Tread cautiously

Except for some sizable pockets of fundamentalism, most Islamic states too have tacitly or openly acknowledged America's rights under the relevant international law to act in self- defense.

Now, the U.S., in its letter, drew the Security Council's attention to Article 51 of the UN Charter that permits individual or collective self-defense by the member-states that feel threatened by external forces.

Yet, what seems to have caused concern within the UN forum is Washington's parallel assertion that it might in course of time target unspecified organizations and states other than the Afghan-Taliban regime and Osama's Al-Qaeda.

In a delicate interpretation at this moment, (UN Secretary Genral) Mr. (Kofi) Annan tends to think that the U.S. has neither predicted the inevitability of such a follow-up action nor expressed a pointed intention to go after other states and groups.

However, the legitimate concerns of the international community on this score must be fully addressed by the U.S. as it seeks to sustain a "campaign" against terrorism with a global canvas.

Overall, the U.S. should therefore recognize the need to tread or fly cautiously in the face of an increasingly volatile international situation.

-- The Hindu, New Delhi