washingtonpost.com: 55 Nations Endorse Measures to Fight Terrorism

55 Nations Endorse Measures to Fight Terrorism

By Alan Sipress
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, December 5, 2001; Page A14

BUCHAREST, Romania, Dec. 4 -- The U.S.-led campaign against terrorism received a boost today when foreign ministers from 55 European, North American and Central Asian countries unanimously adopted a plan that includes enhanced police cooperation and steps to choke off the international finances of militant groups.

Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, here for the meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, told reporters that the program approved by the group would give "a new level of energy" to the counterterrorism effort. The plan calls on member countries to sign on by the end of next year to all 12 U.N. resolutions related to fighting terrorism.

In attending the annual OSCE gathering, Powell sought to demonstrate that the Bush administration remains committed to fighting terrorism as part of an international coalition. Some allies have complained recently that the United States seems interested only in waging the military campaign.

Several governments, including those of Britain, France and Turkey, have been eager to dispatch troops to Afghanistan to serve as peacekeepers, but their deployment was put on hold in recent days by the U.S. Central Command, which oversees the war effort.

"Some of our allies were a little frustrated that they didn't get into the battle right away, but I think they understand the reasons for that and it will all sort itself out," Powell told reporters.

Powell said the United States appreciates these offers of assistance and expects that Army Gen. Tommy R. Franks, head of the Central Command, will take them up once foreign forces fit into his plans. Administration officials have said Franks is concerned for now that an international security presence would encumber U.S. military operations.

The war in Afghanistan is expected to figure prominently in Powell's discussions in European and Central Asian capitals during a 10-country tour over the next week. The anti-terrorism action taken today by the OSCE represents a significant departure for an organization that historically has focused on resolving European conflicts, promoting arms control and fostering human rights and democracy.

"All OSCE participating states can and should work to sever terrorists' financial lifelines," Powell told his fellow ministers in Bucharest's enormous and ornate Palace of Parliament. "All OSCE participating states can and should take additional steps to improve cooperation among law enforcement and financial institutions."

Although the "plan of action" embodied few substantial initiatives beyond those already launched at the United Nations and other organizations, diplomats said the unanimous adoption will create momentum for carrying them out.

The plan could also extend the high-level law enforcement cooperation within the 15-nation European Union to former Soviet republics in Central Asia, diplomats said.

In a separate action, Powell announced that the United States would support the withdrawal of Russian troops from the former Soviet republic of Moldova, a presence that dates to the Soviet era, by contributing $14 million to help pay for the withdrawal and the disposal of munitions and small arms.

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