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U.N. Report on Global Threats Addresses U.S. Concerns, Former U.S. National Security Adviser Says By Marina Malenic WASHINGTON — The recently released U.N. report on global threats — including terrorism and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction — takes into account U.S. security concerns, a former U.S. official and security expert said yesterday at the Council on Foreign Relations (see GSN, Dec. 1). “In the end, we came together on a report that I think is not only forward-looking but is very supportive of the security concerns of the United States,” said former U.S. national security adviser Brent Scowcroft, a member of the panel that prepared the report. The 16-member High-Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Changes, created by U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan in the aftermath of the 2003 debate over the pre-emptive invasion of Iraq by the U.S.-led coalition, released its report earlier this month. It includes 101 recommendations covering nonproliferation and other areas that are expected to be submitted to the United Nations for consideration next year. Scowcroft noted that the panel had proposed, “a definition of terror, removing the possibility that terrorists can hide under the guise of freedom fighters to accomplish their job.” Terrorism is defined by the panel as “any action … that is intended to cause death or serious bodily harm to civilians or noncombatants, when the purpose of such an act, by its nature or context, is to intimidate a population, or to compel a government or an international organization to do or to abstain from doing any act.” “It makes clear that no cause whatsoever justifies the targeting of civilians and noncombatants. The United Nations must make clear that it has zero tolerance of terrorism of any kind for any reason,” Annan said at the Council on Foreign Relations event. Scowcroft also discussed the panel’s conclusions regarding the use of force as a pre-emptive measure. “I think that the panel report broke new ground in first reaffirming the right of self-defense, but clarifying in a sense — without changing the right of self-defense — that pre-emptive action, that is, action in the face of an immediate threat, is a part of self-defense,” said Scowcroft. “It won’t solve all the problems, but I think it is a big help and it’s broadly supportive of the arguments of the United States.” Annan added that, under the recommendations of the panel, the U.N. Security Council would have to be “proactive” in addressing emerging threats. “The other issue the panel pressed is that where there is a convincing and persuasive case, the Council must face up to its responsibilities and act, rather than create a situation where a member state feels it has to go outside the council to … get redress or to take action,” he said. “The Security Council must be proactive to prevent nightmare scenarios such as a nuclear terrorist attack from unfolding. The council must stand ready to authorize the preventive use of force in appropriate circumstances,” Annan said. Annan also addressed the panel’s recommendations on granting greater authority to the International Atomic Energy Agency to curb nuclear weapons proliferation. “Tomorrow’s United Nations would provide a more muscular framework to prevent a cascade of nuclear proliferation,” Annan said. “We need tighter rules for inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency. We need incentives for states to forgo domestic uranium enrichment and reprocessing facilities. And we need a verifiable fissile material cutoff treaty.”
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