Funds for terror
From the Blog PkColumnist.com: Funds for terror - THE ongoing fight against militancy along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border has been hijacked by charged rhetoric, conspiracy theories and competing interests. Consume enough media, and it begins to seem like the great game that many say it is — a blame game, a game of chance, a guessing game. But far too frequently one is reminded of the very real consequences and immense human toll of this twisted `game`. Friday`s attacks in Darra Adamkhel and outside Peshawar were the most recent reminders in this vein. Scores, including children, were killed, in the suicide bombing at the Friday prayers in Akhorwal. A few hours later, three more people died when grenades were flung at another mosque in Badhber. In light of these horrifying attacks, it is ironic that the big counter-terrorism news of the week was the Obama administration`s announcement of stronger sanctions against the anti-India militant groups Lashkar-i-Taiba and Jaish-i-Mohammad. On Friday, one was left wondering where the Zardari administration`s announcements about crackdowns against anti-Pakistan groups were.The sanctions were carefully timed: in the run-up to US President Barack Obama`s trip to New Delhi, they were meant to reassure India that Washington was not undermining its interests in deference to Pakistan. Given their diplomatic cachet, it is notable that the sanctions target terror financing. The US Treasury has put a freeze on Lashkar and Jaish assets and banned transactions with the groups as well as their operational fronts, such as the Al Rehman Trust. It has also prevented senior militant leaders such as Azam Cheema, Masood Azhar and Hafiz Abdul Rehman Makki from using financial institutions. Makki, in particular, has been targeted for his role in raising funds for the Lashkar-i-Taiba. As a goodwill gesture to India, the US crackdown on terror financing is significant. After all, cut the funding and terrorist activities will inevitably decline. In the world of terror, money is needed not only to secure materials for attacks, but also to travel, pay militants, provide for their families, recruit and train new fighters, propagate the ideology and bribe government officials. As Pakistan`s security situation further deteriorates, Islamabad should make its own call to disrupt the funding mechanisms of all militant groups active within its borders, not only those that plot against India. hawala To be fair, Pakistan has made efforts in this regard, as towards anti-money laundering legislation declaring terror financing to be a criminal offence. And in September this year, the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan directed stock exchanges and more than 600 financial companies to implement anti-terror financing measures outlined by the international Financial Action Task Force (FATF). Progress is already visible as the amount of remittances being channelled through banks rather than the informal system has more than quadrupled since 2001. But the push to combat terror financing is coming from abroad, not Islamabad. Pakistan`s efforts have largely resulted from arm-twisting by the US Treasury Department`s Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, and best financial practice recommendations are coming from the FATF. Without domestic political will, funds will continue to flow into the coffers of terrorists who target innocent Pakistanis as brutally as foreign troops in Afghanistan. hawalas Instead of waiting for directives from Washington, Islamabad should devise its own strategy to minimise illicit finance. For example, the government can work towards licensing and other informal financial networks. In conjunction with the telecom sector, the government should also promote mobile banking as that reduces the prevalence of cash transactions and, consequently, the opportunities for illegal funds transfers. The government should also convene monitoring committees to oversee the finances of Islamic charities known to serve as fronts for terrorist organisations, particularly in the case of donations received from the Gulf region. Moreover, the State Bank can be empowered to revitalise its financial intelligence unit, and law-enforcers should be trained to conduct financial investigations. A well-coordinated crackdown on terror financing will also curtail a variety of criminal activity, especially in Pakistan`s cities. Terror groups are known to draw on funds generated through drug trafficking, arms smuggling, bank robbery, kidnapping for ransom and even credit card fraud. By following the money trail, law-enforcers can identify and break up urban criminal rings that are affiliated with Fata-based militant groups. Of course, the onus to impede terror financing does not lie with the government alone. Taking a page from their counterparts in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan`s leading clerics can also speak out against illicit finance. The now-famous fatwa issued in May this year by the distinguished Saudi Council of Senior Ulema emphasised that financing terror is a form of complicity in the most heinous terrorist acts such as suicide bombings. Indeed, the kingdom`s religious leadership stated in no uncertain terms that Sharia law forbids terror financing, and went so far as to say that the financier is more dangerous than the terrorist because he enables wrongdoing. A similar ruling by Pakistani clerics could discourage those looking to wage `financial jihad` rather than `frontline jihad`. The media too can play a role. Since millions of dollars to fund terrorist activities are generated through misguided donations to charities that serve as fronts, the media can run public advocacy campaign reminding philanthropists to double check the credentials of organisations they support. Ultimately, without a sincere governmental effort to incapacitate terror financing networks, attacks such as those that occurred on Friday will continue within Pakistan, game or no game. . Read Full Post
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