Iraqi envoy Noori recommends strategies to end terrorism
Iraqi envoy to Kenya Dr Zaid Noori. He said Kenya should be relentless in its war against terror group Al-Shabaab. PHOTO | COURTESY
What you need to know:
- Dr Noori said members of the public should be sensitised against bogus religious beliefs being propagated by terrorists.
- Early this month, Iraqi forces declared victory in Mosul, having waged sustained war against the terrorists.
Iraqi envoy to Kenya Dr Zaid Noori has advised regional countries to keep sharing intelligence and logistical support in order to defeat terrorists.
Dr Noori, whose country has wedged a perennial war against terrorist groups, argued that Kenya and its allies can learn from Iraq’s way of fighting terrorists, as the country battles Al-Shabaab terror merchants.
"A lasting solution would come from all countries eliminating terrorist cells and the predisposing conditions such as poverty and unemployment in their territories," he told the Sunday Nation.
"We want an international collation to block terrorists from obtaining money, arms and ammunition by closing their funding resources."
BONI FOREST
Kenya is currently battling Al-Shabaab militants hiding in Boni Forest, Lamu County, from where they have launched a series of deadly attacks.
WORLD WAR
And while the attacks here appeared to be in guerrilla format, the envoy argued several factors often contribute to the rise in terror attacks.
Speaking on their experience and lessons in combating terrorism, the diplomat says the anti-terror can very well be the "third world war".
ISLAMIC STATE
In Iraq, just like in Kenya, the insurgence being carried out by the Islamic State group has largely been fuelled by what he called a "false religious ideology".
RELIGION
He said that security authorities should focus on sensitising members of the public against bogus religious beliefs being propagated by terrorists.
"We are telling them (the public) that this is not religion and that there is no such thing as a killer in paradise. Islam has been there for thousands of years, but Isis came only four, or five years ago," he said.
MOSUL
Iraq has fought off IS extremists who had in 2014 captured its northern city of Mosul, a strategic urban area with magnificent history that goes back 7,000 years.
The city also hosts key oil wells and pipeline infrastructure to Turkey.
ART
Government soldiers in October last year launched an operation to retake the city, backed by US-led coalition warplanes and military advisers.
Dr Noori said foreign allies buttressed Iraqi ground forces by conducting air raids, training, and sharing intelligence.
The city, famed for centuries old treasures, was badly ruined as residents fled. The terrorists resorted to destroying artefacts.
One of the treasures blown up by the militants was the famous al-Nuri Mosque and its leaning minaret, which goes back to 845 years.
DEATH
The terror group has posted videos on the internet of beheadings of perceived non-believers, hurled suspected sexual deviants from hilltops and imprisoned those without beards or permitted Islamic dress.
Early this month, Iraqi forces declared victory in Mosul, having waged sustained war against the terrorists.
"I announce from here the end, failure and collapse of the terrorist state, which the Daesh (ISIS) announced here three years ago," Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said in a televised congratulatory message after visiting Mosul on July 10.
CIVILIANS
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the recovery as a significant step in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism.
On why the recapture onslaught was prolonged, Dr Noori said it was because there were civilians living in the city and that government forces wanted to minimise harm.
"The operation took more time as the Iraqi security forces were deployed carefully to protect the civilians and to move them to safe havens as the terrorist group of IS was using them as human shields," the ambassador explained, adding that the Iraqi forces had to conduct a door-to-door campaign in the nine-month period to flush out the militants.
