USA, Terrorism - Current Affairs Questions and Answers

ANSWER: Both of the above

Explanation:
Indian Army conducted surgical strikes on terror launch pads across the Line of Control. DGMO Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh said the motive of the operation was to hit out at terrorists planning to infiltrate into the Indian territory.

• Lt Gen Singh informed that considerable casualties were caused by terrorists during the operation
• There have been many infiltration bids by terrorists at LoC reflected by terror attacks at Uri and Poonch on 11th and 18th Sept
• DGMO spoke of how nothing was done despite Pakistan being told not to use its territory for terror activities
• Pakistan gave the commitment to India that in 2004, it will not allow its soil to be a ground for terror activities
• Close to 20 infiltration attempts have been successfully foiled by the Indian Army in 2016
• India offered consular access to apprehend terrorists from Pakistan and fingerprints and DNA samples of terrorists killed in Uri and Poonch can also be made available to the neighbouring country
• Lieutenant General Singh shared India’s concerns and told the Pakistani counterpart about the surgical strikes
• Pakistan has responded to the government statement that “no such strike” was carried out and only “unprovoked firing” was carried out in certain districts “Bhimber, Hotspring, Kel and Lipa sectors which started at 0230 and continued till 0800,” the Pakistani military spokesperson claimed
• Pulling out of the SAARC summit in Islamabad, Indian government will now go ahead with SAARC minus Pakistan
• Indian pulled out with Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Bhutan also lending support by doing so
• Pointing to motor vehicle movement agreements, railway linkages and the SAARC satellite program for which SAARC countries apart from Pakistan had signed up, India said it will work with those who share its vision
• Afghanistan cannot be accessed by land so the two governments have discussed separate air corridor for cargo
• India will be holding the BIMSTEC outreach summit on the sidelines of the BRICS Goa Summit which is an initiative for Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal
• Another grouping of India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Maldives met for the South Asia Sub-Regional Economic Cooperation programme in Delhi to release the first SASEC Operational Plan 2016-2025
• SASEC’s lead financier, Asian Development Bank has approved 40 infrastructure and IT projects worth USD 7.7 billion
• India has been busy with the SAARC minus Pak Programme with Nepal PM Prachanda and Afghani president Ashraf Ghani having visited India in Sept
• Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is expected to be in Delhi during the first week of October
• Push for South Asian isolation of Pakistan is driven by the fact that it has received nothing but terrorists and aggression from the Islamic nation
• Pakistan continues to receive support from non-SAARC nations like China, Russia, and Iran
• The US which has joined countries to condemn the terror attack in Uri also issued statements to resume dialogue (with remote outcomes of the same seeming more likely)

ANSWER: 10

Explanation:
Ten nations from across the world came together on 24 April 2017 to form a group with the aim of protecting ancient heritage from extremism like that of the Islamic State, which led to the destruction of Syria’s ancient city, Palmyra.

The forum was launched in Athens, the capital city of Greece, by ministers and ambassadors from all the ten nations.

The list includes India, Greece, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Bolivia, Peru, Italy, China and Mexico, all of which are home to some of the world’s greatest archaeological sites.

The group would mainly run joint projects to promote dialogue and culture in the face of fanaticism and terrorism.

The project will be headed by the Greek government along with China.

Extremists from the Islamic State groups gained control over the ancient heritage monumental ruins of Palmyra in May 2015.

The occupation of the city was followed by destruction of many of its monuments.

Though Syrian and Russian forces reclaimed the city from the extremist group in March 2016, they lost it again in December 2016

Other UNESCO recognised sites that suffered destruction at the hands of terrorists include Bamiyan in Afghanistan where the Taliban blew up the Buddha statues and the ancient city of Timbuktu in Mali where extremists destroyed mausoleums and shrines.

The 10-nation group is due to meet again in 2018 in Bolivia.

ANSWER: Anti Terrorism Assistance

Explanation:
India and the US are set to further strengthen their bilateral security ties under the Trump administration.

The two countries deciding to continue exchange programmes on hostage crisis, terror crime scene probe and cybercrime.

A delegation of officials from the US met their counterparts in the Home Ministry last week and discussed ways to streamline the training programmes being conducted under the Anti-Terrorism Assistance (ATA) pact.

Indian police officers will undergo training programmes in the US training institutes on negotiations in hostage situations, terror crime scene investigations, besides on two new courses relating to cybercrime and maritime security.

India and the US are working towards strengthening bilateral ties on security front, including training programmes.

The US will be introducing two new courses for Indian police officers this year.

Indian police officers currently can opt for six training programmes under the ATA pact.

These courses have been an integral part of the bilateral cooperation on internal security between the two countries.

India is a key strategic partner of the US in its war on terror and with groups like ISIS using Internet to reach out to potential recruits in India, the ATA courses are seen as extremely relevant.

Currently the ATA courses include among others, investigating the dark web (IDW), hostage negotiation training, terrorist crime scene investigation.

Around 120-150 police officers from Central police organisations and state police forces visit the US every year for training in these courses under the ATA.

The number may go up to 200 this year with introduction of two new courses.

ANSWER: Radd ul Fasaad

Explanation:
Pakistan army has launched nationwide military operation named ‘Radd-ul-Fasaad’ to eliminate menace of terrorism and consolidate gains of its counter-terrorism operations.

The operation aims include the elimination of the residual and latent threat of terrorism, consolidating gains of operations made so far and ensuring the security of Pakistan’s borders.

Pakistan Air Force, Civil Armed Forces, Pakistan Navy as well as other security and law enforcement agencies will actively participate and support the efforts of the Pakistan Army.

It will also conduct broad spectrum security and counter-terrorism operations in continuation of ongoing operations across the country and focus on more effective border security management.

ANSWER: Russia

Explanation:
India and Russia held high level consultations on counter terrorism in New Delhi.

The sides shared views on threat assessment posed by terrorists including India's concern on state sponsored, cross border terrorism.

The Indian side was led by Secretary East from MEA Preeti Saran. Russian delegation was headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Mr. Oleg V. Syromolotov.

The two countries shared concerns regarding the emergence of Afghanistan Pakistan region as the epicentre of terrorism.

Successful experiences in countering radicalisation and terrorism were also discussed.

Both sides agreed that the UNSC Sanctions List 1267 for blacklisting terrorists and terror entities must be stringently complied.

Emphasis was also made on prospects for deepening engagement on counter terrorism under BRICS, SCO and UN.

A joint action plan will also be framed for sharing insights and exchange of best practices in curbing terrorism and countering radicalisation.

UNSC Sanctions List Resolution 1267 : Know More

• Date: 15 October 1999
• Code S/RES/1267 (Document)
• Subject: The situation in Afghanistan
• Voting summary: 15 voted for/None voted against/None abstained
• Result: Adopted
• United Nations Security Council resolution 1267 was adopted unanimously on 15 October 1999.
• This was after recalling resolutions 1189 (1998), 1193 (1998) and 1214 (1998) on the situation in Afghanistan.
• Council designated Osama bin Laden and associates as terrorists and established a sanctions regime to cover individuals and entities associated with Al-Qaida, Osama bin Laden and/or the Taliban.

ANSWER: Hafeez Saeed

Explanation:
Pakistani authorities, facing mounting pressure from the Trump administration placed Mumbai attacks mastermind and Jamaat-udDawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed under house arrest.

Saeed and four others under detention on 30th Jan 2017. The action was taken under an anti-terrorism act.

Saeed, a co-founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), would be placed under house arrest and that his residence had been declared a sub-jail.

Pakistan interior minister Nisar Ali Khan said the PML-N government was taking steps to "fulfill our obligations" with regard to JuD.

"The organisation (JuD) has been `under observation' since 2010-11.

Hafiz Saeed was moved from Masjid Al-Qudsia Chauburji to his Jauhar Town residence to place him under house arrest on the orders of the government,".

ANSWER: Ajit Pai

Explanation:
President Donald Trump has picked a critic of the net neutrality rules to be chief regulatory of airwaves and internet connections in the US.

Ajit Pai has been chosen as the next chairman of the Federal Communications Commision wef 24^th Jan 2017.

Pai was also on five-member panel that regulates the country’s communications infrastructure, including TV, phone and internet service.

There are currently just three members on the panel.

The Republicans’ new majority at the FCC, along with their control of Congress and the White House, is expected to help them roll back policies for net neutrality.

Pai said he would aim for an industry friendly FCC. A deregulation-minded FCC could potentially allow more huge mergers, overturn new protections for internet users.

It could lead to higher costs for media and technology companies that rely on the internet to reach consumers.

Pai opposed online privacy regulations that force broadband providers to ask consumers for permission before using their data.

The Internet Association, a trade group that represents tech and video companies like Amazon, Facebook, Google and Netflix also lauded the move.

The FCC currently has a 2-1 Republican majority and two empty seats, which will be filled by one Republican and one Democrat.

Know More About Ajit Pai

• Pai, an Indian-American from Kansas, has been an FCC commissioner since 2012.
• During 15 years in government, he’s been a Senate staffer and worked at the FCC and the Justice Department.
• He was also a lawyer for Verizon and an attorney at the law firm Jenner & Block.

ANSWER: 7th

Explanation:
India was ranked 7^th in a list of countries most impacted by terror attacks and terrorism in 2015 as per the GTI or Global Terrorism Index.

This index has been released by a Sydney based think tank Institute for Economics & Peace.

India is one of the 6 Asian countries ranked in the top 10 nations most impacted by terror recording 289 terrorism related deaths in 2015, a 45 percent decline over 2014.

Number of Indian army and paramilitary soldiers killed in 2016 is at a 8 year high.

Indians experienced 7 percent of all terror attacks in the world, the 4th highest after the following countries:

• Iraq:20 percent
• Afghanistan: 14 percent
• Pakistan: 8 percent.
• India in 2015 had fewer terror attacks (797) than only Iraq (2,415), Afghanistan (1,715) and Pakistan (1,008).
• India suffered twice as many attacks as Syria (384)
• OECD countries which are the most developed in the world, witnessed a 650 percent increase in terrorism deaths from 77 in 2014 to 577 in 2015, marking the worst year for the 35 nation group since 9/11.

ANSWER: Pakistan

Explanation:
An online White House petition seeking to designate Pakistan a state sponsor of terrorism has gained a record half a million signatures, five times the number needed to get a response from the Obama Administration.
Petition was created on Sept 21 by a person with the initials RG and needs 100000 signatures in 30 days to get a response form the White House.

• Supporters of the "We the People ask the Administration to declare Pakistan, State Sponsor of Terrorism" petition had set a goal of one million signatures.
• The petition comes after Congressman Ted Poe, Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Terrorism, along with Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, introduced H R 6069, the Pakistan State Sponsor of Terrorism Designation Act in the House of Representatives.
• An initiative of the US President Barack Obama, "We the People" online petition at the White House website provides a window to American citizens to campaign before the administration on key issues .
• A new petition filed on the official UK Parliament website calling on Britain to "strongly condemn" Pakistan for providing a safe haven for terrorists on Sunday crossed the threshold of 10,000 signatures, making it incumbent upon the UK government to respond to it.
• The petition titled 'UK Govt to strongly condemn Pakistan or providing safe haven for terrorists' has now crossed the number of signatures required to make it incumbent upon the UK government to respond to it.
• Tensions between India and Pakistan are growing after militants stormed an Indian Army base in Uri on September 18, killing 19 soldiers.

ANSWER: Chelsea

Explanation:
Powerful explosion on West 23rd Street in Chelsea Neighbourhood of Manhattan injured 29 people on 17th Sept.

• Investigators later found a suspicious device a few blocks ahead
• The police commissioner, James P. O’Neill, said it occurred in front of 131 West 23rd Street.
• Officials said they believed the explosion had been caused by a homemade bomb that had been placed under a Dumpster.
• The authorities said a suspicious device was found on West 27th Street between Avenue of the Americas and Seventh Avenue almost three hours after the explosion.
• Government officials said initially that they did not believe there was a link between the blasts in New Jersey and New York.
• But later on Sunday senior law enforcement officials said investigators were focusing more on the possibility that the two were connected. Still, the connection was not confirmed.
• Police did not believe the blast in Chelsea was related to a mysterious explosion in Central Park in July, when a teenager from Virginia lost part of his leg.
• An improvised device exploded in a garbage can on 17th Sept in Seaside Park, N.J., near the course of a charity race to benefit members of the United States Marine Corps. The device went off at about 9:30 a.m., around the time the race was scheduled to have started. There were no injuries.