Al Qaeda, ISIS have emerged as a significant challenge to regional security, says Home Minister Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on November 18 said that Al Qaeda and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) have emerged as a significant challenge to regional security. 
 
Shah said this while chairing the first session of the 3rd 'No Money for Terror' Ministerial Conference on the ‘Global Trends in Terrorist Financing and Terrorism’ theme in New Delhi on November 18.

''After August 2021, the situation in the South Asian region has changed and the regime change and the growing influence of Al Qaeda & ISIS have emerged as a significant challenge to regional security,'' an official statement quoted him as saying.

Shah also stated that these new equations have made the problem of terror financing more serious, adding, ''Shah said that three decades ago, the whole world has had to bear the serious consequences of one such regime change, the result of which we all have seen in the horrific attack of 9/11''. 

''Along with Al Qaeda, organizations in South Asia like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed continue to spread terror,'' he said.

Shah further raised concern over the terrorist using the ''Dark Net'' and said it has become a major medium of terror financing today.

''Dark Net is being used by terrorists to spread radical content and conceal their identities. Additionally, there is an increase in the use of virtual assets like cryptocurrency,'' Shah added. 

''We need to understand the patterns of these Dark Net activities and find their solutions,'' he said.

Commenting on countries that are protecting and providing shelter, the Union Home Minister said that there are countries that seek to undermine, or even hinder, our collective resolve to fight terrorism.

He further said that to confront terrorism the government has made significant progress in fortifying the security architecture, as well as the legal and financial systems. 

''We have seen that some countries protect and shelter terrorists, protecting a terrorist is equivalent to promoting terrorism. It will be our collective responsibility that such elements never succeed in their intentions,'' he added.

Shah said that terrorism is, undoubtedly, the most serious threat to global peace and security, but, the financing of terrorism is more dangerous than terrorism itself because the 'Means and Methods' of terrorism are nurtured from such funding. 

''Furthermore, the financing of terrorism weakens the economy of countries of the world,'' he added.

Shah said that India condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, adding, ''We believe that no reason can justify an act, such as taking innocent lives''. 

While expressing his sympathy for the victims of terrorist attacks all over the world, Shah said, ''We should never compromise with this evil''.

Union Home Minister said that the problem of financing terrorism has become widespread and in the last few years, India has succeeded in cracking down on terror financing. 

He further informed about six pillars on which India's strategy against the financing of terrorism is based.

According to Shah, these six pillars are: Strengthening the Legislative and Technological Framework; Creation of a Comprehensive Monitoring Framework; Actionable intelligence sharing mechanism and strengthening of the investigation and police operations; Provision for confiscation of property; Preventing misuse of legal entities and new technologies, and, Establishing international cooperation and coordination.