Governments are being urged to create a global task force to deal with the security risks posed by foreign terrorist fighters, and to take urgent action on repatriating female ISIS fighters or risk facing decades of threats.
Defence and security think tank the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi) says an international task force needs to be created to address the security risks posed by foreign ISIS fighters.
Its report, titled Resolving the Stalemate: Foreign Fighters and Family Members in Syria, says the camps containing ISIS members and their families are “unsustainable” and pose a “major security threat".
More than 60,000 people, two thirds of them children, are held in camps for families associated with ISIS fighters.
The Al Hol and Al Roj camps, run by Syrian Kurdish forces, hold citizens from about 60 countries who fled from ISIS's last enclaves.
The report says that failure to find a resolution on the global stalemate in managing ISIS members and their families in the camps represents “significant security risks” and that the lack of a robust management strategy could have “far-reaching and generational security, economic, political, and social consequences”.
Rusi fellow Lord Carlile of Berriew, the former UK Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation, said joint action is the only way forward.
“This report is required reading, especially for the many politicians who prefer to avoid the repatriation issue under discussion,” he said.
“The aspiration for concerted international, multilateral action is the correct way to empty the holding camps. What is now needed is the courage among nations to make a reality of the wise advice the report offers.”
Rusi is recommending the establishment of a new international task force, under the auspices of the UN, to push for the prosecution of fighters and to prioritise vulnerable children for repatriation and support.
The UK's former National Police Lead for Counter Terrorism, Sir Mark Rowley, said a lack of global action will pose dangerous threats.
“There are no easy answers to the temporary solutions currently holding foreign terrorist fighters but current international fudge creates a dangerous long-term threat,” he said.
“The most powerful conclusion in this Rusi report is the absence of a fully resourced multilateral international effort to gather evidence necessary to remove the sense of impunity for atrocities and incarcerate many of those who threaten future security. The deceased victims and widely scattered survivors are surely entitled to this resolution.”
In a separate report by the Counter Extremism Project think tank, titled Female Foreign Terrorist Fighters: Challenges In Repatriation, Prosecution, And Rehabilitation, nations are warned that a lack of action in dealing with female fighters will result in difficulties in their rehabilitation.
“Governments which delay the repatriation of foreign fighters, their rehabilitation and re-entry programmes may struggle to reverse the extremist beliefs and disillusionment that prompted many of these foreign fighters to travel to conflict zones in the first place,” the report's author Riza Kumar says.
“Another challenge governments will have to contend with would be reconciling the risks of repatriating foreign fighters, and the concrete steps needed in assuring safe rehabilitation and reintegration of these individuals.
“Understandably, female returnees present a unique challenge in the nexus of policy and security. The potential dangers of a returnee who re-engages in terrorist activities can be catastrophic, but those concerns do not exist in a vacuum.
“There are concrete steps that international governments can take to address the individual risks associated with returnees. International security is based on confronting new and unusual challenges to achieve a favourable outcome, and the approach to repatriating and rehabilitating female returnees can only reach such an outcome once the challenge is adequately taken on.”
Last week Switzerland became the latest nation to repatriate two children from ISIS camps, who had been taken to Syria by their mother in 2016.
Earlier this year the UN's counterterrorism chief Vladimir Voronkov urged countries to repatriate the 27,000 children stranded in camps.
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TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Haircare resolutions 2021
From Beirut and Amman to London and now Dubai, hairstylist George Massoud has seen the same mistakes made by customers all over the world. In the chair or at-home hair care, here are the resolutions he wishes his customers would make for the year ahead.
1. 'I will seek consultation from professionals'
You may know what you want, but are you sure it’s going to suit you? Haircare professionals can tell you what will work best with your skin tone, hair texture and lifestyle.
2. 'I will tell my hairdresser when I’m not happy'
Massoud says it’s better to offer constructive criticism to work on in the future. Your hairdresser will learn, and you may discover how to communicate exactly what you want more effectively the next time.
3. ‘I will treat my hair better out of the chair’
Damage control is a big part of most hairstylists’ work right now, but it can be avoided. Steer clear of over-colouring at home, try and pursue one hair brand at a time and never, ever use a straightener on still drying hair, pleads Massoud.
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Who are the Soroptimists?
The first Soroptimists club was founded in Oakland, California in 1921. The name comes from the Latin word soror which means sister, combined with optima, meaning the best.
The organisation said its name is best interpreted as ‘the best for women’.
Since then the group has grown exponentially around the world and is officially affiliated with the United Nations. The organisation also counts Queen Mathilde of Belgium among its ranks.
JERSEY INFO
Red Jersey
General Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the leader of the General Classification by time.
Green Jersey
Points Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the fastest sprinter, who has obtained the best positions in each stage and intermediate sprints.
White Jersey
Young Rider Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the best young rider born after January 1, 1995 in the overall classification by time (U25).
Black Jersey
Intermediate Sprint Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the rider who has gained the most Intermediate Sprint Points.
The biog
Birthday: February 22, 1956
Born: Madahha near Chittagong, Bangladesh
Arrived in UAE: 1978
Exercise: At least one hour a day on the Corniche, from 5.30-6am and 7pm to 8pm.
Favourite place in Abu Dhabi? “Everywhere. Wherever you go, you can relax.”
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The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Bharatanatyam
A ancient classical dance from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Intricate footwork and expressions are used to denote spiritual stories and ideas.
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
