Phl improves in counterterrorism

WASHINGTON – The Duterte administration has improved its counterterrorism capabilities in the face of an evolving and robust terrorist threat.

In its Country Reports on Terrorism 2017, the US State Department said the threat posed by transnational terrorism was particularly prominent when Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)-affiliated domestic groups in Mindanao occupied parts of Marawi City for five months since May before finally succumbing to Philippine counterterrorism forces.

“The Philippine government consistently acknowledged the dangers from ISIS-affiliated terrorist groups and welcomed assistance from the US and a range of international partners,” the report, released on Wednesday, said.

Several countries, including Australia, Japan and the United States, provided counterterrorism and reconstruction assistance to the Philippines as its government began to develop a plan to rebuild Marawi.

Southeast Asian governments have remained concerned about foreign terrorist fighters returning from Iraq or Syria and using their operational skills, connections and experience to launch domestic attacks, the report said.

State Department Coordinator for Counterterrorism Nathan Sales said numerous countries saw a decline in terrorist violence between 2016 and 2017 largely due to fewer attacks and deaths in Iraq.

Although terrorist attacks took place in 100 countries last year, they were geographically concentrated, he added.

The report said 59 percent of all attacks took place in five countries – Afghanistan, India, Iraq, Pakistan and the Philippines.

But political settlements to long-running insurgencies in the Philippines remain elusive, it said.

It cited delays in implementing the Bangsamoro Basic Law have provided recruitment propaganda for former Moro Islamic Liberation Front fighters and commanders who formed more extreme breakaway groups including the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, Ansar al-Khalifa and the Maute group.

Governments in East Asia and the Pacific have continued to work to strengthen legal frameworks, investigate and prosecute terrorism cases, increase regional cooperation and information sharing and address critical border and aviation security gaps throughout the year, the report said.

Regional cooperation between domestic law enforcement and judicial authorities within countries throughout Southeast Asia resulted in high numbers of terrorismrelated arrests and, in many cases, successful prosecutions, it added.