NAM slams terrorism

Our special correspondent

CUBA: In a total rejection of attempts to condone or excuse terrorism on the grounds of 'root causes', the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) issued a stunning indictment in its final communique issued in Havana, under its new chairman, Cuba and went on to urge active measures against terrorism.

This flies in the face of efforts by Tiger and pro-Tiger propagandists (especially in the Tamil Diaspora), Sri Lanka's so-called 'peace movement', and elements in the international community, to whitewash Tiger terror tactics.

The 118-nation Non-Aligned Movement, on Sunday, expressed its total opposition to terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. It asked countries to combat the menace, including by prosecuting and extraditing its perpetrators.

The declaration urges countries to refrain from extending political, diplomatic, moral or material support to terrorism under the UN Charter and also asking them to fulfil global obligations not to give it any support.

The 91-page final document expressed deep concern that the terrorist groups, including the former Taliban, were regrouping in the southern and eastern parts of Afghanistan.

Equally of concern was that the efforts of international community to fight terrorism were being undermined by support, protection and shelter that these forces of destabilisation continued to receive, it said.

The document said criminal acts intended or calculated to provoke a state of terror among the people 'for whatever purposes, wherever, by whomever, against whomsoever committed are, in any circumstance, unjustifiable, whatever the considerations or factors that may be invoked to justify them'.

It asked the countries to fulfil their obligations under international and humanitarian law to combat terrorism, including by prosecuting or extraditing the perpetrators of terrorist acts and by not instigating or financing terror acts against other states.

The document called for the conclusion of a comprehensive convention for combating international terrorism.