Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Friday 29 March 2019
UN council adopts resolution to combat terrorist financing

By EDITH M. LEDERER chased from their territory,
Associated Press "but they have learned to
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The inhabit new virtual financial
U.N. Security Council unani- spaces where they exploit
mously adopted a reso- new technologies."
lution Thursday aimed at "They know how to amass
strengthening global efforts funds by opening online
to combat the numerous pools," he added. "They
and new ways that terror- transform their resources
ist groups like al-Qaida and into cryptocurrency in or-
the Islamic State raise funds der to acquire drones in cy-
to finance their operations. berspace."
The French-drafted resolu- They also pervert informal
tion orders all countries to "hawala" money transfer
ensure that their domestic networks which are espe-
laws are sufficient to pros- cially popular in the Middle
ecute and penalize those East, parts of Africa and
responsible for directly or the Indian subcontinent, "to
indirectly financing "terrorist transfer funds to the other
organizations or individual end of the world" for terror-
terrorists for any purpose." ist activities, Le Drian said.
It also demands that the The resolution adopted
U.N.'s 193 member states Jean-Yves Le Drian, United Nations Security Council president, speaks at the UN headquarters Thursday strongly urges all
ensure that all measures about threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts, Thursday, March 28, countries to implement in-
they take to combat ter- 2019. ternational standards es-
rorism and its financing Associated Press tablished by the Financial
comply with international Action Task Force or FATF,
humanitarian, human rights tacks on the United States, the resolution's adoption terrorism is therefore a vital which was established in
and refugee law — a mea- but this is the first to focus "comes at a critical time." topic." 1989 by major economic
sure sought by aid, rights solely on the issue and ad- "Recent attacks around France's Foreign Minister powers to combat money
and refugee organizations dress the new methods the world demonstrate that Jean-Yves Le Drian, who laundering. It has since ex-
concerned that counter- extremist groups and their financial flows continue presided over the meeting, panded its work to counter-
terrorism laws can restrict affiliates have adopted to to reach terrorist groups said after the vote: "The ing terrorist financing and
their activities. raise money. from both illegal and legal challenge is very great. Our the financing of nuclear,
The Security Council has U.N. counter-terrorism means," he said. "A con- determination has to be chemical and biological
addressed terrorist financ- chief Vladimir Voronkov certed effort to redouble equally great." weapons.
ing in resolutions since the told the council in a video the world's attention on "We have to tackle the evil Marshall Billingslea, the FATF
Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist at- statement from Rome that stopping the financing of at the root and intensify our president, told the Security
efforts in order to isolate Council "it is critical for all
terrorism by drying up their states to recognize where
sources of financing," he they may be vulnerable
said. to terrorist financing and
Le Drian said terrorist then use that understand-
groups such as the Islam- ing to mitigate those risks
ic State may have been properly."q

4th victims dies

following March 18

Utrecht tram attack

THE HAGUE, Netherlands shooting in the central
(AP) — Authorities say a Dutch city faces multiple
fourth victim has died from manslaughter or murder
injuries sustained in the charges and authorities
March 18 tram shooting in continue to investigate "ter-
Utrecht, an incident being rorist intent" in the attack,
investigated as a possible the prosecutor's office said
extremist attack. in a statement.
The 74-year-old man died The suspect, a Utrecht resi-
Thursday. Two men and a dent of Turkish descent,
woman died on the day of was arrested hours after
the attack, and one victim the shooting. He has said
remains injured in hospi- he acted alone. Prosecu-
tal. No further details were tors say the man has a long
available. criminal record and did not
The main suspect in the know any of his victims.q