Russian diplomat warns of terror threat in Syria, Algeria, Mali

(Interfax – Moscow, 1 February) The events in Syria, Algeria and Mali are interrelated and demonstrate the multi-faceted nature of the modern terrorist threat, Aleksandr Zmeyevskiy, the Russian president’s special representative on international cooperation in the fight against terrorism and transnational organized crime, has said.

“Al-Qa’idah and its partners in this unsavoury business seriously intend to take power in states. The situation in Mali is experiencing the consequences of the events in Libya. On an almost daily basis, the region is now witnessing acts of terrorism, weapons are being distributed unchecked and rebels are infiltrating, including into the Sahara and Sahel regions. The capture of hostages in Algeria was an alarming signal,” Zmeyevskiy said on the eve of an international conference on national and regional antiterrorism strategies taking place in Bogota (Colombia).

The text of his remarks has been published on the website of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

“The latest events in Syria, Algeria and Mali once again fully highlighted the multi-faceted nature of the modern terrorist threat. It is important to look more widely at these events, between which certain common connections can be traced,” the diplomat stressed.

He noted that at the heart of these events is a “whole system of the most wide-ranging reasons”, adding that “in these circumstances, there is a special need for a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach to counteracting terrorism”.

“The use of force retains its value, but must be backed up by a wide range of measures involving ‘soft power’, as well as working to warn of and prevent terrorism,” Zmeyevskiy said.

He proposed focusing the attention of conference participants on several areas. In particular, Zmeyevskiy said that Moscow supports involving the business community in the fight against terrorism. “Job creation, particularly in those regions where there is a surplus of workers, is not just a potential source of income. It also weakens the economic environment where crime develops,” he explained.

In addition, speaking about the need to combat the ideology of terrorism, the diplomat stressed that “terrorism must not be allowed to coalesce with the mass protest movements that have sprung up in the shadows of the transformational processes currently taking place”.