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27 November 2014, Eurasia Review

CAN SAARC JOINTLY COUNTER TERRORISM? – ANALYSIS

Sameer Patil, Associate Fellow, National Security, Ethnic Conflict and Terrorism, Gateway House has written an article on whether or not the SAARC countries can come together to fight terrorism. This article has been republished by Eurasia Review

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As South Asian leaders gather for the 18th Summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in Kathmandu on November 26-27, the spectre of terrorism and the question of how to effectively counter it will be looming large.

Recent developments—the neutralisation of a module of the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) in Burdwan, West Bengal, the announcement of al-Qaeda’s intention to establish a South Asian branch, and the Islamic State’s plans to gain a foothold in the region—have aggravated fears of a larger jihadist presence in South Asia.

Yet, the subcontinent lacks a regional resolve and response to counter the activities of these groups. Ironically, SAARC evolved a consensus on the need for greater cooperation to counter terrorism, long before terrorism became a focal point of international politics. SAARC took several steps in this context:

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