SAUDI ARABIA: SECURITY OFFICIALS FROM SOME 50 COUNTRIES ENDORSE SAUDI PROPOSAL FOR INTERNATIONAL COUNTER-TERRORISM CENTRE

Record ID: 189800

  • Title: SAUDI ARABIA: SECURITY OFFICIALS FROM SOME 50 COUNTRIES ENDORSE SAUDI PROPOSAL FOR INTERNATIONAL COUNTER-TERRORISM CENTRE
  • Date: 10th February 2005
  • Summary: (BN16) RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA (FEBRUARY 8, 2005) (REUTERS) 1. MV ARMED SECURITY MEN INFRONT OF INTERCONTANATAL HOTEL WHERE CONFERENCE IS TAKING PLACE; WORLD FLAGS FLYING 0.13 2. SCU SECURITY MAN WITH WALKIE TALKIE; SECURITY INFRONT OF ENTRANCE OF CONFERENCE HALL; SLV SECURITY GUARD'S GUN 0.25 3. MV INTERIOR NEWS CONFERENCE, SAUDI INTERIOR MINISTER NAIF BIN ABDUAZIZ SITTING DOWN INFRONT OF MICROPHONES; CAMERA OPERATORS 0.43 4. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SAUDI INTERIOR MINISTER PRINCE NAYEF SAYING "The decision taken by all to create an institute (to exchange information) is the main point that came out of this conference." 0.58 5. MV JOURNALISTS 1.03 6. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) NAYEF SAYING: "Al Qaeda is accused of all these explosions and it can be an agent for anyone (referring to the proposal for an international counter-terrorism centre), all the indications and ideologies make it clear that it is al Qaeda." 1.24 7. MV MEDIA AND OFFICIALS AT NEWS CONFERENCE 1.35 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 25th February 2005 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA
  • Country: Saudi Arabia
  • Reuters ID: LVAD6GVY9C7PIWCE8A838WF6NK3Y
  • Story Text: Saudi wins backing for terror centre but role unclear.

    Security officials from some 50 countries endorsed a
    Saudi proposal for an international counter-terrorism
    centre on Tuesday (February 8, 2005) but its exact role, location
    and funding remained unclear.

    A draft declaration from a conference in Riyadh called
    for the establishment of "an International
    Counter-Terrorism Centre staffed by experts in order to
    share real-time information to adequately prevent attacks".

    But some delegates said it was inconceivable that
    intelligence agencies would really agree to pool
    operational information with a large number of other
    countries.

    Russian counter-terrorism official Anatoly Safonov said
    the centre should be a "technical, operational structure".

    But asked if Russia's FSB intelligence service would pass
    information to such a forum, he told Reuters: "It's hard to
    imagine."
    One European delegate told Reuters: "The proposal is
    not concrete enough, it's too vague."
    Another said it was likely such a centre would be "a
    kind of research institution" for national experts to share
    analysis.

    Security officials said Saudi Arabia had proposed the
    centre be established in Switzerland -- which was not
    present at the meeting -- but New York, Vienna, Cairo and
    Riyadh itself had also been suggested.

    "The decision taken by all to create an institute (to
    exchange information) is the main point that came out of
    this conference," the Saudi Interior Minister Prince Nayef
    said.

    It was also unclear how the centre would be funded and
    whether it should be placed under U.N. auspices. Diplomats
    said a special working group would be set up after the
    conference to thrash out all these issues.

    The idea, raised on the conference's opening session on
    Saturday by Saudi Arabia's de facto leader Crown Prince
    Abdullah, was the most prominent initiative proposed in the
    four days of talks.

    "Al Qaeda is accused of all these explosions and it
    can be an agent for anyone (referring to the proposal for
    an international counter-terrorism centre), all the
    indications and ideologies make it clear that it is al
    Qaeda," the Saudi Interior Minister added.

    Despite the confusion, delegates praised the conference
    as a powerful signal that Saudi Arabia, birthplace of al
    Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and 15 of the 19 Sept. 11
    hijackers, was seriously committed to fighting terror at
    home and cooperating with allies abroad.

    "The main thing is that Saudi Arabia, which was
    considered since 9/11 as perhaps the home country of a
    certain kind of terrorism, is not only taking measures
    inside the country but playing an important role worldwide
    to fight it," a European official said.

    The draft declaration, obtained by Reuters, said the
    proposed international centre could help provide "strategic
    vision" in the war on terror.

    Acknowledging an issue repeatedly stressed by Saudi
    Arabia and other Muslim nations, it said that "terrorism
    has no specific religion, ethnic origin, nationality, or
    geographic location."
    It urged the United Nations to develop guidelines for
    regulating the work of charities to ensure that they are
    not exploited for illegal activities.

    At Russia's request, it called for stronger
    international measures to monitor the movement of nuclear
    material.


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