26-Jul-06: Terrorism at the United Nations

Last night BBC World, the highly influential global television network, hosted a distinguished panel of experts to discuss the war between Hezbullah and Israel. Here's the intro from their website:

Hundreds are dead and the airstrikes and rocket launches go on. There's plenty of talk of a ceasefire but no sign of any real diplomatic progress. Can peace be brought to Lebanon and Northern Israel? Is the international community helping or hindering the process? Jonathan Charles puts these questions to senior international figures.

The BBC's choice of senior figures was: Marwan Muasher, Former Deputy Prime Minister of Jordan in Amman; Mark Malloch Brown, Deputy Secretary General at the UN; Edward Gnehm, Former US Ambassador to Jordan in Washington; and Lord Hannay, Former UK Ambassador to the UN in London.

There's no transcript, but the words of Mark Malloch Brown in particular struck fear and loathing in the hearts of those of us who understand the meaning of terror and its awful consequences. Here's what we heard (and again - there's no transcript yet so we may have missed a syllable or two):

The world has to recognize that Hezbollah is not just a terrorist organization. It is immensely popular among the Lebanese. It provides health and educational services to the Lebanese. It is, therefore, also a political entity.

It's an interesting way of viewing things. There are always going to be people for whom Mussolini was not a brutal dictator but the man who made the trains run on time. Which may also be untrue, according to one knowledgeable insider who says: "It's just that no one dared to report it when they were late".

The revelation of Mark Malloch Brown's personal viewpoint is not just upsetting. It's threatening to the success of his work and the work of many other people. If it's an accurate reflection of how the man, who also serves as Kofi Anan's Chef de Cabinet, thinks, then it undermines much of what civilized nations are trying to achieve when they organize themselves against terror.

There's no terror group anywhere without its supporters. There's no terrorist organization that is nothing more than a terrorist organization. All of them have multiple dimensions. Does this mean anything? Terrorism is terrorism. We took part in the first international congress of terror victims which met in Spain two years ago. Someone should read the declaration issued at the end of that congress to Mark Malloch Brown and his team. It includes these words:

"Terrorism is never justifiable... Whatever its form, terrorism is always an unjust and unjustified, cruel, abominable and repulsive crime. It is an affront to the most basic rights of individuals and communities..."

It's disturbing to know that the UN's highest-level civil servant seems to think otherwise.

By the way, did anyone think the UN has a convention against terrorism? It doesn't, and not for lack of effort. The reasons why are especially disturbing.