Brussels, 21/09/2001 (Agence Europe) - Deputy Secretary of State for the US, Richard L. Armitage, spoke of the response to be given to the terrorist attacks of 11 September. He was speaking at a meeting, on Thursday in Brussels, with the NATO Permanent Council and NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson. On Thursday, Mr Armitage did not call for a military contribution from the Allies to the action engaged by Washington against terrorism. He mainly explained the efforts of the United States to form an international "coalition" that is as wide as possible to combat this scourge (Mr Armitage had just come from Moscow where he had met Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mr Troubnikov).
Furthermore, during the North Atlantic Council of 19 September (at the level of ambassadors), Luxembourg's Permanent Representative with NATO, Jean-Jacques Kasel spoke of the very considerable irritation felt by the Luxembourg authorities about scandalous and totally unfounded information". Such information was diffused by a "certain" press source alleging that "Osama Bin Laden's financial assets are hidden in Luxembourg". Ambassador Kasel recalled that a serious investigation on the basis of "very advanced legislation" had not allowed anything to be discovered, and that an offer of cooperation would be made to the American authorities "to help them actively in their own inquiries" (see yesterday's EUROPE, p.9, on the subject of intervention by the Luxembourg Justice Minister at the EU's JHA Council). Mr Kasel also recalled the Luxembourg legislation and the "measures taken to fight against terrorism, money laundering, organised crime and the financing of crime". He noted that, at EU level, "Luxembourg is currently seeking to overcome the refusal by certain Member States and the European Parliament which do not wish to see the obligation of denunciation extended to all legal professions (lawyers, notaries, bailiffs, sworn surveyors, etc) - an extension that Luxembourg already applies"