G8 ministers warn al Qaeda still a threat

G8 ministers warn al Qaeda still a threat
May 08, 2003

The threat of terrorism remains high, despite progress in the global campaign against terrorist groups, the Group of Eight nations’ ministers of justice and interior said after a 5 May meeting in France. Terrorism "continues to present both a pervasive and global threat to our societies that we have to respond to effectively and immediately," a G-8 statement said. "The threat from the al Qaida network remains serious. In spite of the elimination of most of its bases in Afghanistan, it seems that other camps have been reactivated in other areas of the zone. The organisation's abilities have been shaken by recent arrests, but dormant individuals and cells are always ready to act." The ministers agreed to cooperate on development of biometric technologies for national security, and announced that France and the U.S. would lead a "high-level working group" that will "develop large-scale biometric data testing programmes in order to improve expertise and make clear choices in favour of the most appropriate data based on identified goals."