Army chief calls for new, comprehensive approach to combating terrorism

AMMAN — Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Lt. Gen. Mahmoud Freihat on Tuesday took part in the Moscow Conference on International Security, along with delegations from 100 other countries.

Addressing the conference, Freihat said in a speech that the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army (JAF) would continue supporting international efforts to combat terrorism and extremism, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Jordan will do so out of its faith in the importance of consolidation, worldwide, in the face of this phenomenon, he said.

A consolidated anti-terrorism front will reinforce and strengthen world peace and security, Freihat noted, and more so with Jordan’s participation in numerous regional and global coalitions against these threats.

However, he warned that addressing terrorism and extremism requires a comprehensive approach that goes beyond military and security solutions.

Any such effort to tackle these issues must be based on real understanding and acknowledgment of the enabling factors and real reasons behind the rise of extremist ideologies, the Freihat added.

The JAF recently adopted a new strategy in the face of violent extremism by targeting youth and reinforcing education to counter such ideologies, he explained.

Moreover, the JAF has launched numerous programmes in cooperation with respective institutions and ministries for the rehabilitation of youth who do fall prey to extremism, Freihat highlighted.

It is vital that they are not abandoned to poverty and unemployment, which highly contributes to their susceptibility to being recruited by extremist groups, he underlined.

The Moscow conference launched on Tuesday with the participation of 30 defence ministers from around the globe and will focus on issues pertaining to international security, according to Petra.

Numerous high-ranking military and state officials from Arab countries and beyond participated in the conference, according to press agencies.

Representatives of disputing parties in Yemen and Libya were also present, as well as Saudi Arabia, Reuters reported.

Several summits were organised on the sidelines of the conference to address a number of international disputes and conflicts, Agence France-Presse confirmed.