The Quad grouping of countries, which comprises of US, Japan, Australia, and India, has announced the establishment of a Working Group on Counter-Terrorism to put more focus on combating terrorism.
A joint statement of the Quad Leaders issued in New Delhi on Friday denounced the use of terrorist proxies and committed to promote accountability for terrorist attacks, including the 26/11 attack in Mumbai, “which claimed lives of citizens from all Quad countries”.
“We announce the establishment of the Quad Working Group on Counter-Terrorism, which will explore cooperation amongst the Quad and with Indo-Pacific partners, to counter new and emerging forms of terrorism, radicalization to violence, and violent extremism,” the joint statement said.
It noted that terrorism has become increasingly diffuse, aided by terrorists’ adaptation to, and the use of emerging and evolving technologies such as unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and the internet, including social media platforms for recruitment and incitement to commit terrorist acts, as well as for the financing, planning, and preparation of terrorist activities.
The group also welcomed the discussions on these themes at the Quad Counter-Terrorism Policy Meeting and tabletop exercise hosted by Australia in October 2022 and said it looked forward to its first meeting in the United States in March 2023 to continue discussions on this global issue.