U.S. AMBASSADOR TO UN TESTIFIES TO CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Testimony to the House Foreign Affairs Committee
Samantha Power
U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations
Washington, DC
June 16, 2015
AS DELIVERED

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Congressman Engel. Distinguished members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today. And thank you for being here. Thank you also for your leadership in advancing America’s national security interests and our values in the world.

Last week I traveled to Ukraine, where I had the chance to see up close what happens when the rules undergirding our international peace and security are ignored. At a shelter for displaced families in Kyiv, I met a mother who told me how her husband and two-year-old child had been killed in February when a shell struck their home in a village in eastern Ukraine. The shelling, as you all know, was part of a sustained assault by combined Russian-separatist forces – and the victims just two of the more than 6,300 people who have been killed in the Moscow-manufactured conflict. Shortly after the attack, the mother fled town with her five surviving children in a van whose roof and doors had been blasted out. Her plea – one I heard echoed by many of the displaced families I met from eastern Ukraine and occupied Crimea – was for the fighting to stop, and for their basic rights to be respected.

As the members of this Committee know, we are living in a time of daunting global crises. In the last year alone, Russia continued to train, arm, and fight alongside separatists in eastern Ukraine; a deadly epidemic spread across West Africa; and monstrous terrorist groups seized territory across the Middle East and North Africa, committing unspeakable atrocities. These are the kinds of threats that the United Nations exists to prevent and address. Yet it is precisely at the moment when we need the UN most that we see the flaws in the international system, some of which have been alluded to already.

This is true for the conflict in Ukraine – in which a permanent member of the UN Security Council is violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity that it was entrusted with upholding. It is true of the global health system that – despite multiple warnings of a spreading Ebola outbreak, including those from our own CDC – was slow to respond to the epidemic. And it is true of UN peacekeepers, who too often stand down or stand by when civilians they are responsible for protecting come under attack. Thus leaving populations vulnerable and sometimes open to radicalization.

Representing our nation before the United Nations, I have to confront these and other shortcomings every day. Yet though I am clear-eyed about the UN’s vulnerabilities, the central point I want to make to this Committee is that America needs the United Nations to address today’s global challenges. The United States has the most powerful set of tools in history to advance its interests, and we will always lead on the world stage. But we are more effective when we ensure that others shoulder their fair share and when we marshal multilateral support to meet our objectives. Let me quickly outline five ways we are doing that at the UN.

First, we are rallying multilateral coalitions to address transnational threats. Consider Iran. In addition to working with Congress to put in place unprecedented U.S. sanctions on the Iranian government, in 2010 the Obama Administration galvanized the UN Security Council to authorize one of the toughest multilateral sanctions regimes in history. The combination of unilateral and multilateral pressure was crucial to bringing Iran to the negotiating table, and ultimately, to laying the foundation whereby we were able to reach a framework agreement that would, if we can get a final deal, effectively cut off every pathway for the Iranian regime to develop a nuclear weapon.

Consider our response to the Ebola epidemic. Last September, as people were dying outside hospitals in West Africa, hospitals that had no beds left to treat the exploding number of Ebola patients, the United States chaired the first-ever emergency meeting of the UN Security Council dedicated to a global health issue. We pressed countries to deploy doctors and nurses, to build clinics and testing labs, and to fill other gaps that ultimately helped bend the outbreak’s exponentially rising curve. America did not just rally others to step up, we led by example, thanks also very much to the support of this Congress, deploying more than 3,500 U.S. Government civilian and military personnel to Liberia, which has been Ebola-free since early May.

Second, we are reforming UN peacekeeping to help address the threats to international peace and security that exist in the 21st century. There are more than 100,000 uniformed police and soldiers deployed in the UN’s sixteen peacekeeping missions around the world – that is a higher number than in any time in history – with more complex responsibilities also than ever before. The United States has an abiding strategic interest in resolving the conflicts where peacekeepers serve, which can quickly cause regional instability and attract extremist groups, as we have seen in Mali. Yet while we have seen peacekeepers serve with bravery and professionalism in many of the world’s most dangerous operating environments, we’ve also seen chronic problems, too often, as mentioned, including the failure to protect civilians.

We are working aggressively to address these shortfalls. To give just one example, we are persuading more advanced militaries to step up and contribute soldiers and police to UN peacekeeping. That was the aim of a summit that Vice President Biden convened at the UN last September, where Colombia, Sweden, Indonesia and more than a dozen other countries announced new troop commitments; and it is the message I took directly to European leaders in March, when I made the case in Brussels that peacekeeping is a critical way for European militaries to do their fair share in protecting our common security interests, particularly as they draw down in Afghanistan. This coming September, President Obama will convene another summit of world leaders to build on this momentum and help catalyze a new wave of commitments and generate a new set of capabilities for UN peacekeeping.

Third, we are fighting to end bias and discrimination at the UN. Day in and day out, we push back against efforts to delegitimize Israel at the UN, and we fight for its right to be treated like any other nation – from mounting a full-court diplomatic press to help secure Israel’s permanent membership into two UN groups from which it had long and unjustly been excluded, to consistently and firmly opposing one-sided actions in international bodies. In December, when a deeply unbalanced draft resolution on the Israel-Palestinian conflict was hastily put before the Security Council, the United States successfully rallied a coalition to join us in voting against it, ensuring that the resolution failed to achieve the nine votes of Security Council members required for adoption. We will continue to confront anti-Israel bias wherever we encounter it.

Fourth, we are working to use UN tools to promote human rights and affirm human dignity, as we did by working with partners to hold the first-ever Security Council meeting focused on the human rights situation in North Korea in December. We used that session to shine a light on the regime’s horrors – a light we kept shining through a panel discussion I hosted in April, with escaped victims of the regime. One woman told of being forced to watch the executions of fellow prisoners who committed the “crime” of daring to ask why they had been imprisoned, while another woman told how members from three generations of her family – her grandmother, her father, and her younger brother – had starved to death. This is important for UN Member States to hear.

Fifth, we are doing everything within our power to make the UN more fiscally responsible, more accountable, and more nimble – both because we have a responsibility to ensure American taxpayer dollars are spent wisely, and because maximizing the efficiency of our contributions means saving more lives and better protecting the world’s most vulnerable people. Since the 2008 to 2009 fiscal year, we have reduced the cost-per-peacekeeper by 18 percent, and we are constantly looking for ways to right-size missions in response to conditions on the ground, as we will do this year through substantial drawdowns in Côte d’Ivoire, Haiti, and Liberia, among other missions.

Let me conclude. At the outset, I spoke of my recent visit to Ukraine. Across the range of Ukrainians I met – from the mother who lost her husband and two-year-old child in the assault by combined Russian-separatist forces; to the brave students who risked their lives to take part in the Maidan protests against the kleptocratic Yanukovych government; to the young members of parliament working to fight corruption and increase transparency – what united them was the yearning for certain basic rights. And, the belief that the United States could lead other countries – and the United Nations – in helping make their aspirations a reality.

I heard the same sentiment when visiting UN-run camps of people displaced by violence in the Central African Republic, and South Sudan, and in the Ebola-affected communities of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone at the peak of the outbreak.

Some may view the expectation that America can help people overcome their greatest challenges and secure their basic rights as a burden. In fact, that expectation is one of our nation’s greatest strengths, and one we have a vested interest in striving to live up to – daunting as it may feel in the face of so many crises. But we cannot do it alone, nor should we want to. That is why it is more important than ever that we use the UN to rally the multilateral support needed to confront today’s myriad challenges.

Thank you and I look forward to your questions.

U.S. CONGRATULATES POLISH PEOPLE ON THEIR CONSTITUTION DAY

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
On the Occasion of Poland's Constitution Day
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
April 30, 2015

On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the Polish people as you celebrate the 224th anniversary of your constitution on May 3.

Poland’s journey has long been personal to me. I have visited several times, and it’s no accident that I chose Poland for my first stop in Central Europe as Secretary of State. I was deeply moved to stand at the gravesite of former Prime Minister Tadeusz Mazowiecki and lay a wreath on behalf of the American people. I was struck by how much has changed in just one generation, and how much of that change was possible because of the vision of this extraordinary man. Prime Minister Mazowiecki was a devoted advocate for freedom and human rights and democracy. His legacy continues to inspire today.

The Polish people know what it means to stand up to tyranny. Poland’s story of triumph since the fall of communism inspires advocates of freedom around the world. You have shown what is possible when people are allowed to embrace and define their own futures.

The United States commends your support for civil societies from Eastern Europe to North Africa, including the people of Ukraine as they proceed with constitutional reform and elections. We value our extensive security relationship as NATO allies. Our troops are proud to serve alongside Polish soldiers in Afghanistan and we honor their shared sacrifice. Last summer, our two countries launched an innovation program that will benefit both of our economies by tapping the creativity of our nations’ researchers, entrepreneurs, innovators, financiers, and educators.

As you celebrate Constitution Day, the United States stands with you as we work together toward a free, prosperous, and democratic world.

NATO SECRETARY GENERAL STOLTENBERG SAYS ALLIANCE WILL "ADAPT TO NEW THREATS"

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
NATO Prepares for Challenges From East, South
By Jim Garamone
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, March 12, 2015 – NATO commanders are putting in place the infrastructure that will allow the alliance to adapt to new threats, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told the press yesterday at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe in Mons, Belgium.

Stoltenberg spoke alongside Air Force Gen. Philip M. Breedlove, NATO’s supreme allied commander, after NATO commanders briefed the secretary general on progress toward meeting the goals of the Wales Summit.

Both men noted the security environment in Europe has grown complicated and that the alliance must change to deal with these new threats. While the alliance continues the train, advise and equip mission in Afghanistan and the peacekeeping operation in Kosovo, it is changing to confront new issues.

Threats From East, South

“We see threats both from the East with the more aggressive actions of Russia in Ukraine, [and] also from the South with violence and turmoil spreading to the Middle East and North Africa,” Stoltenberg said.

The answer to both challengers is a boost to collective security, he added.
The alliance is more than doubling the size of the NATO Response Force from 13,000 to 30,000 troops.

“We are setting up a new 5,000-strong quick reaction Spearhead Force, with some units ready to move within as little as 48 hours,” Stoltenberg said. “And we are also creating six command-and-control centers in the Baltic states and three other eastern allied states.”

‘Deliberative and Unified’ Changes

Breedlove said those moves are on track. “We’re in full swing moving forward with our assurance and our adaptation measures and these will make our alliance even more ready and responsive in the future,” the general said.

“The United States is sending 3,000 troops and equipment to the Baltic region for training,” Stoltenberg said. “And in the south, we are preparing to hold this autumn our biggest exercise for many years, expected to include over 25,000 troops in this exercise.” NATO also has ships exercising in the Black and Baltic seas, he added.

The measures are defensive, proportionate and in line with international commitments, the secretary general said.

Changing the alliance posture is tough, involved work, Breedlove said. “We are tackling these changes in a deliberative and unified fashion,” he said. “I’ve spent many years serving among our European allies and I’m pleased to say that I’ve never seen a greater degree of cohesion, resolve and determination to ensure that NATO is ready to meet our future challenges, and I’m confident this will continue as we secure our future together.”

GENERAL DEMPSEY SAYS CYBER AMONG TOP THREATS

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT

Right:  Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, talks to about 700 attendees during a student conference on national affairs at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, Feb. 19, 2015. DoD photo by D. Myles Cullen.  

Dempsey: Russia, Terrorists, Cyber Among Top Threats
By Lisa Ferdinando
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

COLLEGE STATION, Texas, Feb. 19, 2015 – The global security environment contains a host of threats, including Russian aggression that threatens NATO allies, and the violent extremists network from western Pakistan to north Africa, said the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey spoke today at a student conference on national affairs at Texas A&M University, rounding out a two-day visit to the campus.
He outlined his "two, two, two and one" view on national security, which is comprised of two heavyweights, two middleweights, two networks and one domain.

Russia is included as a heavyweight, along with China.
Russia ‘Lit a Fire’

Russia "lit a fire of ethnicity and nationalism that actually threatens to burn out of control," he said. "And in so doing, they are threatening our NATO allies."
Dempsey said it is hard to imagine that in 2015 there would be that kind of conflict and "those kind of instincts" that are coming to the front again in Europe.
The human suffering in Ukraine is "atrocious," he said.

"It's almost unimaginable," the chairman told the audience, which included members of the Texas A&M University Corps of Cadets, other university students and members of the military.

The United States is working with its NATO allies, he said, to reassure the alliance and also try to assist Eastern Europe, including non-NATO countries, in "suppressing this effort to rekindle fires that haven’t burned in Europe" in 70 years.

China Reemerging

On the other heavyweight, China, he said that nation is reemerging on the global scene. It is a very strong economic country that is becoming militarily strong, the chairman said.

The United States will continue to work with China in managing any differences, he said.

"We'll be competitors but it doesn’t mean, I think, we'll have to be enemies," he said. "We're working hard to do that."

Middleweight Powers: Iran, North Korea

The two middleweights are Iran and North Korea.

The United States is working with its partners to try to convince Iran to seek a diplomatic resolution to the Iranian nuclear issue, he said. Western nations contend that Iran is seeking nuclear weapons, while Tehran says its nuclear ambitions are for peaceful purposes.

"We are working hard to reach a negotiated settlement on their nuclear program, but we shouldn’t forget there are other issues which cause us concern about Iran," the chairman said, noting those concerns include Iran being a state sponsor of terrorism.

Networks and Cyber Domain

The two networks Dempsey talked about in his speech are the violent extremist network from western Pakistan to northern Africa, and the transnational criminal network that runs north and south in the Western Hemisphere. The domain is cyber.

The transregional network of al-Qaida, Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, and other terrorists are competing for a radical, anti-Western ideology that is fomenting the internal challenges of Islam's Sunni and Shia, he said.

"That network is transregional,” he said. “It will take a generation or more to be defeated and it will take persistence on our part and working closely and most often through partners and hardening our allies in order to deal with it."

To combat both the extremist and transnational criminal networks, they need to be "pressed" across their entire length, not just "pinched" in a spot, the chairman said.

"You have to interdict the financing; you have to interdict the flow of foreign fighters or criminals. It takes a really broad effort with partners to deal with that," he said.

Finally, on the domain of cyber, he said, "we've got a lot of work to do. We've made some strides, some pretty significant strides, militarily in particular in terms of defending ourselves."

But the general said despite the security in military networks, 90 percent of his administration and logistics functions ride on commercial Internet providers.
"So if they're vulnerable, I'm vulnerable and I don't like being vulnerable," he said.

Action in securing this domain, he said, includes legislation that establishes a common set of standards on Internet security, and allows information sharing between the government and the private sector.

From College Station, Dempsey travels on to Kwajalein Atoll and Australia.

NATO AND THE SOUTHERN FLANK

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
NATO Official Discusses Southern Flank, Mediterranean Dialogue
By Jim Garamone
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Nov. 17, 2014 – Russia’s blatant disregard of international norms in Ukraine is just one example of its attempts to reject an international order that promotes democracy, sovereignty and the rule of law, NATO’s deputy secretary general said in La Hulpe, Belgium, today.

Alexander Vershbow told the conference on NATO-Israel cooperation that challenges from Russia and from NATO’s southern flank share many of the same attributes.

Russia’s continued attempts to destabilize Ukraine “have blatantly breached international agreements and confidence-building measures,” Vershbow said.
And on NATO’s southern flank, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant continues to spew its hatred, “pouring oil on the fire of extremism and sectarianism that is already burning across the Middle East and North Africa,” he said.

“ISIL’s advances in Iraq and the Levant also risk exporting terrorism much further afield, including to NATO and [European Union] member states,” the deputy secretary general added.

NATO Determined to Defeat ISIL, Similar Threats

ISIL is working to overthrow rules-based and values-based order that is the guarantor of freedom, security and prosperity for all nations, Vershbow said, and NATO is determined to play its part to defeat this threat and those like it.
“The capabilities and forces that we are now developing are very clearly aimed at enhancing NATO’s overall resilience,” the deputy secretary general said. “We want to be able to deploy them quickly not only whenever, but also wherever, threats emerge – whether it’s in our eastern or our southern neighborhoods.”
At NATO’s summit held in Wales in September, the alliance also decided to strengthen cooperation with partner nations. The summit also launched an initiative to help partners strengthen their ability to address security challenges.
“This initiative builds upon NATO’s extensive expertise in defense capacity building -- for instance, in Kosovo and Afghanistan,” Vershbow explained. “And we made clear that we stand ready to assist Iraq in strengthening its security sector, if the new government so requests.”

Risk of Extremism Has Grown on NATO’s Southern Flank

The risk of extremism on NATO’s southern flank has grown and produced more fertile territory since the Arab Spring, the deputy secretary general said. The Mediterranean Dialogue – a NATO initiative celebrating 20 years – is more valuable than ever, he added.

“The Mediterranean Dialogue was never intended to have a direct influence on the Middle East peace process, or in tackling the wider challenges of the region,” he said. “But it was a genuine attempt to improve mutual understanding, to dispel misconceptions and to foster a dialogue that otherwise would not exist.”
The dialogue has developed into a unique multilateral forum, he noted. “It’s the only structured framework where the 28 NATO allies, Israel and key Arab countries sit together on a regular basis,” he said.

But more can be done, Vershbow told the forum audience:
-- A firm offer to assist countries in transition with defense and security sector reform, including planning and budgeting;
-- Dealing with surplus ammunition; and
-- Encouraging what he called “good security governance.”
NATO nations have unique expertise in these areas, he said, and the alliance will look to include the European Union in these efforts.

More Focus on Capability Building

Vershbow said he would like to see more focus on capability building. “We want to help the countries of the region to be better able both to address security concerns in their own region and to participate in international peacekeeping and crisis management operations – including those led by NATO,” he said.
This, he added, could involve greater military-to-military cooperation, and invitations to participate in NATO training, exercises and education programs.
“But it could also involve more structured cooperation between NATO and organizations like the African Union and the Arab League,” he said.
The deputy secretary general said he expects a further strengthening of dialogue and cooperation where NATO shares the same values and interests with its partners to better address specific concerns and requirements. “And I see particular scope here for our relations with longstanding, active partners like Israel,” he added.

SECRETARY KERRY'S REMARKS WITH FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER FABIUS

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 
Remarks With French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius After Their Meeting
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Quai d'Orsay
Paris, France
November 5, 2014

FOREIGN MINISTER FABIUS: (In French.)

SECRETARY KERRY: Merci. Thank you, Laurent. As Foreign Minister Fabius has just said to you, we had a broad discussion on all of the topics that he mentioned to you. We agree that we are living in very, very complicated times with enormous challenges, but we also believe that we are up to those challenges. And whether it is Ebola or ISIL, Syria, Iraq, the challenge of the nuclear program in Iran, Afghanistan, France and the United States are cooperating more than ever before, hand in hand closely, driven by our values, as Laurent said, and mindful of the fact that the world is looking for leadership on these issues.

We did talk, as he said, about our approaches to and our concerns about the negotiations with respect to Iran’s program, and I agree with Laurent. They have a right to a peaceful program but not a track to a bomb. We believe it is pretty easy to prove to the world that a plan is peaceful. And so we talked today about our common positions, about our common interests. We are hand in hand, linked in this effort, and we will work extremely closely together in the next weeks to try to find a successful path.

In addition, we are very committed to continuing to press for the stability and ability to find peace in the Middle East. We talked about that today. We both have deep concerns about the continued settlements that are taking place and the need for all parties involved to avoid confrontation and try to find a way back to the negotiations, which are critical and the only way, in the end, to be able to bring about the stability and peace that people want.

So there are many challenges beyond even the ones we talked today – Libya, North Africa, counterterrorism – but I’m very grateful to Laurent Fabius for the leadership of France, for their engagement, for their initiative individually in certain countries – Mali, elsewhere, Central African Republic, where France has been willing to take the lead and help to make a difference. And we remain committed, particularly in these next weeks when so much is at stake, to continuing to work together extremely closely.

So I’m grateful for the opportunity to be here today and I thank Laurent for his good counsel and for his good food. (Laughter.) Thank you, sir.

FOREIGN MINISTER FABIUS: Thank you, sir. Merci.

ANNE RICHARD MAKES REMARKS AT CONFERENCE ON PROTECTION OF REFUGEE CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

Investing in the Future: Protecting Refugee Children in the Middle East and North Africa

Remarks

Anne C. Richard

Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration

Remarks at the First Regional Conference Dedicated to the Protection of Refugee Children and Adolescents

Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

October 15, 2014

I would like to thank His Royal Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Al Qasimi, and High Commissioner Guterres for hosting this very important conference.

Children in the region confront horrors and hardships that almost defy belief. They have been blown apart by bombs at elementary schools, sold as sex slaves and forced to fight.

Millions of children have been driven from their homes in Syria. Recently hundreds of thousands have fled their homes in Iraq. I have met refugee children in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq, and heard their harrowing stories.

I have also seen hundreds of refugee children who were bound for North Africa. They had walked from Eritrea to a camp in Ethiopia. Many were utterly alone. They had fled ruthless repression, hopelessness, and military service without end. But were about to continue northward, where smugglers and traffickers could easily kidnap, rob, rape them or send them off aboard unseaworthy boats to drown.

By cooperating more effectively, I believe we can offer more and better protection to these vulnerable refugee children and adolescents. So I am very pleased that we have gathered for this conference.

Meeting refugees’ basic needs – providing shelter, health care, and nutrition – is not enough. Children and adolescents need targeted aid that is tailored to their ages and needs, recognizes how vulnerable they are and how resilient they can be. These programs can change the trajectory of their lives.

The U.S. government supports the goals outlined in UNHCR’s 2012 Framework for the Protection of Children. Today I will focus on one of these goals, safety, and on the related issues of protecting girls, providing quality, education and proper documentation for refugee children.

Children continue to face danger, long after they flee from the bullets and the bombs. Often refugee children and adolescents shoulder burdens that they should not, because families are fractured, or because years of exile have stripped them of their money, their dignity, and their patience.

More and more children are working, often in jobs that jeopardize their health or their futures because their families need the cash.

Refugee girls and adolescents face sexual exploitation and abuse. Some of those who wield power over refugees have reportedly extorted sexual favors. Land lords, camp leaders, and as in crises elsewhere, even some of those charged with delivering aid.

Many Syrian refugee girls are not allowed to attend school or even leave their homes because it’s considered too dangerous. Women and girls may be reluctant to seek help when they are harassed. Adolescent girls who are harassed may themselves be blamed and punished by relatives for shaming their families. In part, because sexual abuse is such a danger, and in part because families are running out of money, girls are being forced to marry.

Studies show that in two years, the rate of child marriages among Syrian refugees in Jordan has doubled, and nearly half of these marriages pair girls with men at least a decade older. Child brides are more likely to drop out of school, have risky early pregnancies, and face domestic abuse, which endangers both them and their children.

Donors, aid agencies, and host governments can work together to help children be and feel safer. Specialized training can help aid workers care for and counsel children. Most aid groups know that we should not create redundant structures that run parallel to existing government institutions, but instead, improve government services to protect all children.

As humanitarians and donors, we must hold ourselves to the highest possible standard. Aid workers and others who are supposed to be helping refugees should NEVER – not ever – get away with sexually exploiting or abusing them. This is why codes of conduct and respect for the core principles of Preventing Sexual Exploitation and Abuse are so important. We can improve safeguards and mechanisms for reporting abuse and work together to bring perpetrators to justice.

Countries hosting refugee children can also consider tightening certain laws or stepping up enforcement of existing laws to prevent forced early marriage and the worst forms of child labor. Governments could ease the financial pressures on families that put children at risk. For instance, granting temporary work permits to adults – can make an enormous difference to children.

Access to good schools can insulate refugee children from all sorts of hazards. Parents who believe their children are learning something useful are less likely to urge them to drop out and go to work or get married. Being in school lowers the risk that children will be recruited to fight.

In addition, school can offer something precious to uprooted children: normalcy and social cohesion. Yet, after more than three years of warfare, three million children in Syria are no longer in school. More than half a million Syrian refugee children in neighboring countries face the same predicament. This includes half of all registered Syrian refugee children in Jordan and 80 percent of those in Lebanon.

Because schools are severely overcrowded, some communities have resorted to double-and even triple-shifts. Syrian children in Turkey and northern Iraq also struggle because they do not understand Turkish or Kurdish. The majority, who do not live in camps, have a much harder time enrolling in school. Some have missed too much school to go back. Some are too traumatized to concentrate and learn.

Education is also under siege in Iraq and Gaza. In parts of Iraq, more than 2,000 schools now house families forced to flee the mayhem unleashed by ISIL extremists. After the recent fighting, many schools in Gaza are either damaged or destroyed or continue to shelter displaced civilians.

Many of your governments are pouring enormous effort and resources into accommodating the huge influx of refugee children. The No Lost Generation initiative has helped to nearly triple the number of Syrian children receiving education in neighboring countries. The United States is committing millions of dollars for education programs through organizations like UNICEF, UNHCR, UNRWA, and international non-governmental organizations.

The international community supports steps to broaden access further by making it easier to register for school or earn certificates or other credentials. Innovative solutions including non-traditional education can fill gaps. For example, UNRWA is broadcasting school lessons on satellite television and YouTube to reach its students in Syria who are unable to attend school.

We can help children feel safer in school and on the way there. Children too emotionally distraught to pay attention may benefit from counseling. Additional training can help teachers to recognize and assist them. Our projects should not only help refugees but also build social cohesion between refugee and host communities by meeting both groups’ needs.

Finally, I would like to talk about my third topic: the legal documents every child needs to be recognized as a person. We are at risk of creating a generation of stateless children. This is because many refugee children are not registered at birth and because nationality laws in several countries in the region bar women from conferring their nationality to their children.

Every year, thousands of Syrian refugee children are born without documentation, and without fathers on hand to help secure their nationality. Without birth registration, these children may not be able to enroll in school or gain access to vital services. Worse still, they become particularly vulnerable to the type of exploitation we’ve already discussed today: to child labor, child marriage, and other forms of gender-based violence. This lack of birth registration can haunt refugee children for the rest of their lives.

In 2011, the U.S. Department of State launched an initiative to promote women’s equal right to nationality. It seeks legal reforms in the 27 countries where women lack this right, and pushes for registration of all children at birth.

Some countries have taken important steps to remove barriers to registration.

Jordan, for example, is establishing satellite offices of its Civil Service Department in major refugee camps, and waiving certain deadlines and fees for birth registration.

We know that children are resilient. If someone stands up for them, protects them, teaches them, while they are still young they can heal, and learn. The demands are so great and the stakes so high that we must not falter, or waste precious resources or miss opportunities to cooperate. I am grateful to be here, to share our perspectives and to hear yours as we work together to help the region’s children.

Thank you very much.

CHAIRMAN JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF SAYS U.S. "NOT POLITICALLY EXHAUSTED"

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Dempsey Rejects Notion of Exhausted United States

By Jim Garamone

American Forces Press Service

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, May 28, 2014 – The United States is not politically exhausted, “and it would be a mistake to come to that conclusion,” Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey said during an interview here today.

“In fact, it would be a mistake to decide that we are politically exhausted or weary militarily,” the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told Sky News.

Many in the Persian Gulf region believe that the United States is exhausted from 13 years of war. They point to the withdrawal of troops from Iraq and the coming drawdown in Afghanistan as proof of this weariness, and they extrapolate a U.S. withdrawal from the region at large.

But this is not the case, Dempsey said, citing what has happened to al-Qaida as an example. Al-Qaida was a centralized organization based out of Afghanistan and Pakistan. The United States and its allies -- including the United Arab Emirates -- put pressure on the terror organization. Central al-Qaida is a shadow of its former self, but the group has adapted, the chairman said.

“They have taken advantage of unsettled and ungoverned spaces elsewhere in the Middle East and North Africa,” the general said. “The terror group is a long-term problem and not one the United States is giving up on.”

Rather than being weary or wary, Dempsey said, the United States is “rebalancing our efforts to build partners, to enable others and to do certain things ourselves -- but that should be our last resort.”

“For the most part,” he added, “we ought to address these challenges collaterally and collaboratively with partners.”

U.S. forces do face fiscal challenges, the chairman said, but he doesn’t see that affecting the Persian Gulf region. “We are going through a period of retraction in our budget, but it’s a matter of history,” he explained. “We go through this about every 20 years, and the United States still has the military capability to do many more than one thing at a time.”

The United States doesn’t face a choice to be either in the Atlantic or the Pacific, in Europe or the Middle East, or in Asia or Africa, Dempsey said.

“We have global responsibilities. We have global partnerships,” the chairman said. “One of the greatest strengths of the United States is its alliances, its partnerships, unlike some others who aspire to be great powers, but they don’t have friends, they don’t have partners. They try to go it alone. We, on the other hand, see our strength through our partners.”

NATO CHIEFS MEETING IN BRUSSELS; WILL DISCUSS RUSSIA AND AFGHANISTAN

FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

NATO Defense Chiefs to Discuss Russia, Afghanistan

By Jim Garamone

American Forces Press Service

ABOARD A U.S. MILITARY AIRCRAFT, May 20, 2014 – Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will discuss the situation in Eastern Europe, Europe’s southern flank, and the way forward in Afghanistan during meetings with NATO’s uniformed leaders in Brussels this week.
The NATO Chiefs of Defense meetings are held twice a year, and this one is a lead-in to the NATO Summit that’s slated in Wales in September.

In Brussels, the chiefs will discuss the Russia-Ukraine crisis and its implications for the alliance. They will also assess the situation in the Middle East and North Africa -- an area crucial to NATO’s southern flank.

Dempsey telegraphed this concern during a May 14 speech at the Atlantic Council last week.

“NATO is in a critical crossroads … given the aggressiveness of Russia, so its eastern flank must be reconsidered,” Dempsey said at the council meeting. “But I’ll also tell you that my personal advice to my fellow [chiefs of defense] in NATO is that the southern flank of NATO deserves far more attention than it currently receives from NATO.”

The alliance leaves the southern flank to the southern European nations, the chairman said. Portugal, Spain, Italy and Greece are most concerned about the Mediterranean.

“And yet the issues that are emanating into the NATO southern flank from the Middle East and North Africa could quite profoundly change life inside of Europe, not only Southern Europe, but well into Central and Northern Europe,” he said.
Terrorist cells, criminal syndicates, human traffickers, and drug smugglers see the southern flank as an opportunity and the alliance as a whole must consider the threats to the region.

The chiefs will also discuss plans for the remainder of the International Security Assistance Force mission in Afghanistan and the implementation of Operation Resolute Support -- the advise and assist follow-on mission in the country.
Meanwhile, Russia’s actions in Ukraine have changed the political situation in Europe, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said at a press conference in Brussels yesterday.

“It is less predictable and more dangerous,” Rasmussen said of Europe’s current political situation. “For NATO, this has implications for now and in the future.”
Russia’s annexation of Crimea and its continued threats to the eastern and southern parts of Ukraine has led to Russia’s international isolation, including NATO’s suspension of all practical cooperation with Russia.

“NATO cannot take what it has achieved for granted, because Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has posed a challenge to a fundamental principle -- the right of sovereign states to choose their own paths,” Rasmussen said. “Russia has committed to this precept many times, but we see that President [Vladimir] Putin now refuses to uphold this promise.”

The secretary general noted that Ukraine will hold its presidential election May 25. More than 5,000 observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe will monitor the election. U.S. officials believe this election will be a good mirror of the true sentiments in Ukraine.

“This is the vote that counts,” Rasmussen said. “Any effort to delay or disrupt the elections would be an attempt to deny the Ukrainian people their choice and a further step back to find a genuine political solution to the crisis.”

To deter Russia and reassure allies, NATO has beefed up the Baltic air-policing mission. The alliance also has added ships in the Baltic and the Black Seas. Alliance airborne warning and control system aircraft are patrolling the skies over Poland and Romania. And NATO has increased the number and size of its exercises.

“Right now, about 6,000 troops from across NATO are taking place in Exercise Steadfast Javelin in Estonia,” Rasmussen said. “This is a significant exercise aiming to test our ability to repel an attack against an ally. It includes infantry, fighter jets and also a cybersecurity team.”

Steadfast Javelin, he said, is a good example “of the steps we are taking to bolster our forces and their readiness.”

The alliance must look at how much nations spend on defense and how they spend it, the secretary general said. NATO has a goal of each member country spending 2 percent of its gross domestic product on defense, but only four do so -- the United States, the United Kingdom, Estonia and Greece. Some nations -- France, Turkey and Poland -- are close to that benchmark.

The secretary general said he is encouraged that NATO nations are looking for ways to reverse the trend toward less defense resources.

SECRETARY KERRY'S REMARKS IN RABAT, MOROCCO

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

Remarks at Embassy Rabat Meet and Greet

Remarks

John Kerry
Secretary of State

Rabat, Morocco

April 3, 2014

---

AMBASSADOR BUSH: Good evening, everyone, and thank you for coming here to join me in welcoming Secretary Kerry to Morocco. I am honored and delighted to have this opportunity to greet the Secretary in Rabat after arriving just five days ago myself. In fact, we were both hoping to come to Morocco in the fall, and events outside of our control certainly kept us away at that time.

The U.S.-Morocco relationship is one of strategic and historical significance, dating back to the 1786 Moroccan-American Treaty of Friendship, which still is in force and effect today. The Secretary’s visit and his participation in the U.S.-Morocco Strategic Dialogue is further proof of the importance of this relationship, and it serves as another indication of the strength of ties between our countries.

Our mission in Morocco is a large one, with hundreds of Americans and local staff spread throughout the country, from the Tangier Legation located in Tangiers that still stands as a symbol of the historic ties between our two countries, to the Consulate General office in Casablanca where our colleagues fulfill our mission to aid and protect American citizens in Morocco. It expands to our robust USAID and Peace Corps programs that are aimed at promoting Moroccan economic engine development, and finally to the Embassy in Rabat, where we engage with our counterparts in the Moroccan Government on a wide array of issues of mutual interest. I am proud to be a part of the U.S. mission to Morocco and to serve and represent our country in the noble cause of strengthening the U.S.-Moroccan diplomatic partnership.

I know the Secretary is eager to meet you, to speak with you, and he’s well aware of how long you’ve stood around waiting for us. And so without any further ado, please allow me to introduce the U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. (Applause.)

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you, Dwight. Thank you, Mr. Ambassador. (Applause.) Thank you very much. Thank you. How long have you been standing around? (Laughter.) What’s the truth here now? Was it a long time? I’m really sorry. Are you kids – are you guys all right? Did you find something to do while I wasn’t here? (Laughter.) Are you all mad at me already? (Laughter.) Okay, good. Thank you very much. I appreciate that.

Well, I think I should be welcoming the ambassador here. I mean, I don’t know. (Laughter.) Five days seniority over my visit? I’m really happy that he’s here. He’s got a distinguished career in the private sector, a lot of banking initiatives, other efforts, worked for Sallie Mae and so forth, and opened his own company which gives financial advice. So if any of you need help on the side, here’s the man. (Laughter.)

AMBASSADOR BUSH: I’m out of that business.

SECRETARY KERRY: You’re out of that business now. Anyway, and I’m delighted to welcome his family here. We’ve got – Antoinette is here, and thank you very much. Antoinette Cook Bush, I think. Is that correct? And Dwight Junior and the beautiful Jacqueline who’s over here. Thank you. And they’re all on spring break, guys. They’re just here, quick and easy. I guess, no. You’re here on a sort of visiting thing for high school, right? That’s kind of cool.
So I’m happy to see them. And while I’ve been gone, the Red Sox went to the White House, and I’m really angry that I wasn’t there. (Laughter.) It’s, like, painful for me. And I read the Boston Globe story of all these politician friends of mine who were all over there at the White House having a good time. And it was really funny because Republicans and Democrats alike were fawning over every Red Sox player. So Senator Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire and Senator Shaheen were there. It was the most bipartisan moment in Washington in recent memory.
And it’s my understanding you guys have a raging softball season? Is that true? And we have – let me see now, we’ve got Swat. Any Swat people here? (Cheers.) And we’ve got Barbarians? Is that true? Are there Barbarians here? I mean of a different kind. (Laughter.) And then there’s the Nomads, right? Which I particularly find appealing. And why is there only one or two people from each of these teams here? (Laughter.) I don’t know. Anyway – well, good luck to you all. May you not destroy each other on the field.

It’s really a pleasure for me to be in this very historic mission. The ambassador, in his comments, talked about the long, long history we’ve had here. And obviously, our history goes way back here for security reasons, ironically. That’s what brought us to this part of the world. Just today, earlier, I was in Algeria, where they showed me and gave me, actually, a copy of the treaty of 1795, which was our Treaty of Amity and Friendship with Algeria, which is part of the same sort of process that brought us here.

And we have a very close relationship with the Kingdom of Morocco. I met with His Majesty the King when he came to Washington recently. We had a very good discussion, interesting discussion. The foreign minister has become a good acquaintance, friend, through the international organizations and meeting that we’d wind up attending together. And all in all, we are really hoping that we can take an already strong relationship and make it even stronger.
It’s very important for us to build our security relationship here, and that’s because of what’s happening in the region. In Mali, in Chad, you run around the region – obviously Libya, Tunisia, all the way over to the other side of North Africa – Egypt, et cetera. We really need the countries that have the capacity to be stable to expand the rights that people are enjoying, to put in place the political and economic and civil society kinds of reforms that strengthen them for the long run, and also to provide economic opportunity. We’re living in a global marketplace, a global world. And so our jobs are their jobs, their jobs are our jobs, our companies, their companies; it’s all melded now. And we need to understand that there are some people fighting fiercely against modernity, against globalization, who don’t really have a philosophy that they want people to hang their hat on, but who have an ideology which is pretty extreme that suggests you’ve got to do what they say, live the way they want to live, and that’s all there is to it. And if they don’t, they may take your life, as you know. It’s violent. It’s disruptive. It has no rule of law. And it is contrary to all the values of individual choice, freedom, and of the values of collective rule of law which has really governed the world since the post-World War II period, which we have now seen suddenly disrupted with events with Russia and Ukraine.

So a lot is at stake. And what you all are doing here is connected to everything that we’re doing in every other part of the world. It’s very important work. And I want to thank you for it on behalf of President Obama and myself. We are very proud of the work that you do. I think there about 143 families out here. There some 400-plus people who are working here, a bunch of local folks. Local employees, would you mind raising your hands, those of you who are local? Look at you all. Thank you. We can’t do this without you, and everybody is very grateful for what you do. Thank you. (Applause.) I know sometimes you wind up getting the burden of our mistakes, or if people don’t like something we’ve said or done you hear about it, so we’re really grateful to you.

And for everybody else, Foreign Service officers and Civil Service, political appointees, temporary duty, agencies who are sharing the roof of the Embassy and working together, I just want to wish you all well as you go forward in these duties. I want to thank you on behalf of your country, the President. I was with him in Italy the other day. He talked to the Embassy folks there and told them how proud he is not just of them but of everybody in the diplomatic service who carries the values and the interests of our country every single day in everything that you do.
So I ask you to go forward remembering that I will have your back in everything you do. I promise you that. We have an amazingly hardworking crew back in Washington, from Pat Kennedy and the Deputy Secretary Bill Burns and everybody who are watching out for security issues on a daily basis, and all of your interests.

And by the way, I have really good news. I’m here to tell you that the pay freeze that was in place has been lifted and you’re all going to get a little bit of a pay raise, and I hope you’re happy about that. (Cheers and applause.) The only negative part of that is I said a little bit of a pay raise. (Laughter.) I wish it was gigantic, but that’s not the world we’re living in now.

So I want to know – this is really important – how long have you been here, and how do you like it? Can you come here? Come here and tell me something. Come on. Do you mind if I put you on the microphone? You can share a thought with everybody, because I’m always interested in this. How old are you?

PARTICIPANT: I’m nine.

SECRETARY KERRY: Nine years old. And how long have you been here?

PARTICIPANT: About half.

SECRETARY KERRY: Half a year. Are you learning some language?

PARTICIPANT: Yeah.

SECRETARY KERRY: What are you learning?

PARTICIPANT: French.

SECRETARY KERRY: And how’s your French? Pretty good?

PARTICIPANT: No.

SECRETARY KERRY: No. Okay. (Laughter.) All right. You get the honesty award. (Laughter.) Anybody else got something to tell me about what they’re doing which is fun?
Come on up here. Come on up. What’s your name?

PARTICIPANT: Max.

SECRETARY KERRY: Mac?

PARTICIPANT: Max.

SECRETARY KERRY: Okay. And how old are you?

PARTICIPANT: Seven.

SECRETARY KERRY: Seven years old. Okay. And are you learning some language?

PARTICIPANT: French.

SECRETARY KERRY: Okay. That’s cool. Can you say something in French?

PARTICIPANT: Bonjour
.
SECRETARY KERRY: Okay. (Laughter and applause.) Great job. That’s so good.
Okay, you’ve something to tell me? Come on up here. All right. What’s your name?

PARTICIPANT: Jack.

SECRETARY KERRY: And Jack, how old are you?

PARTICIPANT: Seven.

SECRETARY KERRY: That’s cool. You’re both seven. That’s wild. Are you at school here?

PARTICIPANT: Yes.

SECRETARY KERRY: What school do you go to?

PARTICIPANT: RES
.
SECRETARY KERRY: Okay. Is that –

PARTICIPANT: It’s an American --

SECRETARY KERRY: Oh, okay. That’s the American school.

PARTICIPANT: (Off-mike.)

SECRETARY KERRY: Are you? Okay. And what – are you learning a language?

PARTICIPANT: Yes.


SECRETARY KERRY: What are you learning?

PARTICIPANT: French.

SECRETARY KERRY: Also French. What are you going to do with that? Speak it, right?

PARTICIPANT: Yeah. (Laughter.)

SECRETARY KERRY: Say something to everybody.

PARTICIPANT: In French?

SECRETARY KERRY: Yeah.

PARTICIPANT: Ca va?

SECRETARY KERRY: Ah, right. Yeah. (Laughter and applause.)
All right. Wow, you guys are great. Anybody studying a language other than French? Come on up here, Lauren. Come on, don’t be bashful. Come on. I won’t embarrass you, I promise you. But I’m going to – how old are you?

PARTICIPANT: Eleven.

SECRETARY KERRY: I was eleven when I went abroad with my dad in the Foreign Service, and I was 11 years old, and I learned a little bit of German, Italian. They sent me to school to learn – what did they send me to school to learn? They sent me to school to learn German, and they wound up having so many Italians there, if I wanted to eat or do anything I had to learn Italian. And then I promptly forgot it pretty soon afterwards. But I knew enough to swear at people and do other things. (Laughter.) So how are you doing?

PARTICIPANT: Good.

SECRETARY KERRY: Is it fun?

PARTICIPANT: Yeah.

SECRETARY KERRY: What language are you learning?

PARTICIPANT: French.

SECRETARY KERRY: I thought you were learning another language. (Laughter.) I thought you were learning a different language. You’re learning another one, too? Any other languages? Is that it?

PARTICIPANT: Yeah.

SECRETARY KERRY: What? What’s the other?

PARTICIPANT: The other is Bulgarian.

SECRETARY KERRY: No kidding. That’s fantastic. Can you say something in Bulgarian for everybody that we won’t understand? (Laughter.)

PARTICIPANT: Zdrasti.

SECRETARY KERRY: What’s that?

PARTICIPANT: Zdrasti.


SECRETARY KERRY: Zdrasti. Is that “hello”?


PARTICIPANT: Yeah.


SECRETARY KERRY: Yeah, I thought so. (Laughter.) Ah, you did understand it. Okay. Thank you. You guys are heroes. Thank you all very, very much. (Applause.)
So I want to have a chance just to say hi to everybody, and again, a profound thank you to all of you for your service. It’s great. Appreciate it.

NATO's FUTURE DISCUSSED AT CHIEFS OF DEFENSE MEETING

FROM:  DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Military Chiefs Look to NATO’s Future
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

ABOARD A U.S. MILITARY AIRCRAFT, Jan. 23, 2014 – The NATO chiefs of defense “talked a little bit about today, a little bit about tomorrow, and a little bit about 10 years from now,” the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said as he returned to Washington today from alliance meetings in Brussels.
Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey took advantage of the 170th Chiefs of Defense Meeting to not only address NATO issues, but to strengthen military-to-military relations with other nations.

The chairman’s first engagement in Brussels was a meeting with his Russian counterpart Gen. Valery V. Gerasimov. Dempsey said the session was very positive and constructive, describing U.S.- Russian relations as important “not just because of the issues that are apparent to us, but the ones that are not yet apparent,” he said. The alliance’s possible future in Afghanistan after its current mission ends this year was also discussed. At the NATO meeting itself, he said, “We reminded ourselves that while the discussions are going on about our 2015 presence, we still have some tasks at hand to accomplish,” he said.

The chiefs looked at ways to increase the pace of development of the Afghan national security forces – focusing on how to improve the institutions that build and manage them. And, they discussed what can be done to help Afghans hold a credible, transparent and fair presidential election in April.

Most of the NATO support will be peripheral, as the Afghans have the lion’s share of conducting the vote. The United States will provide some logistical support and transportation for election observers.

The chiefs also discussed how they can “preserve our options so when the political decision is made on 2015 and beyond, we’ll have a pretty clear understanding of how we will have to shift to accomplish it.”

The other main outcome of the meeting was an increased awareness of the threats and risks building on the alliance’s southern flank. The United States has long spoken about transnational threats emanating from North Africa and the Middle East. Terrorist organizations take advantage of weak governments or ungoverned spaces and use them as safe havens, Dempsey said. Al-Qaida in the Islamic Mahgreb is one of these groups and there are others.

“I am encouraged that the alliance is beginning to understand some of the risks that are building on its southern flank,” the chairman said. “Now we have reached the point of entering into conversations about what as an alliance we might do about it.”

The chiefs spoke about NATO’s nascent cyber defense capability. “It’s mostly all national level,” he said. “We’re trying to find ways to link it together to make ourselves more capable in the cyber dimension.”

The meeting in Brussels will be followed by a NATO defense ministers’ meeting next month, which will help set up a NATO Summit that will be hosted by the United Kingdom later this year.

DEFENSE SECRETARY HAGEL, ITALY'S DEFENSE MINSTER DISCUSS ISSUES

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel escorts Italian Defense Minister Mario Mauro through an honor cordon at the Pentagon, Jan. 13, 2014. Hagel and Mauro met to discuss global security and cooperative efforts such as the joint strike fighter program. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo 

FROM:  DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
Hagel Discusses Variety of Issues With Italy’s Defense Minister
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 14, 2014 – Afghanistan, Syria, Mediterranean security and cooperative efforts such as the joint strike fighter program highlighted a meeting at the Pentagon yesterday between Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Italian Defense Minister of Defense Mario Mauro, Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said.
n a statement summarizing the meeting, Kirby noted that Italy is a key NATO ally and an important leader in addressing global challenges in Afghanistan, Lebanon, the Balkans and North Africa.
"Secretary Hagel praised Italy's contributions to capacity building in emerging democracies in the Middle East and North Africa,” the admiral said. Italy recently began providing security training to Libyan general purpose forces, and will help to stabilize Afghanistan as a framework nation in Afghanistan's western region after the current NATO mission concludes at the end of the year, he added.
Hagel also lauded Italy's role in the international community's mission to eliminate Syria's chemical weapons stockpile, Kirby said. Italy has offered to provide a port to transfer the materials from Danish and Norwegian vessels to the Cape Ray, a U.S. ship that has been specially configured to neutralize the chemical weapons materials at sea.
"Secretary Hagel is thankful for the hospitality Italy provides to the approximately 33,000 U.S. service members, civilians and families who live and work there,” the press secretary said, and looks forward to seeing Mauro in September at NATO’s summit in Wales.

U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE PANETTA ON U.S. SUPPORT OF FRENCH IN MALI

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Panetta: U.S. Support to French in Mali Aimed at al-Qaida
By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service

LISBON, Portugal, Jan. 14, 2013 - U.S. and French defense leaders are hammering out details of intelligence, logistics and airlift assistance the United States will provide to French forces in Mali, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said today.

Speaking to reporters on the flight to the Portuguese capital, the secretary said such planned assistance demonstrates U.S. leaders' resolve that "we have a responsibility to go after al-Qaida wherever they are."

"We've gone after them in the FATA," Panetta said, referring to the federally administered tribal areas in Pakistan's northwest. "We're going after them in Yemen and Somalia. And we have a responsibility to make sure that al-Qaida does not establish a base for operations in North Africa and Mali."

French forces began airstrikes in Mali, a former French colony, four days ago. It has been widely reported France began its air campaign to halt the movement south of al-Qaida affiliated extremists, who have held Mali's northern area since April.

Panetta said the United States and its allies have been "very concerned" about AQIM, or al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, "and their efforts to establish a very strong base in that area."

The secretary said DOD officials have been working with regional partners to try to develop plans to confront that threat. "I commend France for taking the steps that it has," he added. "And what we have promised them is that we will work with them to ... provide whatever assistance we can to try to help them in that effort."

Officials from the Stuttgart, Germany-based U.S. Africa Command also are discussing military support with France, the secretary said. A senior official traveling with the secretary told reporters that specific U.S. support to French forces in Mali has not yet been defined, but that Army Gen. Carter F. Ham, Africom commander, spoke by phone earlier today from the African continent with the secretary, who was flying to Portugal at the time.

"We'll continue to work with [the French] to ensure that ultimately we do stop AQIM and that the responsibility for assuring security in that region will be passed to the African nations to provide a more permanent security for the sake of the world," Panetta said.

While that longer-term solution develops, the secretary said, he will consult with allies on shorter-term support in France's fight.

"One of the discussions I'll have in Spain regards their concern about what's happening with AQIM in Mali, as well," he said. "And I'll get a better idea of what these other countries may be doing to assist."

The secretary said while al-Qaida members in Mali do not appear to pose an immediate threat to the United States or its allies, "we're concerned any time al-Qaida establishes a base of operations that, while they might not have any immediate plans for attacks in the United States and in Europe, that ultimately ... still remains their objective. And it's for that reason that we have to take steps now to ensure that AQIM does not get that kind of traction."

President Barack Obama yesterday notified Congress, as required by the War Powers Act, that United States troops "provided limited technical support to the French forces" engaged in the attempted rescue of a French hostage in Somalia. French forces reported Denis Allex, who had been a hostage of al-Qaida-affiliated al Shabaab since 2009, was killed in the raid.

U.S. forces took no direct part in the assault on the compound where planners had concluded the French citizen was held hostage, the president wrote. U.S. combat aircraft briefly entered Somali airspace to support the rescue operation if needed, but did not employ weapons, he added.

All U.S. forces who supported the operation had left Somalia by about 8 p.m. EST Jan. 11, the president wrote.

"I directed U.S. forces to support this rescue operation in furtherance of U.S. national security interests," the president wrote, "and pursuant to my constitutional authority to conduct U.S. foreign relations and as commander in chief and chief executive."

Panetta landed here today for the first leg of a weeklong trip that will also take him to Madrid, Rome and London.

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE LEON PANETTA'S MESSAGE ON THE "ARAB SPRING"

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Trip Message: "Arab Spring" - Challenge and Opportunity
As Delivered by Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta, The Pentagon, Tuesday, August 07, 2012
To All Department of Defense Personnel:
Last week, I took a four-day trip to the Middle East and North Africa – my 13th international TDY as a Secretary of Defense. Now that I am back in Washington, I wanted to share some of my experiences from the trip with you.
My visit to Tunisia, Egypt, Israel and Jordan took place during a critical moment for the region. Amidst a great deal of turmoil, a real confluence of challenges and opportunities is emerging. We've seen peaceful democratic transitions in Tunisia and Egypt, brutal violence in Syria, and a continued threat to regional stability posed by Iran and violent extremism.
As we left Washington on the way to Tunisia, it was clear that this trip would encompass many of these challenges and opportunities. Our first stop was Tunis, the capital of Tunisia and the site of the ancient city of Carthage. Tunisia was the birthplace of the Arab Spring, and one of the main purposes of the visit was to commend Tunisia's leaders, and the people of Tunisia, on the success of their revolution. In meetings with President Marzouki, Prime Minister Jebali and Minister of Defense Zbidi I told them that the United States strongly supported Tunisia's democratic transition. We all agreed that Tunisia's emergence as a democracy provides an opportunity to build an expanded relationship across a range of issues – including economic and security cooperation.
After a series of bilateral meetings, I had the opportunity to pay my respects at the North Africa American Cemetery and Memorial in Carthage, where nearly 7,000 U.S. personnel who were killed or missing during the North Africa campaign in World War II are memorialized. It was an incredibly moving experience to lay a wreath at the cemetery, which is immaculately maintained thanks to the dedication of the American Battle Monuments Commission. I paused beside the grave of Foy Draper, an American gold medalist who ran with Jesse Owens during the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Draper was killed in the battle of Kasserine Pass in 1943. Like thousands of others who perished during that campaign, he will never be forgotten.
After visiting the cemetery, we made a brief stop to see the ruins of the old forum at Carthage, situated atop Byrsa Hill overlooking the blue waters of the Mediterranean. During a brief tour of the Carthage National Museum, I paused to look at beautiful, ancient mosaics – testament to the rich culture and history of the region.
My visit to Tunisia ended with an Iftar dinner graciously hosted by Minister of Defense Zbidi. It was an honor to break the Ramadan fast with the Minister and Tunisia's senior military leaders, who have played a very positive role in the revolution. Tunisia still faces a number of challenges as it continues its democratic consolidation, but I came away from my time their impressed with its leaders courage and vision, and pleased to be able to assure them that the United States supports Tunisia's democratic change.
Our next stop on this trip was Cairo. Egypt is also undergoing a peaceful democratic transition, and the main purpose of this visit was to meet with their newly elected leader, President Morsi, and with Field Marshal Tantawi, who has been instrumental in leading the historic transition to democratic, civilian rule. The U.S.-Egypt security relationship has been the bedrock of regional stability for more than 30 years. President Morsi affirmed his commitment to that partnership. In private and in public, my message to Egypt's leadership and the Egyptian people was simple: the United States strongly supports Egypt's democratic future through an orderly, peaceful and legitimate transition to a democratic system of government.
From Cairo I took a quick flight aboard a C-17 to Tel Aviv for my second visit to Israel as Secretary of Defense – and my fifth since joining the Obama administration in 2009. I have built a strong working relationship with my counterpart, Minister of Defense Ehud Barak, and he joined me at my hotel in Jerusalem for a private dinner soon after I arrived. Our conversation focused on the range of pressing security challenges confronting Israel and the United States in the region – most notably Iran's nuclear ambitions and the violence being perpetrated by the Assad regime in Syria, on Israel's northern border. The challenges facing the U.S. and Israel are significant, but in the face of those challenges we have reached what Minister Barak has called the strongest levels of defense cooperation in our history.
One tangible sign of that cooperation is the $275 million we have provided Israel to acquire the Iron Dome short-range rocket defense system. During my time in Israel, Minister Barak and I had the opportunity to travel to the outskirts of Ashkelon – about 45 minutes south of Tel Aviv – to tour an Iron Dome battery. Iron Dome has had a better than 80 percent success rate at hitting rockets fired from Gaza into Israeli population centers, and it has successfully intercepted more than 100 rockets. We can be proud of this system's record of saving lives and preventing wider conflict in that region.
At the Iron Dome battery, I spoke publicly of the United States's rock solid commitment to Israel's security, which extends to dealing with the threat posed by Iran. The United States shares Israel's commitment to preventing a nuclear-armed Iran, and I carried that message to President Peres and Prime Minister Netanyahu. While we are focused on increasing diplomatic pressure on Iran through sanctions, I also made clear, publicly and privately, that all options are on the table.
From Israel, I made the short trip to Amman, Jordan, to consult with King Abdullah. This was my first trip to Jordan as Secretary of Defense. The situation in Syria, and its impact on Jordan, dominated our discussion. I told the King we appreciate Jordan's efforts to keep his country's borders open to those fleeing the violence in Syria, and that we will work closely with the Government of Jordan to provide humanitarian assistance in support of those affected by the violence in Syria. We both agreed that strong international pressure needs to be sustained to make clear that Assad must go, and that the Syrian people deserve to determine their own future.
After my meeting with the King, I returned to the airport and boarded the Air Force E4-B for the twelve and a half hour flight back to Washington. On the flight, I reflected on the many challenges and opportunities that are facing the region.
In each country, there was a clear desire for closer partnership with our military, and once again I was struck by the deep respect foreign leaders have for our Department of Defense. That is a tribute to you – the millions of men and women who support our mission of protecting the country, and advancing U.S. security interests around the globe. In a time of challenge and turmoil, your efforts are helping American play a positive role in supporting change throughout the region.
You will always have my gratitude, and the gratitude of the American people, for your work in helping us achieve a safer and more secure future.

LIBYA BECOMES MILITARY PARTNER WITH AFRICOM

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCE PRESS SERVICE
Army Gen. Carter F. Ham, commander of U.S. Africa Command, left, looks on as U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta lays a wreath on the graves of U.S. sailors at a cemetery in Tripoli, Libya, Dec. 17, 2011. The sailors were lost aboard the USS Intrepid more than 200 years ago. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo  

Africom Forms Military Relationship With Libya
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
STUTTGART, Germany, June 15, 2012 - Operation Odyssey Dawn, the U.S. Africa Command-led U.S. mission in Libya last year, imparted important lessons the Defense Department's newest combatant command is applying as it welcomes a new African partner to the fold while still dealing with some of the residual challenges left by the former regime, the Africom commander said.

Army Gen. Carter F. Ham conceded during recent congressional testimony that the challenges in Libya didn't end with the fall of Moammar Gadhafi and his dictatorship.

"There are some small pockets remaining in Libya and in other places in North Africa that were centers of foreign fighters who left North Africa, transited along various routes and ended up fighting against us and other coalition forces inside Iraq," he told the House Armed Services Committee in February.

"There are remnants of that, and there are indications that al-Qaida senior leadership is seeking ways to reestablish those networks," he said. "And that's one of the challenges that lie ahead for us."

Ham said he's concerned about their influence on Tunisia as well as Libya as both countries attempt to establish representative governments.
"It's very clear that extremist organizations -- notably al-Qaida, with some direction from al-Qaida's senior leaders -- would seek to undermine that good governance that the Tunisians and the Libyans seek," he told the Senate Armed Services Committee in March. "And so I think that's the real threat that is posed."

"So I think we need to partner very closely with the security forces [and] armed forces of Tunisia and Libya to prevent the reestablishment of those networks [and] to prevent those violent extremist organizations from undermining the progress that both countries are seeking."

Africom is forming a new military-to-military relationship with the Libyans and is working to strengthen its long-term military-to-military relationship with the Tunisians, Ham said, emphasizing the importance of close partnerships with both nations.
"I am very satisfied with the progress of the military-to-military relationship that is developing" with the new Tunisian government, he reported. "We need to sustain that."
"And similarly, with the Libyans, we are forming a good relationship," he continued, noting the standup of an Office of Security Cooperation at the embassy there that can help coordinate security assistance, international military education and training and other security cooperation. "So we're moving in the right direction, but we need to sustain that effort," he said.

Speaking with American Forces Press Service at his headquarters here, Ham said military operations in Libya drove home the point that all U.S. combatant commands including Africom must be capable of operating across the full spectrum of conflict.

"It is probably not going to be very often where Africa Command goes to the more kinetic, the more offensive operations in Africa," he said. "But nonetheless, we have to be ready to do that if the president requires that of us."

Africom typically conducts relatively small-scale, non-offensive missions focused on strengthening the defense capabilities of African militaries, he noted. "But there is an expectation that we must be able to do the full range of military activities."
Operation Odyssey Dawn also reinforced that the United States won't conduct military operations alone, Ham said. "We are always going to do them as part of some type of coalition," he continued. "So building the processes, the mechanisms that allow us to readily incorporate the capabilities of other nations is an important aspect for us as well."
Ham noted the United States' long history of operating with NATO, but said it wasn't as prepared to work side-by-side with non-NATO partners, particularly Arab countries, that joined the coalition. "We had to make sure we were postured to incorporate them very quickly," he said. "I think that is a good lesson for us as we think about operations across Africa in the future."

Africom's close association with U.S. European Command, with both command headquarters here in Stuttgart, proved particularly valuable during the Libya campaign, he said.

Ham called European-based forces absolutely critical to Operation Odyssey Dawn. "Simply stated, we could not have responded on the timelines required for operations in Libya had air and maritime forces not been forward-stationed in Europe," he said.
"Operations in Libya have truly brought U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command to a higher level of collaboration," Ham told the Senate Armed Services Committee. "And this year, we'll continue to work closely together to seek to more effectively address security challenges in our respective areas of responsibilities."
The Europeans, both through NATO and through the European Union, are heavily invested in security matters in Africa, Ham told the House Armed Services Committee. "And it is our strong relationship and partnership with U.S. European Command that allows us to have access and meaningful dialogue in the planning and coordination of those activities."

Navy Adm. James G. Stavridis, the Eucom commander who testified alongside Ham, noted that the two commands have shared nautical component commanders and regularly partner in counter-piracy operations.

"We are also exploring ways that we can create efficiencies in intelligence and information sharing," Stavridis said. "And I believe we essentially share intelligence facilities now, and there may be some ways to do even more of that."

STATE DEPARTMENT ON THE CHANGING FACE OF ANTI-SEMITISM

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Identifying the Trend: the Changing Face of Anti-Semitism and Implications for Europe and Sweden
Remarks Hannah Rosenthal
Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Institute for Security and Development Policy
Stockholm, Sweden
April 25, 2012
Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for welcoming me here today. I would like to thank the Institute of Security and Development Policy for hosting this forum on the Changing Face of Anti-Semitism and Implications for Europe and Sweden. Thank you also for inviting me to speak and share my thoughts on this important topic. As the United States’ Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat anti-Semitism, I am also honored to present alongside my esteemed colleagues, Dr. Henrik Bachner, Dr. David Hirsh, Dr. Mikael Tossavainen, and Professor Jean-Yves Camus. Also, thank you Minister Birgitta Ohlsson for your introduction.

This visit, while brief, is extremely important and timely. The world was shaken last month when an attacker murdered one adult and three children outside a Jewish school in Toulouse, France—just days after murdering three French soldiers of North African descent in the nearby city of Montauban. While we are decades removed from the Holocaust, anti-Semitism remains a serious problem in Europe. There are still many urgent lessons that we must learn from Hitler’s genocide of the Jewish people. One of these lessons is, however, about the human capacity for courage and strength. This year, the governments of Sweden and Hungary officially designated 2012 as the “Raoul Wallenberg Year” to honor and commemorate the courage of this young Swedish diplomat who saved thousands of Jews from the Nazi killing machine in Hungary.

Let me begin by explaining that the Obama Administration is unwavering in its commitment to combat hate and promote tolerance in our world, including in the United States. The President began his Administration speaking out against intolerance as a global ill.

Over the past three years, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has made human rights and the need to respect diversity an integral part of U.S. foreign policy—from the human rights of LGBT people to women’s rights, to international religious freedom. Recently she was in Tunisia where she declared: “The rights and dignity of human beings cannot be denied forever, no matter how oppressive a regime may be. The spirit of human rights and human dignity lives within each of us, and the universal aspirations have deep and lasting power.”

President Obama and Secretary Clinton have honored me with this appointment, and have elevated my office and fully integrated it into the State Department.

As a child of a Holocaust survivor, anti-Semitism is something very personal to me. My father was arrested on Kristallnacht, the unofficial pogrom that many think started the Holocaust – and was sent with many of his congregants to prison and then to Buchenwald. He was the lucky one – every other person in his family perished at Auschwitz. I have dedicated my life to eradicating anti-Semitism and intolerance with a sense of urgency and passion that only my father could give me.

Over the past two and a half years, my staff and I have diligently reported on anti-Semitic incidents throughout Europe, following and tracking developments in new and old cases. We have classified these incidents into six trends, which provide a comprehensive framework from which we can analyze anti-Semitism in Europe.

First of all, anti-Semitism is not History, it is News. I run into people who think anti-Semitism ended when Hitler killed himself. More than six decades after the end of the Second World War, anti-Semitism is still alive and well, and evolving into new, contemporary forms of religious hatred, racism, and political, social and cultural bigotry. According to reports done by the governments of Norway, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom, there is a disturbing increase in anti-Semitism in those countries.
According to a recent ADL survey, anti-Semitic attitudes remain at “disturbingly high levels” in ten European countries. The survey found that anti-Semitic attitudes in Hungary have risen to 63 percent from 47 percent in 2009, and in the United Kingdom, to 17 percent from 10 percent in 2009.

Although a separate study found that the number of reported anti-Semitic crimes decreased from 250 to 161 from 2009 to 2010, government officials nonetheless recognized that anti-Semitism was a problem in Sweden, especially in the city of Malmo.
The statistics are troubling, and stem, in part, from the fact that the first trend, traditional forms of anti-Semitism are passed from one generation to the next, and sometimes updated to reflect current events. We are all familiar with hostile acts such as the defacing of property and the desecration of cemeteries with anti-Semitic graffiti. Between June and December of 2011, we saw desecrations to Holocaust memorials, synagogues, and Jewish cemeteries in Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, Lithuania, and Poland. There are still some accusations of blood libel, which are morphing from the historic accusations dating from the Roman Empire and other ancient cultures, repeated later by some Christians and Muslims, that Jews killed children to use their blood for rituals, or kidnapped children to steal their organs. Most recently, a Hungarian parliamentarian from the far-right Jobbik party invoked a centuries-old blood libel case in the Hungarian parliament. The Hungarian government quickly condemned the speech – the right response to such hate speech - although the impact of such horrible statements, even when refuted, remains.

In Sweden, anti-Semitic incidents have included threats, verbal abuse, vandalism, graffiti, and harassment in schools. I am particularly concerned about the situation in Malmo, which is not just serious but acute. In Malmo, the synagogue, which is a place for the community to gather and worship, has become a site of anti-Semitic slurs and vandalism. The synagogue heen fortified to be not just bullet-proof, but according to local Jewish community leaders, rocket-proof. But even with enhanced security including security guards, passersby still shout slogans like “Heil Hitler.” And the Rabbi of Malmo has been assaulted almost two dozen times in the past two years. In the fall of last year, the Swedish government increased its funding to provide security for the Jewish community. We appreciate this action but more must be done to reverse the trend.

Conspiracy theories unfortunately have traction with some groups, such as supposed Jewish control of the U.S. media and the world banking system, or that Jews were involved in executing the September 11 attacks. The recent ADL survey confirmed that some Europeans believe Jews have too much power in the business world and in international financial markets.
Conspiracy theories are present in Sweden as well. In August at the government’s request, the state-run Living History Forum published a report that found conspiracy theories target Jews for alleged attempts at global and financial domination.

A second trend is Holocaust denial. Holocaust denial is being espoused by religious and political leaders, and is a standard on hateful websites and other media outlets. Holocaust denial still remains a challenge in some of diplomatic engagements with countries that are trying to come to terms with their moral responsibility to prosecute Nazi war criminals and denounce the past crimes of their citizens. As the generation of Holocaust survivors and death camp liberators reaches their eighties and nineties, the window is closing on those able to provide eyewitness accounts.

A third, disturbing trend is Holocaust glorification – which can be seen in events that openly display Nazi symbols, in the growth of neo-Nazi groups, and is especially virulent in Middle East media – some that is state owned and operated - calling for a new Holocaust to finish the job. Truly bone-chilling. Following a March 2011 commemoration in Latvia, a notorious neo-Nazi made blatantly anti-Semitic statements, including incitements to violence against Jews, on a television talk show.

Satellite TV is sometimes exploited by hate-mongerers to propagate anti-Semitic views. Some Middle Eastern satellite channels integrate anti-Semitic rhetoric into programming that reaches into Europe. Such broadcasts can have a negative impact on European citizens and residents who are already predisposed to anti-Semitic beliefs. Some of these programs, mostly out of Egypt and Saudi Arabia, are seen by tens of millions of Europeans.

A fourth concern is Holocaust relativism – where some governments, museums, academic research and the like are conflating the Holocaust with other terrible events that entailed great human suffering, like the Dirty War or the Soviet regime.

No one, least of all myself, wants to weigh atrocities against each other, but to group these horrific chapters of history together is not only historically inaccurate, but also misses opportunities to learn important lessons from each of these historic events, even as we reflect on universal truths about the need to defend human rights and combat hatred in all of its forms.

The Holocaust is trivialized when spiteful politicians compare their opponents to Hitler. History must be precise – it must instruct, it must warn, and it must inspire us to learn the particular and universal values as we prepare to mend this fractured world.

The fifth trend reflects new forms of anti-Semitism which blur the lines between opposition to the policies of the State of Israel and anti-Semitism. What I hear from our diplomatic missions, and from non-governmental organizations alike, is that this happens easily and often. I want to be clear – legitimate criticism of policies of the State of Israel is not anti-Semitism.

All democracies should welcome differing positions, but we do record huge increases in anti-Semitic acts throughout Europe whenever there are hostilities in the Middle East. During the 2008-2009 conflict in the Gaza strip, anti-Semitic violence increased in Malmo, and in December 2008, anti-Semitic violence broke out against the Jewish community during a peaceful gathering in support of ALL the victims in the conflict. In 2010, leaders of the Swedish Jewish community received threatening messages and calls in conjunction with the Gaza flotilla incident.

This form of anti-Semitism is more difficult for many to identify, as it is not the objection to a policy of the State of Israel. When individual Jews are effectively banned or their conferences boycotted, or are held responsible for Israeli policy – this is not objecting to a policy – this is aimed at the collective Jew and is anti-Semitism.

Natan Sharansky, the great human rights activist in the former Soviet Union, identified when he believes criticism crosses the line: It is anti-Semitic when Israel is demonized, held to different standards, or delegitimized.

The sixth trend is the growing nationalistic movements which target “the other” – be they immigrants, or religious and ethnic minorities – in the name of protecting the identity and “purity” of nations.

Extremist far-right parties have been increasingly gaining popular support throughout Europe. Far right groups have now entered parliaments in Austria, France, Hungary, Italy, and the Netherlands. These extremist parties run and gain popular support through anti-immigration and racist platforms.

In Sweden, Jews have begun to march against these trends and the violent anti-Semitism that has come to permeate their lives. After Saturday services, members of Malmo’s Jewish community go on walks wearing visibly Jewish symbols. Some non-Jews have joined their walks, also wearing kippot in solidarity with the vulnerable Jewish community.
In June, five young Swedish Muslim men from Malmo organized a class trip to the Auschwitz extermination camp and filmed a documentary about it. Their initiative is a shining example of how we can all strive to counter hate and reverse the dual trends of Holocaust denial and intolerance.

When this fear or hatred of the “other” occurs or when people try to find a scapegoat for the instability around them, it is never good for the Jews, or for that matter, other traditionally discriminated against minorities. The history of Europe, with pogroms, Nazism, and ethnic cleansing, provides sufficient evidence. And when public figures talk about protecting a country’s purity, we’ve seen that movie before.I encourage Muslim and Jewish communities in Sweden and throughout all of Europe to build bridges and work together to refute this trend.

One way to do this is through education. One story that should be taught is that of Sweden’s own Raoul Wallenberg. Wallenberg was a young businessman when, in 1944, he accepted a diplomatic appointment to Nazi-occupied Hungary on a mission to save Hungarian Jews. By that time in the war, the Allied forces had learned of the Nazi extermination camps. Under diplomatic cover and with the help of colleagues and other individuals, Wallenberg was able to save thousands of Hungarian Jews between July and December 1944. He did so by issuing fake passports and hiding Jews in buildings he rented and declared property of the Swedish government. He did it with the full support of the government of Sweden. Wallenberg’s story is one of courage and selflessness.
Wallenberg’s acts of courage – along with those of other rescuers – should inspire us all to stand up to hate and face it squarely. We may, one day, find ourselves confronted with the same choice. It is not the easy choice. But it is the right one. We can learn from these rescuers about what it means to commit an act that is not easy, not profitable, but moral.
Government leaders play a very important role in condemning and combating anti-Semitism. They must be sensitive and thoughtful, and they must state—in clear and unequivocal terms—that anti-Semitism and all forms of hate are destabilizing and contrary to democratic norms. Our leaders must not fall victim to the trends I have just spoken about: they must not hold Jews responsible for Israel’s actions or blame the Jewish people for anti-Semitism; they must not deny the presence of anti-Semitic violence and behavior, or fuel inter-religious hatred or discord. Our local and national government officials must confront the root causes of hatred in their societies and protect the victims, rather than vilify them.

So while I fight anti-Semitism, I am also aware that hate is hate. Nothing justifies it – not economic instability and not international events.

If we educate diverse people about the current trends of anti-Semitism, if we call out propaganda and lies, stereotypes and myths, if we condemn indifference and intolerance, if we educate, especially young people about what is possible, if we highlight people who did the right thing, if we learn about how Jews lived, not only how they died, if we utilize old technologies and new forms of communication to inform and inspire, if we sensitively instruct and train teaching about the particular universal lessons of the Holocaust, we can move the needle against all forms of hatred.

I would like to thank the Institute for Security and Development Policy for holding this pressing conference and to speak before you. I look forward to our future collaboration, and I am happy to answer any questions you may have.