ASEAN members mull anti-terrorism steps

ASEAN members mull anti-terrorism steps

Jim Gomez, Associated Press, Manila

Countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
are considering a number of steps, including convening a powerful
meeting, to discuss ways to jointly deal with "the scourge of
terrorism," according to a draft ASEAN statement.

The draft, proposed to be issued during the summit of leaders
of the 10-member conservative trading bloc in Brunei on Nov. 5,
would also condemn "in no uncertain terms" the Sept. 11 terror
attacks in the United States.

Any anti-terrorism statement by the ASEAN would not likely
mention any endorsement of the U.S.-led air strikes in
Afghanistan, Philippine officials said.

Like in the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum
summit in Shanghai last week, terrorism is expected to dominate
the ASEAN meetings in the oil-rich sultanate, officials said
Thursday.

"The subject of terrorism will definitely, most likely,
dominate the discussions in the summit," said Ronald Allerey, a
Philippine foreign affairs official in charge of relations with
ASEAN.

Allerey said he was meeting with his ASEAN counterparts to
pool suggestions for a proposed ASEAN declaration against
terrorism to be issued at the end of the Brunei summit.

A draft of the ASEAN statement prepared by Philippine
officials said the nations "strongly condemn, in no uncertain
terms," the terrorist attacks in the United States.

The statement, however, is silent on the ongoing U.S. and
British air strikes in Afghanistan and does not mention Osama bin
Laden, the principal suspect in the attacks.

ASEAN member countries would pledge to strengthen cooperation
in combating terrorism, according to the statement.

Steps include convening the ASEAN troika - three member
countries which deal with major issues ahead of a full discussion
by the grouping - to come up with and recommend ways of
coordinating "policy and action against terrorism," the draft
statement said.

The ASEAN troika currently consists of Brunei, Cambodia and
Vietnam.

The troika would review "international instruments on
terrorism with the view of harmonizing or integrating them with
existing ASEAN mechanism."

It would also explore ways "to link ASEAN efforts with the
other East Asian and other countries to make the fight against
terrorism a truly regional and global endeavor," the statement
said.

Vice President Teofisto Guingona, who is also foreign affairs
secretary, said Philippine officials would use the ASEAN summit
in Brunei to push an anti-terrorism accord involving the
Philippines and neighboring Indonesia and Malaysia.