This is my translation of a speech given by General Ivashov at the Axis for Peace conference in Brussels in november 2005. Original in French on voltairenet.org or axisforpeace.net

As the global situation shows, terrorism appears wherever contradictions are exacerbated, be it through a change in social relations or of regime, the appearance of political, social or economic instability, the unleashing of aggresion, moral decline, the triumph of cynicism and nihilism or the legalization of vice and the explosion of criminality.

It is globalisation which creates the conditions for these extremely dangerous phenomena. It is within this framework that we see the new rupture within global geopolitics, the redistribution of global resources, the redrawing of national boundaries, the unraveling of the system of international law, the destruction of cultures and the impoverishment of spiritual life.

Analysing the process of globalization, in its essentials, as well as the political and military doctrines of the USA and certain other countries, proves that terrorism contributes to the attainment of global domination and the subordination of nation states to a global oligarchy.Thus, terrorism cannot be considered independantly of these global trends : it is , rather, an instrument, a means of imposing a unipolar world with a single centre of control, an expedient for eliminating national frontiers and inaugurating the rule of a new global elite. It is precisely this new elite which is the force behind international terrorism, its ideologue, its “godfather”. The target of this new elite is tradition , culture and history, the existing system of international relations, human civilization itself as founded within the nation state and national identity

.International terrorism as it now exists is a phenomena which combines the use of terror by state and non-state structures as a means of attaining political goals through intimidation, social and psychogical destabilisation , crushing the will of the organs of power to resist and the creation of conditions conducive to the manipulation of states and their citizens.

Terrorism is the means of waging a war of a new type. Together with the media, international terrorism becomes the controlling force in global developments. It is precisely this symbiotic relationship between terror and the media which creates the conditions allowing shifts in international politics, adjustments to the existing reality./

Analysing the events of September 11, 2001 in the USA in this context, one can draw the following conclusions :

1. These attacks were ordered from within political and business circles which had an interest in destabilizing the world order and had the means to finance this operation. This act had been shaped by tensions over the control of financial and other resources. The reasons for these attacks should be sought in the clash of interests within big capital at a transnational and global level, in those circles unhappy with the pace and direction of the globalization process. In contrast to traditional wars conceived by politicians and generals, those behind 9/11 were oligarchs and politicians subordinate to them.

2. Only the secret services and their present or retired heads( having maintained their influence inside state structures) are capable of planning and carrying out an operation of this order of magnitude. In general, it is the secret services who create, finance and control extremist organizations. Without their support these organizations can’t exist let alone carry out operations of this scope inside a particularly well protected country, To plan and put into effect an operation like this is extremely difficult.

3. Osama bin-laden and Al-quaeda cannot have organized or carried out the 9/11 attacks. They have neither the organization, the know-how or the personnel necessary. Consequently, a professional team must have been formed with the suicide bombers in the role of puppets to front the attacks. The 9/11 attacks changed the course of world events in a direction favourable to international oligarchs and the mafia.

The use of the term « international terrorism » aims to fulfill the following objectives :

► To conceal the aims of those forces throughout the world which seek global control and domination;

►To divert public opinion towards a war with uncertain goals against an invisible enemy; the destruction of international norms and to change the meaning of terms such as aggression, state terrorism, dictatorship or national liberation movement;

►To deprive peoples of their legitimate right to armed resistance against aggression and their right to take action against the subversive activities of foreign intelligence agencies;

►The renunciation of the priority of the defense of national interests in favour of the war against terrorism, replacing the logic of national defence through a system of alliances with the idea of a coalition against terrorism.

►The resolution of economic problems through military force under the pretext of fighting terrorism.

In order to oppose international terrorism effectively, it is necessary to take the following measures :

►reaffirm, at the General Assembly or the UN, the principles of the Charter of The United Nations and of international law as applying to all nations ;

►form a geostrategic alliance for civilization( possibly based the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, which includes Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kirgistan, Tajikhstan and Uzbekhistan) based on values opposed to those of the Atlanticists ; elaborate a strategy for development, a system of international security and another economic and financial model( to put the world back on a sound basis)

►bring together leading intellectuals, under the aegis of the UN, to draw up and promote a humanistist philosophy for the 21st century ;

►mediate between the world’s religions with a view to creating conditions favourable to human development, security and mutual support.

General Leonid Ivashov is vice –president of the Academy for Geopolitics. He was head of the Department of General affairs of the Defense Ministry of the Soviet Union, secretary of the Council of Defence Ministers of the Community of Independent States, head of the Department of military cooperation of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation. He was Chief-of-staff of the Russian Armed forces on 11^th September , 2001.