NEW DELHI: With terrorism becoming a global problem, the international community faces a tough challenge to go after money that is used to finance terrorist cells across the world, said Professor Jimmy Gurule, a former United States Government official. Professor Gurule played a key role in evolving the anti-terrorism strategy of the U.S. in the post 9/11 scenario.

"Threat of terrorism is a global problem, going after money is a critical component of any counter terrorism strategy and it has to be a global cooperative and collaborative effort. The financial pipeline is the lifeblood of terrorist organisations and shutting off that pipeline requires global effort," Professor Gurule, who specialises in international criminal law, said while talking exclusively to The Hindu here.

Currently on a visit to India during which he has given presentations to banks, law schools, military academies and law enforcement officials, including those from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Professor Gurule says that choking the flow of funds to terrorist organisations remains a "very difficult task." In his opinion, it would involve a collaborative effort between the intelligence community, law enforcement agencies and the business and financial communities.

Expressing concern over the financial sources available to terrorist outfits, he identified three main sources — Islamic charities, States engaged in providing support to terrorist groups and terrorist groups themselves funding one another. "One of the challenges before the international community appears to be in respect of these charities and ensuring that the money is going to the needy and to humanitarian activities and not being diverted to finance terrorist acts."

On the U.S. experience in blocking the "money pipeline" of terrorist groups, Professor Gurule, who was the Under Secretary in the Treasury Department from 2001-03, said President George Bush on September 23, 2001 signed an order authorising the Treasury Department to freeze bank accounts of any individual or businesses suspected to be involved in financing terrorism.

"We started with 27 names of individuals and businesses and instructed the banks to check their records. Since that time to now, that list has grown to over 460. Now we have 460 individuals and entities designated by the Treasury Department who are believed to be involved in funding terrorism. Within the U.S. over $ 200 million of terrorist-related funds have been frozen," Professor Gurule said.

"The Federal Bureau of Investigation reported that 9/11 attacks cost anywhere between $300,000 and $500,000 to finance the operations, living expenses, pilot training, and travel expenses of terrorists who undertook the hijack of the passenger planes. In that sense, freezing of $200 million is a significant amount that could have gone into the hands of the Al-Qaeda, LTTE, Lashkar-e-Taiba or Abu Sayef." However, Professor Gurule cautioned that terrorist organisations "still have more than enough money to finance another 9/11 attack or any terror attack on a grander scale."

Expressing concern over the diversion of funds from Islamic charities to terror groups, he said the U.S. experience showed that of the 460 names whose bank accounts were frozen, 48 were those of Islamic charities. He said some of the charities were based in Saudi Arabia, which has taken action against one charitable body which had raised millions of dollars.

"There have been reports that Iran funds the Hizbollah, providing them millions of dollars and are also involved in financing Hamas. Syria has also been involved in funding both Hizbollah and Hamas. Terrorist groups themselves are funding one another. Al-Qaeda was able to elevate its standing in radical fundamentalist Muslim community as it was financing terrorist groups round the world," he said.

India's efforts

On India's efforts to combat terrorism, Professor Gurule said that the level of interest in implementing anti-terrorism strategy in India was "very high" in different quarters. "I am anxious to see India becoming a member of the Financial Action Task Force [FATF], a multilateral international body devoted to checking money laundering. It has at present 33 members. India's Financial Intelligence Unit [FIU] is not yet a member of the EGMONT group, which has 101 nations as its members. India has already got the status of an observer and the probationary period will go on for another year. Hopefully, by next year end India will become a member and will be able to share intelligence inputs."

Another area of concern, he said, was the re-emergence of the Taliban in Afghanistan. "Taliban cadres are heavily armed with very sophisticated, very expensive modern military weaponry. The question is from where are they getting money and is there a connection between the increase in heroin trafficking and the re-emergence of the Taliban? Very formidable criminal elements are coming together and joining forces, it is going to pose a serious challenge," he said.

Professor Gurule felt that there was a need to go into the "root cause" of terrorism. Muslim youth between 18 and 35 years were being made suicide bombers.

Path of violence

"One of the arguments advanced is that they are attracted to ideology due to lack of education and jobs. There is a merit in that. Look at the leadership of terrorist organisations; look at Al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden; he is not poor. He studied in one of the finest universities in Jeddah, his father was a multi-billionaire and a construction magnate in Saudi Arabia. So it is not a question of poverty, lack of education and lack of opportunity that has motivated Bin Laden. His second in command, Al-Zawahiri is a medical doctor educatedin Egypt. Many of the 9/11 hijackers actually attended college in the U.S. Instead of doing something positive and constructive they chose the path of violence," Professor Jurule said. Some people took advantage of undereducated, poor Muslims, tried to convince them and offered payments to their families if they participated in terrorist acts.

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