CTED moderated a panel of Global Research Network members and other partners on terrorism and technology in a post-COVID-19 world at the Fifth Global Security Forum in Doha from
13 - 16 March 2023.
The Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) participated in the Fifth Global Security Forum, organized and hosted by The Soufan Centre in Doha from 13 to 16 March 2023.
The conference was opened by the Prime Minister of Qatar, Mr. Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. The Forum covered international security broadly, which included the war in Ukraine, conflict in Africa, energy policy and space security. As in previous years, the Forum also had a specific focus on the threat of terrorism motivated by xenophobia, racism and other forms of intolerance, or in the name of religion or belief (XRIRB); enduring capabilities of Al-Qaida and ISIL (also known as Da＊esh); the terrorism landscape in Iraq and Afghanistan; and terrorists＊ use of new technology.
CTED moderated a panel of GRN members and other partners on terrorism and technology in a post-COVID-19 world. Panellists examined trends and case studies of terrorists＊ use of technology in the Lake Chad basin, Afghanistan and South-East Asia. The panellists included Malik Samuel of the Institute for Security Studies, who spoke of the general wariness of technology of the so-called ISWAP and Boko Haram; Laura Courchesne of the International Crisis Group, who detailed the Taliban＊s thorough digital communications plan, including their use of human rights groups＊ messaging; Rachel Fielden of Moonshot, who warned that governments＊ risk-averse nature meant they were not as effective as grass-roots groups at crafting counter- narratives; and Priyank Mathur from Mythos Labs, who argued for upskilling of national security professionals to better anticipate ways terrorists may harness technological change, including AI.
CTED also hosted an informal meeting of approximately 25 Forum participants who were affiliated with GRN institutions. The event provided CTED an opportunity to renew GRN relationships and to take stock of their latest research. CTED took note of recently published and soon to be published research on right-wing terrorism financing; ISIL (Da＊esh) recruitment methods in Afghanistan; interconnectivity of terrorist groups in Europe; the threat post by Al-Qaida in South Asia; and practices relating to the repatriation of child returnees from the north- eastern part of the Syrian Arab Republic.