Thursday 28 March 2024
 
»
 
»
Story

Terror funding clamp in focus at Bahrain summit

MANAMA, September 16, 2014

Blocking financial funding of an extremist organisation threatening the region will be the focus of a major conference to be hosted by Bahrain.

Foreign Affairs Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa said it was essential to draw up an action plan in three areas - military, financial and ideological - to eliminate the Islamic State (IS), said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

He reiterated Bahrain's role in leading the war against terrorism during an international conference, called Peace and Security in Iraq, which was held in Paris yesterday and attended by world leaders, military heads and foreign ministers.

“We need a joint action in military, financial and ideological fields to eliminate the IS menace,” said Shaikh Khalid.

“Only by this we can regulate the atrocities perpetrated by this terrorist organisation against civilians in Iraq and Syria from all sects and religions.

“Bahrain is ready to host the international conference to combat the financing of terrorism which would involve representatives of the states who are specialised in this area.”

Shaikh Khalid stressed the need to combat all terrorist groups which pose a threat to the region, including Lebanon-based Hizbollah, to restore regional security and stability.

“We need to address them firmly, eliminate them and must find ways to ensure that security and stability returns in the region,” he added.

Around 40 countries joined an anti-IS coalition, which yesterday threw its weight behind new Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi in combating militant forces, which have killed thousands of people in Iraq and Syria, released videos of mass executions and beheaded two American journalists and a British aid worker.

They pledged to support Iraq in fighting IS militants by 'any means necessary', including appropriate military assistance.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius welcomed Bahrain's proposal to host the follow-up conference, saying it was an important and constructive outcome of yesterday's gathering.

“Many of the participants at the Paris conference spoke of the need to sever the IS' funding,” he said.

“A conference on this subject would soon be organised by Bahrain.”

Meanwhile, more than 20 countries expressed their commitment to the unity, territorial integrity and sovereignty of Iraq, while Iran rejected American requests for co-operation against IS.

Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the country was approached by US Secretary of State John Kerry, but the US was turned down because it had 'dirty hands'.

“We are not and will not co-ordinate militarily. There may be another opportunity on the margins in the future to discuss Iraq,” said the US State Department.

Iraqi president Fuad Masum denounced the IS, saying its 'detestable' ideology went back to 'obscurantist, bloodthirsty thinking that has its source in the darkness of history'.

French president Francois Hollande urged western and Arab countries to engage 'clearly, loyally and strongly at the side of the Iraqi authorities' as there was no time to lose in combating militant forces. - TradeArabia News Service




Tags: Bahrain | fund | Conference | Terror |

More Miscellaneous Stories

calendarCalendar of Events

Ads