The consequences of international terrorism are all too familiar.
On February 2, 1993, a car bomb exploded in the parking garage of a World Trade Center building in New York City. The resulting explosion killed six people and injured over 1,000. Several Muslim fundamentalists residing in the United States were arrested and charged with the bombing. In 1995, four of these men were convicted for the bombing and each were sentenced to 240-year prison terms.
On July 25, 1995, a bomb exploded in a crowded underground subway station in central Paris. Four people were killed and scores were wounded in the blast. The Armed Islamic Group, which seeks to stop French support of Algeria's military government, claimed responsibility for the attack. The group also claimed responsibility for subsequent attacks that took place throughout Paris.
In contrast to purely domestic acts of violence, international terrorism transcends national borders. International terrorism is defined as acts of violence committed by a group beyond the borders of its own country that is designed to influence or coerce another group or government. Thus, the 1994 bombing of the Oklahoma City federal building or the 1994 chemical gas attacks in Tokyo by domestic groups are not considered acts of international terrorism.
Terrorism has existed for centuries although it was not considered a significant international problem until the 1970s. While terrorist groups had always used violence in support of their cause, they soon recognized the advantages of taking their struggles to the international arena. Many international targets, such as aircraft and diplomatic installations, are relatively easy to attack. In addition, international attacks increase the visibility of a cause. Perhaps the most publicized incidents of international terrorism in the 1970s were associated with the Arab-Israeli conflict.
On September 5, 1972, Palestinian terrorists from the Black September organization stormed the housing facility at the Olympic Village in Munich during the 1972 Olympic Games. They killed two Israeli athletes and seized nine others. When the terrorists attempted to escape, they were killed along with their hostages in a failed rescue effort by West German police.
On June 27, 1976, an Air France flight from Athens to Paris was hijacked by members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. The aircraft was flown to Libya for refueling and then to Uganda. Upon arriving at the Entebbe airport, the hijackers released the non-Israeli passengers. After a seven day ordeal, the hostages were rescued by an Israeli commando raid and returned safely to Israel.
The threat of international terrorism continued throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Since 1980, over 7,500 terrorist incidents have been documented worldwide.
On October 7, 1985, four members of the Palestine Liberation Organization hijacked the Achille Lauro, an Italian cruise ship in the Mediterranean. During the hijacking, the gunmen killed a handicapped Jewish passenger and threw his body overboard. As the hijackers escaped on a flight from Egypt, the aircraft was intercepted by US military jets and forced to land in Italy. The terrorists were subsequently arrested by US and Italian military.
On December 21, 1988, Pan American Flight 103 was destroyed over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing 270 people. After an extensive international investigation, the United States and Great Britain charged two Libyan government agents with planting the bomb that destroyed the aircraft.
On September 19, 1988, UTA Flight 772 was destroyed over the West African country of Niger, killing over 170 people. Libyan agents were also charged with the bombing.
On July 18, 1994, a powerful car bomb exploded in front of the Jewish Cultural Center in Buenos Aires, Argentina, killing 95 people. An investigation into the bombing continues.
Because of its profound impact on international peace and security, the United Nations has adopted several resolutions in response to the rising threat of international terrorism. In 1972, the General Assembly established the Ad Hoc Committee on International Terrorism to examine the underlying causes of terrorism and recommend practical solutions. In response to the committee's final report in 1979, the General Assembly adopted a resolution calling upon all states to increase their cooperation in the prevention of international terrorism. Since then, the General Assembly has adopted numerous resolutions condemning all forms of international terrorism. For example, the General Assembly adopted a resolution in 1985 condemning, "as criminal, all acts, methods and practices of terrorism wherever and by whomever committed, including those which jeopardize friendly relations among States and their security." The Security Council adopted a similar resolution in 1985 condemning "unequivocally all acts of hostage-taking and abduction." Both resolutions implored states to take all appropriate measures to prevent the commission of acts of international terrorism.
One of the most recent statements by the Security Council on international terrorism occurred with respect to the destruction of Pan American Flight 103 and UTA Flight 772. On January 21, 1992, the Security Council adopted Resolution 748 which issued a strong condemnation against international terrorism and the destruction of the Pan Am and UTA aircraft. The resolution expressed deep concern that investigations into the bombings had implicated officials of the Libyan government. It urged the Libyan government to cooperate with the investigations of both incidents "so as to contribute to the elimination of international terrorism." On March 31, 1992, the Security Council imposed sanctions against Libya for its refusal to abide by the Security Council's earlier resolution. According to Resolution 748, the Security Council was "convinced that the suppression of acts of international terrorism, including those in which states are directly or indirectly involved, is essential for the maintenance of international peace and security." It urged Libya to cease all forms of terrorist action and assistance to terrorist groups. It also imposed several sanctions against Libya including an arms embargo, a reduction in the number of Libyan diplomats worldwide and an embargo on air travel to Libya. To date, the Libyan government has failed to fully comply with the Security Council's resolutions.
In addition to these efforts, the United Nations has participated in the development and adoption of several international agreements designed to address the problems raised by international terrorism. In response to the increasing number of attacks against aircraft, the General Assembly adopted conventions on the prevention and punishment of acts committed against aircraft. Similarly, the General Assembly adopted a convention to further protect diplomats from terrorist reprisals. In 1979, the General Assembly also adopted the International Convention Against Hostage Taking. In the preamble to the convention, the parties recognized that "the taking of hostages is an offense of grave concern to the international community." They also recognized "that it is urgently necessary to develop international cooperation between States in devising and adopting effective measures for the prevention, prosecution and punishment of all acts of hostage taking." The convention prohibits any person from seizing or threatening to kill another person in order to compel action by another person. It also requires member states to take all necessary measures to prevent such acts from occurring.
Throughout UN deliberations on international terrorism, there was a significant debate concerning the definition of international terrorism and the proper response to such acts. Many developing countries were critical of efforts to condemn all forms of international terrorism because they were seen as attempts to prohibit the legitimate efforts of national liberation movements. It was only because of the escalation in the number of acts of international terrorism and its consequences on innocent civilians that these countries recognized that the legitimacy of political movements did not itself legitimize all acts of violence.
The recent actions of the Security Council suggest the emergence of a consensus among the international community that all forms of international terrorism will no longer be tolerated and that states will be held accountable for their support of terrorist groups.
