10/12/2001 Byliner: Secretary of State Powell on Battle Against Terrorism He explains how it could shape a new era of cooperation
(This column by Secretary of State Colin L. Powell first appeared in
the October 15 issue of Newsweek and is in the public domain. No
copyright restrictions.)
"A Long, Hard Campaign"
By Colin L. Powell
(Colin L. Powell is the U.S. Secretary of State)
The mass murders that were committed on Sept. 11 under the direction
of Osama bin Laden and his Qaeda network have united the world against
international terrorism. Some 80 countries lost citizens in the
attacks. From our shared grief and shared resolve can come new
opportunities not only to defeat terrorism, but also to work with
other nations on a range of important issues of global concern.
A host of countries and international organizations have answered
President George W. Bush's call for a worldwide coalition to combat
terrorism -- among them NATO, the European Union, the Organization of
American States, the Association of South East Asian Nations, the
Organization of African Unity, the Arab League and the U.N. General
Assembly and Security Council. Indeed, the Security Council
unanimously adopted a historic resolution obliging all 189 member
states to stop terrorist travel, money flows, planning and other
support, and to cooperate in bringing terrorists to justice.
International terrorism poses a multidimensional threat. Our coalition
must use every tool of statecraft to defeat it. Some countries will
take part in the military response against those involved in the
atrocities of September 11. Others, while not participating directly
in military action, will provide logistical support or access to bases
and staging areas or overflight rights. And many will contribute to
humanitarian efforts to help the millions of innocent Afghans who have
suffered under the Taliban regime -- a regime that seems to care more
about Osama bin Laden and his terrorists than its own starving
citizens. Coalition members also will work to disrupt and destroy
terrorist networks over the longer term by sharing intelligence and
other critical information, cooperating in law enforcement and cutting
off terrorists' financial lifelines. This will be a long, hard
campaign, measured in years and fought on many fronts. For such an
effort, our coalition will have the flexibility to evolve.
And the very process of participating in this great global campaign
against terrorism may well open the door for us to strengthen or
reshape international relationships and expand or establish areas of
cooperation. Already, our alliances in Europe, Asia and the Western
Hemisphere have been reinvigorated by invocations of the collective
defense provisions of the NATO, ANZUS and Rio treaties. Russia and
China, two great powers in transition whose successful integration
into the international community we seek, have contributed to this
unprecedented global effort. Developing habits of consultation and
cooperation against international terrorism can create opportunities
to deepen our relations with both countries in other spheres. Pakistan
and India, bitter rivals, have both joined the coalition. This may
present an opportunity for both countries to explore new ways of
thinking about stability on the Subcontinent.
The millions of our fellow Americans of the Islamic faith, and the 10
Muslim nations that lost citizens in the Sept. 11 attacks, need no
convincing that the killers and their accomplices pervert Islam when
they use it to justify their appalling crimes. Out of a deep sense of
shared humanity, and a chilling appreciation of common vulnerability
to terrorism, we see new scope to strengthen our relations with the
Islamic world. In this global campaign, the United States welcomes the
help of any country or party that is genuinely prepared to work with
us, but we will not relax our standards and we will continue to
advance our fundamental interests in human rights, accountable
government, free markets, nonproliferation and conflict resolution,
for we believe that a world of democracy, opportunity and stability is
a world in which terrorism cannot thrive.
Throughout the campaign against international terrorism, the dedicated
men and women of the State Department at our posts abroad and here in
Washington will be on the front lines just as surely as those who wear
the uniform. We will not let terrorism hijack American foreign policy.
The president has urged the American people to get back to the
business of their daily lives. So, too, the United States will
continue to pursue a full international agenda -- from promoting good
governance to cooperating with other countries to stem the HIV/AIDS
pandemic, establish a post-cold-war strategic framework, launch a new
trade round and foster peace in the Middle East.
Terrorism has cast a shadow across the globe. But the global resolve
to defeat it has never been greater and the prospects for
international cooperation across a broad range of issues have never
been brighter. As President Bush said the other day when he visited
the State Department: "Out of this evil will come good. Through our
tears we see opportunities to make the world better for generations to
come. And we will seize them."
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