Washington, DC – In their joint statement, the United States and India strongly condemned cross-border terrorism and the use of terrorist proxies. They called on Pakistan to take immediate action to ensure that no territory under its control is used for launching terrorist attacks. President Biden and PM Modi called for the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai and Pathankot attacks to be brought to justice.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry reacted sharply to the joint statement, saying the reference to Pakistan was “contrary to diplomatic norms” and that it had “close counterterrorism cooperation” with the US. Islamabad also called the statement “unwarranted, one-sided, and misleading.”
President Biden and PM Modi noted with concern the increasing global use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), drones, and information and communication technologies for terrorist purposes and reaffirmed the importance of working together to combat such misuse. They reiterated the call for concerted action against all UN-listed terrorist groups, including Al-Qa’ida, ISIS/Daesh, Lashkar e-Tayyiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), and Hizb-ul-Mujhahideen.
The two leaders welcomed the cooperation between the two governments on counterterrorism designations and homeland security cooperation, including intelligence sharing and law enforcement cooperation. They called upon the Financial Action Task Force to undertake further work identifying how to improve the global implementation of its standards to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism.
Earlier this month, China blocked a joint US-India resolution at the United Nations to designate Pakistan-based LeT terrorist Sajid Mir, wanted for his involvement in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, as a global terrorist.
The US-India proposal under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council would designate Mir as a global terrorist, freeze his assets, and impose a travel ban and arms embargo. The Rewards for Justice Program, United States Department of State, offers a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Sajid Mir.
In November last year, India hosted No Money for Terror (NMFT) – the third Ministerial Conference on Countering Financing of Terrorism in New Delhi. The conference came on the heels of a two-day UN Security Council Counterterrorism Committee meeting in India. The meeting culminated with the adoption of the Delhi Declaration, which committed the Member States to prevent and combat digital forms of terror, notably using drones, social media, and online terrorist financing.
The NMFT conference emphasized the commitment of the Indian Government to countering international terrorism, advancing discussions on combating the financing of terrorism, and building consensus and cooperation among countries on this issue.
India’s home ministry stated that India has suffered from terrorism for more than three decades, and “In order to display solidarity with peace-loving nations and to help create a bridge for sustained cooperation on countering terrorist financing, India was host to two global events in October 2022 – the annual General Assembly of the Interpol in Delhi and a special session of the UN Counterterrorism Committee in Mumbai and Delhi. The forthcoming NMFT Conference will further efforts to build understanding and cooperation amongst nations.”
In October, the UN Security Council members, including the 15 present and five incoming, leading experts from the UN’s operational partners and specialized agencies, came together to discuss threats posed by the use of technologies for terrorist purposes. The Government of India and the United Nations Counterterrorism Committee hosted the meeting. It was also attended by various civil society and private sector partners. This meeting was the first time since 2015 that the Security Council counterterrorism Committee convened outside UN Headquarters in New York.
Poonam Sharma
Poonam is a multi-media journalist, and Founder of Global Strat View. She managed India America Today (IAT) for seven years, and launched its print edition in 2019 with IAT's Founder and Editor, the late Tejinder Singh.
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