After the September 11 attacks, the UN Security Council passed resolution 1373, which obliged all states to report their counter-terrorism measures to the Security Council’s Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC). Comparing these CTC reports with the US State Department’s report “Patterns of Global Terrorism 2001” demonstrates the disdain by certain countries for the international consensus against terror.
Iraq: “Iraq is the foremost victim of terrorism, including State terrorism … One such State is the United States of America.”
US State Dept: “Iraq was the only Arab-Muslim country that did not condemn the September 11 attacks against the United States. A commentary of the official Iraqi station on September 11 stated that America was “…reaping the fruits of [its] crimes against humanity.” Subsequent commentary in a newspaper run by one of Saddam’s sons expressed sympathy for Usama Bin Ladin following initial US retaliatory strikes in Afghanistan. In addition, the regime continued to provide training and political encouragement to numerous terrorist groups.”
Saudi Arabia: “No financial operations with terrorist aims have thus far come to light in the country.” And “There have been no successful prosecutions involving the provision of financial assistance for the carrying out of terrorist acts, whether within or outside the territory of Saudi Arabia.”
US State Dept: “Some representatives of international terrorist organizations solicited and collected funds from private citizens and businesses in Saudi Arabia. In December, Saudi authorities agreed to cooperate with US investigators in suspected cases of terrorism financing.”
Syria: “Since Security Council resolution 1373 (2001) does not define the concept of terrorism or specify the terrorist acts and entities that must be suppressed, in the preparation of the present report Syria has based itself on its commitments as a party to the 1998 Arab Convention for the Suppression of Terrorism, which distinguishes between terrorism and legitimate struggle against foreign occupation.”
US State Dept: “[Syria] continued in 2001 to provide safehaven and logistics support to a number of terrorist groups. Ahmad Jibril’s Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC), the Palestine Islamic Jihad (PIJ), Abu Musa’s Fatah-the-Intifadah, George Habash’s Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and HAMAS continued to maintain offices in Damascus.”
Iran: “[Iran] is committed to cooperating with the United Nations and the Counter-Terrorism Committee of the Security Council to combat terrorism.”
US State Dept: “Iran remained the most active state sponsor of terrorism in 2001.”
