SAUDI ARABIA: SECURITY OFFICIALS FROM SOME 50 COUNTRIES ENDORSE SAUDI PROPOSAL FOR INTERNATIONAL COUNTER-TERRORISM CENTRE
Record ID:
189800
SAUDI ARABIA: SECURITY OFFICIALS FROM SOME 50 COUNTRIES ENDORSE SAUDI PROPOSAL FOR INTERNATIONAL COUNTER-TERRORISM CENTRE
- 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.
- Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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