INTERPOL’s Fusion Task Force meets in Cairo to facilitate anti-terrorism efforts in Middle East

(From right) Egypt's Assistant Minister, Major General Adly Fayed, INTERPOL Secretary General Ronald Noble and General Ibrahim Mohammed (head of INTERPOL's bureau in Egypt) at the opening of the meeting.

Mr Noble said border security was a key element in restricting the movements of terrorists.

Key agenda items will be specific terrorist incidents that have taken place in the region, recruitment of terrorists, financing of terrorism and the challenges of increasing border security as a means to fight terrorism. Participants will also take part in an open-floor discussion on terrorism issues in the Middle East and North Africa, including sharing of information intelligence.

Speaking at the opening of the task force meeting, Egypt's Minister Assistant General Adly Fayed, the head of the public security sector, recognised the importance of close co-operation between all countries to combat terrorism in all its forms, especially in the area of terrorism on the Internet - the use by terrorist groups of websites to recruit members, share their ideologies and teach methods.

INTERPOL Secretary General Ronald K. Noble highlighted the strong support that countries in the Middle East region have given so far to the Fusion Task Force – some 14 of the region’s countries have provided half of the 6,000 names held in INTERPOL’s database of suspected terrorists.

Mr Noble said border security was a key element in restricting the movements of terrorists.  'International border security is a dynamic and challenging problem that needs to be addressed through sustained and systemic co-operation among countries. INTERPOL’s 21 st Century approach encourages each of our 186 member countries to make effective use of our worldwide network, global databases and latest technology as an integral part of their border security plan,” said Mr Noble.

INTERPOL created the Fusion Task Force in September 2002 – in the wake of an alarming rise in the scale and sophistication of international terrorist attacks – to support and assist its member countries in the investigation of terrorist-related incidents.

The Fusion Task Force aims to identify active terrorist groups, share and analyse information and intelligence, and enhance the capacity of member countries to address the threats of terrorism and organized crime. The task force investigates not only attacks, but also organizational hierarchies, training, financing, methods and motives.