Counter Terrorism Committee (CTC)

Counter Terrorism Committee (CTC) Director: Renata Blanco Moderator: Andre Junele Secretary: Pamela Javelly Topic A: Combating self-funding terrorist organizations Description of The Committee Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) founded in September 28, 2001 a wake of a terrorist attack in the United States. The United Nations adopted unanimously the the resolution 1373 in which obliges all States to criminalize assistance for terrorist activities, deny all financial support to terrorist and share information about groups planning terrorist attack. Fifteen Security Council members make up the committee of CTC. Some countries were requested to put in practice some of their legal capacity and institutional ability to counter terrorist activities at home, in the regions, and all around the world, taking steps to: Preventing cyber terrorism. Restrict without interruption any funds related to any person involved in acts of terrorism. Suppress the provision of haven, sustenance or support terrorist. Deny all forms of financial support for terrorist groups. Share information with other governments in the investigation, detection, arrest and prosecution of those involved in such acts. 1

In the past few years, CTC organization has been improving on the progress of human rights concerns that have made. The Counter-Terrorism Committee brings new strategies solutions to the committee, manage expert duties of every member state and any type of aids that Counter-Terrorism technical support to all countries. Introduction Experts have stated the many terrorist groups have become increasingly skilled at not being caught through the use of cash, sophisticated laundering operations, or legitimate front companies. Monetary practices surrounding the Muslim culture, such as donating money to charities and informal money-transfer centers, have made it difficult for officials to track down terrorist financial links. Law enforcements are baffled by the fact that destructive attacks can be performed at a relatively low cost. There are three main places or thing where terrorists get their money; these are charities, illegal activities, and front companies. Donations were once the largest source of terrorist funding, most of the money coming from charities or wealthy individuals. According to a study made by CFR Task Force Report in 2002, individuals and charities based in Saudi Arabia were the most important source of funds for al-qaeda. Even nowadays, charities still play an important role in the sponsorship of terrorist groups. Even though few charities sponsor terrorist groups, these charities are some of the wealthiest. Based on the information provided by Loretta Napoleoni, and expert on terrorist financing, the largest source of terrorists income is the illicit drug trade. Other terrorist groups also support themselves through other illegal commerce. An example of this commerce is in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. Moisés Naím explains in his book Illicit; that the way they raised the money for the bombing attack was by selling counterfeit t-shirts on New York City s Broadway. Another case of this was in 2004 when the Madrid train bombing money was raised by selling counterfeit CDs and drug trafficking. According to Rand Beers and Francis Taylor who are experts on this issue stated that some terrorist groups have increasingly turned to drug trafficking as a source to diminish the funding role of state sponsors. According to the two officials, terrorist 2

groups turn to drug trafficking, not only because it provides funds, but it is also a strategic objective by them. They do this because they believe that they can weaken their enemies by flooding their societies with addictive drugs. Last but not least there are the front companies. Many terrorist groups and organization attempt to control legitimate business. This business results in them generating their own profits and can also be used as a front for money laundering. Ties to terrorism have been found in the trade of simple thing like livestock, fish, and leather. Other businesses like agriculture and construction have also been discovered to support terrorism. For example, in 2001, the New York Times reported that Osama Laden owned and operated a string of retail honey shops throughout the Middle East and Pakistan. Besides the generating revenue, the honey was used to conceal shipments of money and weapons. International Actions Taken On The Topic Detecting terrorist involvement in otherwise legitimate financial activity requires financial institutions to implement the FATF standards through strong application of the know your customer principle and of customer due diligence (CDD) policies and procedures. These are also fundamental to the reporting of suspicious transactions which may indicate criminal activity supporting terrorism. The FATF has taken action to vanish terrorist funding by: Encouraging practical authorities and other individuals to take action regarding this issue. 3

After implementing the solution stated above, the Financial Action Task Force will follow up analyzing the ensured jurisdiction and to continue ensuring others. As a result, gaps will be quickly filled up on their legal frameworks, so there is no escape for terrorist financing. Updating its Recommendations so that they take action against the financing of suspicious foreign causes and, improving global response. The FATF is also preparing guidance to help terrorist financing. This way, international forces will congeal and dematerialize other terrorist assets. Fully comprehending how menacing a terrorist funding threat is. Recently, it has released published studies on Emerging Terrorist Financing Risks and also the Financing of the Terrorist Organization Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, is also currently working with experts to keep track of any other emerging threats. Currently, countries like United States, Russia, France, Iran and the Kurds are attacking ISIS in Iraq and Syria. They have accounted more than 8,000 strikes against the extremists. The UN is currently helping Syria with humanitarian aid and with a home for the refugees. Background Information There are different ways how terrorist groups fund their attacks, weapons, and all that is needed. The Islamic State is strong enough to route several divisions of a national army and rich 4

enough to sustain their operations at an impressive pace. These self-funding terrorist groups have been gaining their own money since they existed and some even before. Right now the Islamic State is the most famous self-funding organization. They are winning their money by money laundering and by stealing resources (petroleum mostly) from Syria. Besides, controlling part of the country gives them access to an enormous amount of supplies. These self-funding organizations are not only terrorist groups but also drug cartels and illegal businesses. The most common way to make governments think that this money is legal is money laundering. This is a method used to make money seem legal, so there are no clues from where it came from. Islamic State militants, who once relied on rich Persian Gulf donors for money, have become a self-sustaining financial giant, earning more than $3 million a day from oil smuggling, human trafficking, theft, and extortion, according to U.S. intelligence officials and private experts. The extremist group's resources exceed that "of any other terrorist group in history," said a U.S. intelligence official. Current Situation The Islamic State (ISIS) are well known all over the world mostly because the recent attacks on France and the homicides of the Japanese men. To start, ISIS began in 2004 as al Qaeda in Iraq, before rebranding as ISIS two years later. It was an ally and had similarities with Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda; both were radical anti-western militant groups devoted to establishing an independent Islamic state in the region. But ISIS unlike al Qaeda, which disowned the group in early 2014 has proven to be more brutal and more effective at controlling territory it has seized. ISIS had attack and damage a lot of states and countries. In the month of November, a big incident happened in Paris, France. It happens at night all tourists and residents were having a great time watching the match between France and Germany when horror struck in an unprecedented manner. Terrorists some with AK-47s, some reportedly with bombs strapped to them they attack sites all around the French capital, including in the stadium where the match was happening. This has been one of the greatest attacks on France related to terrorist stuff. 5

Syria had problems since long ago, but now in the month of November a problem that has been causing some, tragedies such as more than 250,000 Syrians have lost their lives in fourand-a-half years of armed conflict, which began with anti-government protests before escalating into a full-scale civil war and more than 11 million others have been forced from their homes by forces loyal to President Bashar al-assad and those opposed to his rule battle each other, as well as jihadist militants from Islamic State. This is something that has become worldwide, and a lot of citizens are worried about. Recommendations for creating a resolution A resolution paper is a document that contains all of the issues that the committee want to solve, and the proposals the committee has made to solve them. The resolutions are one of the most important part of the position paper. To write the position paper you must propose realistic solutions to the topic, this is very important since the committee's goal is to come up with written solutions to end or put a stop to cyber-terrorism. Once all of the committee has voted on the resolution paper, the resolution is sent to the General Assembly or Security Council. They will state if the resolutions that the committee has work with passed or not. There are several elements that your resolution paper must contain 6

The heading, this is were the main information about the committee. This information must contain the committee name, the sponsors, the signatories, and the topic is written. The sponsors are the ones that came up with the solutions (the resolutions are mostly made from ideas that different countries came up with). The signatories are the other delegates in the committee, they always agree with the resolution. The pre-ambulatory clauses state all the issues that the committee wants to resolve on this issue. It can state some reasons why the committee is working on this issue and highlights previous international actions on the issue. And lastly operative clauses, these state the solutions that the sponsors of the resolution proposed to solve the conflict. The operative clauses should address the issues specifically mentioned in the preambulatory clauses above it. Questions To Consider 1. How does your country get affected by this? 2. How much damage does your country got affected? 3. Is your country helping to stop self-fundations by terrorists? 4. Can your country do something about this problem? 5. Is you country helping other countries around the world? 6. Will your solution help other countries? How so? 7. Is your country helpless to this problem? 8. Is your country helping this issue? if so,what is your country doing to solve the problem? Terms and Concepts Terrorist: prosecution of people responsible of terror attacks Cyber-terrorism: the illegal use of computers and the internet to achieve some goal. Suppress: to put an end to the activities of ( persons, group, etc) Funds: a sum of money saved or made available for a particular purpose. Detection: the act of detecting. Prosecution:the act of beginning or conducting legal proceedings against a person. 7

Increasingly: to become greater. Jurisdiction: the right, power, or authority to administer justice by hearing and determining controversies. Emerging threats: to come forth into view, as from hiding. Homicides:the killing of one human being by another. Signatories: joined in signing a document. Committee: a group of persons elected or appointed to perform some function, such as to investigate a particular matter. Money laundering: the coins and bills issued by a country to buy something. Resolution paper: a formal expression by a group of its opinion. Pace: the rate of doing something, of activity, etc. Unprecedented: never before known or experienced. Sponsors: one who is responsible for or supports, a person or thing. Diminish: to cause or seem smaller, decrease or to be reduced. Flooding: submerging of land under water. Method: procedure, technique, or planned way of doing something. Frameworks: a frame or structure composed of fitted parts. Citizens: members of state who owes allegiance to its governments and is entitled to its protection. Escalating: to increase in intensity, degree or amount; to rise Jurisdiction: the right, power or authority to administer justice by hearing and determining controversies. Baffled: totally bewilder or perplex. al-qaeda: global militant Islamist organization founded by Osama bin Laden. Diminish: make or become less. State sponsor: a designation applied by the United States Department of State to countries which the Department alleges to have "repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism." 8

Research Aid The following links will help you understand more about ISIS, and this is because this topic is involved in how ISIS is making so much money, and how it is so powerful. This links will give you further knowledge of who ISIS is and what they want. http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/03/what-isis-reallywants/384980/ http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-27905425 The following link is a great source where you can find important information and will help with you to understand the topic. http://www.cfr.org/terrorist-financing/tracking-down-terrorist-financing/p10356#p5 Bibliography ACTIONS BEING TAKEN BY THE FATF. (2015, November 1). Retrieved December 8, 2015, fromhttp://www.fatf-gafi.org/media/fatf/documents/reports/terrorist-financing-actions-taken-by- FATF.pdf Almasy, S., Meilhan, P., & Bittermann, J. (2015, November 14). Paris massacre: At least 128 killed in gunfire and blasts, French officials say. Retrieved December 8, 2015, from http://edition.cnn.com/2015/11/13/world/paris-shooting/ Bronstein, S., & Griffin, D. (2014, October 7). How ISIS makes its millions - CNN.com. Retrieved December 8, 2015, from http://edition.cnn.com/2014/10/06/world/meast/isis-funding/ Kaplan, E. (2006, April 4). Tracking Down Terrorist Financing. Retrieved December 8, 2015, from http://www.cfr.org/terrorist-financing/tracking-down-terrorist-financing/p10356#p5 Keatinge, T. (2014, December 12). Finances of jihad: How extremist groups raise money - BBC News. Retrieved December 8, 2015, from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east- 30393832 Latest News. (n.d.). Retrieved December 8, 2015, from http://www.fatf-gafi.org NORMAN, G. (2014, September 15). ISIS: Self-Funding Terrorism. Retrieved December 8, 2015, from http://www.weeklystandard.com/article/isis-self-funding-terrorism/804933 9

REUTERS. (2014, September 12). In Depth: How does the Islamic State fund its activities? Retrieved December 8, 2015, from http://www.jpost.com/middle-east/in-depth-how-does-the- Islamic-State-fund-its-activities-375179 Rodgers, L., Gritten, D., Offer, J., & Asare, P. (2015, October 9). Syria: The story of the conflict - BBC News. Retrieved December 8, 2015, from http://www.bbc.com/news/worldmiddle-east-26116868 Thompson, N., Greene, R., & Torre, I. (2014, September 25). ISIS: Everything you need to know about the rise of the militant group. Retrieved December 8, 2015, from http://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2014/09/world/isis-explained/ TERRORIST FINANCING. (2008, February 29). Retrieved December 8, 2015, from http://www.fatfgafi.org/media/fatf/documents/reports/fatf%20terrorist%20financing%20typologies%20rep ort.pdf 10