Petraeus calls for tackling the business behind terrorism
David Petraeus, head of the .S. Central Command, says that without “crushing” the illegal trade in weapons and drugs which sustains terrorism and piracy, it will be difficult to defeat them
Security forces should focus more on crushing illegal trade in weapons and drugs and tackling pirates to combat global terrorism more effectively, General David Petraeus, head of U.S. Central Command, said yesterday. “The revenues from some of these activities are in essence the oxygen that keeps various movements alive,” Petraeus said at a security meeting in Bahrain. “These activities must be curtailed if international efforts to combat terrorist financing and thus terrorism are to succeed.”
Bloomberg reports that as part of a speech to delegates from more than twenty countries, Petraeus urged international cooperation on air and air defense systems, maritime protection, intelligence sharing, protection of infrastructure, and training. “Extremist networks remain resilient and indeed robust in some areas and we must not relax the pressure on them,” he said.
