OBSTACLES TO ELIMINATING INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM INCLUDE THE LACK OF A GENERALLY ACCEPTED DEFINITION OF INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM, PARTICULAR CONDITIONS FAVORING USE OF FORCE (E.G., THE VULNERABILITY OF WESTERN INDUSTRIAL NATIONS AND THEIR LIBERAL POLITICAL SYSTEMS WHICH PLACE RELATIVELY FEW RESTRICTIONS ON CITIZENS AND FOREIGNERS), INTERNATIONAL AND EXTRADITION LAW THAT ARE TOO POORLY DEVELOPED TO PROVIDE A LEGAL BASIS FOR EFFECTIVE COOPERATION BETWEEN NATIONS, AND THE CONFLICTS BETWEEN SOCIALIST AND THIRD WORLD VIEWS OF TERRORISM AS A FORM OF IDEOLOGICAL DEBATE BETWEEN COUNTRIES WHICH SHOULD BE ALLOWED EVEN IN TIMES OF PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE AND THE POSITION OF WESTERN NATIONS MOST AFFECTED BY TERRORISM. INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION, AIDED BY THE UN, CAN HELP TO ELIMINATE SOME OF THESE OBSTACLES, INCLUDING CHANGING THE ATTITUDES OF THOSE NATIONS WHICH CONTINUE TO SUPPORT TERRORISTS. OF THE FOUR MULTILATERAL AGREEMENTS REACHED SINCE 1963, THREE DEAL WITH HIJACKING AND THE FOURTH PROTECTS DIPLOMATS. FURTHER EFFORTS TOWARD A COMPREHENSIVE INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT INCLUDE THE WEST GERMAN-PROPOSED AGREEMENT AGAINST TAKING HOSTAGES, WHICH WAS PASSED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON DECEMBER 14, 1976. THIS RESOLUTION WILL OBLIGATE THE TREATY PARTNERS TO ESTABLISH LAWS AGAINST TAKING HOSTAGES AND COOPERATE IN INTERNATIONAL PREVENTION EFFORTS, MAKING EXTRADITION AN EFFECTIVE INSTRUMENT IN THAT TREATY. NATIONS COULD NO LONGER GRANT ASYLUM TO TERRORISTS WHO TAKE HOSTAGES BUT WOULD HAVE TO EXTRADITE THEM. --IN GERMAN. (MHP)