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| Thursday, 24 June 2004 |
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Beheading: world must unite against terror-UN UNITED NATIONS, Wednesday (Reuters) The beheading of a South Korean hostage by Muslim militants in Iraq shows the need for governments around the world to work together to oppose terrorism, the U.N. Security Council said. "In the face of such evil, the world must stand united against the scourge of international terrorism that continues to plague our global community," said Philippines Foreign Secretary Delia Domingo-Albert. "On behalf of the members of the Security Council, I wish to condemn in the strongest terms this abominable act of terrorism against an innocent civilian," she said. The Philippines holds the rotating presidency of the 15-nation council for June. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said separately the hostage-taking was aimed at undermining international efforts to restore peace and security in Iraq and that such acts "can have no justification." Kim Sun-il, 33, an Arabic interpreter and devout Christian, was kidnapped and then beheaded by militants who had demanded South Korea withdraw 670 military medics and engineers from Iraq and drop plans to send 3,000 more troops. South Korea had rejected the demand, noting the troops were to help rebuild Iraq and not for offensive operations.Meanwhile President George W. Bush urged South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun not to be intimidated by Iraqi militants who beheaded a South Korean hostage. "I haven't had a chance to speak to President Roh yet, but I would hope that President Roh would understand that the free world cannot be intimidated by the brutal action of these barbaric people," Bush told reporters after the 33-year-old Kim Sun-il's body was found."See, what they are trying to do is they are trying to shake our will and our confidence. They are trying to get us to withdraw from the world so that they can impose their dark vision on people," Bush said. "In order to impose their vision, they want us to leave. They want us to cower in the face of their brutal killings, and the United States will not be intimidated by these people, because we believe strongly in freedom and liberty and human rights and human dignity. ... And I believe President Roh understands that," Bush added. |
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