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Posted on 10/26/2001 8:36:53 PM PDT by freedomnews

Bush Urges Congress to Act on Anti-Terror Treaties October 26, 2001 5:31 pm EST

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush urged Congress on Friday to pass laws to implement two international agreements designed to crack down on "terrorists" and on their sources of financing.

The first pact, the International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings, requires states to prosecute or to extradite anyone within their jurisdiction who bombs a public place, government facility or public transport system.

The second agreement, the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism, requires states to prosecute or to extradite anyone in their jurisdiction who collects funds to carry out "terrorist" activities.

In a letter released by the White House, Bush called on Congress to give "prompt and favorable consideration" of his legislative proposal to implement the two treaties, neither of which has been yet ratified by the U.S. Senate.

U.N. diplomats fail to reach agreement on draft convention against terrorism

By PRISCILLA CHEUNG

The Associated Post

10/26/01 8:25 PM

UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- Diplomats working on a new, comprehensive convention against terrorism have failed to resolve the key sticking point in negotiations: defining who is a terrorist.

The working group failed to meet a Friday deadline on agreement on three of the articles in the proposed convention -- how to define terrorism, how far-reaching the new convention should be and whether certain actions should be exempt from being classified as terrorist acts, General Assembly spokesman Jan Fischer said.

"That leaves the draft incomplete," Fischer said. "Although we were hoping for a draft convention, we have to remember the working group is dealing with some very difficult issues, and it usually takes quite some time to agree on such conventions."

Defining terrorism has been a key stumbling block in the negotiations on the convention, designed to provide anti-terrorism measures and glue together a dozen existing international agreements on terrorism.

One nation's terrorists are often another's freedom fighters. For example, Arab nations argue that the Palestinians are victims of "modern terrorism" and have a right to fight for independence.

The diplomats also could not agree on whether actions taken by certain military forces or national liberation movements should be exempt from the convention, Fischer said.

The spokesman said the diplomats also failed to agree on whether the new convention should be "a kind of superconvention that overrides all the other conventions," or if it should just fill the gaps left by the dozen existing agreements.

It was unclear what the working group, which needs to make recommendations to the General Assembly's legal committee, will do next, Fischer said. The assembly report has asked for a report from the legal committee by Nov. 15.

The legal committee "may try to find some kind of compromise language, but it could also take note of the progress made already and suggest that the outstanding items be taken up in future meetings," Fischer added.

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