BLAIR OFFER ON TERROR SUMMIT
Blair offer on terror summit
PRIME Minister Tony Blair last night offered to host an international anti-terrorist summit in London this autumn.
He called for a global crackdown on terrorism, warning in a speech to the United Nations general assembly in New York that the men of violence did not respect borders.
Mr Blair, speaking as current chairman of the Group of Eight leading industrial nations, said the summit would look at how to stop the terrorists raising funds.
"The fight against terrorism has taken on a new urgency," he warned.
"The past year's global roll call of terror includes Luxor, Dar es Salaam, Nairobi, Omagh and many others.
"Each one is a reminder that terrorism is a uniquely barbaric and cowardly crime. Each one is a reminder that terrorists are no respecters of borders.
"Each one is a reminder that terrorism must have no hiding place, no opportunity to raise funds, and no let-up in our determination to bring its perpetrators to justice," he said.
In a speech entitled 'A new era of international partnership', Mr Blair also called for a new global drive against drugs and a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Kosovo.
He also announced that, within six months, the UK would conclude an agreement with the UN to ensure it can make rapid use of British forces for peacekeeping whenever needed.
Calling for a drive against the "global scourge" of drugs, Mr Blair said: "If we are honest, this is a war we risk losing. But we must win."
He suggested setting the year 2000 as the target date for reaching agreement on the convention on organised crime, warning that negotiations were dragging.
"Too many countries still provide sanctuary for the proceeds of crime. We must demand, together, that those countries root out the traffickers and their dirty money - hit the drugs barons where it hurts," he said.
Mr Blair also called for more effective peacekeeping by the UN and faster response times to prevent conflict escalating and save lives.
He said Britain, was reshaping its own armed forces to ensure they could provide more, and better equipped, rapid reaction forces for UN use.
But he warned: "There must be no repeat of Bosnia. Peacekeepers were inserted into a live conflict and told to make safe areas safe. But they were not given the means to do so.
"UN peacekeepers need a way out as well as a way in. They must have the tools to do the job and clear and effective command and control."
On Kosovo, Mr Blair proposed a new UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire and "demanding an urgent end to the trampling on the rights of the inhabitants of Kosovo".
He said: "It should be passed this week. President Milosevic would ignore such a resolution at his peril."
Mr Blair also renewed his warning to Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein that the UN sanctions on his country could not be lifted until the UN's requirements over weapons of mass destruction had been complied with.
Turning to what he called "the contagion of recession" afflicting the world, Mr Blair called for a number of measures, including rules to encourage greater transparency in international and national business dealings and better supervision of financial operators.
He said the intensity and speed with which capital flows can shift in today's world can seem "frightening".
PRIME Minister Tony Blair last night offered to host an international anti-terrorist summit in London this autumn.
He called for a global crackdown on terrorism, warning in a speech to the United Nations general assembly in New York that the men of violence did not respect borders.
Mr Blair, speaking as current chairman of the Group of Eight leading industrial nations, said the summit would look at how to stop the terrorists raising funds.
"The fight against terrorism has taken on a new urgency," he warned.
"The past year's global roll call of terror includes Luxor, Dar es Salaam, Nairobi, Omagh and many others.
"Each one is a reminder that terrorism is a uniquely barbaric and cowardly crime. Each one is a reminder that terrorists are no respecters of borders.
"Each one is a reminder that terrorism must have no hiding place, no opportunity to raise funds, and no let-up in our determination to bring its perpetrators to justice," he said.
In a speech entitled 'A new era of international partnership', Mr Blair also called for a new global drive against drugs and a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Kosovo.
He also announced that, within six months, the UK would conclude an agreement with the UN to ensure it can make rapid use of British forces for peacekeeping whenever needed.
Calling for a drive against the "global scourge" of drugs, Mr Blair said: "If we are honest, this is a war we risk losing. But we must win."
He suggested setting the year 2000 as the target date for reaching agreement on the convention on organised crime, warning that negotiations were dragging.
"Too many countries still provide sanctuary for the proceeds of crime. We must demand, together, that those countries root out the traffickers and their dirty money - hit the drugs barons where it hurts," he said.
Mr Blair also called for more effective peacekeeping by the UN and faster response times to prevent conflict escalating and save lives.
He said Britain, was reshaping its own armed forces to ensure they could provide more, and better equipped, rapid reaction forces for UN use.
But he warned: "There must be no repeat of Bosnia. Peacekeepers were inserted into a live conflict and told to make safe areas safe. But they were not given the means to do so.
"UN peacekeepers need a way out as well as a way in. They must have the tools to do the job and clear and effective command and control."
On Kosovo, Mr Blair proposed a new UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire and "demanding an urgent end to the trampling on the rights of the inhabitants of Kosovo".
He said: "It should be passed this week. President Milosevic would ignore such a resolution at his peril."
Mr Blair also renewed his warning to Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein that the UN sanctions on his country could not be lifted until the UN's requirements over weapons of mass destruction had been complied with.
Turning to what he called "the contagion of recession" afflicting the world, Mr Blair called for a number of measures, including rules to encourage greater transparency in international and national business dealings and better supervision of financial operators.
He said the intensity and speed with which capital flows can shift in today's world can seem "frightening".
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0396
Published Date: 22-Sep-98
Related Images
There have been no images archived for this article.