How does declaring Syed Salahuddin a 'global terrorist' matter to India

The US orders prohibits any transactions with the person declared a global terrorist.

By Vicky

Published: Wednesday, June 28, 2017, 6:20 [IST]

In a major diplomatic victory for India, Hizbul Mujahideen chief, Syed Salahuddin was designated as a global terrorist by the United States of America.

Under the US Executive Order 13224, an individual or group is placed under the category of Special Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). Terror outfits are designated 'Foreign Terrorist Organizations' and individuals who are part of such organisations are designated SDGT.

The question is how significant is such an order. Let us decode the same for you.

Significance:

Interestingly this is the first time that a Kashmiri terrorist has been designated as a global terrorist. The US has accepted that the Hizbul boss does not run just an indigenous terror. The US has accepted that the Hizbul poses a threat not just to Kashmir, but to the rest of the world too.

The statement by the US department read, "Salahuddin vowed to block any peaceful resolution to the Kashmir conflict, threatened to train more Kashmiri suicide bombers, and vowed to turn the Kashmir Valley into a graveyard for Indian forces".

This is a setback to the group and its boss since they had always relied on the intervention of the Western forces to resolve the Kashmir conflict. This statement by the US goes on to show that the Hizbul which felt it was a stake holder in Kashmir has been declared a terrorist group.

Why the global terrorist tag:

The Hizbul has focused all its attacks in Kashmir. It has never gone beyond the state. However the global terrorist tag comes in the wake of the Hizbul teaming up with the likes of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad to stage attacks.

Both the Lashkar and the Jaish have been declared global terrorist organisations. The association with these groups has earned the Hizbul chief the tag of global terrorist.

How is this different compared to UN sanctions:

The US orders prohibits any transactions with the person declared a global terrorist. Such a designation is restricted to the US alone. The UN sanctions on the other hand is recognised by all countries and is a non-partisan global sanction.