VZCZCXYZ0003
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #0300/01 0942318
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 032318Z APR 08
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4045

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000300 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER PREL UNGA
SUBJECT: CONDEMNING SUICIDE BOMBING 
 
REF: USUN 00184 
 
1.(U) ACTION REQUEST para 4. 
 
2.(SBU)  As reported reftel, the Simon Weisenthal Center has 
been lobbying UN Missions to convene a Special Session of the 
General Assembly to condemn suicide bombing.  Subsequent to 
their February 26 meeting with Amb. Khalilzad, 
representatives of the Center sent letters to a wide range of 
UN Missions asking for support for this effort.  Even those 
delegations that are sympathetic to the idea of UN action to 
condemn such terrorist acts are skeptical about the proposal. 
 Concern centers around the potential for politicizing the 
session and using it to criticize Israel, the U.S. and other 
states that some allege are responsible for creating 
conditions that lead to such desperate acts. 
 
3.(SBU)  Argentina, Australia and Italy received letters from 
the Weisenthal Center and are seeking U.S. views on an 
appropriate response.  We have also been in contact with the 
Israeli Mission which, like USUN, supports action to condemn 
suicide bombing by terrorists but is not convinced that a 
special session would be the best forum to accomplish this 
objective. Special Sessions are relatively rare and require a 
request from the Security Council or a majority of the 
members of the United Nations.  A better forum, could be the 
next regular session of the General Assembly under the agenda 
item, "Measures to Eliminate International Terrorism", which 
is considered each year in the Sixth (Legal) Committee.  This 
approach clears several hurdles because the item is already 
on the preliminary agenda and any delegation may propose a 
resolution under it. The goal would be to attract a 
significant number of co-sponsors representing all geographic 
regions to support adoption of the resolution by consensus. 
 
 
4.(SBU)  The Weisenthal Center has indicated that it will 
lower its profile on this initiative in order to give member 
states an opportunity to move it forward.  Action Request: 
USUN seeks authorization to approach like minded delegations 
including those mentioned above, to urge them to take the 
lead in developing and proposing a resolution condemning 
terrorist suicide bombing, along the lines of the text below 
(para 5), for adoption during the next General Assembly in 
October/November 2008. 
 
 
¶5. (SBU) Begin text. 
 
General Assembly item XXX 
"Measures to eliminate international terrorism" 
 
The General Assembly, 
 
Recalling resolution 60/288 of September 8, 2006, "The United 
Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy" and other relevant 
resolutions on measures to eliminate international terrorism, 
 
Reaffirming that all acts, methods and practices of terrorism 
are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their 
motivation, wherever and by whomever committed, 
 
Recalling also resolution 52/164 of December 15, 1997 which 
adopted the "International Convention for the Suppression of 
Terrorist Bombings", 
 
Noting that a significant majority of United Nations member 
states are party to that Convention, which calls upon them to 
criminalize terrorist bombings and either to extradite 
alleged offenders or submit such cases for prosecution, 
 
Noting also that suicide bombers are often directed by 
perpetrators who manipulate others into carrying out 
terrorist acts while they themselves remain unharmed, 
 
Expresses its concern that despite the efforts of the 
international community to combat this heinous form of 
terrorism, suicide bombings have increasingly resulted in the 
death and injury of countless victims; 
 
¶1.  Condemns, strongly and unequivocally, terrorist attacks 
by suicide bombers committed by whomever, wherever and for 
whatever purposes; 
 
¶2.  Calls upon states to act in accordance with their 
international obligations to deny safe haven and to bring to 
justice any person who supports, facilitates, participates or 
attempts to participate in the financing, planning, 
preparation or perpetration of such suicide bombings; 
 
¶3.  Urges states that have not done so to consider becoming 
parties, without delay, to the International Convention for 
the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings.  End text. 
 
KHALILZAD