Even as they were passing another six resolutions condemning Israel, the United Nations General Assembly failed to define terrorism, because the Organization of the Islamic Conference demanded exceptions for terror gangs like Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the head-hacking Al Qaeda holy warriors in Iraq.

    “This is a priority for us and the secretary-general and it’s unfortunate that it’s come down to some members of the [Organization of the Islamic Conference] being so obstructionist, trying to carve out what’s considered terrorism,” Benjamin Chang, deputy spokesman for the U.S. Mission, said yesterday. “We think that it’s unfortunate that we’re at this stage of things this long after we rhetorically made all these commitments in September.”

    On Tuesday, committee members agreed without a vote to postpone work on the contentious language, while denouncing as “unjustifiable” acts of terror designed to provoke fear in the general public. They also agreed that all states should prevent terrorist acts and prosecute perpetrators.

    U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said in a statement that he is “disappointed” with the lack of action and indicated that he would soon meet with key players to try to resolve their differences.

    Every nation agrees that terrorism is wrong, but many Arab and Islamic governments insist that an exception must be made for those fighting colonial domination or foreign occupation.

    Among the groups that might fit that description: Islamic Jihad and Hamas in the West Bank, the insurgents of Iraq, and secessionist movements in Chechnya, Kashmir, the Philippines, Indonesia and Northern Ireland, among many others.