinted that the US had other states in its sights.
Ambassador John Negroponte explained why US strikes on Afghanistan should be seen as an act of ‘‘self-defence’’, permitted by the UN Charter, in response to the September 11 attacks on New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.
But he added: ‘‘There is still much we do not know. Our inquiry is in its early stages. We may find that our self-defence requires further actions with respect to other organisations and other states.’’
The comment was seen by some observers as a reflection of the desire among some members of President George Bush’s administration to take on other countries suspected of backing terror, such as Iraq, Libya or Syria.
Mr Annan commented on the letter following a closed session of the Security Council yesterday.
He said: ‘‘One sentence which has caused some anxiety amongst the membership, which I’ve also asked about, was the question that they may find it necessary to go after other organisations and other states.
‘‘The US has indicated however that this is not a predictor of any intention that it intends to take, but basically it is a statement that they are at the early stages and keeping their options open.’’
On Monday, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer tried to downplay the prospect of any immediate expansion, saying: ‘‘The letter states what the president has been saying all along, that the United States reserves the right to defend itself wherever it is necessary.’’
And Mr Negroponte said, after briefing the Security Council on Monday: ‘‘When you’re talking about the inherent right of self-defence, I don’t think that one would want to limit oneself in any particular way.’’
The UK's Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman Menzies Campbell said: ‘‘Successful diplomatic efforts have produced a unique consensus, which has given political authority to the operations against the Taliban.
‘‘If that were to be lost, the campaign against terrorism could be severely dented. The Secretary-General’s expression of caution should be heeded.’’.
