NCJ Number
96772
Journal
Terrorism Volume: 7 Issue: 2 Dated: (1984) Pages: 175-184
Date Published
1984
Length
10 pages
Annotation
United Nations' efforts to develop international agreements to counter terrorism demonstrate that treaties should not be regarded as ends in themselves or as complete solutions, unless there is substantial international participation in their making, signing, ratification, and implementation.
Abstract
In addition, an effective way to combat international terrorism is to break up large problems into smaller segments that lend themselves to limited responses. These smaller segments can avoid some of the larger, ideologically based conflicts that have prevented the making of treaties to deal with the problem. Focusing on small segments of the problem also permits the application of legal principles on which a true consensus exists. The five United Nations conventions on terrorism illustrate this point. Finally, the international legal arena and international legal problemsolving cannot, by themselves, solve issues which also have national legal implications. National legal arenas and problemsolving techniques may be more readily usable and have greater prospects of achieving intended efforts. The measures adopted by the United States to deal with hijacking are an example. Ideological conflicts often limit international legal action. The International Law Association's fourth interim report of the Committee on International Terrorism has provided what appears to be a useful approach by applying the legal obligations of the law of war to terrorists. Eleven notes are supplied.