NCJ Number
63454
Journal
DEPARTMENT OF STATE BULLETIN Volume: 68 Issue: 1752 Dated: (JANUARY 23, 1973) Pages: 81-94
Date Published
1973
Length
14 pages
Annotation
THE TEXTS OF A 1972 UNITED NATIONS UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION CALLING FOR STUDY OF TERRORISM AND REPORTS BY U.S. REPRESENTATIVES TO THE UN EXPLAINING THE U.S. OPPOSITION TO THE RESOLUTION ARE PRESENTED.
Abstract
RESOLUTION 880, PROPOSED BY ALGERIA, EXPRESSED CONCERN OVER INCREASINGLY FREQUENT ACTS OF INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM. IT REAFFIRMED THE INALIENABLE RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION OF PEOPLE UNDER COLONIAL AND RACIST REGIMES AND CALLED FOR A UN STUDY OF SOLUTIONS TO INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM. U.S. SPOKESMAN W.T. BENNETT CITED NUMEROUS RECENT INCIDENTS OF INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM AND ARGUED THAT UN ACTION MUST NOT AWAIT A STUDY OR UNDERSTANDING OF TERRORISM'S CAUSES. HE ADVOCATED CONSIDERATION OF A DRAFT CONVENTION PROPOSED BY THE U.S. WHICH DEALT ONLY WITH CASES UNLAWFUL KILLING, SERIOUS BODILY HARM, OR KIDNAPPING. HE CRITICIZED THE ALGERIAN RESOLUTION FOR DEALING ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY WITH CAUSES AND FOR FAILING TO SPECIFY CORRECTIVE MEASURES OR TO SET ANY TIME LIMITS. HE ALSO SUGGESTED THAT THE RESOLUTION PROPOSED BY ITALY MIGHT CONSTITUTE AN ACCEPTABLE MIDDLE GROUND BETWEEN THE U.S. AND ALGERIAN POSITIONS. IN A LATER STATEMENT, HE DEPLORED THE RESOLUTION'S TRANSFORMATION OF A HUMAN PROBLEM INTO A POLITICAL PROBLEM WHICH WOULD INDEFINITELY DELAY UN ACTION. IN A DECEMBER 18, 1972 STATEMENT, AMBASSADOR GEORGE BUSH REPEATED THE PREVIOUSLY EXPRESSED CONCERNS. HE SAID THAT THE U.S. VOTED AGAINST THE RESOLUTION BECAUSE IT NEITHER EXPRESSED VIEWS REFLECTING THE UN DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS NOR PROVIDED CONCRETE MEASURES AGAINST TERRORISTS. HE CRITICIZED THE UN SESSION FOR FAILING TO TAKE FIRM ACTION REGARDING TERRORISM AND CALLED FOR CONTINUING POSITIVE EFFORTS TO DEAL WITH THIS PROBLEM. FOOTNOTES WHICH INCLUDE REFERENCES AND THE FULL TEXT OF RESOLUTION 880 ARE INCLUDED. (CFW)