"The terrorists aim for disruption on a dramatic scale, so the destructive power of WMD has a clear attraction,"
Posted 08/15/05 15:57 Globalization Makes WMD Trafficking Easier: Singapore Minister By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, SINGAPORE Globalization has made it easier for weapons of mass destruction (WMD) to fall into terrorists� hands, Singapore Defense Minister Teo Chee Hean said Aug. 15. Teo was speaking at the start of a five-day exercise that is part of the U.S.-led Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) to stop illegal exports of weapons technology. �The terrorists aim for disruption on a dramatic scale, so the destructive power of WMD has a clear attraction,� he said. �Should the terrorists ever succeed in using WMD in their attacks, it is not just the physical consequences that would be catastrophic. �The psychological impact, in terms of the fear that would permeate across the globe, would be equally profound.� Teo said globalization has made it easier for terrorists to acquire WMD and they would do anything to get hold of such weapons. �With globalization has come the dense network of linkages across the world to enable the speedy and free flow of goods, people and ideas. These linkages are necessary for economic growth,� Teo said. �But they have also created more conduits and opportunities for proliferators to do their nasty business � proliferation is truly a global enterprise.� Teo said the PSI, launched by U.S. President George W. Bush in 2003, was one effective way for the world to stop such weapons from falling into the hands of terrorists. �PSI provides the international community with a useful means of plugging the gaps in the existing counter-proliferation system,� said Teo. �When domestic systems of export controls fail, and when the treaty regimes are circumvented, PSI creates an effective mechanism for states to work together to interdict WMD-related cargoes that are already in transit by sea, air or land,� he said. The PSI allows for the seizure of missiles and other potential components of WMD while they are being transferred at sea or in the air. The five-day drill, the first to be held in Southeast Asia, involves 10 surface ships, six patrol aircraft and 2,000 personnel from 13 countries including the United States, Singapore, Australia, Japan, France and Britain. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> <font face=arial size=-1><a href="http://us.ard.yahoo.com/SIG=12h4anv8a/M=362329.6886306.7839369.3040540/D=groups/S=1705323667:TM/Y=YAHOO/EXP=1124156612/A=2894321/R=0/SIG=11dvsfulr/*http://youthnoise.com/page.php?page_id=1992 ">Fair play? Video games influencing politics. Click and talk back!</a>.</font> --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
