Schmid calls for united front against terrorism
Swiss President Samuel Schmid has urged countries attending a conference on terrorism in Madrid to respect human rights and international law.
His appeal came as Switzerland confirmed a request from Saudi Arabia to set up an international anti-terrorism centre in Geneva.
Speaking on Thursday in the Spanish capital, Schmid warned that terrorism represented a grave threat to the fundamental values of a free society and to the rights of every individual.
“The fight against terrorism and its causes has to be the common task of all nations,” he said.
“The attacks of September 11, 2001, demonstrate once again the need for greater police cooperation among all states,” he added.
The three-day meeting, which ended on Thursday, was held to mark the first anniversary of the Madrid train bombings in which 191 people died.
The International Summit on Democracy, Terrorism and Security brought together world leaders and experts to develop a common strategy for combating terrorism.
Police liaison
Schmid told the conference that the Swiss authorities had been liaising closely with police forces around the world.
He highlighted the “effective” working relationship with Spain in the wake of last year’s atrocities.
In January Switzerland agreed to extradite a suspected Islamic extremist to Spain. Mohamed Achraf, who is accused of plotting to bomb a Madrid court, has appealed against the decision.
Schmid added that Switzerland was using all the means at its disposal to prevent financial or logistical support for terrorist groups or acts.
Human rights
But he cautioned that the fight against terrorism needed to respect human rights and international law. He said that Switzerland, as the depository state of the Geneva Conventions, would continue to monitor the situation.
Schmid also urged nations to tackle the causes of terrorism, such as the lack of democracy, violation of human rights and regional conflicts.
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who was also in Madrid, called on member states to adopt the international convention on nuclear terrorism.
“That such an attack has not yet happened is no excuse for complacency. Rather, it gives us a last chance to take effective preventive action,” said Annan.
Anti-terrorism
On Thursday the Swiss foreign ministry confirmed a report in the weekly Facts magazine that it had been approached by Saudi Arabia, which wants to set up an international anti-terrorism centre in Geneva.
The foreign ministry said the request came via the Swiss embassy in the Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh.
“We have been informed verbally of this idea, but it is still too early to say whether Switzerland will proceed with the project,” said spokesman Ivo Sieber.
The idea of locating an international anti-terrorism centre in Geneva was first raised at a conference in Riyadh last month.
The aim of the centre would be to facilitate the exchange of information and to train security forces.
New York, Cairo and Vienna have also been suggested as possible locations for the project.
Saudi Arabia has been criticised in the past, notably by the United States, for not taking a tough enough line on terrorism.
swissinfo with agencies
The Madrid conference sought to identify which countries were failing to assist the international community in the fight against and financing of terrorism.
Those attending the conference were also asked to examine the underlying causes of terrorism, such as political, economic, religious and cultural factors.
The conference was held to mark the first anniversary of the Madrid train bombings.
Islamic extremists attacked four trains on March 11 last year, killing 191 people and injuring around 2,000.
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