At UNSC’s 9/11 attacks commemoration, Pakistan showcases leading role in breaking al-Qaeda’s back

UNITED NATIONS, Sep 12 (APP):The UN Security Council Thursday marked 25 years since the deadly 9/11 attacks, with Pakistan highlighting  its a key role as a front-line State in the global counter-terrorism endeavour that “broke the back” of Al-Qaeda, the militant group responsible for that harrowing tragedy.

The most notable successes in the international campaign against Al-Qaeda were achieved through his country’s counter-terrorism efforts and active cooperation, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN, told the 15-member Council, which observed a standing moment of silence in memory of the thousands of 9/11 attacks’ victims, including 7 Pakistanis.

“This came with immense sacrifice,” he added, noting that terrorist violence has resulted in the deaths of 90,000 Pakistanis, including the country’s  brave security forces, law enforcement personnel, and innocent civilians,  as well as sustained economic damage since the turn of the century.

At the same time, the Pakistani envoy said the Council’s current sanctions regimes are proving insufficient to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

In this regard, Ambassador Asim Ahmad emphasized the following:

1) The Council should be concerned about the alarming rise in far-right extremist movements world over,  which are responsible for some of the most heinous terrorist attacks in recent years, targeting communities based on xenophobia, racism, and other forms of intolerance, or in the name of religion or belief.

 2)The terrorism threat in Africa, in the Middle East, and Afghanistan is deeply worrying. More than 4,700 innocent Pakistanis have lost their lives to terrorism emanating from Afghanistan — with significant external support — over the last three years that were  carried out by savage entities like TTP,  BLA, and its Majeed Brigade. in the absence the Council’s  restrictive measures and sanctions, entities like the BLA are operating freel

 3) The growing use of modern information and communication technologies for terrorist activities, such as propaganda, disinformation, hate speech, online radicalization, recruitment, and use of dark web for networking and terrorist financing, including transactions through use of virtual assets and crypto currencies  poses a serious threat.

4) The international community must take a comprehensive approach to counter terrorism, implementing  all four pillars of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in a balanced manner, focusing also on its root causes.

 5) The perpetration of state terrorism in situations of foreign occupation should not be  ignored,  with the Council ensuring that the occupying powers are held to account and are not allowed to operate with impunity to suppress the legitimate struggles of people for exercising their right to self-determination.

“The international response to terrorism must be up to speed, in fact ahead of the rapidly evolving threat,” Ambassador Asim Ahmad said, proposing reflection on the contemporary needs and challenges in the counter terrorism domain in order to address the gaps in the architecture, the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, and sanctions regimes.

 “The Council must shoulder its due responsibility,” the Pakistani envoy said, adding, “The perpetrators of terrorism must be brought to justice.”

“Eventually, if we are going to succeed in our common objective of counter terrorism, that would require active and effective international cooperation and regional synergies for a united, collective front to this global threat.”

Opening the debate, UN  Assistant Secretary-General Natalia Gherman, Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) reiterated:  “Our solidarity with the survivors and the families of those who perished in the 9/11 attacks, as well as our sympathies for all victims of terrorist attacks worldwide.”

She noted that, in 2001, the Council’s response was swift and united, adopting a series of obligations in resolution 1373 (2001) “as relevant today as they were 25 years ago” — calling for solidarity and international cooperation in preventing terrorism, bringing terrorists to justice and ensuring they cannot find safe haven.  The Council has since passed more than twenty additional resolutions on counter-terrorism.

Gherman further recalled that the Council created the Counter-Terrorism Committee to assist Member States to achieve the full implementation of resolution 1373 (2001) and its successors — and established CTED to assist it, providing neutral, independent and expert assessments of States’ counter-terrorism measures.

“And yet, much remains to be done,” she stressed.

Terrorist groups decentralize operations and diversify financing streams, while exploiting fragile governance, competition over resources and local grievances to expand their reach, Gherman said. Further, she emphasized they are using maritime routes to facilitate the movement of individuals, weapons and illicit goods.  CTED has identified a growing role of decentralized cells, loosely connected networks and lone actors whose pathways to violence are more difficult to disrupt.

Also, citing the use of new technologies, she called for particular attention to the recruitment and exploitation of children and youth.  Meanwhile, she warned, financing networks are becoming more difficult to detect.  Many groups continue to generate revenue through criminal activity, including extortion, kidnapping for ransom, trafficking and the exploitation of natural resources.

On this day,  Gherman stressed, the Council and Member States owe victims “our continued commitment to prevention and preparedness, and to international cooperation and solidarity in the fight against terrorism”.  CTED remains committed to deliver on its mandate “and advance our common objective of a world free from terrorism”, she affirmed.