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NAM set to back India's initiative on combating terrorism

India's initiative to evolve coordinated international action plan to combat terrorism is set to receive overwhelming support from developing countries at the 12th Non-Aligned summit in Durban, South Africa.

India, which is the worst victim of cross-border terrorism, has repeatedly sought mobilisation of world opinion to root out the menace which poses a serious challenge to a number of sovereign countries.

The recent bombing of the US mission in Kenya and Tanzania and the subsequent missile attacks by America on Sudan and Afghanistan have strengthened India's position for immediate and urgent measures to fight terrorism, which has been described as the greatest crime against humanity and main reason for human rights violations.

The question of terrorism will prominently figure at the ministerial as well as the heads of state and government meetings, say senior South African and Indian officials.

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee is certain at raise the issue during his speech at the summit on September 3. Vajpayee had recently favoured firm action to stamp out terrorism completely.

He said the international community should realise that cross-border terrorism is a serious menace for the entire world. It has turned a deaf ear in the past to India's repeated insistence that terrorism was being perpetuated by her neighbouring country.

The prime minister had said double standards should not be adopted on the issue of terrorism. There should be a common and united approach to deal with it.

NAM had expressed great concern at the acts of terrorism and subversion, which under various pretext and disguises, result in the most flagrant violation of human rights and seek to destabilise sovereign states.

It declared that terrorism affects the stability of the nations and the very basis of societies, especially pluralistic ones. These views were expressed by the NAM foreign ministers at their conference in Cartagena in may this year.

NAM is of the view that there should be effective implementation of a comprehensive international convention to combat terrorism. It urged all member states to cooperate and enhance international cooperation in the fight against terrorism at the national, regional and international levels.

While justifying India's viewpoint, NAM solemnly affirmed their unequivocal condemnation of any political, diplomatic, moral and material support to terrorism.

NAM ministers stressed the need to fight terrorism in all its forms and manifestations regardless of race, religion or nationality of the victims or perpetrators of terrorism.

The NAM summit is also expected to evolve a strategy to strengthen the movement's capacity for action and develop concrete modalities to enhance the influence and impact of its decision on world affairs.

The members felt that NAM's role, which represents the solidarity of its members, its unity and cohesion and joint efforts to overcome areas of disagreement on major international issues so as to attain ''negotiating leverage vis-a-vis developed countries''.

In this context, India will also strongly oppose any move to grant NAM membership to the Taliban militia, which is lobbying for it through some friendly countries.

''We will oppose conferring the membership to the Taliban government tooth and nail,'' a senior Indian government official said.

The Taliban government is recognised by only three nations -- Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia -- and as such has no chance to get the approval of the 12th NAM summit to become the member of the 112-member organisation.

Afghanistan's membership in the NAM is held by the Burhanuddin Rabbani-led National Alliance Front which occupies barely five per cent of Afghanistan. The alliance's stronghold Mazar-e-Sharief fell to the Taliban early this month.

Besides India, Iran, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan and some Arab and African nations, which are victims of terrorism, will frustrate the Taliban's move.

Ousted president Rabbani will also attend the summit to mobilise the NAM's support for his alliance, Masood Khalili, Afghanistan's ambassador to India said.

Khalili has been deputed by Rabbani to attend the ministerial meeting of NAM, and will brief the members about the latest political situation in his country, especially the Taliban government's support to various militant groups operating in a number of countries including India.

NAM is expected to hold extensive discussions on Afghanistan in the wake of the US missile attack on some terrorist camps, which were managed by fugitive Saudi billionaire Osama bin Laden.

The Taliban government wants NAM membership to seek recognition from the organisation as it will give legitimacy to it.

The Taliban are in dire need of political support at this juncture, when there is a general world opinion that it provides shelter to the militant groups, Khalili said.

He stated that NAM had expressed concern over the continuation of hostilities in Afghanistan. In its last meeting it called upon all states to strictly refrain from any outside interference in the internal affairs of Afghanistan, including the involvement of foreign military personnel and supply of arms to various groups. This in fact makes an oblique reference to Pakistan in extending material and moral support to the Taliban militia.

UNI

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