Amit Shah urges all countries to maintain transparency in sharing intelligence to combat terrorism

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on November 19 urged all the countries to maintain complete transparency in sharing intelligence in a better and more effective manner in a bid to counter-terrorism. 

He was at the closing session of the 3rd “No Money For Terror” Conference (Counter-Terrorism Financing) in New Delhi.

''Our first commitment should be cooperation with transparency and all countries and organizations must pledge complete transparency in sharing intelligence in a better and more effective manner. We have to fight this war against terrorism and terrorist groups, in every geographical space, in every virtual space,'' he added.

He said that we have to fight this war against terrorism and terrorist groups, in every geographical space, in every virtual space. 

''There have been many instances when, under the guise of other motives, some organizations promote terrorism and radicalization at the national and international levels,'' he added. 

He also noted that it has also been found that these organizations tend to become the medium of financing terrorism and added, ''Recently, the Government of India has banned an organization that conspired to radicalize the youth and push them towards terrorism and that every country should identify and take stringent action against such organisations''. 

Shah further said that some countries, their governments, and their agencies have made 'Terrorism' their State Policy and in these Terror havens, it is necessary to shackle their unrestrained activities along with a strict economic crackdown, and all the countries of the world will have to make up their minds on this, rising above their geo-political interests. 

''We observe that some countries repeatedly support terrorists and those who harbour terrorism, but, terrorism has no international boundaries, so all countries should think beyond politics and cooperate with each other,'' he said. 

At the same time, all countries will have to agree on one common definition of 'terrorism' and 'terror financing', because it is an issue of the protection of our citizens, and their human and democratic rights, it should not become a political issue, he added.

The Union Home Minister also said that terrorists understand information technology and cyberspace very well and they also understand the sensitivity of the public and tend to exploit them. 

''Cyberspace today has become a major battleground in the fight against terrorism and there have also been multiple changes in Weapons Technology too and these 21st-century lethal technologies and drone technologies are also accessible to terrorists now,'' he avowed. 

He said that the growing links of terrorism with organized crimes such as narcotics, crypto-currency, and hawala, have increased the possibility of terror financing manifold.