IACP COMMITMENT FOR EXCHANGING CRITICAL INFORMATION REAFFIRMED16 Sep :The 2-day Asia Pacific Regional Seminar on Terrorism concluded today. IACP President, Ronald Ruecker, in his address observed that the recent terror strikes in several parts of the world had clearly demonstrated the need for law enforcement agencies throughout the world to establish effective intelligence sharing mechanisms and working relationships with one another. He reaffirmed IACP’s commitment towards enhancing international cooperation, communication and exchange of critical information.
Earlier, Haroun Mir, Co-Founder and Deputy Director of Afghanistan’s Centre for Research and Policy Studies and Frederic Grare of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace discussed terrorism related issues in South Asia and its neighbourhood. He identified poverty, unemployment, madrasa education and radicalisation as some of the factors fuelling the growth of terrorism in Afghanistan. He remarked that drug money and charities received from the Middle East and the Gulf are contributing significantly to terrorism in the region. Mir also called upon Pakistan to take effective measures on the Pak-Afghan border to curb radicalisation and growing terrorist activities. His prescriptions for containing terrorism in the region included economic development, promotion of democratic values, strengthening of civil society and international cooperation.
Frederic Grare stated that the South/South East Asian region has the highest concentration of jehadi terrorist groups in the world. Elaborating on the gradual politicisation of terrorism, he alluded to the use of terror as an instrument to either pursue foreign policy goals or further domestic political interests. In this context, he commented that Pakistan has been both a major actor in terrorism as also a victim of this menace.
Thomas Michael Sanderson, Deputy Director and Senior Fellow in the Center for Strategic and International Studies Trans-national Threats Project, presented an overview on extremism, insurgency and radicalisation in South East Asia with special focus on Thailand, Indonesia and Philippines. Dilating on the social, religious, economic and political causes of extremism, he suggested de-radicalisation and demobilisation as effective tools for tackling terrorism. He pointed out that the Thai Muslim youth were adopting jehadi rhetoric from Indonesia. Sanderson also focused on the efforts of Jemaah Islamiyah in Indonesia to consolidate its support base in order to reengage in jehad.
Praveen Swami, Associate Editor, Frontline and Dr. Ajai Sahni, Executive Director, Institute for Conflict Management, also participated in the Seminar.