U.S. tells Security Council it may have to attack other countries in anti-terrorism fight

By EDITH M. LEDERER

The Associated Press

10/9/01 2:47 AM



UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- The United States told the U.N. Security Council that it may have to attack countries other than Afghanistan to root out terrorism and said that it exercised its right to self-defense in attacking targets in Afghanistan.

In a letter to the council, U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte stressed on Monday that the investigation into the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States is in its early stages and "there is still much we do not know."

"We may find that our self-defense requires further actions with respect to other organizations and other states," he said.

Negroponte's letter touched off concern in some quarters that President Bush's administration was about to expand the war it launched Sunday against Osama bin Laden, his al-Qaida terrorist network, and Afghanistan's ruling Taliban militia who harbor them.

Following the U.S. attacks and Bush's pledge to eradicate terrorism, there was speculation that the United States might act against some other states it accuses of sponsoring terrorism, especially Iraq.

Well-informed diplomats said Negroponte met Iraq's U.N. Ambassador Mohammed al-Douri on Sunday and read him a letter, reportedly warning the Iraqi government not to use the current situation to take any action of its own.

Al-Douri went to the U.S. Mission to the United Nations on Monday and read Negroponte a letter of response from his government, the diplomats said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Negroponte refused to comment on the reports.

The Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution the day after the Sept. 11 attacks recognizing the U.S. right under the U.N. Charter to "individual or collective self-defense."

It called the attacks on New York and Washington "a threat to international peace and security" and expressed readiness "to take all necessary steps" to respond to the attacks and to combat all forms of terrorism.

The United States and Britain briefed the council late Monday on their military action. Both countries said they stressed their commitment to minimizing casualties and damage to civilian property and providing humanitarian aid to the Afghan people. Both also stressed that the military action is not directed against Islam or the Arab world.

Russia's U.N. Ambassador Sergey Lavrov, asked for reaction to possible U.S. attacks against other countries, said: "This phrase is clearly linked to the need for further investigation. Let's wait until further investigation is over."

Britain's U.N. Ambassador Jeremy Greenstock said the Americans were "quite rightly" pointing out that the investigation may lead to the need for further action, and the fact that it wasn't brought up during the meeting made him confident "that nobody thinks there is anything suspicious in that."

Neither the United States nor Britain provided any new details of the link between al-Qaida and the attacks on New York's World Trade Center and the Pentagon outside Washington, which killed more than 5,000 people from 81 countries.