Al-Qaeda chief was killed in the U.S. strike on Kabul

The US President announced that the U.S. had killed Al-Qaeda chief, one of the world’s most wanted terrorists.

Unlike other terror groups, Al-Qaeda is not an organisation led group but is driven by a strong ideology, independent of territorial limits.

It is the unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims.

Socio-Economic reasons:
- The various forms of deprivation drive people to terrorism, such as lack of education or lack of political freedom a few examples.
The notion of injustice:
- The notion of injustice (whether real or perceived) arises because of disappointment with democratic processes, widespread corruption, police violence, and perceived or actual discrimination.
Poverty:
- It is generally believed that violent terrorist activities are fueled by excessive poverty.
- People who feel deprived of economic resources are easily motivated to spread terror activities for monetary benefit.
- For example, the Naxalite movement in India is more prevalent in poor states,
- and Al-Qaeda group in Afghanistan.
Spillover effect:
- Terrorism in one country can spill over into neighboring areas. (for instance, Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan)
- This is mostly because of the unpleasant relationship with India’s neighbors and the porous borders.

Political impact:
- Terrorist acts lead to government and governance system instability.
- For example, the killing of Rajiv Gandhi affected the political situation.
Economic impact:
- The global economic impact of terrorism was estimated at $26.4 billion in 2019.
- Terrorist activities negatively impact investor sentiment; fewer foreign tourists prefer to visit the country, leading to a loss of foreign exchange.
Loss of life:
- Globally, deaths attributed to terrorism in 2019 were more than 13,000, of which 277 deaths took place in India (Global Terrorism Index 2020)
Hampers the social fabric:
- Terrorism leads to the creation of group divide and reduces trust/faith of citizens and strengthens the communal identity.
Physical destruction:
- Destroy existing plants, machines, transportation systems, workers, and other economic resources.
- For example, the attack on the World Trade Centre on Sept. 11, 2001.

The Prevention of Terrorism Act, 2002:
- It defined ‘Terrorist act’; seizure and forfeiture of proceeds of terrorism; unauthorised possession of firearms; enhanced powers to investigating officers; increased period of police custody; constitution of special courts etc.
- However, the act was later repealed
The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967:
- This law was enacted to provide for the more effective prevention of certain unlawful activities of individuals and associations.
- It empowered appropriate authorities to declare any association as ‘unlawful’
- In 2019, the Act was amended to include the provision of designating an individual as a terrorist.
Terror Funding and Fake Currency (TFFC) Cell:
- It has been constituted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to conduct a focused investigation of terror funding and fake currency cases.
The Border Area Development Program(BADP):
- BADP aims to meet the unique developmental needs and well-being of the people living in remote and inaccessible areas near the International Boundary (IB).

The United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy:
- It is based on four main pillars, tackling conditions that spread terrorism; increasing state capability, ensuring respect for human rights; and guaranteeing the rule of law in the fight against terrorism
The Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF):
- Its aims are to step up the coordination and coherence of United Nations activities in the field of the global fight against terrorism.
The Resolution 1267 Committee:
- It establishes the lists of sanctions on individuals and groups associated with Al Qaeda, the Taliban and other terrorist organisations.
The Financial Action Task Force(FATF):
- The FATF is an intergovernmental organisation founded to develop policies to combat money laundering and terrorism financing.

The Need for Comprehensive Anti-Terrorist Legislation:
- A comprehensive and effective legal framework to deal with all aspects of terrorism needs to be enacted, with adequate safeguards to prevent its misuse.
The Definition of Terrorism:
- There is a need to define more clearly those criminal acts which can be construed as being terrorist, such as the use of firearms for damaging militarily significant establishments, the assassination of public functionaries etc.
Utilising Regional Economic Intelligence Councils (REICs):
- It would be useful to utilise the platform provided by the REICs for increased coordination among various investigation agencies in cases which are suspected to be linked with money laundering

Role of the Media:
- Media should be encouraged to evolve a self-regulating code of conduct to ensure that publicity arising out of terrorist attacks does not help the terrorists in their anti-national designs
Training:
- Appropriate sensitisation training should be given to security forces to avoid alienation of the people and to enlist their cooperation.

Afghanistan is a landlocked country located in the heart of south-central Asia.
Capital-Kabul
Boundary:
- East and south-Pakistan.
- West-Iran
- North-Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan.
- It also has a short border with Xinjiang, China

Pic Courtesy: Britannica

Content Source: The Hindu