BRATISLAVA, Sept 25 (Hina) - Croatian President Stipe Mesic on Tuesday proposed several principles for the anti-terrorism coalition the United States is creating world-wide, including coordination in collecting data on terrorists and
the obligation of extraditing suspected terrorists.
BRATISLAVA, Sept 25 (Hina) - Croatian President Stipe Mesic on
Tuesday proposed several principles for the anti-terrorism
coalition the United States is creating world-wide, including
coordination in collecting data on terrorists and the obligation of
extraditing suspected terrorists.#L#
Mesic made the proposal in Bratislava where he arrived earlier in
the day for a three-day visit to Slovakia.
Speaking of the role small countries play in the struggle against
world terrorism at Komensky University, Mesic proposed several
principles for the fight he deems inevitable and which he called,
conceding that it might be pretentious, the draft charter of the
anti-terrorism coalition.
The recent terrorist attacks on the U.S. are an expression of global
terrorism which attacks the foundations of civilisation and the
respect of laws and human rights, Mesic said. The anti-terrorism
coalition's answer must be global and denote the respect of
civilised living, peace, security and democracy, he added.
The Croatian head of state proposes planned and coordinated actions
by the coalition, implemented through direct contact and
consultations among the member-states.
Mesic thinks membership in the coalition should be an expression of
the free will of the states' leaderships, while the objective of the
struggle must not be revenge but the punishment of terrorist acts
and the prevention of new ones.
The fight must not be waged only against those organising and
executing terrorist acts, but also against those actively
assisting terrorists, harbouring or helping them, said Mesic.
He thinks the anti-terrorism coalition must not breach the
provisions of the United Nations Charter and that it should
undertake its actions in agreement with relevant UN bodies.
Mesic proposes the coalition's members exchange intelligence data
necessary to combat terrorism, and that each be obliged to collect
and submit certain intelligence data at another state's request.
The Croatian president also proposes that a country in which a
terrorist act has been committed be authorised to request the
extradition of the suspect for the crime, and that the country in
which the suspect is apprehended at the time of the extradition
request grant the request immediately.
Mesic believes the military part of anti-terrorist operations will
be executed mainly by NATO members, but maintains small countries
like Croatia and Slovakia can join the coalition in various ways,
for instance by extending logistic support, collecting and
exchanging intelligence data, offering air space and military
bases, through political actions and lobbying.
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