A welcome move against terror

The tough measures adopted by the United States in banning 30 organizations worldwide for terrorist activities will be applauded by all those who wish to see the scourge of terrorism eliminated.

Among the 18 new organizations added to an existing list of 12 are groups from the Philippines, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

Now that these organizations have been named, U.S. citizens who give them money or other aid risk up to 10 years in jail.

Many of these terrorist organizations, whose victims have not been only their professed enemies but thousands of civilians, have sustained themselves through financial and material support received from sympathizers abroad and other terrorist organizations.

One of the biggest problems today is that terrorism has acquired a transborder capability. Not only are terrorist groups operating outside their countries but they are receiving assistance from similar groups elsewhere.

One of the main reasons why they have continued to grow in their capacity to terrorize is because some countries have encouraged such activity for their own political interests while others have been lackadaisical and failed to crack down on them.

The Sri Lankan government, which has been urging Western nations to outlaw the Tamil Tigers (LTTE), immediately welcomed the U.S. action and called on others to do the same.

The U.S. move could well have a ripple effect in the West, especially in neighboring Canada where a court has already ruled the Tamil Tigers a terrorist organization.

-- The Hong Kong Standard