Response to terror 'heralds new era of international relations'

The terrorist attacks on the US have ushered in a new era for international relations, the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) said today.

Defeating Osama bin Laden and his al Qaida terrorist network will become a defining feature of international relations, claimed IISS director Dr John Chipman.

The current conflict in Afghanistan between the Allied coalition and the Taliban government which harbours Bin Laden will help forge new relationships and alliances between countries which were previously experiencing difficulties.

Dr Chipman was speaking at the IISS launch of its Military Balance document which details the military capabilities and defence economics of nearly 170 countries and assesses current world conflicts.

Dr Chipman said: ‘‘The attacks on the US on September 11 have in effect ushered in a new era in international relations.

‘‘The US has a newly-defined enemy which is neither the old Soviet Union nor a potentially resurgent China but international terrorism and terrorist-sponsored states.

‘‘New relationships, even alliances, will be built on the campaign against terrorism, and these may well be quite long-lasting.

‘‘Governments will again be judged on their competence in keeping their people secure and on the wisdom of their foreign policy.’’

While the fight against international terrorism was crucial, Dr Chipman said a host of issues remained that the US and its allies must also deal with.

He said: ‘‘There will come a point at which the campaign against terrorism becomes routine, part of the sinews of international relations, just as was the Cold War itself.

‘‘The challenge will be to focus on the campaign against terrorism without making it the prism through which everything is viewed.

‘‘The campaign on terrorism will be a focus, but the rest of international relations will not be annulled as a consequence of September 11.

‘‘In seeking to defeat terrorism with a global reach, the large Western states will constantly be caught between the need to defeat certain deadly enemies in particular places and engage in broad-based international social engineering.’’

The Military Balance analyses changing defence budgets.

It predicts US spending will increase but move away from a traditional Cold War infrastructure with more demands for a ballistic missile defence system and specialist operation capabilities.

European countries will also need to assess their defence budgets and infrastructures to account for the new type of conflict which faced them, he said.

Russia had an opportunity to play an important role in the international coalition against terrorism and forge a stronger relationship with the West.

Israel and Palestine also have a chance to play a crucial role by ceasing their long-running hostilities.