Countering the Terrorist Threat Posed by ISIL and al-Qaida

The United States remains determined to take action against the threat posed by ISIL, al-Qaida, and their affiliates, said U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz at the Security Council. These groups continue to adapt and exploit instability across Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia. They pose an increasingly diffuse and complex threat, often involving foreign fighters, Ambassador Waltz said.

“We are particularly concerned by the expansion of al-Qaida affiliates in West Africa and the Sahel, including JNIM and IS-Sahel’s territorial gains and use in particular of kidnapping for ransom. ISIL’s growing focus on Africa, and the resilience of its cells in Syria and Iraq, and the persistent threat from ISIL-K in Afghanistan, truly reinforces the need for our sustained, coordinated counterterrorism efforts.”

The exploitation of new technologies by terrorist groups – such as commercial satellite communications, artificial intelligence, drones, and cryptocurrencies – are of particular concern.

The United States commends member states whose counterterrorism operations have constrained ISIL and al-Qaida, especially in Iraq, Syria, and Somalia. “We know that local police and security officers have given their lives to disrupt ISIL attacks,” acknowledged Ambassador Waltz, including recently outside of a church in Aleppo, Syria.

Ambassador Waltz urged fellow member states to do “more to disrupt terrorist financing networks. We believe this effort remains critical. We’ve seen recent successes in Somalia and in West Africa that demonstrate that following the money and stopping the money to these various groups can have bold decisive effects.”

Iraq has led in repatriating detained and displaced persons from northeast Syria. The U.S. calls on member states to follow Iraq’s example in pursuing the repatriation of foreign fighters in order to mitigate the threat they pose to stability not only in Syria, but the broader region.

The U.S. also urges all member states to strengthen cooperation, including intelligence sharing and joint operations, and to support the implementation of the sanctions regime.

Moreover, member states should collaborate on screening and information sharing to prevent terrorist movement across borders, in support of UN Security Council Resolution 2396. And the U.S. supports the UN Monitoring Team’s recommendation to designate additional ISIL and al-Qaida affiliates and counter terrorist recruitment and radicalization, especially amongst the youth online.

Finally, there must be accountability, urged Ambassador Waltz. “[W]e urge all member states to prosecute ISIL-affiliated nationals in accordance with international law.”