Amman, May 27 (Petra) Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Maj. Gen. Yousef Hunaiti met on Tuesday with Erin Saltman, Director of Membership and Programs at the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT), at the General Command Headquarters of the Jordan Armed Forces – Arab Army.

During the meeting, attended by senior military officers, the two sides explored avenues for enhanced cooperation in combating digital terrorism and strengthening joint efforts to counter extremist groups’ use of cyberspace. The discussions focused on knowledge exchange and the development of capacity-building programs in this critical field.

Maj. Gen. Hunaiti emphasized the importance of keeping pace with rapid technological advancements in cybersecurity. He underlined the key role played by the Jordan Armed Forces in protecting national cyberspace against evolving threats.

Saltman praised Jordan’s leadership in fighting extremism and terrorism, expressing the GIFCT’s commitment to fostering greater cooperation with the Jordanian Armed Forces through training, awareness programs, and digital media engagement.

As part of her visit, Saltman also delivered a lecture at the Royal Jordanian National Defense College to students in the master’s program in Strategies to Counter Extremism and Terrorism. The lecture, attended by the college’s commandant, faculty, and students, focused on digital resilience, the technological aspects of terrorism, and how terrorist groups exploit digital platforms.

She stressed the importance of leveraging social and digital media in countering terrorism and highlighted the need for proactive use of these tools in spreading awareness and counter-narratives. Saltman noted that many extremist groups operate technologically advanced platforms, often run by a small number of individuals with suspicious agendas, allowing them to easily disseminate and promote harmful ideologies.

She also underscored the need to build public awareness and protect vulnerable populations especially youth and children from online extremist content and recruitment tactics.

The Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism is an international platform that brings together experts and stakeholders to enhance global cooperation in addressing online extremism and terrorism.

//Petra// AF
27/05/2025 21:01:43