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	British religious leaders criticize US over foreign policy and War on Terror by The Guardian / Agence France Presse   Sept 2005   "Church of England Bishops criticize US over Foreign Policy and War on Terror", by Stephen Bates. (The Guardian / UK)   A group of Church of England bishops issued a report today criticising American foreign policy, the US war on terror and some American Christians" use of biblical texts to support a political agenda in the Middle East, and accuses the US of using illegitimate and dangerous rhetoric.   The attack comes in a 100-page report issued by the church, drawn up by a working party of four diocesan bishops for the church"s executive archbishops" council, exploring ways to counter terrorism in the post 9/11 world.   It argues that churches have a vital role to play in combating the threat and promoting Christian principles in a world characterised by power and violence. The bishops are also critical of European and American policy towards Iran and its nuclear development, saying that the EU ought to offer a "suitably attractive incentive package" in order to dissuade Tehran from developing a nuclear weapons capability.   The report argues that respect for human dignity should be an underlying moral principle for relationships between states just as much as between individuals: "It is a moral principle that is expressed through the establishment of international law and its observance."   The report continues: "So international order is to be built not on brute power and fear but on law that is ultimately grounded in the divine wisdom ... When national interest is interpreted in a narrow or short-term way that excludes or ignores the flourishing of other communities, this is incompatible with a proper understanding of what is in our interest."   The four bishops - of Oxford, Coventry, Worcester, and Bath and Wells - are all on the liberal wing of the church. They did, however, receive advice from defence specialists and military experts in drawing up their work.   The report, drawn up since the July terrorist attacks on London, is particularly critical of the US and the effect of what it says are misreadings of biblical texts by some Christian groups in shaping some American attitudes, describing some millennialist views as deeply worrying and illegitimate: "The Book of Revelation, far from being a justification of American expansionism, is in fact a fierce critique of the imperial enterprise."   The report calls for the United Nations to be strengthened as the legitimate authority for all military intervention and opposes democracy being imposed on any other country by force, saying it must be adopted by a nation in culturally appropriate ways. It describes talk of a "war on terrorism" as a piece of dangerous rhetoric and warns of the danger of governments such as Britain"s imposing laws which restrict hard won civil liberties.   The bishops argue that both the US and EU need to adopt more flexible policy approaches to Iran and accept the country"s nuclear energy programme, while seeking to provide safeguards by which it can be properly monitored - though they accept that the Iranian government has not accepted such a strategy in the past.   In laying out 13 Christian theological and ethical principles for conduct in a world characterised by power and violence, the bishops say in their report: "The tendency of some religious groups, both Christian and Muslim, to give an oversimplistic reading of current events is harmful."   Sept 2005   Clinton launches withering attack on Bush on Iraq, Hurricane Katrina Response". (Agence France Presse)   Former US president Bill Clinton sharply criticised George W. Bush for the Iraq War and the handling of Hurricane Katrina, and voiced alarm at the swelling US budget deficit.   Breaking with tradition under which US presidents mute criticisms of their successors, Clinton said the Bush administration had decided to invade Iraq "virtually alone and before UN inspections were completed, with no real urgency, no evidence that there were weapons of mass destruction."   The Iraq war diverted US attention from the war on terrorism "and undermined the support that we might have had," Bush said in an interview with an ABC"s "This Week" programme. Clinton said there had been a "heroic but so far unsuccessful" effort to put together an constitution that would be universally supported in Iraq.   The US strategy of trying to develop the Iraqi military and police so that they can cope without US support "I think is the best strategy. The problem is we may not have, in the short run, enough troops to do that," said Clinton.   On Hurricane Katrina, Clinton faulted the authorities" failure to evacuate New Orleans ahead of the storm"s strike on August 29. People with cars were able to heed the evacuation order, but many of those who were poor, disabled or elderly were left behind. "If we really wanted to do it right, we would have had lots of buses lined up to take them out," Clinton.   On the US budget, Clinton warned that the federal deficit may be coming untenable, driven by foreign wars, the post-hurricane recovery programme and tax cuts that benefitted just the richest one percent of the US population.
	World leaders stress UN's Leadership Role by United Nations News   20 September 2005   Having elicited “strong, unambiguous commitments” on issues ranging from development to human rights to United Nations reform, the 2005 World Summit that ended Friday evening achieved important results despite serious gaps in such areas as nuclear non-proliferation, according to Secretary-General Kofi Annan.   In an op-ed appearing in The Wall Street Journal, Mr. Annan noted that the so-called outcome document of the Summit had been described as disappointing or watered down. “This is true in part – and I said as much in my own speech to the summit,” he wrote. “But taken as a whole, the document is still a remarkable expression of world unity on a wide range of issues.”   The greatest strides were made, in agreements on the precise steps needed to reach the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the ambitious plans to reduce dire poverty and other ills by 2015, he adds. In addition, he pointed to agreements on strengthening the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, creating an early warning system and a funding mechanism for natural disasters, and mobilizing funds for HIV/AIDS.   He described as “most precious” the clear acceptance by all UN members of collective responsibility to protect civilian populations against genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity through the Security Council when local authorities are failing. “I first advocated this in 1998, as the inescapable lesson of our failures in Bosnia and Rwanda,” he wrote. “I am glad to see it generally accepted at last – and I hope it will be acted upon when put to the test.”   Most of his detailed proposals on UN management reform were accepted, he said, though strong executive authority for the Secretary-General was not. Similarly, there was agreement on principle toward Security Council reform but not on particulars.   There were also mixed results on terrorism and a new Human Rights Council, he noted, but in both areas it was agreed that results must be produced within the next year. For the first time, in addition, there was an unqualified condemnation of terrorism “committed by whomever, whereever and for whatever purposes.”   He said that the biggest gap by far in the agreements was the failure to address nuclear proliferation, which he called “the most alarming threat we face in the immediate future, given the danger of such weapons being acquired by terrorists.” He appealed to all leaders to make an urgent effort to find common ground on the issue. “Otherwise this summit may come to be remembered only for its failure to halt the unravelling of the non-proliferation regime – and its other real successes would then indeed be overwhelmed.”   18 September 2005   Presidents from around the globe stressed the leadership role of the United Nations in setting the international agenda, as they addressed the General Assembly this morning on the second day the General Debate of its 60th anniversary session.   “The United Nations must take on the role of a new Moses,” urged President Alfred Palacio of Equador, the first to speak this morning. In that role, he said, it must create an equitable new world order and lead migrants and other disenfranchised people to a secure future. He added that the Organization should also take the leading role in the preservation of bio-diversity, which was the “paramount goal of this third millennium.”   Nauru also looked to the UN to usher in a better world without poverty, terrorism and war, its President Ludwig Scotty said. For that reason, management reform was crucial, along with the reform of the Security Council, so that it better represented “the global family.” Much of his country’s wealth had been lost through mismanagement, he said, and so he appreciated the great importance of reforms to increase transparency and accountability.   The President of Peru, Alejandro Toledo Manrique, said that peace and security had a social and economic component. “Social exclusion is a trigger of violence and instability. It renders democracy fragile,” he said. This is why the multilateral system as a whole, with the UN in the lead, must tackle development, he added.   While each country was primarily responsible for its development, he said, each also encountered obstacles at the international level. The asymmetry that currently prevails among countries must be overcome, including unequal trade barriers, subsidies, the burden of debt, and most importantly “the absence of preferential trade conditions for developing countries.” Echoing other speakers this morning, he urged the completion of the Doha round of trade talks that focus on such issues.   While also stressing the importance of the Doha trade talks, Zambia’s President, Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, focussed on the demand of the African Union for two permanent seats of the Security Council, saying “the African region, considers the reform of the organization as an opportunity to correct historical injustice that stands as a dark cloud over our people.”   Tassos Papadopoulos, President of Cyprus, agreed that Africa should take priority in current international efforts “Our endeavour to make a difference there in terms of conflict resolution, peace-keeping, peace building, poverty, underdevelopment and deadly diseases will be the litmus test of the effectiveness of our commitment to meet the Millennium Goals,” he said. At the same time, there must be appropriate facilitation of negotiations to resolve long-running conflicts elsewhere, such as in his country, which was at a critical juncture.   Fradique Bandeira Melo De Menezes, President of Sao Tome and Principe stated that the basis of international security lay in the protection of people and their education toward capacity building for community development. “Nations that do not pay attention to this set of conditions could be in permanent tension,” he said. For this reason, HIV/AIDS, poverty, political crises, ongoing violations of human rights, oppression and occupation, constitute threats to human security, he added.   Toward tackling those challenges and threats, Foreign Minister Kassymzhomart Tokaev of Kazakhstan said that the World Summit had laid the groundwork for the most radical reforms in the Organization’s history. Foreign Minister Borys Tarasyuk of Ukraine warned Member States to make sure that a lack of unity would not be a hindrance to either making reforms or to meeting goals in development and peace and security.   Continuing the General Debate of the 60th Anniversary year of the United Nations, the General Assembly this afternoon heard leaders of developing countries describe the challenges they face in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that aim to slash hunger, poverty and other ills by 2015.   El Salvador’s President Elías Antonio Saca González pointed to new obstacles such as high oil prices, the effects of HIV/AIDS, organized crime, and discrimination against migrants. He highlighted the importance of dialogue for overcoming such problems and achieving world-wide well-being and the successful reform of the UN.   Bolivian President Eduardo Rodríguez Veltzé said achieving the MDGs after the recent political crisis that shook his country would require creativity, new policy ideas and resources to respond to the inequalities that now exist. “Regional autonomies will lead to establishment of a new social contract through democracy as required by the Millennium Declaration,” he added.   Prime Minister Tuileapa Sailele Malielegaoi of Samoa said challenges in meeting the MDGs were being met in his Small Island Developing State (SIDS) through priority legislation and partnerships with the UN system and others. To allow the Organization to better assist with such efforts, reform should aim at an “effective and strengthened organization to reflect the realities of the 21st Century.”   Italian Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini stressed that global solidarity is the answer to many of the ills besetting the world, from underdevelopment to terrorism to instability.   Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also stressed the importance of eradicating terrorism, which he said stymied development and, in turn, bred more extremism. “The UN was not meant to create heaven in the world, but to prevent it from going to hell,” he added.   Foreign Minister Ban Ki-Moon of the Republic of Korea noted that in aiming for the MDGs “success will be reached when each of us started looking beyond the immediate horizon.” His country was increasing aid and partnerships for that purpose, he added.   For his part, French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy discussed in detail the range of conflicts in the world that were impeding development, along with the international action that was needed to help resolve them.   Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon of Thailand underscored the enormity of the challenges. “Each day 50,000 people continue to perish from poverty and hunger,” he said. “Money being spent on arms and weapons continues to outpace money being spent on saving lives.”   Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian referred to his own nation’s difficulties as a small landlocked country without natural resources. “Our greatest natural resource is our population,” he said. “The path to security passes through development.” Democratization of international relations and institutions were essential, he added.   Foreign Minister Elmar Maharram Oglu Mammadyarov of Azerbaijan said the MDGs remained an indispensable part of his country’s agenda, stressing the importance of the cancellation of debt, aid and trade to open up resources for development, and improved market access.   Argentine Foreign Minister Rafael Antonio Bielsa concentrated much of his address on human rights in view of his country’s past history of military dictatorships. But, urging a fairer trade system, he called on developed countries to do away with subsidies. “Developed countries must eliminate protection mechanisms,” he said, advocating equitable and lasting solutions for the external debt problem.   Papau New Guinea’s Foreign Minister Rabbie L. Namaliu said UN reform must be representative of the developing countries. Much more needed to be done to achieve MDGs, which were impeded by high debt, he declared. He called for the elimination of agricultural subsidies by developed countries. “Trade is the engine of economic growth and development,” he added.   Rwandan Foreign Minister Charles Murigande called for concerted action to realize the MDGs” and create a world free from poverty, hunger and deprivation. He said his country, scene of the genocide of some 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus by Hutu extremists in 1994, welcomed the new global commitment to protect against such acts, but he added: “Actions, not words, will be the measure of our success or failure.”   Latvian Foreign Minister Artis Pabriks struck a similar note, calling for a more efficient United Nations to deal with situations like the genocide in Rwanda and the current conflict in Sudan’s western Darfur region. He declared his country’s support for the establishment of a Human Rights Council, UN management reforms, achievement of the MDGs and gender equality.   President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation stressed that while there was a real need to adjust to “the new historical reality", steps to reform the world body should unite, not separate the international community. The experience and authority of the United Nations enabled it to play its indispensable, truly unique role in global policy, and economic and humanitarian cooperation, said Mr. Putin, calling for constructive and inclusive organizational reform at the General Assembly’s 2005 World Summit convened to forge a global consensus on development, security, human rights and United Nations renewal.   But Hugo Chavez Frias, President of Venezuela, argued that the United Nations had outlived its model and that the twenty-first century required profound changes that meant a recasting of the Organization, not merely reforms.   A revamped United Nations required that the Security Council be expanded in the permanent and non-permanent categories and that its working methods be improved to increase transparency. Further, the “elite mechanism” of the veto decision should be removed in the Security Council, and the role of the Secretary-General should be strengthened, he stated.   Calling for a more measured approach, Sri Lanka’s President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga said it was time to take stock and remain focused, with a view to moving forward. Member States had a substantial unfinished agenda and new challenges to face. Reform of the Organization must be in the multilateral interest and embrace all facets of the United Nations’ activities.   The vision that Member States adopted at the Summit should be decisive, she stated. It should serve as a road map leading to further change and reform. The changes must touch on the Organization’s entire agenda, overall reforms could not be piecemeal, but must benefit all Member States equitably. An integrated approach to security, development and human rights was the key to achieving that, she said.   Mathieu Kérékou, President of Benin, said the document before the Summit acknowledged that new challenges had emerged and that reform must be undertaken courageously to make progress. The United Nations was the unique forum for addressing problems that faced global society, and the Security Council’s composition and working methods must be reformed to reflect the new realities, with Africa given fair representation.
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