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Counterterrorism on APEC agenda

Convinced that terrorism and security tensions threaten their economies, Pacific Rim leaders are promising to wipe out militant groups operating across their borders and to curb the spread of weapons of mass destruction.

Fears over violent extremism and the Korean nuclear crisis are looming over the annual APEC summit, and leaders will vow to solve the problems in a communique that will be released when they finish next week.

A draft copy was obtained yesterday by reporters.

The leaders intend to "dismantle, fully and without delay, transnational terrorist groups whose operational and ideological reach threatens the APEC economies."

The draft copy said: "Transnational terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction pose direct and profound challenges to APEC's vision of free, open and prosperous economies."

APEC members states have made similar pledges before, both collectively and individually, and the latest draft document fails to say what new counterterrorism measures might be taken to add to an ongoing campaign in Asia where hundreds of terror suspects have been detained, arrested and some killed.

While the grouping's stated goal is to promote free trade and investment among its 21 member econo-mies, its focus has shifted steadily toward security in the wake of the Sept. 11 terror attacks in New York and Washington.

Subsequent bombings in South-east Asia by Islamic extremists linked to al-Qaeda have killed hundreds of people.

The leaders also remain worried about security on the Korean Peninsula. The draft communique alludes to the North Korean nuclear crisis but it does not mention Pyongyang by name.

Amid extremely tight security, APEC foreign and trade ministers were meeting in Bangkok yesterday and today to discuss a variety of issues -- including the group's hopes of seeing the WTO revive talks to liberalize global com-merce, following the collapse of recent negotiations in Cancun, Mexico.

The gap between rich and poor nations has wrecked past attempts to liberalize trade and APEC ministers meeting yesterday gave no immediate indications they will be able to get global negotiations back on track.

While the meeting is bound to generate tough talk behind the conference doors, host Thailand seems determined to keep the debate off Bangkok's streets before or during the summit that starts Monday.

Security forces have taken stringent measures to prevent the kind of anti-globalization protests that have violently marred other international trade liberalization meetings. Authorities have banned more than 500 "potential troublemakers" from entering the country and a massive security ring has been set up around Bangkok to deter terror attacks.

The APEC leaders, including US President George W. Bush, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chi-nese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤), will also call on "strict control" of handheld anti-aircraft missiles -- which could be used by terrorists to shoot down civilian jetliners. The goal is to "protect international aviation," the draft APEC statement said.

Bush likely will weigh in again with charges that China and Japan are keeping their currencies undervalued. Other non-economic issues are likely to be raised include Myan-mar's detention of its pro-democracy leader Ang San Suu Kyi.

The leaders will also call on better coordinated responses to threats posed by new infectious disease epidemics or bioterrorism.

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