§ Miss McIntoshTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his counterparts in(a) NATO and (b) the European Union on the United Kingdom's response to the events in the USA on 11 September; and if he will make a statement. [7169]
§ Mr. BradshawWe are committed to pursuing concrete steps to counter terrorism in a number of international fora, including the UN, NATO and the European Union. As the Prime Minister said in the House of Commons on 4 October 2001,Official Report, columns 671–75, he and the Foreign Secretary have been in intensive contact with foreign leaders from every part of the world over the past few weeks. The Prime Minister visited Berlin. Paris, New York and Washington on 19–21 September; Moscow, Islamabad and New Delhi on 4–6 October; and Oman and Cairo on 10–12 October; and the Foreign Secretary visited Jordan, Iran, Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Egypt on 24–27 September as part of the effort to build a strong international coalition against terrorism.
We are also taking action in international institutions:
UN Security Council resolution 1368 was adopted on 12 September. The Council unanimously expressed its readiness to take all necessary steps in response to the attacks. The resolution also stated that the Council would hold accountable those indirectly responsible for these acts—those who aid, support or harbour the perpetrators—as well as those directly responsible. On 28 September, the Council adopted resolution 1373, which contained a series of measures to tackle the roots of terrorism. In particular, it stated that all countries should target terrorist finances and ensure that no safe haven is provided to any known terrorist organisations.
Also on 12 September, the North Atlantic Council (NAC) agreed that if the attack against the US was directed from abroad it should he regarded as an action covered by Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty. Article 5 is the collective self-defence commitment at the core of NATO, under which the Parties agree that an 973W armed attack against one or more of them shall be considered an attack against them all. On 2 October the US briefed the NAC on the results of their investigations. Lord Robertson, the NATO Secretary General, concluded that it was now clear that the attack had been directed from overseas and that Article 5 was therefore now operational. This is the first time in the history of NATO that Article 5 has been invoked, and is the strongest possible signal of Allied solidarity in the face of the attacks on the US. NATO's North Atlantic Council has now agreed material assistance to the US, including the use of AWACS early warning aircraft.
The Heads of State and Government of the European Union at the Special European Council on 21 September expressed their total support of the American people in the face of the deadly terrorist attacks. They agreed to co-operate with the US in bringing to justice and punishing the perpetrators, sponsors and accomplices of such barbaric acts. The Council also approved a concrete set of measures to combat terrorism, including enhancing police and judicial co-operation, developing international legal instruments, putting an end to the funding of terrorism and strengthening aviation security. The General Affairs Council on 8 October confirmed the EU's strong support for US and UK military action.
We will continue our diplomatic effort in the coming weeks to strengthen international efforts against terrorism.
§ Miss McIntoshTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received on the role of the security services in(a) the United States of America, (b) the United Kingdom and (c) other members of the European Union in identifying potential terrorist attacks; and if he will make a statement. [7172]
§ Mr. StrawThe hon. Member will be aware that it is long-standing Government policy not to comment on operational intelligence matters. However, while that policy is not going to change, it is no secret that we work closely with the US and other allies to counter the threat of terrorism, which is kept under constant review; where we have specific information, we act on it.
§ Miss McIntoshTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the implications for international security of the recent atrocities in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. [7171]
§ Mr. BradshawWhat happened on 11 September was an act without parallel in the history of terrorism.
The fight against terrorism needs to be a global one. As the Prime Minister said in the House of Commons on 4 October 2001, Official Report, columns 671–75, we have been in intensive contact with foreign leaders from every part of the world over the past few weeks. What we have encountered is an unprecedented level of solidarity and commitment to work together. We are continuing our intensive diplomatic effort to build a strong international coalition against terrorism. We are taking action in the UN, G8, EU and NATO.
The Prime Minister also stated on 4 October that, in the face of the evidence, our immediate objectives are clear. We must bring bin Laden and other al-Qaeda leaders to justice and eliminate the terrorist threat they pose. And 974W we must ensure that Afghanistan ceases to harbour and sustain international terrorism. But we also have to continue our attempts to resolve conflicts, defuse tensions and work for peace in other troubled regions of the world.
The military action we are taking with the US is targeted against places we know to be involved in the operation of terror or against the military apparatus of the Taliban. The military plan has been put together mindful of our determination to avoid civilian casualties.