Top UN representative may soon visit Pak

A top UN representative plans to head to Pakistan soon to make a first hand assessment of the implementation of the world body's decision proscribing Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JUD), a front organisation of Lashkar-e-Taiba blamed for the Mumbai attacks.
    
Richard Barrett, Coordinator of Al Qaeda and Taliban Sanctions Monitoring Committee set up by the Security Council plans to visit Islamabad soon.

Barrett said he had been in discussion with the Pakistani officials on the issue of implementation of sanctions against the terror organisation.

He said the Committee has not received any petition from JUD asking for a review of its decision to brand it a terror group, inspite of reports emanating from Pakistan.

Replying to a question from a Pakistani correspondent, he agreed that it is difficult to implement the sanctions completely, noting that the group was also involved in charitable activities like running schools and clinics.
    
"It is very difficult for a state to implement that (sanctions) completely," Barrett said, adding that the Pakistani government was working to ensure "fruitful compliance."

Preventative sanctions against people associated with terrorist groups present tough legal issues, but have been recognised by various courts as needed, he said.

"It's a great problem with all jurisdictions, to deal with this issue to prevent crime before it has happened," Barrett told a news conference.

In response to challenges, the Council has tried to introduce as much due process into the way it puts individuals and entities on the "list," subjecting them to the asset freeze, travel ban and arms embargo.
    
"We're not looking at somebody that has already committed a terrorist act and dealing with the consequences of their crime.  We are trying to stop them from committing that crime in the first place," he said. "There's not much point otherwise to the regime. I mean, national courts can deal with criminal acts," he added.
    
Barrett recalled that the sanctions regime was developed in response to the 1998 terrorist attacks in East Africa against United States embassies and other sites, in an effort to try to force the Taliban regime in Afghanistan to try to give up Osama bin Laden for justice.

After the attacks of September 11, 2001 terrorists attacks in New York and Washington, the sanctions became more global in scope, targeting people all over the world who had really no affiliation with one particular State, which was quite a novel departure for the Security Council, he said.

The Council tried to make the regime effective by getting all member states involved in presenting names for designation on the list of targeted individuals and entities, and in implementing the sanctions against them, even though they now number around 500, requiring a great outlay of resources for all concerned.
   
"But nevertheless, I think there is huge support for this regime and I can think of no member state that has any question that it's necessary for the Security Council to do something which is operationally effective rather than purely symbolic," he said.