Apec anti-terror plan ok, now implement it

Asia-Pacific leaders will consider a series of ambitious measures to fight terrorism this weekend, but analysts see more words than action in this latest bid to combat threats to smooth trade in the fast-growing region.

The plan, endorsed on Thursday by ministers at the 21-nation Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in Hanoi, calls for tighter border and aviation security, protection of food supplies and boosting extradition procedures.

In the wake of the September 11 attacks and, closer to home, Bali and Mumbai bombings, Apec has turned its attention to security threats to commerce among its members, who account for about half of global trade.

“More and more, one of the most important purposes of our cooperation is security,” US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice told Apec ministers on Thursday.

"One can only imagine the consequences to our trade and growth if the security of this region was fundamentally compromised,” she said.

But analysts say Asia has enormous problems countering terrorism in an organised multi-state approach simply because different priorities, economic ability and differing views on what terrorism is inhibit cooperation.

“The measures are in good faith, but more likely to be played out in words rather than direct action,” said Jaimie Burnell, a consultant at Control Risks Group in Singapore.

To be fair, Apec’s counter-terrorism task force has made some progress since it was formed in 2002, mainly on anti-money laundering, countering the financing of terrorism, port security and modernising customs, analysts say.

Now, APEC members such as the US, Australia and Canada have proposed a raft of new measures that include:

* increasing protection of the region’s food supply system to prevent deliberate poisoning.

* tightening border operations by streamlining communications in the event of an attack. Many of Apec’s Southeast Asian members are beset with porous borders susceptible to illegal activities.

* upgrading aviation security with a network to share information on threats.

* business continuity plans after an attack

* widening the group’s pandemic awareness network, set up to fight bird flu and other disease threats, to include counter-terrorism contacts.

The leaders are expected to sign off on the proposals during their summit on Sunday.

Australian security analyst David Wright-Neville said the measures are part of a campaign by some Apec members who provide financial and technical assistance to coax “stragglers” into taking the threat as seriously as they do.

“Countries such as the US, Australia and Singapore feel that some of the Apec partners have been overly sanguine about the risk of terrorism,” said Wright-Neville, head of the Global Terrorism Research Centre at Monash University.

“They are less concerned about the security of these countries per se, but worry about terrorists exploiting the lack of vigilance among smaller Apec members,” he said.

Differing legal systems and views on the death penalty have also hampered initiatives such as speedier extraditions.

“For example, there was talk of introducing a European arrest warrant style agreement in principle, but in reality this would be unlikely,” Burnell said.

That has reinforced Apec’s reputation as a talk shop where some members are reluctant to discuss controversial issues.

“It still remains a useful forum, even though we can’t tackle trade, let alone terror,” David Asher, a senior fellow at the Asian Studies Centre of The Heritage Foundation, said this week.


http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/world.aspx?ID=BD4A321047