EU leaders pledge to crack down on terrorism
The Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and his compatriots in the other 14 EU member states have issued a joint statement effectively declaring war on terrorism.
The EU leaders described Tuesday’s attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York and the Pentagon in Washington as "an assault on humanity" and pledged to implement a range of measures to ensure it never happens again.
In a statement released shortly after this morning’s EU-wide three-minute silence, the leaders pledged to make the European security and defence policy operational as soon as possible.
In addition, each member state has pledged to make every effort to strengthen intelligence against terrorists and terrorist organisations. The European Union will accelerate the implementation of a genuine European judicial area, a move that paves the way for the establishment of European arrest and extradition warrants. The European leaders insisted that their citizens will not be intimidated and that their political institutions will continue to function undeterred.
