BISHKEK, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has played an important role in coordinating efforts to combat terrorism, political expert Sheradil Baktygulov told Xinhua Thursday.
Baktygulov stressed that the SCO is the world's first international anti-terrorist organization, which has created real legal and practical foundations for combating the "three evils" - terrorism, separatism and extremism.
In 2001, after signing the Declaration on the establishment of the SCO, the heads of six states signed another important document -- the Shanghai Convention on Combating Terrorism, Separatism and Extremism, creating a regional anti-terrorist structure, which Baktygulov named the world's first legal document in combating terrorism.
"For example, within the framework of the UN, discussions about a framework convention for the fight against terrorism still are underway," the expert said in Kyrgyzstan's capital Bishkek. He added that a legal basis to fight against terrorism, separatism and extremism across the world has not yet been created.
Speaking about achievements of the SCO in security, the expert noted that over the past few years, issues of combating terrorism, separatism and extremism, money laundering and terrorist financing, and the fight against illicit drug trafficking have been put into practice at symposia, conferences and other events.
"One can enumerate many achievements of the SCO in the field of combating terrorism, separatism and extremism, but I think the most important assessment is the opinions of citizens of the SCO member states."
Baktygulov emphasized the decreasing number of terrorist acts on SCO member territory and called fighting terrorism the SCO's primary task.
Baktygulov also highlighted the SCO's role in Kyrgyzstan's stability.
"Kyrgyzstan was invaded by international terrorist organizations for two years (1999-2000), when soldiers of the Kyrgyz army, civilians were killed, the infrastructure of settlements was destroyed."
"Then the leadership of Kyrgyzstan appealed to the world community for help and requests were heard and supported only by China, Russia, Armenia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan," the political scientist noted.
He said that those years saw a sputtering civil war in Tajikistan, anti-terrorist operations in Russia's Chechnya and new hotbeds of instability on the political map of the world.
However, the expert said, in 2001, the expected invasion of international terrorists to Kyrgyzstan was not materialized thanks to the creation of the SCO.
"The fact that the SCO member states are ready to provide assistance, including military assistance, to fight terrorism, separatism and extremism sobered the 'hot' heads of foreign strategists."
Baktygulov stressed the significant expansion of the legal framework for multilateral cooperation between the SCO member states in the fight against the "three evils" and regular honing of the skills of the military personnel of the SCO member states in the fight against terrorists.
"All these and other activities have a positive impact on the multiplication of joint anti-terrorist capabilities to preserve peace and stability in the region and serve as an example of a proper response to threats from terrorists, separatists and extremists."
The Kyrgyz expert noted that security threats on SCO member states are becoming more sophisticated.
"For example, new methods of waging wars and terrorist acts have been developed using information technologies, mass communications and other modern technologies. To think that a terrorist is a retarded person with a machine gun in his hand and living in a cave is only a little true."
Baktygulov say that a modern terrorist can be a successful businessman or a well-known blogger, and disinformation can be a weapon.
He said that attackers are using new technologies to "enslave" the minds of people.
"Therefore, we need to understand the nature and variety of 'hybrid wars' and be ready for joint actions against new methods of terrorist activity." Enditem
