GEN. DEMPSEY MEETS WITH ITALIAN OFFICIALS OVER SECURITY

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
Dempsey, Italian Officials to Discuss Security Concerns
By Lisa Ferdinando
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

ROME, Jan. 18, 2015 – The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is in Italy to discuss threats to Italy's southern flank and get the Italian perspective on the country's security issues, ahead of a two-day NATO meeting in Brussels.
The Italians are great military partners who have "stepped up in any number of missions," Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey said in an interview here today.
Dempsey, who arrived in Rome earlier in the day, is to meet Monday with his Italian counterpart, Chief of Defense Adm. Luigi Binelli Mantelli, as well as Minister of Defense Roberta Pinotti.

The talks with this "key ally" come at an important time, Dempsey said.
"There have been approximately 160,000 immigrants from North Africa into Italy, (that) puts a huge burden on them, so they have some real concerns about their southern flank," he said.

Dempsey and European defense officials have expressed concern about the possible flow of foreign fighters, via the southern flank.

Dempsey lauded the Italians for their contributions to global military efforts, including in the United Nations mission in Lebanon, and against terrorists with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL.

Italy's leadership in NATO is critical to global security, particularly in the Mediterranean, according to the chairman, who also underscored the U.S. commitment to strong relations with Italy.

Italy and the U.S. are the top two contributors of on-the-ground trainers and advisors who are enabling the Kurds and Iraqis in the fight against extremists, defense officials noted.

There are more than 4,000 Italian service members serving overseas in Kosovo, Lebanon, Afghanistan, and the Horn of Africa on a number of missions, including peacekeeping, training, and counter-piracy missions, they said.
Allies gather in Brussels Wednesday, Thursday "In my three and a half years (as chairman) this is probably going to be the most important meeting of NATO's military leaders during that period," Dempsey said.

It is of such high importance, he said, because the representatives are "going to talk about the hard work that's been done at the staff level to meet those commitments" that were made in September at the Wales summit.

The NATO Military Committee conference in Brussels on Wednesday and Thursday is expected to include discussion on NATO's southern flank, Afghanistan, and efforts against ISIL.

Dempsey said he is looking forward to also hearing from the Italians about Italy's view on Eastern Europe and "aggressiveness" from Russia.

"The way they see it will determine how they balance their priorities and their resources," he said.

"Our relationship vis-a-vis Russia has changed. I don't think it's irreversibly changed," he said. "I think that in the next year, you'll find NATO in particular working toward determining how to react to that changed relationship."
Dempsey highlighted the importance of U.S.-NATO collaboration and maintaining strong ties with European allies.

"It's all about building relationships so that when things don't turn out the way you hope they will, you have a foundation to build on," he said.

WHITE HOUSE ISSUES U.S.-EU COUNTERTERRORISM COOPERATION FACT SHEET

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 

FACT SHEET: U.S.-EU Counterterrorism Cooperation

The United States and the European Union are committed to working together to protect our citizens against terrorist attacks.  We work in close cooperation, bilaterally and multilaterally, to safeguard the security of our citizens in keeping with our shared values and to offer assistance to other countries to build their own capacity.

Collaboration in the Global Counterterrorism Forum Framework

The United States and the EU are among the most active members of the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF), a multilateral counterterrorism body with 30 worldwide members, designed to address counterterrorism threats and build international capacity.  The United States and the EU jointly support work in all areas of the two working groups focused on Africa:

• Horn of Africa Region Capacity-Building Working Group:  focuses on law enforcement, criminal justice and the rule of law, border management, countering violent extremism, and countering terrorist financing.  
• Sahel Region Capacity-Building Working Group:  focuses on police cooperation, building legal and judicial cooperation, border security, community engagement to counter extremism, and countering terrorism financing. 

The United States and the EU also continue to collaborate on three GCTF-inspired institutions, and will serve on the governing boards of and provide financial support to all three institutions:

• Hedayah:  Hedayah is the first and only international center of excellence on countering violent extremism (CVE).  We will jointly support Hedayah’s efforts, and the United States is funding curriculum development and CVE training.
• Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund:  This fund, a public-private global venture, will support grassroots efforts to counter violent extremism.  The United States and EU have committed to supporting this fund’s development and operations. 
• International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law:  Headquartered in Malta, this institute will train criminal justice officials in North, West, and East Africa, with a particular focus on countries in transition, to counter terrorism and handle transnational security challenges while respecting human rights.  The United States and the EU have agreed to provide resources and technical support.

Cooperation on Countering Violent Extremism and Foreign Fighters

We share a common understanding of how terrorists exploit underlying conditions to recruit others to their cause.  The United States and EU have increased transatlantic cooperation on both stemming the flow of foreign fighters and reintegrating them when they return.  We aim to counter violent extremism by providing positive alternatives to communities most at risk of recruitment and radicalization to violence; counter terrorist narratives; and build the capacity of government and civil society to counter violent extremism.

• Balkans:  The United States and the EU are committed to building the capacity of Balkan governments and civil society to counter violent extremism – from counter-messaging/counter-recruitment to the reintegration of returning fighters.
• Dutch-Moroccan-led Foreign Fighter Project:  We jointly support a year-long GCTF initiative, launched February 19, led jointly by Morocco and the Netherlands, to address the phenomenon of foreign fighters.
• U.S. Regional Strategic Initiative Foreign Fighter Project:  The United States, with EU support, will complement the Dutch-Moroccan initiative by focusing on implementation of the Rabat Good Practices to address the criminal justice aspects of prevention, disruption, and prosecution of foreign fighters, mainly focused on the Balkans, Maghreb, and Sahel countries.

Coordination on Combating Terrorist Organizations

We are committed to preventing and countering efforts by terrorists and their networks to travel freely in our territories and finance their illicit activities.  We are continuing this work with the European Union and will rely on a number of critical agreements to accomplish this.

NSA ADVISOR RICE IN UAE AND DJIBOUTI

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 
Readout of National Security Advisor Susan E. Rice’s Travel to the United Arab Emirates and Djibouti

National Security Advisor Susan E. Rice traveled to the United Arab Emirates and Djibouti from March 6-8.  In the UAE, she held highly productive bilateral discussions with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed and other senior Emirati officials, including the Foreign Minister and Deputy Chief of National Security.  They exchanged views on a wide range of regional issues, including Iran, Syria, Egypt, Libya, Yemen and Middle East Peace, as well as U.S. partnership with the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.  Ambassador Rice visited the new campus of NYU Abu Dhabi, one of the three major U.S.-UAE long-term legacy partnership projects.  She met with a diverse and talented group of American, Emirati and international students from NYU Abu Dhabi and the Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Scholarship Program and expressed support for the major investments the UAE has made in world class liberal arts and STEM higher education programs.

In Djibouti, Ambassador Rice met with senior leaders and U.S. troops from the Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) at Camp Lemonnier to discuss CJTF operations in the region.  She thanked the troops for their extraordinary work to build counterpart capacity in the region, conduct crisis response, and execute vital counter-terror operations that help keep the American people safe.  Ambassador Rice met with Djiboutian President Guelleh to renew our robust strategic partnership with the government and people of Djibouti.  She thanked him for Djiboutian leadership on a range of issues, including countering terrorism and piracy, and responding to humanitarian emergencies.  In her meeting with President Guelleh and with Foreign Minister Youssouf and a delegation of senior Djiboutian ministers and officials, she discussed ways to deepen and enhance our bilateral cooperation, including in ways that will tangibly benefit the economic well-being of the Djiboutian people and address shared security challenges.  They discussed ways that Camp Lemonnier and the U.S. military presence in Djibouti can have a more direct and positive impact on the local economy, and ways that American assistance can lead to further sustainable development and improved regional security.

U.S. DROUGHT FUNDING INCREASED TO HORN OF AFRICA

FROM U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Increase in U.S. Funding to Drought Relief in the Horn of Africa
Media Note Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC
April 5, 2012
The United States continues to be deeply concerned by the humanitarian emergency in the Horn of Africa, and particularly the hard-hit Somali population. Despite the end of famine conditions in February, nearly 10 million people in the region still require humanitarian assistance. For this reason, the United States Government is providing an additional nearly $50 million in aid for refugees and drought-affected communities in Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya in addition to what we have already provided. As Secretary Clinton announced April 3rd, since early in 2011 "the United States has provided almost $1 billion in humanitarian assistance that has saved countless lives from malnutrition, starvation, and disease. And our sustained commitment has demonstrated the best of America, helping to undermine the extremist narrative of terrorist groups like al-Shabaab in Somalia."

The Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWS NET) stated April 3, 2012 that the March-May rains in the eastern Horn of Africa will not be adequate. Poor rains would likely negatively affect food security in a region still recovering from a devastating drought and famine in 2011. The United States remains committed to breaking the cycle of hunger and famine in the Horn of Africa and to this end will continue to provide humanitarian assistance to those in need and call on others to join it in supporting the UN's $1.5 billion 2012 Consolidated Appeal for Somalia. This appeal is currently funded at only $179 million. We encourage all donors to take additional steps to tackle both immediate assistance needs and strengthen capacity in the region to mitigate future crises.

In addition to our emergency assistance, the United States is leading efforts to address the root causes of hunger and food insecurity by improving agricultural systems in the Horn of Africa under the Feed the Future initiative. As part of these efforts, yesterday in Nairobi, Kenya USAID Administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah participated in a high-level forum on strengthening the resilience of vulnerable communities to drought in the Horn of Africa. The forum brings together African and international development leaders who are committed to working together in new ways to prevent future humanitarian crises related to drought.