The Associated Press
VIENNA, Austria--Global counterterrorism experts were launching a two-day meeting in Vienna on Thursday to examine how the business community can help thwart attacks and undermine efforts to recruit and bankroll terrorists.
The conference, sponsored by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, follows a joint U.S.-Russian initiative to develop “public-private partnerships” between the authorities and civil society.
“Given the nature and scale of today’s constantly evolving terrorist threat, states alone cannot successfully counter terrorism,” meeting organizers said in a statement.
Experts said the private sector can help provide jobs to disaffected people, making them less receptive to extremists looking for recruits, and said joint efforts with government can improve the response to natural disasters as well as attacks.
Participants include Frank Urbancic, a top U.S. State Department counterterrorism official; Jan Mares of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; and Anatoly Safonov, Russia’s top official in charge of counterterrorism cooperation.