The opening session of the sixth meeting of the ‘Global Coalition Against ISIS, Communication Working Group’ in Kuwait City on April 25.

KUWAIT CITY, April 25, (KUNA): Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Al-Jarallah called on the international community on Monday to collaborate on implementing a broad strategy to combat the socalled Islamic State (IS) and other terrorist groups. Al-Jarallah made the remarks during the opening session of the sixth meeting of the communication group of the international coalition against the so-called Islamic State (IS), co-chaired by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), United States and the United Kingdom.

This strategy requires educational institutions and media outlets to initiate an electronic portal that would extoll the virtues of moderation, while portraying Islam’s genuine image,  one that advocates peace and denounces hate, he said. This meeting is a testament to the international community’s determination to uphold security and rid the world of terrorism, Al-Jarallah noted. These terrorist groups have exploited the use of social media to propagate radical ideologies, the deputy foreign minister added.

Moreover, Al-Jarallah said that Kuwait has begun implementing a strategy to espouse moderation and stifle extremism. Kuwait remains “vehemently opposed” to all forms and manifestations of terrorism, he added. In his speech, US Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy and Affairs Richard Stengel said that it is imperative to curb the spread of IS’ message, “through military or electronic means.” “We are working on a portal to halt the spread of terrorist messages, and social network websites have been willing to cooperate with us,” he noted. Director of the UAE foreign ministry’s Policy Planning Department Mohammed Abu Shehab said that his country has formed a number of centers designed to fight terrorism.

Abu Shehab also underscored the need to look beyond the Internet, as “IS is capable of employing other means to disseminate their ideologies.” Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL Brett McGurk will lead an interagency delegation to Kuwait for a meeting on Wednesday with key members of the Coalition, the State Department announced on Monday. “This meeting will be an opportunity for coalition partners to discuss ways to further accelerate the campaign against DA’ESH,” the announcement said, referring to the so-called Islamic State (IS).

It will include a detailed discussion of priorities for the coalition’s multiple lines of effort — including military, foreign terrorist fighters, counter-terrorist financing, countermessaging and stabilization of liberated areas — to increase the momentum of the campaign, the statement said.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, US Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Richard Stengel, who traveled to Kuwait City on Sunday to lead a meeting of the countering-IS coalition communication working group, will travel to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, where he will visit the Sawab Center, the State Department said in a separate announcement. Stengel will also speak to student groups and meet with government officials in Abu Dhabi to highlight the importance of education exchanges and ways to strengthen cooperation on countering violent extremism, the statement said.