UN / ISIL THREAT

The United Nations (UN) top political affairs official told the Security Council that it was “critical” to improve the international response to the threat posed by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) terrorist group as it retreats from Syria and Iraq. UNIFEED

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:01:55
• Production Date: 7 February 2017
• Asset Language: English
• Personal Subject: JEFFREY FELTMAN
• Corporate Name: DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL AFFAIRS - DPA; SECURITY COUNCIL
• Subject Topical: FINANCING; PEACE AND SECURITY; TERRORISM
• Geographic Subject: IRAQ
• MAMS Id: 1827158
• Parent Id: 1827158
• Alternate Title: unifeed170207b

Description

STORY: UN / ISIL THREAT
TRT: 01:54
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 07 FEBRUARY 2017, NEW YORK CITY / FILE

Shotlist

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations headquarters

07 FEBRUARY 2017, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. Med shot, delegates
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Jeffrey D. Feltman, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs:
“Improving our response is critical to address the growth of transnational terrorism as ISIL expands its area of attacks and foreign terrorist fighters leave Syria and Iraq. Even though many foreign terrorist fighters stay behind in the conflict zones, those returning or leaving the conflict could pose a grave risk to the country of origin, or to the countries they are travelling to or transiting through such as Iraq and Syria’s neighbours, as well as countries in the Maghreb.”
5. Med shot, delegates
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Jeffrey D. Feltman, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs:
“ISIL is adapting in many ways to military pressure, resorting to increasingly covert communications and recruitment methods, including by using the dark web, encryption and messengers. Moreover, it is expanding its area of attack to countries neighbouring Iraq and Syria, or continuing to encourage followers further afield to perpetuate attacks. Meanwhile foreign terrorist fighters leaving Iraq and Syria augment the threat of terrorism in their countries of origin.”
7. Med shot, delegates
SOUNDBITE (English) Jeffrey D. Feltman, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs:
“ISIL is on the defensive militarily in several regions, but although its incomes in the territories under its control are shrinking, ISIL still appears to have sufficient funds to continue fighting. The group relies mainly in income from extortion and hydrocarbon exploitation, even though resources from the latter are on the decline. Member states are concerned that ISIL will try to expand other sources of income such as kidnapping for ransom ad increase its reliance on donations.”
8. Med shot, delegates
9. Wide shot, Council

Storyline

The United Nations (UN) top political affairs official told the Security Council today (07 Feb) that it was “critical” to improve the international response to the threat posed by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) terrorist group as it retreats from Syria and Iraq.

Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman told the Council that “even though many foreign terrorist fighters stay behind in the conflict zones, those returning or leaving the conflict could pose a grave risk to the country of origin, or to the countries they are travelling to or transiting through such as Iraq and Syria’s neighbours, as well as countries in the Maghreb.”

Feltman said “ISIL is adapting in many ways to military pressure, resorting to increasingly covert communications and recruitment methods, including by using the dark web, encryption and messengers.”

Moreover, he added, “it is expanding its area of attack to countries neighbouring Iraq and Syria, or continuing to encourage followers further afield to perpetuate attacks.”

He noted that “ISIL is on the defensive militarily in several regions, but although its incomes in the territories under its control are shrinking, ISIL still appears to have sufficient funds to continue fighting.”

The group, he said, “relies mainly in income from extortion and hydrocarbon exploitation” and “member states are concerned that ISIL will try to expand other sources of income such as kidnapping for ransom ad increase its reliance on donations.”

The briefing was based on the 1 February strategic-level report of the Secretary-General requested by the Council. The report highlights the overall territorial, military and financial decline of core ISIL, while raising concerns regarding the potential for the emergence of affiliates in the areas where ISIL fighters may disperse and resettle under pressure from places such as Iraq, Syria and Libya.