CONDEMNING SUICIDE BOMBING

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000300

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER PREL UNGA
SUBJECT: CONDEMNING SUICIDE BOMBING

REF: USUN 00184

1.(U) ACTION REQUEST para 4.

2.(SBU) As reported reftel, the Simon Weisenthal Center has
been lobbying UN Missions to convene a Special Session of the
General Assembly to condemn suicide bombing. Subsequent to
their February 26 meeting with Amb. Khalilzad,
representatives of the Center sent letters to a wide range of
UN Missions asking for support for this effort. Even those
delegations that are sympathetic to the idea of UN action to
condemn such terrorist acts are skeptical about the proposal.
Concern centers around the potential for politicizing the
session and using it to criticize Israel, the U.S. and other
states that some allege are responsible for creating
conditions that lead to such desperate acts.

3.(SBU) Argentina, Australia and Italy received letters from
the Weisenthal Center and are seeking U.S. views on an
appropriate response. We have also been in contact with the
Israeli Mission which, like USUN, supports action to condemn
suicide bombing by terrorists but is not convinced that a
special session would be the best forum to accomplish this
objective. Special Sessions are relatively rare and require a
request from the Security Council or a majority of the
members of the United Nations. A better forum, could be the
next regular session of the General Assembly under the agenda
item, "Measures to Eliminate International Terrorism", which
is considered each year in the Sixth (Legal) Committee. This
approach clears several hurdles because the item is already
on the preliminary agenda and any delegation may propose a
resolution under it. The goal would be to attract a
significant number of co-sponsors representing all geographic
regions to support adoption of the resolution by consensus.


4.(SBU) The Weisenthal Center has indicated that it will
lower its profile on this initiative in order to give member
states an opportunity to move it forward. Action Request:
USUN seeks authorization to approach like minded delegations
including those mentioned above, to urge them to take the
lead in developing and proposing a resolution condemning
terrorist suicide bombing, along the lines of the text below
(para 5),for adoption during the next General Assembly in
October/November 2008.



5. (SBU) Begin text.

General Assembly item XXX
"Measures to eliminate international terrorism"

The General Assembly,

Recalling resolution 60/288 of September 8, 2006, "The United
Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy" and other relevant
resolutions on measures to eliminate international terrorism,

Reaffirming that all acts, methods and practices of terrorism
are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their
motivation, wherever and by whomever committed,

Recalling also resolution 52/164 of December 15, 1997 which
adopted the "International Convention for the Suppression of
Terrorist Bombings",

Noting that a significant majority of United Nations member
states are party to that Convention, which calls upon them to
criminalize terrorist bombings and either to extradite
alleged offenders or submit such cases for prosecution,

Noting also that suicide bombers are often directed by
perpetrators who manipulate others into carrying out
terrorist acts while they themselves remain unharmed,

Expresses its concern that despite the efforts of the
international community to combat this heinous form of
terrorism, suicide bombings have increasingly resulted in the
death and injury of countless victims;


1. Condemns, strongly and unequivocally, terrorist attacks
by suicide bombers committed by whomever, wherever and for
whatever purposes;


2. Calls upon states to act in accordance with their
international obligations to deny safe haven and to bring to
justice any person who supports, facilitates, participates or
attempts to participate in the financing, planning,
preparation or perpetration of such suicide bombings;


3. Urges states that have not done so to consider becoming
parties, without delay, to the International Convention for
the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings. End text.

KHALILZAD