The reason that such efforts don’t work well are two-fold. first, many money transfers do not use the international banking system, but other parallel and underground paths. Second, the wealthy of the world have a vested interest in keeping much of the banking industry opaque. If it were transparent places like the Bahamas, Bermuda, Lichtenstein and Switzerland would see their banking business disappear. Notice how many deposed dictators walk off with billions that governments can’t (or won’t) try to recover.

The simple rule of thumb is: if there is some perfectly obvious way to fix a social program, yet it doesn’t get fixed, just follow the money to see who is profiting from the status quo.

Here is a question for prime minister Aziz and Secretary Chertoff:

I agree with Robert Feinman (comment above) regarding the almost universal trend these days to view terrorism as a movement rather than a technique. But what if we reversed the equation? Instead of taking this macro approach of viewing terrorism as a large, overwhelming mass of angry people, why don’t we break it down as an inventory of techniques and behaviors and map it quantitatively?

Obviously, these people are able to function as they do because of identifiable behaviors — money laundering, drug running, stealing, graft, leveraging specific governance deficiencies in bureaucratic structures, etc.
Why cannot the world community isolate those characteristics, as you would, for example, specific cells in a cancer, and attack them separately by devising targeted economic and political solutions?

Example: We hear all the time about the drug crop in Afghanistan. Why can’t we fight it with a subsidy like the one President Bush just accorded corn growers in Iowa? We’re more educated than the terroists, we can outspend the terrorists, and we’re a hell of a lot better connected. Why can’t we stop them from growing dope by incenting other crops?

If “terrorism” is really a euphemism for Islamic nationalism or theocratic ideas then why not say so? Is the western world opposed to religious groups taking over local governments in general or only to Islamic ones? The right in the US doesn’t seem to have any problems with a Christian inflected government.

How can one ask a weak government to sign a pledge against support of terrorism when it can’t control even internal events? Does anyone think that signing an agreement will make combating radical groups in the Philippines, Indonesia or even Columbia any more effective?

Let’s see all these world leaders come clean on what they really see as they enemy and why.

I was under the impression that Bin Laden wanted the USA and friends to stop interferring in the Middle East? America and Britain are under attack because of the treatment of the Palestinian Arabs, unquestioning support for Israel and our lies over the past 100 years. And now due to our destruction of Iraq, which was based on another lie. Do you see a pattern here?

If you keep on poking a hornets’ nest, don’t be surprised when they eventually fly out and sting you.

At the World Economic Forum, Michael Chertoff, US Secretary of Homeland Security stated “We need to impose consequences on those countries that will not sign anti-terror agreements,” He also called for a Comprehensive Response to Terrorism.
If there is to be a Comprehensive Response to Terrorism, the States and Corporations attending the World Economic Forum, must at address their contribution to Global insecurity, and at a minimum endorse the following
The Comprehensive Response to Terrorism including state terrorism and corporate destabilization of states:

We recognize that true security- is not “collective security” or
“human security” which has been extended to “humanitarian
intervention” and used along with the “responsibility to protect”
notion to justify increased military budgets and military intervention in other states.

True security is common security (extension of Olaf Palme’s notion of
“common security”)

and involves the following objectives:

* to promote and fully guarantee respect for human rights including
labour rights, civil and political rights, social and cultural
rights- right to food, right to housing, right to universally
accessible not for profit health care system , right to education and
social justice;
* to enable socially equitable and environmentally sound employment,
and ensure the right to development [as per Convention];
* to achieve a state of peace, social justice and disarmament;
through reallocation of military expenses, and eradication of poverty
* to create a global structure that respects the rule of law ; and
* to ensure the preservation and protection of the environment,
respect the inherent worth of nature beyond human purpose, reduce the
ecological footprint and move away from the current model of
overconsumptive development.

We acknowledge that for years, through conventions, treaties and
covenants, through Conference Action plans, and through UN General
Assembly resolutions, member states of the United Nations have
incurred obligations, made commitments and created expectations
related to the furtherance of Common Security.

We affirm that Common security can only be achieved if there is a
concerted international effort to eliminate the complexity and
interdependence of the actions that have led to global insecurity

WE THE X COUNTRIES and CORPORATIONS HAVE AGREED TO THE FOLLOWING:

Article 1
We reaffirm our commitment to multilateralism and oppose unilateral
actions that undermine global common security.

Article 2
We undertake to reduce our military budgets and reallocate military
expenses and transfer the savings into global social justice as
undertaken through numerous UN Conference Action Plans and UN General
Assembly Resolutions.

Article 3
We will no longer undermine the notion of democracy by couching a
plutocracy/theocracy in democratic notions of “freedom”.

Article 4
We will abandon the policy of pre-emptive/preventive attack to
aggressively attack sovereign states which has been a violation of
the UN Charter article 2 and international law and is the
’supreme’ international crime of a war of aggression.

Article 5
We will no longer perceive justice in terms of revenge through
military intervention we will instead seek justice through the
International Court of Justice.

Article 6
We will no longer misconstrue Art 51 (self defence) of the Charter
of the United Nations to justify premeditated non provoked military
aggression.

Article 7
We will oppose any attempt to undermine the international resolve to
prevent the scourge of war; this would include not engaging in
intimidation or in offering economic incentives in exchange for
support for military intervention.

Article 8
We undertake to respect the mandatory jurisdiction of
the International Court of Justice ,and will abide by its decisions.

Article 9
We will convert to peaceful purposes military bases in sovereign
states around the world, and end the circulation of nuclear powered
or nuclear arms capable vessels throughout the world.

Article 10
We will discontinue propping up and financing military dictators.

Article 11
We will abandon the practice of targeting or assisting in the
assassination of leaders of other sovereign states, and engaging in
covert destabilization or democratically elected leaders of or any
leader of a sovereign state.

Article 12
We will abide by the Nuclear Non Proliferation treaty and immediately
implement Article VI of the treaty, (Article VI: commits all parties
to pursue negotiations in good faith on measures to end the nuclear
arms race and to achieve disarmament.) and we will end the
production of all weapons of mass destruction such as nuclear,
chemical, and biological, as agreed to in UNCHE in 1972, and in
specific conventions.

Article 13
We reaffirm the obligations under the 1967 the Outer space Treaty to
ensure that exploration and use of outer space, including the moon
and other celestial bodies, shall be carried out for the benefit and
in the interests of all countries, irrespective of their degree of
economic or scientific development, and shall be the province of all
mankind humanity.

Article 14
We make a full commitment to disarmament and oppose the continued
profit making from the sale of arms, will implement obligations to
reduce the trade in small arms and in collaboration with the ILO
will fund a fair and just transition program for worker currently
working in the arms trade.

Article 15
We will end the production of land mines and sign and ratify the
Convention for the Banning of Landmines, and affirm a commitment of
funds and continuous effort to remove land mines from all areas of
the world where they are known to exist.

Article 16
We will suffocate the production of uranium, phase out the use of
civil nuclear energy, and prohibit the use of weapons such as
Depleted Uranium and cluster bombs that would be prohibited under the
Geneva Protocol II.

Article 17
We oppose NATO’S first strike policy, and support the disbanding of NATO.

Article 18
We will abide by the Geneva conventions on the treatment of
civilians, and respect international human rights and humanitarian law.

Article 19
We will discharge obligations incurred through conventions,
treaties, and covenants; and act on commitments through conference
action plans related to Common security – peace, environment, human
rights and social justice

Article 20
We will sign, ratify, and enact the necessary legislation to ensure
compliance with, or respect for Common Security international
Conventions, Covenants and Treaties.

Article 21
We will abide by the Convention against Torture through Cruel,
Inhumane or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and end the practice
of rendition of citizens and will abide by the Geneva conventions.

Article 22
We will eliminate cruel and inhumane punishment such as capital
punishment, which violates accepted international norms.

Article 23
We will abandon institutions and agreements which promulgate
globalization, deregulation and privatization; these institutions and
agreements undermine the rule of international public trust law, and
condone and actively facilitate corporations benefiting and
profiting from war.

Article 24
we oppose the promulgation, globalization, deregulation and
privatization through trade agreements, such as the WTO/FTAA/NAFTA
etc that undermine the rule of international public trust law.

Article 25
We abandon the IMF structural adjustment program which has led to
the violation of human rights, has exploited citizens in the
developing world and has adversely impacted on vulnerable and indigenous
peoples around the world.

Article 26
We oppose the privatization of public services such as water and
health care, we will increase funding to Universities to counter
the corporate funding of education including the corporate direction
of research and declare that these be the responsibility of governments.

Article 27
We will finally implement the long standing international commitment
to transfer .7% of the GDP for overseas aid, and to cancel third
world deb.

Article 28
We will no longer subsidize and invest in companies that have
developed weapons of mass destruction, that have violated human
rights, that have denied social justice, that have exploited workers,
and that have destroyed the environment.

Article 29
we will implement the commitment made to ensure that corporations,
including transnational corporations comply .. with international
law, and that they pay compensation for any previous health and
environmental consequences of their actions.

Article 30
We will revoke charters and licences of corporations that have
violated human rights, including labour rights, that have contributed
to war and violence, and that have led to the destruction of the
environment.

Article 31
We support Mandatory International Ethical Normative (MIEN) standards
and enforceable regulations to drive industry to conform to
international law, and oppose corporate “voluntary compliance”.

Article 32
We will ban practices that contribute to environmentally induced
diseases and we will address poverty related health problems and
ensure universal access, to publicly funded not for profit health
care system.

Article 33
We will end the production of toxic, hazardous, atomic waste, and we
will prevent the transfer to other states of substances and
activities that are harmful to human health or the environment as
agreed at the UN Conferences on the Environment and Development, 1992.

Article 34
We will ban the production, approval and promotion of
genetically engineered foods and crops which have led to a deterioration of
the food supply, and to loss of heritage seeds.

Article 35
We will protect Biodiversity by signing and ratifying the
Convention on Biological Diversity and oppose “megadiversity”
–resulting from genetic engineering.

Article 36
We will be forthright in acknowledging that the Biosafety Protocol is
a disguised trade agreement, and serves to promote the acceptance of
Genetically modified living organisms.

Article 37
We will accept the warnings of the Intergovernmental panel on Climate
change, and no longer disregard obligations under the Framework
Convention on Climate Change and its protocol to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions, and to preserve carbon sinks.. We will oppose any
suggestion that civil nuclear energy is the solution to climate change.

Article 38
We will rescind anti-terrorism legislation because it violates civil
and political rights, and results in racial profiling.

Article 39
We will no longer target, intimidate and discriminate against
activists on the grounds of political and other opinion (a listed
ground in the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights}

Article 40
We will clearly distinguish legitimate dissent from criminal acts of
subversion.

Article 41
We will end all discrimination on the following grounds:
- race, tribe, or culture;
- colour, ethnicity, national ethnic or social origin, or language;
nationality, place of birth, or nature of residence (refugee or
immigrant, migrant worker);
- gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, or form
of family, [including same-sex marriage]
- disability or age;
- religion or conviction, political or other opinion, or – class, economic
position, or other status.

Article 42
We will end the discrimination against immigrants, and refugees and
we sign and ratify the Convention for the Protection of Migrant
Workers and their Families; and the Convention on Refugees.

Article 43
We will respect women’s reproductive rights, and abide by commitments
made under the International Conference on Population and
Development, and the Beijing Platform.

Article 44
We oppose religious extremism and proselytizing including the spread of
Evangelical Christianity around the world, which has undermined local
indigenous cultures, instilled fear through the dangerous, belief in
the “rapture”, “Armageddon” and “left behind”, has promulgated
dispensationalist “end times” scenario which has serious irreversible
consequences. and has led to the denigrating other established
beliefs and practices.

Article 45
We support the institution of an International Court of Compliance
linked to the International Court of Justice; The Court of Compliance
will hear evidence from citizens of state non compliance.