SA needs to cooperate with countries fighting Islamic State: counterterrorism expert

A counterterrorism expert says South Africa must ramp up investigations into the risk of terror attacks and cooperate with other countries involved in fighting the Islamic State.

Institute for Security Studies expert on counterterrorism Martin Ewi was commenting on the Sunday Times report that a bomb maker working for the Islamic State terrorist group‚ an Iraqi named Abu Osama‚ was arrested at a Turkish airport last month as he was about to board a flight to Johannesburg.

• Top terror bomber bust on his way to SAA bomb maker working for the Islamic State terrorist group was arrested at a Turkish airport last month as he was about to board a flight to Johannesburg.

The newspaper also reported that earlier‚ on December 16‚ immigration officials at OR Tambo International Airport had flagged another suspected terrorist entering South Africa from Turkey. The man‚ who was originally from the US‚ was sent back to Turkey.

Ewi said this was not the first time South Africa had been linked to threats of a terrorist attack.

“Since 2014‚ we have been hearing news about South Africa’s vulnerability to terrorism. Last year‚ South Africa arrested South Africans that were allegedly planning to attack the US interests in the country.”

Ewi warned that there could be more terrorists‚ adding there could be a back-up plan.

“We need to investigate and get to know whether there are more terrorists planning to come to South Africa.”

Ewi said from what had been seen in Islamic State operations‚ the group had been using locals to perpetrate terror attacks.

“We need to find out whether there are locals involved.”

Ewi said he was encouraged that State Security Minister David Mahlobo had denied claims he was delaying signing a memorandum of understanding with Iraq so that the country could share information with South Africa.

“It is high time South Africa cooperated with countries involved in fighting Islamic State. We cannot only focus on what is going on in this country.”

He said sometimes information was available in those countries where the Islamic State had a presence.

By signing cooperation agreements with countries such as Iraq and Turkey‚ South Africa would be able to follow the trends and the movements of terrorists‚ so that the country could do its analysis.

“If we don’t‚ something could surprise us.”

Ewi expressed satisfaction with a statement made by Mahlobo that the country was taking any terror threat seriously and that they had been on high alert.