REMARKS BY SECRETARY KERRY AND PAKISTAN PRIME MINISTER SHARIF

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 
Remarks With Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif After Their Meeting
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
The Hague, Netherlands
March 24, 2014

SECRETARY KERRY: (In progress) – it is to meet with Prime Minister Sharif of Pakistan. We – Pakistan and the United States – have enormous mutual interests. We are both striving to combat extremism, terrorism, deal with the challenge of global energy, as well as to provide for the prosperity of our people and deal with nuclear security. And it’s nuclear security that particularly brings us here to The Hague.

But we are working very, very closely together. I visited with the prime minister in August of last year. We began a strategic dialogue again. We have worked together with our Security, Strategic Stability, and Nonproliferation Working Group. That group is engaged in dealing with issues of nuclear security as well as other challenges. And in addition, we met recently in Washington. Dr. Aziz and I engaged in our strategic dialogue. And we look forward to welcoming Finance Minister Dar, who will be coming to Washington for our finance component of that discussion.

So we are deeply engaged, and I might add that we affirmed recently and we reaffirm that we have great confidence in Pakistan’s nuclear security. They’ve really done an enormous amount of work. I know the prime minister will probably talk about that here at the summit. But we do have important issues of cooperation with respect to the extremism, terror, counterterrorism, and Afghanistan. And we look forward to discussing those issues this morning.

PRIME MINISTER SHARIF: Thank you, John. Thank you very much.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you, sir.

PRIME MINISTER SHARIF: It’s always a pleasure to welcome you, and you’ve been a great friend of Pakistan. Of course, we are very happy to have met here also. And as John has been saying, that there are a lot of challenges – we are meeting these challenges in Pakistan. We have been in office for almost about nine months and we’ve had very constructive discussions with our American friends. I had a very good meeting with President Obama a few months ago in Washington, and we are now following up all that we have discussed and agreed.

SECRETARY KERRY: Good.

PRIME MINISTER SHARIF: Thank you.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you, Nawaz. Thank you.

SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY, GREEK FOREIGN MINISTER VENIZELOS MAKE REMARKS BEFORE MEETING

FROM:  STATE DEPARTMENT 
Remarks With Greek Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos Before Their Meeting

Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Treaty Room
Washington, DC
January 17, 2014

SECRETARY KERRY: I’m very pleased to welcome Greek Foreign Minister Venizelos here to Washington. We have met but we have not had a chance to be able to get together like this, and it’s my pleasure to welcome him here. I want to congratulate Greece on assuming the EU presidency, and we look forward very much to working with them in that role, but also in continuing the path towards economic recovery. We know that it has been very, very difficult. Tough decisions had to be made. It is never easy politically. Those choices were made, and I think it is improving. And step by step, we want to continue to not only work on that, but on our superb cooperation with respect to counterterrorism, the Balkans, the Middle East. There are a host of issues where we share common interests.

I do want to say one word quickly about the events that took place yesterday in Ukraine. The legislation that was rammed through the Rada without transparency and accountability violates all the norms of the OSCE and the EU. We believe deeply that the people of Ukraine want to affiliate and want to be associated with Europe and they want to turn in that direction. And the steps that were taken yesterday are anti-democratic, they’re wrong, they are taking from the people of Ukraine their choice and their opportunity for the future. So we will continue to stay focused on this issue, but this kind of anti-democratic maneuver is extremely disturbing and should be a concern to every nation that wants to see the people of Ukraine be able to not only express their wish but see it executed through the political process.

Mr. Minister, thank you.

FOREIGN MINISTER VENIZELOS: John, thank you very much for this kind invitation. This is a great opportunity for me to discuss directly with you a few days after the official opening of the rotating presidency of Greece in the European Union, on the Council of the European Union. This presidency, historically speaking, the fifth after the Greek accession to the European family, is a great opportunity for Greece to show the face of an ordinary European country, of a country beyond the crisis. Without doubt, the main Greek national problem is the crisis, and the national reconstruction after this very tough experience of the recession and of the unemployment.

But on the field of the foreign and security policy, Greece is always a factor of stability for our area, for the Western Balkan, for the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. And on this basis we serve the same values, the same views, and we have the possibility to organize our further cooperation as friends and allies. Thank you indeed very much for this opportunity.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you very, very much. Thank you.

READOUT: WHITE HOUSE OFFICIAL'S CALL WITH PRESIDENT HADI OF YEMEN

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE
Readout of Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Lisa Monaco's Call with President Hadi of Yemen

Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Lisa Monaco called President Abdo Rabu Mansour Hadi of Yemen today to reaffirm the U.S. government’s strong support for Yemen’s political transition.  Ms. Monaco commended the National Dialogue for its efforts to develop a shared vision for a more just and democratic Yemen, and expressed U.S. support for President Hadi’s efforts to bring the National Dialogue to conclusion and move forward with implementation of the Gulf Cooperation Council Initiative.  She praised the contributions that Yemeni women, youth, and civil society have made to the National Dialogue, and expressed the hope that they will continue their engagement in subsequent stages of the transition.   Ms. Monaco also reaffirmed the U.S. government’s commitment to stand with the Yemeni government and people as they implement the National Dialogue’s outcomes, foster economic development, and combat the security threat from al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula.

DOD SAYS US.-RUSSIAN RELATIONS CAN COOPERATE IN MANY AREAS

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
U.S., Russia Can Make Bilateral Progress, DOD Official Says
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Sept. 5, 2013 - The United States and Russia disagree on some aspects of their bilateral relations, but there are many areas where the countries can and do cooperate, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia told the Heritage Foundation yesterday.

The relationship has been marked by ups and downs, Evelyn N. Farkas said, and that is normal. The idea, she added, is to work through these disagreements.

"We will continue to work with Russia to find mutually acceptable solutions," Farkas said in her prepared remarks. "We've been managing a significant disagreement with the Russians over Syria."

Still, Farkas said, American officials want to bolster defense cooperation. The United States wants to work on counterproliferation issues with Iran, North Korea, and on counterterrorism and counternarcotics in regions adjacent to Russia.

"Our level of interaction with Russia has increased substantially with the establishment of the Defense Relations Working Group in September 2010," she said. "The working group is intended to create mechanisms for discussion and exchange at the policy level between defense professionals on a range of issues, including defense reform and modernization, missile defense cooperation, defense technology cooperation, and global and regional security issues of mutual interest."

Increased cooperation on Afghanistan tops the U.S. wish list, Farkas said. "Working to bring improved stability to Afghanistan is clearly in U.S. and Russian interests, and Russia continues to be supportive by expanding the Northern Distribution Network and allowing for diversification in the types of cargo that can pass through its territory," she explained. "The U.S. and Russia continue working together to disrupt al-Qaida's and other terrorist groups' operational networks and undermine their access to financial resources."

Continued cooperation to combat piracy off the Horn of Africa also is a U.S. goal, Farkas said.

Even in areas of disagreement there must be conversations, Farkas said. Both Russia and the United States agree that the civil war in Syria should end, she noted, but Russia supports the regime of Bashar Assad. "Both of our countries have been adamant that we remain committed to working with each other to bring the parties together to negotiate a political settlement," she said.

Russia continues to express concern that U.S. and NATO missile defenses could pose a threat to Russia's strategic deterrent, Farkas said, and Russian leaders also question whether Iran really poses a threat.

"We continue to assure Russia that our missile defense efforts are not directed against Russia, nor do they pose a threat to its strategic nuclear deterrent," she said. "And we continue to make the case that the transparency and cooperation we are offering are the best way for Russia to gain the confidence it seeks that our missile defenses do not threaten Russia's strategic deterrent."

Continuing talks on nuclear arms reductions also is important, Farkas said. "We have made clear our willingness to discuss the full range of strategic stability issues of concern to both our countries, and we will continue to seek opportunities to make progress on this agenda," she added.

Farkas echoed a statement President Barack Obama made yesterday in Stockholm on U.S.-Russian relations, citing areas in which U.S. and Russian interests overlap.

The president pointed to progress the two nations have made in the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, in Russia joining the World Trade Organization, and in close cooperation on counterterrorism issues. Russia has also provided logistical support to U.S. and NATO forces based in Afghanistan.

Still, the president acknowledged, relations have cooled recently over Syria and over Russia granting asylum to National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden. "But I have not written off the idea that the United States and Russia are going to continue to have common interests even as we have some very profound differences on some other issues," Obama said. "And where our interests overlap, we should pursue common action. Where we've got differences, we should be candid about them --try to manage those differences, but not sugarcoat them."

DATA-SHARING ASSETS SOUGHT BY SPECIAL OPS

Air Force combat controllers and Army Special Forces soldiers execute a static line jump from an Air Force MC-130H Combat Talon II aircraft during Emerald Warrior 2013 at Hurlburt Field, Fla., April 26, 2013. Special operations forces commanders are advocating for technology that delivers better situational awareness, better networking and communications, and more precise location and targeting capabilities for operators undertaking challenging missions around the world. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Andy M. Kin

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Special Ops Commanders Seek Intel, Data-sharing Assets
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

TAMPA, Fla., May 30, 2013 - Senior commanders recently called on the defense industry to provide technologies that give special operations forces more situational awareness, better networking and communications and more precise location and targeting capabilities.

All noted the unprecedented capabilities the defense industry has delivered to help special operations forces succeed during the past 12 years of conflict. But looking to the future -- the drawdown in Afghanistan, budget constraints and a refocus on the Asia-Pacific region and other parts of the globe beyond the Middle East and Southwest Asia – they said they will need more.

So despite budget constraints and uncertainties, efforts must continue to ensure that special operations forces have the tools they will need to succeed in missions ranging from building partner capacity to irregular warfare and counterterrorism, the commanders emphasized.

At the top of their list are improved intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets and better processes for sifting through the mountains of data streams to paint a more complete operational picture.

Socom's current acquisition efforts are focused on equipping both manned and unmanned fixed-wing assets with ISR capabilities suitable for diverse global requirements, Navy Adm. Michael McRaven, the Socom commander, reported to Congress earlier this year.

"We will need to have an ability to continue to search large data bases to identify enemies and information that helps us understand and gives us clues into what [violent extremist] networks are doing out there," Army Lt. Gen. Joseph L. Votel, commander of Joint Special Operations Command, told the Tampa assembly.

And in support of Navy Adm. William H. McRaven's vision of a global special operations forces network, Votel underscored the need for knowledge management and information storage and sharing technologies to support it.

"We want every advantage before we lock horns with an adversary, and that is knowing what they have available to them and then countering it with decisive action," Navy Rear Adm. Sean A. Pybus, commander of Naval Special Warfare Command, told the assembly.

What's needed, the commanders agreed, are more universal systems to replace those that work only on specific platforms.

"We have to have plug-and-play ISR packages that allow us to select the right tool for the right environment, and be able to work in a standardized fashion in the aircraft that we are operating across the enterprise," Votel said.

Marine Col. Michael Sweeney, deputy commander of Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command, echoed the need for a single, multitiered network to consolidate what five and sometimes six sets of equipment now do. "We are increasing the burden on the force from a load perspective," he said.

"We are system agnostic," said Army Maj. Gen. Michael S. Repass, commander of Special Operations Command Europe. "We don't care what it is, as long ... as the communications are compatible with whatever the distribution network is."

Army Lt. Gen. Charles T. Cleveland, commander of U.S. Army Special Operations Command, said the systems that have proven themselves in Afghanistan will remain critical throughout the rest of that mission and into the future.

But looking ahead, he also recognized the fine line between becoming overly dependent on technology and ensuring enough redundancy "to make sure we are not crippled if we lose something as a capability."

Air Force Lt. Gen. Eric Fiel, commander of Air Force Special Operations Command, said he sees little decrease in future demand not only for ISR, but also for mobility and strike capability. As wartime requirements decrease, the command is evaluating its portfolio to ensure it is postured to provide what future missions will demand, he reported.

The first of up to 10 CV-22 Osprey aircraft slated to be based in Mildenhall, England, are expected to arrive next month to extend the reach of U.S. special operations forces supporting both U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command, Fiel said.

The MC-130J Commando II aircraft also is slated for the European theater, with 12 to be fielded to provide "a very much-needed capability to both Special Operations Command Africa and Special Operations Command Europe," he added.

Naval Special Warfare Command is undergoing a similar assessment of its inventory, as its SEALs and special boat teams transition back to their traditional maritime environment, Pybus said.

A new Maritime Mobility Roadmap, approved by McRaven, calls for a family of vessels – ranging from high-end, stealth, long-range penetrating craft to a multimission craft that can launch from a variety of ships for operations in littoral waters.

But Pybus also noted the need for other hardware suited to the maritime domain: refreshed rebreathers, propulsion devices, sleds and weapons that can work both underwater and across the beach.

"There is equipment that our partners have, quite frankly, that is better than ours, because we spent the past decade fighting ashore," he said "It is time to move forward so that our troops have the best that there is out there so they can be successful."

While laying out their immediate and future requirements, the commanders made clear they understand the economic realities facing the entire military.

"We are going to have to do things smartly and efficiently, because we just won't have all the things that have been available to us in the past," Pybus said. That, he acknowledged, will mean using legacy systems to the very end of their life cycles.

"But you can accessorize them and make improvements to them to make them better," he told the industry representatives. "And that is what we are going to be looking for from a lot of you."

THE ISTANBUL PROCESS FACT SHEET

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

U.S. Support for the Istanbul Process
Fact Sheet
Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs
April 29, 2013

The "Heart of Asia" foreign ministerial in Almaty, Kazakhstan April 26, 2013 continues a high-level dialogue focused on encouraging security, political, and economic cooperation among Afghanistan and its neighbors. This region-led dialogue was launched in November 2011 to expand practical coordination between Afghanistan and its neighbors and regional partners in facing common threats, including counterterrorism, counternarcotics, poverty, and extremism. The United States and over 20 other nations and organizations serve as "supporting nations" to the process.

As a supporting nation, the United States has taken steps to support the six confidence building measures (CBM) endorsed by the "Heart of Asia" group at the Kabul ministerial in June 2012. Some illustrative examples of U.S. government assistance are listed below:

1. COUNTERTERRORISM CBM

• Through its assistance programs, the United States seeks to enhance the capability of the Central Asian States, Afghanistan, and Pakistan to address transnational terrorism through inclusive technical assistance, training and mentoring, and equipment.

• The United States also funds many initiatives that aim to counter violent extremism and support moderate voices through programs in schools, sports organizations, and the media.

2. TRADE, COMMERCE, AND INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES CBM

• The United States is working with partners in the region to develop a better environment for trade and investment, through various programs that support and facilitate regional and international trade agreements, accession to the World Trade Organization, as well as the reform actions needed to enable private sector investment.

• The United States is committed to expanding economic opportunities and supporting entrepreneurs in the "Heart of Asia" region. Assistance programs provide technical training, credit facilitation, and platforms for networking that build the capacity of local entrepreneurs to grow their businesses and expand regional commercial linkages. U.S. commitment to local procurement and use of the Northern Distribution Network to supply troops in Afghanistan is creating economic opportunity in Central Asia.

3. EDUCATION CBM

• In Afghanistan, the United States teaches English to over 3,200 youth each year. To advance regional collaboration, the United States will convene 225 teachers of English from Central Asia, Afghanistan, and South Asia for the Central Asia Teachers of English Conference.

• The United States assists with quality assurance and accreditation systems to strengthen Afghan higher education and supports eight university partnerships. The United States funds 120 full scholarships for Afghan women to attend the American University of Afghanistan and the American University of Central Asia, and 68 Fulbright Fellowships for aspiring scholars and junior faculty to study at U.S. universities each year.

4. COUNTERNARCOTICS CBM

• U.S. assistance builds the capacity and provides the equipment necessary for "Heart of Asia" countries to effectively fight narcotics trafficking on their borders. The United States also provides mentoring and training to border professionals across the region, as well as equipment such as training facilities, re-locatable border shelters, scanners, and communication equipment.

• The United States also provides counternarcotics assistance through international organizations, such as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). U.S. funding supports such programs as the OSCE Border Management Staff College in Dushanbe and OSCE customs and border guard training. UNODC’s support to the drug control agencies of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan and its Container Control Program in Central Asia help with the development of sustainable enforcement structures at select ports of entry to minimize the risk that shipping containers are used for illicit activities.

5. DISASTER MANAGEMENT CBM

• The United States supports several initiatives that provide platforms for actors across Central Asia to work together to anticipate, monitor and respond to natural disasters. U.S. funded programs promote regional collaboration on seismology, seismic hazard assessment, earthquake engineering, and glacier mass balance monitoring. The United States also contributes annually to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance and supports multiple humanitarian NGOs for drought, flood, earthquake, winter response, and disaster risk reduction programs.

6. REGIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE CBM

• The United States is supporting projects across the "Heart of Asia" region that improve the capacity to produce and transport energy. Projects include the construction of transmission lines; expansion and improvement of the electric grid; facilitation of cross-border regional energy connections; and development of the nascent gas sector in Afghanistan.

• The United States supports many different transportation infrastructure projects across the region. Projects include the rehabilitation of the main transit routes between Afghanistan and Pakistan; the construction and rehabilitation of 650 km of roads in Pakistan’s border regions; supporting the establishment of an Afghan Rail Authority; and funding a feasibility study on the Salang Tunnel.

THE COUNTERTERRORISM FOREFRONT

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Partner Capacity Moves to Counterterrorism Forefront
By Amaani Lyle
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 10, 2013 - As al-Qaida affiliates seek sanctuary in North Africa and the Middle East, the United States must continue to take decisive action and help partners improve their capacity to thwart terrorist organizations, a senior Pentagon official said yesterday on Capitol Hill.

In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee's emerging threats and capabilities subcommittee, Michael A. Sheehan, assistant secretary of defense for special operations and low-intensity conflict, praised the special operations community for continually targeting key al-Qaida leadership and networks within countries of varying capabilities.

The United States "cannot allow al-Qaida to have sanctuary with impunity," Sheehan said. "A year ago, if I testified from here, I would've been talking about al-Qaida controlling massive swaths of territory in Yemen ... and Somalia. In both cases, they've been rolled back," he added.

Components of the U.S. strategy involve developing innovative, low-cost and "small-footprint" approaches to achieve security objectives, Sheehan explained.

"The task of training, advising and partnering with foreign military security forces has moved from the periphery to become a critical skill set across our armed services," Sheehan said.

In Yemen, Sheehan said, multinational forces worked with Yemenis to roll back al-Qaida. And in Somalia, which has no functioning government, the United States worked with the African Union in a United Nations peacekeeping operation to eject terrorists.

"The French have pushed [al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb] out of the major cities in north Mali, and we're working to create a U.N. operation to follow that," he said.

Sheehan told the senators that legislation authorizing training and equipping of host-nation forces, particularly in Yemen and East Africa, has been "fundamental" for the United States in successfully building antiterrorism capacity during efforts targeting al-Qaida over the past year.

In Syria, Sheehan said, al-Qaida in Iraq's network, operating under the name al-Nusrah Front, has sought to portray itself as part of the legitimate Syrian opposition to President Bashar Assad's regime.

"Al-Nusrah Front is, in fact, an attempt by [al-Qaida in Iraq] to hijack the struggles of the Syrian people for its own malign purposes, attempting to establish an al-Qaida-governed state in the region," he said.

REMARKS BY U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY AND JAPANESE FOREIGN MINISTER KISHIDA

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Remarks With Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida Before Their Meeting
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Treaty Room
Washington, DC
February 22, 2013


SECRETARY KERRY: Good afternoon, everybody. It’s my great pleasure to welcome the Foreign Minister of Japan, His Excellency Fumio Kishida. We’ve just come from an excellent meeting of the President and the Prime Minister of Japan, and I think it’s fair to say that almost every topic with respect to Japanese-American relations was discussed.

We meet now, two of the three strongest economies in the world, and we meet as very special friends in a very strong alliance, an alliance that I can say to you is really evolving into a global partnership and which is critical to the peace and security of the Asia Pacific.

I want to particularly thank the people of Japan and the leadership of Japan for their extraordinary cooperation on a number of global issues: on counterterrorism - the efforts with respect to Afghanistan; where Japan has been a major partner - efforts in Mali most recently; where we regret the loss of life and we particularly express our sympathies to Japan for the loss of 10 citizens at the In Amenas facility. And Japan has worked hard with respect to the issue of nuclear nonproliferation. They have been an important partner in reducing the level of fuel being used and bought, purchased from Iran. They’ve been important with respect to the enforcement of sanctions.

Japan is also a very important partner in efforts to try to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions, and the Prime Minister raised this issue in the conversation with the President. And Japan, importantly, has been part of the Major Economies Forum and the Clean Climate Coalition and other initiatives, and I think the Minister and I look forward to following up on the discussion that was initiated by the President and the Prime Minister earlier.

Just to underscore the importance of the relationship with Japan, obviously everybody has been aware of tensions around the Senkakus Islands, and I want to compliment Japan on the restraint that it has shown, its efforts to try to make sure that this does not flare up into a significant confrontation. And we make it clear with respect to the Republic of – the Democratic Republic of North Korea, which has recently engaged in very reckless behavior with its nuclear test, that we believe the alliance with Japan is strong, our security commitments with Japan are real and we stand behind them, and they are strong.

So I welcome the Foreign Minister here. There are a number of things that are less critical, I think, that we will be talking about, but I look forward to a good discussion. And most importantly, I look forward to this very important continued global alliance and partnership that we have built. Thank you for visiting us, Minister.

FOREIGN MINISTER KISHIDA: (Via interpreter) Let me start by saying that I appreciate the kind and powerful messages and words from Secretary Kerry with regard to Japan. Right after taking office as Secretary of State, we have had two opportunities so far to talk to each other over the phone, and this is our first meeting – face-to-face meeting, and certainly it is my pleasure to see you in person this time.

With Mr. Secretary, I certainly have looked forward to having discussions on the Japan-U.S. alliance, as well as how we respond to the situations in the Asia Pacific, in the Middle East, as well as the Sahel, and also how we look forward to working on global issues such as counterterrorism and also the issue of environment. And I certainly look forward to having a discussion, and also, by doing so, we would like to deepen our cooperation.

Just a while ago both Mr. Secretary and myself attended the Japan-U.S. summit meeting and during the meeting both leaders had a candid discussion to cover issues such as the economy, security affairs, as well as foreign policy challenges. And I would like to underscore that the meeting was indeed very meaningful. And right now we are going to have the Japan-U.S. foreign ministers meeting with Mr. Secretary, and by having this meeting we would like to do a follow-up based on the outcome of the discussion of the summit meeting. And also, we would like to have the exchange of opinions on the regional affairs.

Obviously, the Japan-U.S. alliance is a lynchpin of the – Japan’s foreign policy, and by working together hand in hand with Mr. Secretary, we would like to achieve progress in reinforcing the Japan-U.S. alliance. And once again, thank you very much for taking the time out to have the foreign ministers meeting today.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you very much. Thank you.

COUNTERTERRORISM AND THE 'SMALL-FOOTPRINT' APPROACH

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

'Small-footprint' Operations Effective, Official Says

By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 31, 2013 - Counterterrorism operations in Somalia and Yemen demonstrate the value of "small-footprint" approaches and building partner capacity, the Pentagon's special operations chief said yesterday.

Michael A. Sheehan, assistant secretary of defense for special operations and low-intensity conflict, spoke here about the threat of terror in those and other countries during remarks at the National Defense Industrial Association's 24th Annual Special Operations and Low-intensity Conflict Symposium, which ended yesterday.

Sheehan pointed out the defense strategy released in January 2012 called for "innovative, low-cost approaches" in widely distributed counterterrorism efforts. In the year since that guidance was issued, such approaches have brought good results, he added.

"A year ago in Yemen, al-Qaida had taken over vast swaths of territory ... and was really threatening the state in Yemen, and also threatening to re-establish some capabilities that were very problematic," he said. "Over the past year, we've made great progress in Yemen."

With the support of U.S. special operations forces, he said, counterterror efforts there have "turned the corner."

Somalia also shows progress over the past year, he said, with al-Shabaab, a terrorist group that controlled large parts of the country, pushed out of the major cities.

"They haven't gone away," he added. "They're a persistent group. ... [But] you can see in our strategies, our policies and programs in Yemen and Somalia, some of the components of how our strategy might look in the months and years ahead."

Sheehan said while terror groups are known to spread and metastasize, the three traditional areas where al-Qaida is an entrenched threat are the mountainous area between Pakistan and Afghanistan, in Yemen, and in East Africa.

"Those three traditional areas ... have been and will continue to be areas of al-Qaida persistence," he said. "Fortunately for us, we've been able to batter them in all of those three areas over the last 10 or 11 years with a great deal of success."

The measure of success against terror groups is their inability to mount strategic attacks, Sheehan said. He credits constant pressure on al-Qaida with diminishing that organization's ability to train and equip terrorists.

"Some people say we've been a little bit lucky, with the underwear bomber and other incidents that haven't quite gone right for al-Qaida, but I'd say it's more than luck," he said. "Because we put more pressure on them around the world, because it's more difficult for them to train and deploy operatives, they make more mistakes."

Sheehan said the failed May 1 bombing in New York's Times Square demonstrated his point. Faizal Shazad, an American citizen later sentenced to life in prison for the bombing attempt, failed, Sheehan said, because "he was trained by the Pakistan Taliban. He couldn't get to al-Qaida."

The bomb Shazad created didn't work, and he had no network to support him, Sheehan said. "He also wasn't a suicide bomber," the special operations chief noted. "Why? Because he wasn't in those camps long enough to be indoctrinated."

The factors that caused the attack to fail weren't just luck, Sheehan said, but "the result of enormous pressure put on the organization, that prevents them from planning, training and launching skilled operatives."

Maintaining that pressure against al-Qaida and similar groups is a task U.S. special operations forces and partner militaries are focused on around the world, he said. If such groups find sanctuary and a place where they can act with impunity, he warned, they can rebuild their strategic capability.

New and evolving terrorist threats are emerging in Syria and North Africa, Sheehan noted.

In Syria, where Bashar Assad's government forces and the people have battled for two years, Sheehan said, the al-Nusra Front is "very closely associated with al-Qaida ... and we believe they are trying to hijack [the] struggles of the Syrian people ... and perhaps put their own agenda on a post-Assad Syria."

In Africa, the Maghreb region along the Mediterranean Sea and the Saharan area of the Sahel "are of major concern to us," he said.

Libya, he added, is "awash with weapons," while Mali was the scene of a Tuareg tribal rebellion that was hijacked by al-Qaida and other affiliates, who gained control of an area about the size of Texas in the country's north.

The French have had great initial success in pushing back al-Qaida advances in Mali, Sheehan noted, but the whole northern part of the continent is seeing increased terrorist presence and involvement.

"All these groups share a similar al-Qaida narrative. ... In many ways, al-Qaida is seeking to rebrand itself and diversify into Africa, because they're able to find, in those ungoverned spaces, the sanctuary they need ... to become strategic," he said.

Northern Africa has the four elements al-Qaida needs to do just that, Sheehan said: ungoverned space, terrorist groups, weapons and funding. Countering al-Qaida requires both direct action and security force assistance, Sheehan said.

"In the long term, we recognize that we can't solely rely on precision strikes to defeat enemy networks and foster the kind of stability we need in these regions," he said. Such stability can best be established by aiding friends, partners and allies, he added.

Special operations forces play a major role in security force assistance as well as in direct action, Sheehan noted. Security force assistance takes two approaches, he explained: training local forces to control border areas and deny space and sanctuary to terrorists, and training specialized counterterror forces.

U.S. special operations forces have, throughout their history, focused largely on training host-nation militaries, Sheehan said.

In Somalia, he noted, "the African Union and a multinational force led by the Ugandans ... did a darn good job, and we helped them. Their job was to control space ... and push al-Shabaab off." Meanwhile, he added, other units focused on high-value targets and other leaders of the organization.

"Coupled together, we had a strategy that worked," Sheehan said.

Sheehan acknowledged that a partnered strategy holds risks. Other countries may embarrass the United States, or U.S. forces could get pulled into other conflicts, he said. But the risk of inaction is greater, he added, as it holds the danger of al-Qaida or other groups developing a strategic attack capability.

Special operations troops understand those risks and have the experience and maturity to manage them, Sheehan said. He noted security force assistance is a "classic" role for special operations forces.

They can deploy to far-flung places in small numbers to protect U.S. national interests and to work with partners "to continue to crush al-Qaida," he said.

U.S. DEPUTY SECRETARY BURNS INTERVIEWS WITH INDIAN MEDIA

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Interview With Indian Media

Press Conference
William J. Burns
Deputy Secretary
New Delhi,, India
October 19, 2012
I am very happy to be back in New Delhi at the end of a trip that has also taken me to Japan, South Korea, China and Burma. I am also proud to have been able to contribute in a small way over the past five years, through two administrations, first as Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs and now as Deputy Secretary of State, to the development of an historic partnership between India and the United States. That period has spanned the completion of the civilian nuclear agreement in 2008 as well as the landmark visits of Prime Minister Singh to Washington in 2009 and President Obama to New Delhi and Mumbai in 2010. And today, I am very proud to reemphasize that our strategic partnership with India is of abiding importance to the United States and one in which both our governments continue to make broad and enduring investments.

Since Secretary Clinton hosted Minister Krishna in Washington in June for the third U.S.-India Strategic Dialogue, the interaction between our two governments has continued to deepen and expand. Strong support across the political spectrum in the United States, as well as in India, gives us reason for continued optimism about the bilateral relationship in the years ahead.

Bilateral trade, as you know, is flourishing, and is expected to surpass $100 billion this year. We have done a considerable amount to remove impediments to further expansion of our trade relationship, including in high technology and defense trade, but there is more that we can do. Concluding a Bilateral Investment Treaty should be a top priority for both our countries, and would send a positive signal to our business communities.

I look forward to exchanging views today on how we can continue to advance our civil nuclear cooperation, to which we remain committed, and to deepening our defense and counterterrorism cooperation.

We are encouraged by the Indian government’s recent bold steps toward economic reforms. As Treasury Secretary Geithner said, these reforms will foster economic growth, with increased investment, and greater prosperity. Once implemented, we are confident that U.S. investors will respond positively to these measures with concrete, job-creating projects and proposals.

I also look forward to exchanging views today on regional economic cooperation, including with Afghanistan and Pakistan. We welcome the progress the Indian government has made with Pakistan on building trade and investment ties and appreciate the leading role India has played in spurring private sector investment in Afghanistan.

India has an important voice in the Asia-Pacific region, and it is fitting that I conclude a trip to a number of leading Asia-Pacific powers with a stop in Delhi. I look forward to discussing our mutual goals for the East Asia Summit and the ASEAN Summit, along with our shared interested in promoting maritime security in the Indo-Pacific region and connectivity between India and Southeast Asia.

We appreciate India’s efforts to urge Iran’s compliance with its international obligations and to resume P5+1 talks on its nuclear program. In our judgment, tough sanctions are necessary to bring Iran back to the negotiating table and to abandon its nuclear weapons program.

I look forward to thanking my Indian colleagues for India’s immediate and strong statement of support following the attack on our diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya and for steps the government has taken to ensure the safety and security of our personnel throughout India.

India is a model of democratic governance, tolerance and rule of law, and can play a critical role throughout the Middle East and North Africa, as well as East Asia, to support the strengthening of democratic institutions, civil society, education, and many other fields. We look forward to partnering with India on these important challenges in the months and years to come.

PENTAGON SAYS U.S. READY TO HELP AFRICAN PARTNERS

Pentagon Press Secretary George Little.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Military Stands Ready to Help African Partners, Little Says
By Nick Simeone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Oct. 2, 2012 - The Defense Department continues to assess the security needs of its African partners, some of which face a growing terrorist presence, but is not planning for unilateral military intervention, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said today.

In a conference call with reporters yesterday, Johnnie Carson, assistant secretary of state for African Affairs, raised the possibly of the need for outside military help to push Islamic militias believed to have links to al-Qaida out of a vast area of Mali.
At a Pentagon news conference today, Little told reporters the military is paying close attention to the situation, but has no plans to intervene unilaterally in Mali or in the region.

"The United States military works very closely with a number of countries in the region to address counterterrorism," Little said. With regard to specific requests for U.S. assistance, Little said "I'm not prepared to make any announcements today, but we continue to assess their needs and, where possible and appropriate, will work closely with our partners in the region."

The French government last week joined the governments of Mali and other West African nations in calling for the creation of an African-led international force to help secure Mali's ungoverned territory. Mali's government also has asked for military intervention from the 16-nation Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, which has intervened in other African conflicts.

Little said the United States would consider requests for help from the group, but the U.S. focus remains on helping the region meet its security challenges on its own. "We're paying very close attention to the situation in the region and stand ready should our partners in the region and regional actors such as ECOWAS request our assistance," he said.

COUNTRY REPORTS ON TERRORISM 2011

Map:  Iraq Position In The MiddleEast.  Map Credit:  CIA
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Briefing on the Country Reports on Terrorism 2011Special Briefing
Daniel Benjamin
Coordinator, Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism
Washington, DC
July 31, 2012
MR. VENTRELL:
Okay. Good afternoon, everyone. We have with us today Ambassador Dan Benjamin, the State Department’s Coordinator for Counterterrorism. He is here today to present our annual report on worldwide terrorism, and without further ado, I’m going to turn it over to him for opening remarks. We’ll then have time for a handful of questions, so Ambassador Benjamin.

AMBASSADOR BENJAMIN: All right. Thanks very much, and thank you all for coming today. Today, the State Department is issuing Country Reports on Terrorism 2011, which fulfills a congressional mandate and also provides us with an opportunity to review counterterrorism events worldwide. Please bear in mind that the report only covers events and developments that occurred during the 2011 calendar year.

Of course, 2011 was an extremely significant year in counterterrorism. Besides the death of Usama bin Ladin and a number of other key al-Qaida operatives, we saw millions of citizens throughout the Middle East advance peaceful public demands for change without any reference to al-Qaida’s incendiary world view. This upended the group’s longstanding claim that change in this region would only come through violence. These men and women have underscored, in the most powerful fashion, the lack of influence al-Qaida exerts over the central political issues in key Muslim-majority nations.

At the same time, I should underscore we have no illusions that the transition process that we are in the midst of will be painless or happen quickly. Revolutionary transformations have many bumps in the road. So much is clear. And so inspiring as the moment may be, we are not blind to the attendant perils. Terrorists could still cause to significant disruptions for states undergoing very challenging democratic transitions. The report’s narrative notes, among other things, the continued weakening of the al-Qaida core in Pakistan, but it also demonstrates that the al-Qaida affiliates, while also suffering losses, increased their overall operational ability. And this is particularly true of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula. So for all the counterterrorism successes that we’ve seen against al-Qaida and its affiliates, the group and violent extremist ideology and rhetoric continue to spread in some parts of the world.

The report also notes that al-Qaida and its affiliates are not the only terrorist threat that the United States faces. We are increasingly concerned about Iran’s support for terrorism and Hezbollah’s activities as they’ve both stepped up their level of terrorist plotting over the past year and engaging in – and are engaging in their most active and aggressive campaigns since the 1990s. Iran’s use of terrorism as an instrument of policy was exemplified, as you’re all aware, by the involvement of elements of the Iranian Government in the 2011 plot to assassinate the Saudi Ambassador here in Washington.

Let me make a few points about the statistical annex, which is at the end of the report and which was prepared by the National Counterterrorism Center. The total number of worldwide attacks in 2011 was more than 10,000 in 70 countries, resulting in more than 12,500 deaths. But that figure, large as it may be, is a drop of 12 percent from 2010. Again, the largest number of reported attacks occurred in South Asia and the Near East. More than 75 percent of the world’s attacks and deaths occurred in these regions. The victims of terrorist attacks remain overwhelmingly Muslim. The majority of attacks occurred in just three countries – Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan, which together accounted for 85 percent of attacks in these regions and almost 64 percent of attacks worldwide. Although it’s worth noting that both Afghanistan and Iraq saw declines in the number of attacks from the previous year – 14 percent in the case of Afghanistan, 16 percent in the case of Iraq.

Africa experienced 978 attacks in 2011, an 11.5 percent increase over the previous year. And this is attributable in large part to the more aggressive attack tempo of the Nigerian-based terrorist group Boko Haram, which conducted 136 attacks in 2011, up from 31 the previous year.

Well, let me end these brief remarks by noting that as a result of international pressure and events such as the Arab Awakening, both al-Qaida the organization and al-Qaida the idea are evolving. Understanding the group’s strengths and weaknesses and the trajectory of its evolution are continuing critical challenges for us and will remain so in the years ahead.
And now, I’ll be happy to take a few questions.

QUESTION: Two questions if I may. One, I look back at the NCTC data going back to 2005, which I think is the first full year for which they were responsible for the statistics, and the figures for both overall attacks and overall worldwide attacks and worldwide fatalities this year, or 2011, are in fact the lowest since 2005. And to what do you ascribe those declines? I mean, I’m sure you’ll say partly it’s you’re getting better at this, but do you also think that the underlying motivating factors for people who launch such attacks are somehow diminishing?

And then secondly, you talked about the Arab Spring. I wonder if you think there is a plausible danger that violence may actually get worse in some places in the short term. I’m thinking in particular of Sinai, but surely there are potentially other examples – Syria being an obvious one – where the transition may actually lead to an increase in what you define as terrorist attacks.

AMBASSADOR BENJAMIN: Both good questions. Let me take the last one first. It’s folly to make predictions of what is going to happen over the next year and what the aggregate numbers are going to look like, but I certainly would not rule out the possibility that we would see increases in violence in any particular area. Egypt, as we know, has gone through a very eventful transition, and that transition included major changes in the security services and in their remit in terms of their personnel and so on and so forth.

We know that there have been long periods of time when many countries in the region were focused on the basic stability of their capitals and their core population areas. So there are all kinds of different things in play, and I think that it would be a mistake to make a hard-and-fast prediction, but simply to say we have to be prepared for any kind of development along those lines. And we’re engaging with all these different countries for exactly that reason.

Now, as for your question about the aggregate declines since 2005, if you remember where we were in 2005, there was an enormous amount of violence in Iraq, and that certainly has to be one of the main reasons for that. And although we’re very concerned about continuing violence in Iraq, the trend line has overall been down through 2011. I think that beyond that, you’d have to look – go region by region. We’ve seen, I think, a pretty steep decline, if memory serves, for example, in Southeast Asia, where there’s been very effective work done to build capacity. In a number of other areas in the world, we’ve also seen increased capacity. Algeria, for example, has many fewer attacks within its borders than it did five, six, seven years ago.

And I think a lot of that is because countries around the world recognize the importance of developing their skills. We’ve worked with many of them on developing their law enforcement capacities, and I think that that’s made a difference. I think the scholars will have the final word on this on why we’ve seen this overall decline, but I want to emphasize it’s still a pretty dangerous phenomenon. As we mentioned, it accounts for thousands of casualties, and there’s reason for lots of vigilance. We can’t ensure that the trend lines will always continue going in the way we want.

QUESTION: You mentioned the uptick in attacks from Boko Haram, and presumably, among the Afghanistan attacks, there were many from the Haqqani Network. Considering that they both were significant contributors to terrorist attacks in your report, what more evidence do you need to include both of them as Foreign Terrorist Organizations?

AMBASSADOR BENJAMIN: Well, we are very concerned about the activities of both groups, and we have been working to address the issue of insecurity in northern Nigeria. And this is a top priority for the Department. We’re concerned about Boko Haram’s activities. We’ve been engaging with the Nigerian Government in particular at the highest levels to move them towards greater engagement with communities that are vulnerable to extremist violence by addressing the underlying political and socioeconomic problems in the north.

As you know, we don’t comment on the designation process. It is a laborious process. It has to be able to stand up in court, takes a long time, and I don’t want to preview any designations or non-designations beyond that. I will point out, though, that we have designated, under Executive Order 13224, three leaders of Boko Haram. We did that back on June 21st. And this allows us to focus on those individuals who are most responsible for violence, for threats against the U.S. and its citizens. And I think that we – that was the right move to take at the time. And if there is more on that designation, you’ll certainly hear about it.


Regarding the Haqqanis, of course, we share with Congress, which has acted on this recently, a strong concern about the activities of the Haqqanis. There is now legislation that has been passed on that. It will be before the President shortly. And again, I’m not going to go into the tick-tock of the review for designation. We take this very seriously. We’ve talked to the Pakistanis on numerous occasions about this, and the work goes on. And again, we have designated many Haqqani leaders under Executive Order 13224, so it’s a mistake to say there have been no designations in this area.

QUESTION: I didn’t say that.

AMBASSADOR BENJAMIN: Okay.

QUESTION: I wonder if I could ask one on al-Qaida, please. Thank you. On al-Qaida, you mentioned that the core al-Qaida group seems to be on a path of decline following the deaths of various leaders, including Usama bin Ladin. But on the same – at the same time, you say that its affiliates are on the rise. And I just wonder, doesn’t that make actually al-Qaida a more dangerous organization; it’s becoming more of a many-headed hydra rather than just one organization that you can fight?

AMBASSADOR BENJAMIN: There’s no question that there is cause for concern. I would not say that we are less safe now than we were several years ago, because the al-Qaida core was the most capable part of the organization by quite a lot, and was capable, obviously, of carrying out catastrophic attacks on a scale that none of the affiliates have been able to match. So it’s a complex calculus, but I – so I wouldn’t say that it is more dangerous out there than it was.

What I would say is that we are very concerned about the growth of the affiliates. We are working closely with partner nations around the world. In the case of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, which is I think everyone agrees is the most dangerous of the affiliates, that’s a group that benefitted from the long political transition, the turmoil that was going on in Yemen. And I’m optimistic because in President Hadi we have a very committed, very reliable partner now. And our work with Yemen is going very, very well. So while the group did exploit that period of uncertainty, we think the trend lines are going in the right direction now in Yemen.

Similarly, we’re working with the various countries of the Maghreb and the Sahel to deal with AQIM. We have strong engagement with East African countries and AMISOM to deal with al-Qaida in East Africa. And I think that it is a serious situation but one that we’re deeply engaged in and making progress in. We just can’t relax, and al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula and its various conspiracies, I think, proves that point better than any of them.

QUESTION: Thank you. You said in the report that by the end of 2001 al-Qaida in Iraq was starting to take advantage of the instability in Syria and was trying to gain a foothold there. I was wondering, in the first part of this year, whether you see that trend continuing and growing and what the al-Qaida presence in Syria is, as you understand it to be, right now.

AMBASSADOR BENJAMIN: Right. Well, look, as I’ve said many times, terrorists gravitate to areas of instability and civil strife, and, as everyone has seen in the press, there have been many accounts of al-Qaida-related operatives being in Syria. There’s no doubt that there are some. And the hatred of Sunni extremist groups for the Assad regime is nothing new. We believe that the number of al-Qaida fighters – al-Qaida-related fighters who are in Syria is relatively small. But there is a larger group of foreign fighters, many of whom are not directly affiliated with AQ, who are either in or headed to Syria, and clearly this is a matter of concern for all who fear greater violence in Syria and for regional stability.

So it’s important though that we see this in context. And we should be clear: Though the Assad regime seeks to portray the current situation as a fight against extremists on its part, the overwhelming majority of the opposition in Syria is composed of ordinary Syrians who are tired of their dictatorship and who yearn for a better, freer, more democratic future for their country.

So long as Assad refuses to go and Syria’s transition is blocked, the danger grows of more foreign fighters, including extremists of the al-Qaida type, infiltrating Syria. We are not – we are very much alert to this issue. We’ve spoken with the Syrian opposition groups and warned them against allowing such fighters to infiltrate their organizations. They’ve assured us that they are being vigilant and want nothing to do with AQ or with violent extremists. And I should add that the Free Syrian Army has issued several statements urging foreign fighters to leave Syria.

QUESTION: Well, can I just – a quick follow? I understand what they’ve said. But is it your understanding that these foreign fighters and al-Qaida are operating alone? Or is there – do you have genuine concerns that they’re colluding with some members of the opposition? I’m not saying one particular group or the other.

AMBASSADOR BENJAMIN: I think our concern is less about collusion than it is about infiltration – groups, individuals who are trying to pass themselves off as something that they aren’t and gaining a foothold in various organizations that way.

MR. VENTRELL: Michel.

QUESTION: Yeah. To what extent are you concerned from Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas behaviors? And what are you doing in this regard?

AMBASSADOR BENJAMIN: Well, of course, Iran is and remains the preeminent state sponsor of terrorism in the world. We are deeply concerned about Iran’s activities on its own through the IRGC-Qods Force. And also, together with Hezbollah, as they pursue destabilizing activities around the globe, we are firmly committed to working with partners and allies to counter and disrupt Iranian activities and to prevent Iran from sponsoring new acts of terrors. And we think that the international community is increasingly alert to this threat and will resist it.

I think that it’s important to note that we’ve seen quite a number of different designations in the last year. We have seen a number of al-Qaida activists in Iran who have been designated. We have had them – our (inaudible) case, which, of course, was foiled. We have had other designations of Hezbollah-related individuals who are involved in criminal activities. This has been an area in which we’ve had some really eye-opening revelations in the last year, particularly in the Lebanese-Canadian Bank case. And of course, I speak frequently with interlocutors, with counterparts around the world, on the threats of Hezbollah and, frankly, so do many people above me in the hierarchy, both here and at the White House and at the Department of Defense, and so on and so forth. This is a whole-of-government activity, and it’s concerted and it’s determined.

MR. VENTRELL: We have time for just a couple more questions.

QUESTION: You speak of destabilizing activities around the world of Iran. Can you name some?

AMBASSADOR BENJAMIN: Well, as you know, there are investigations going on in quite a number of different countries. I think that the appropriate thing is to allow those countries to speak for the status of those investigations, but quite a number of them bear the hallmarks of either Iranian or Hezbollah activities.

QUESTION: Including the Bulgaria attacks?

AMBASSADOR BENJAMIN: I’m going to leave that the Bulgarians to characterize.

MR. VENTRELL: Go ahead.

QUESTION: What is your assessment of the strength of Lashkar-e Tayyiba in the year 2011? Has it increased or come down because of the al-Qaida’s decline?

AMBASSADOR BENJAMIN: I have no seen any decrease in Lashkar-e Tayyiba strength. It continues to be a matter of great concern to us, and I’ve spoken on many occasions about the threat to stability in South Asia that Lashkar-e Tayyiba poses. We’ve urged Pakistan to take more action against Lashkar-e Tayyiba. We’d certainly like to see more progress on that trial regarding the atrocities in Mumbai. It remains a major concern on the terrorist landscape, without a doubt. So --

MR. VENTRELL: Right here.

QUESTION: Thank you. I was wondering if you can jump to Latin America and make some comments on Colombia, if you can highlight how is the situation or what the report says about Colombia. Thank you.

AMBASSADOR BENJAMIN: Well, the long-term picture in Colombia at the end of 2011 remained quite good. We’ve seen an enormous reduction in terms of the territory and capabilities of the FARC and the ELN. There is, of course – continues to be activity that is of concern, but when we look around the world and see who’s really benefited from political will and capacity-building efforts, Colombia is at the very top of the list. We know that it takes a long time for terrorist groups to be truly wound down and put out of business. So if there are continuing attacks, I suppose that shouldn’t be a surprise. But again, we consider Colombia to be a success case and one in which its leadership showed great resolve.

QUESTION: Do you have information – about Colombia, do you have information about relationship between President Chavez and terrorists in Colombia – FARC, ELN?

AMBASSADOR BENJAMIN: I don’t think we have anything that we haven’t put out before. Of course, there have been issues regarding FARC people having a safe haven, using Venezuela for a safe haven. There have been a number of designations of Venezuelans for their relationship with terrorists, and it’s something that we continue to look at very, very carefully.

MR. VENTRELL: Last question. Can you --

QUESTION: Yeah?

MR. VENTRELL: Sure.

QUESTION: Thank you. Can we jump to – maybe to Europe, southeast of Europe, especially – I mean, Western Balkans, especially Bosnia and Kosovo? Do you have from that region – do you have any information about connections between al-Qaida and some terrorist activities in Bosnia and Kosovo and maybe Iran-backed activities in that part?

AMBASSADOR BENJAMIN: Well, actually, the – I think the report covers that, and I encourage you to read the section on Bosnia. There certainly has been some extremist activity there. As you know, an extremist in Frankfurt who came from that region carried out an attack against the U.S. military personnel. It is a concern, and we do engage with the government in Sarajevo as well as in – others in the region to deal with this. I would not say that this is a theater that causes us concern in the same way that South Asia and the Middle East do, but nonetheless, it’s an area where we’re engaged and vigilant.

QUESTION: Are you following the trial about the gentleman who attacked the American Embassy in Sarajevo that --

AMBASSADOR BENJAMIN: I don’t have any information on that myself, but I’m quite sure that the Bosnia desk in the EUR is covering it, as is our own regional directorate. So –

MR. VENTRELL: Thank you all.