Reviewing Preparedness For Terrorism

On September 12 the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) of Ukraine held an emergency meeting to discuss the consequences Ukraine is likely to face following the latest terrorist attacks on the United States.

Shortly earlier, NSDC Secretary Yevhen Marchuk told Interfax-Ukraine, “The world is being globalized, and Ukraine must review its preparedness for acts of terrorism.” He believes that at present there are no political prerequisites in Ukraine for terrorist acts, but it is still necessary to work out measures to prevent them. In particular, Mr. Marchuk believes, Ukraine must set up an antiterrorist center as an interdepartmental organization subordinated to the president or the NSDC.

The NSDC press release says that the meeting analyzed the international consequences of the latest US acts of terror within the context of Ukraine’s national security and discussed emergency measures aimed at strengthening civil safety and preserving stability here. The participants concluded that the situation caused by the overriding threats to civil security, regional, and domestic stability demands urgent measures to reinforce the protection of the individual, state, and society as well as to normalize the global situation. The discussion resulted in recommending the president enact a directive on civil defense and the prevention of terrorism on the territory of Ukraine.

Speaking live at an ICTV program about the tragic events in America, Mr. Marchuk said, “The American events showed that the US will revise its antimissile defense program. But it is too early to say whether the US will drop or continue to implement it. I think a lot of lessons will be drawn by us also. In other words, we will have to rethink many things, including what concerns the ABM system and the performance of all services: both those that control the air space and those that received information but failed to react to it on time. I would not like to jump to conclusions that these events will bury the idea of a US national ABM defense. The US has great experience and knows how to defend itself. And I think we will hear and see in the immediate future what mechanism the US will choose for its own protection.”