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Post bREakfasT

Cooperation on security and counter-terrorism

Muhammad Zamir
ACCORDING to published reports, the US Department of Homeland Security now has 180 000 employees. It also
oversees 22 agencies. Over the last two years, the role of the Department of Homeland Security in assuring the American way of life and protecting US citizens has grown both in terms of depth as well as potential. Recently, this multifaceted role has also begun to appreciate that protecting US citizens starts not within the US but abroad.
In this context, their vision of homeland security now encompasses the possibility of "integration of nations." An obvious international implication has entered the scene. Strategy planners now feel that international cooperation has to be ensured on the fundamental basis of mutual understanding and the exchange of ideas.
The first step in this direction is being attempted by the United States within its existing partnership with the EU and its 25 Members States. Policy planners believe that there is a fair chance of success, given the fact, that the relationship is based on shared interests, common goals and 'mutual' respect.
Both parties in the transatlantic
partnership accept that collective action is needed to fight the 'indiscriminate evil" that characterises terrorist activity. This they believe will assist in tackling root causes of terrorism, which "uses fear and enslaves the poor and needy."
A recent seminar in Brussels held in the European Policy Centre dealt in detail about the various factors that lead to terrorism. The workshop also examined how threats arising out of terrorism could be contained.
In this regard, participants also underlined that threats from terrorism had increased given the fact that the benefits and advances of modern societies were also available to terrorists as they were to ordinary citizens with often devastating consequences.
There is general consensus, not only on both sides of the Atlantic, but also in Japan and south Asia that the world has to face up to these new realities. There is also awareness that the global response to terrorist threat must not only be firm but also based on the world community being engaged in fostering increased strategic communication through multilateral frameworks to prevent terrorist activity.
It is true that domestic priorities might create differing strategic interests but the recent Tsunami in
south and southeast Asia has also proven that "we are indeed one people and that humanity binds us all." It has also reaffirmed the need to rely on international cooperation rather than just a patchwork of unilateralism.
I believe that integration of nations with regard to security is important. This has to be built on a relationship of trust, swift and transparent sharing of information, improved public communication
and the shared use of nextgeneration technologies. There also has to be constant communication at an operational level. This will allow making of decisions faster. It will also ramp up security more easily. This will also enable better protection of civil liberties.
south Asia can take a leaf out of the successful collaboration that is taking place between Europe, Japan and the UsA. I am referring to maritime and aviation safety. The container security initiative (CsI), a joint initiative underwritten by the EU, Us and other global partners at ports around the world, have enabled enhanced targeting and screening of high-risk cargo throughout the supply chain. This effort begun as a bilateral initiative between port authorities in Rotterdam and Us customs inspectors
and has now grown into a network that includes 28 global ports.
In addition, international port and shipping facilities have now also signed up to an internationally agreed security code developed by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). This has essentially created a world standard for shipping and port safety.
We, in south Asia, can also note that both the Us as well as Europe now believe that it is better to com-
municate government-to-government than to rely on airlines alone to process information and to take appropriate action against threats to airlines. such an approach is contributing towards consolidation of international partnerships with other governments. step taken in this direction are also ensuring that the privacy concerns of airline passengers are upheld and there is protection of civil liberties.
There is another area which needs urgent attention. This relates to biometrics. Unfortunately, south Asia is lagging behind in this regard. We need to move into the future, sooner than later. Common international standards of biometrics are being developed. There is also general agreement that biometrics
is a "tremendous" technological tool that can, not only accurately identify and cross-check travellers and potential terrorists, but also provide increased travel document safety and important identity theft protection. such provisions are absolutely vital for terrorist prone south Asia. I think that this entire region could benefit greatly from and agreement on a set of standards for capturing, analysing, storing, reading, sharing and protecting sensitive information
(biometric data), which would lead to a maximum interperability between systems.
Dismantling that terrorist threat will however by very difficult without understanding the root causes of terrorist activity. such effort will also require at the same time, the seizing of terrorist assets, disrupting terrorist cells, and continuing arrests of terrorist suspects. The Bangladesh government, like Pakistan's and India's appear to have finally woken up to this factor and are now taking suitable steps. This is a difficult task but struggle against any form of terrorism will always be a test of will and fortitude.
There are nonetheless certain factors that continue to create obstacles in the international fight against terrorism. The most impor-
tant of this is the very definition of the word terrorism. Till today, there has not been any legal international agreement on the denotation and the connotation of this word. It is being interpreted differently, according to the need of every country. sometimes, such description arises out of political requirements. That greatly affects the prescription. There is need that the UsA, the EU and other developed countries sit down with developing nations and agree on a specific definition. Without such a common international definition of terrorism, the war against terrorism will continue to suffer.
Three other factors have continued to trouble the international community the application of capital punishment for crimes, the possibility of extradition arrangements and whether or not to create a separate international tribunal to deal with terrorists alone. This last aspect has gained special attention given the fact that according to the UsA and some other nations, terrorists are essentially combatants and should be treated differently from ordinary criminals.
Nevertheless, one thing is very clear. There is paramount need for international and regional cooperation despite disagreements on interpretations and the judicial process to be followed with regard to terrorist acts. Terrorists threats affect social and economic lives of the people in any country. It also destroys the principle of democracy and associated freedoms.
Muhammad Zamir is a former Secretary and Ambassador -- any response to mzamir@dhaka.net
***There are nonetheless certain factors that continue to create obstacles in the international fight against terrorism. There is need that the USA, the EU and other developed countries sit down with developing nations and agree on a specific definition. Without such a common international definition of terrorism, the war against terrorism will continue to suffer.***