'Mastery Over Cyber Intelligence Essential'

BENGALURU: If terrorism has to be tackled, it is essential to have mastery over cyber intelligence, said former Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) director Hormis Tharakan.

He was speaking at a panel discussion on counter-terrorism and combating violent extremism, at the conclave on cyber security here on Tuesday.

“According to research report published in 2005, there are three circles of threats. The first was Al-Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden. The second pertained to terrorist groups sharing transnational ideologies like Hezbollah and others. The third had jihadis. I would like to add a fourth circle — state-sponsored terrorist groups,” he said.

Ambassador Dian Triansyah Djani of the Ministry of External Affairs, Indonesia said anyone who is radical has to be categorised as a terrorist. “One cannot generalise that Islam promotes terrorism as the religion does not support it. One becomes a terrorist due to ignorance, advocacy or propaganda and superstition - that one goes to heaven if he/ she becomes a jihadi. The root cause of terrorism needs to be identified and curbed,” he said, adding that internet on smart phones also needs to be regulated.

M N Reddi, director general of police, Home Guards, Fire and Emergency Services and Civil Defence and former City Police Commissioner, spoke to the gathering on the Masroor Mehdi Biswas case. Biswas was tweeting pro-ISIS propaganda from the city.

Reddi said Biswas, with zero knowledge of Arabic, managed to attract the attention of ISIS sympathisers across the world. “He (Biswas) was just disseminating information, so much so that many media persons in different countries started following him. His followers referred to him as ‘Ameer’ and his popularity had soared,” said Reddi.

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