SOMALI LEADERS VISIT PENTAGON TO DISCUSS U.S. ASSISTANCE AGAINST TERRORISTS

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work, left center, meets with Somali Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke, right center, and Somali Defense Minister Gen. Abdulkadir Sheikh Ali Dini at the Pentagon, June 9, 2015. The leaders met to discuss issues of mutual importance. DoD photo by Army Sgt. 1st Class Clydell Kinchen. . 

Deputy Defense Secretary Hosts Somali Leaders at Pentagon
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, June 10, 2015 – Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work yesterday hosted the Somali prime minister and defense minister in their first meeting at the Pentagon.

In a statement summarizing the meeting, Defense Department officials said Prime Minister Omar Ali Sharmarke and Defense Minister Gen. Abdulkadir Sheikh Ali Dini met with Work to discuss the importance of U.S.-Somali security assistance and counterterrorism operations.

Work praised the success of Somali forces in degrading the al-Shabab militant group in the past two years, officials said.

Taking the Fight to al-Shabab

The leaders discussed how taking the fight to al-Shabab requires integrating regional militia forces into the Somali National Army deliberately, but without delay, officials said. The leaders also discussed successes of the Danab companies, which could serve as a good model for the rest of the Somali army, they added.

Work underscored the Defense Department's strong commitment to supporting both the African Union Mission in Somalia and the development of Somali security forces, the statement said.

“The deputy secretary noted it is imperative that Somalia completes the state formation process in advance of holding elections next year, in line with the agreed timeline,” the statement said. “Progress on the political front is a necessary foundation for the development of Somali security forces.”

The leaders said they look forward to working together well into the future, the statement said.

SECRETARY KERRY'S REMARKS WITH DJIBOUTIAN FOREIGN MINISTER MAHAMOUD YOUSSOUF

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Remarks With Djiboutian Foreign Minister Mahamoud Ali Youssouf
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Presidential Palace
Djibouti, Djibouti
May 6, 2015

FOREIGN MINISTER YOUSSOUF: (Via interpreter) Ladies and gentlemen, we are happy and proud to welcome in Djibouti Secretary of State John Kerry and his delegation. This is a historical visit which reflects the excellent relationships between Djibouti and the United States. Secretary of State John Kerry met this morning young Djiboutians as part of the YALI program, the Young African Leaders Initiative, which was launched by His Excellency President Obama. This meeting took place at the Salman Mosque. The exchanges between the Secretary of State and the young Djiboutians about the future of the country – these discussions were very fruitful. We talked about tolerance, coexistence.

And the Secretary of State also had a lengthy meeting with President Guelleh. The discussions pertained to bilateral relationships as well as the various crises in the region, notably Yemen and Somalia.

I will switch to English.

Mr. Secretary General, Djibouti is a good and loyal friend and a good partner to the United States, and it will remain so, given the daunting challenges our two nations are faced with in terms of peace and security. We will continue to fight terrorism together and promote tolerance and coexistence. Djibouti values the tremendous job done by the American forces in the Combined Joint Task Force, and I would remiss to my duty if I don’t underscore that the Camp Lemonnier provides lots of job opportunities to the young Djiboutians.

Mr. Secretary, we welcome you again and we are very sorry for the hot weather. (Laughter.) Next time you come, we will ask heaven to be more merciful. You have the floor, sir.

SECRETARY KERRY: (Laughter.) Well, Mr. Minister, don’t – I actually – we had a very tough winter this year, and particularly in Boston, so I don’t mind the weather at all. (Laughter.) I’m very happy to be warm.

Thank you. Excuse me. Thank you so much for a very generous welcome. Je vous remercie beaocoup. You and the president – I appreciate enormously the chance to be able to visit Djibouti. This is my first visit, not just as Secretary of State, but my first time ever. And so I really am appreciative of the opportunity to be here, and I want to thank President Guelleh and you, Foreign Minister Youssouf. Thank you very much for your generous welcome.

A year ago, President Obama and President Guelleh announced the annual U.S.-Djibouti Binational Forum, and we held the initial round of that this year in Washington. We had a very fruitful conversation there laying out a lot of the agenda. We’re following up on that agenda, I must say, speedily and effectively. And I’m pleased to be here now to follow up on the discussions and to be able to talk to the president himself about our relationship.

The United States and Djibouti, plain and simply are friends, and we are working together in common interest on any number of things – obviously security, but well beyond security too. We just talked about a new American school that hopefully will be able to open here shortly. There are other initiatives on the economy and elsewhere. Our discussions today really reflected that we have a lot to talk about, but also things that we can learn about. I will say a word about that in a minute.

Importantly, Djibouti has become a regional base for science, for education, for health, and for the environment. Djibouti is leaning forward on climate change and on new energy sources. In fact, the Government of Djibouti and the Minister of Higher Education and Research Nabil are hosting a conference this week on environmental risk and opportunities. And I was pleased to learn about the partnerships that the local institutions are forging with American universities in order to tackle the threat of climate change.

Earlier this morning, I was privileged, as the minister mentioned, to visit the Salman Mosque and to meet with a number of young students, men and women, who are the future of Djibouti and the future of our relationship. This part of the world has an incredibly rich culture, in part because of its strategic location, and that is a great source of prosperity. But also, it can put it into the center of conflict and turbulence, as we have seen most recently with the events in Yemen. So it matters a great deal that the United States and Djibouti are able to cooperate on the basis of both mutual respect, but also mutual interest, and that’s exactly what we’re doing.

One of the issues that we discussed today very briefly, because so much has happened in the positive – and I want to mention it – is piracy. Since 2007, Djibouti has been an essential partner, vital partner, in the international counter-piracy efforts. And that is important because as many of you remember, just a few years ago it seemed like the pirates were winning. At one point in 2011, pirates were holding some 32 merchant ships captive along with 736 hostages. It was a strange confrontation with history in a way, that at this moment in the 21st century, with all of our capacity and all of our communication, a major sea lane was in jeopardy because of pirates. And obviously, we made a fundamental decision it was unacceptable, it had to change.

With Djibouti’s cooperation, the world community was able to get itself together and strike back. Today, pirates hold no seaworthy ships in this region – zero – and only a small number of hostages, and we hope that before long, that too will be zero. What it proves is that we do have mutual interests where we can find a capacity to be able to cooperate and make a difference. And it goes to show that international teamwork has an ability to successfully meet some of the challenges that we see in the region.

The foreign minister and I also discussed our shared efforts to advance peace and stability in Somalia. And President Guelleh had, through his own connections and his own experience and his own concerns about Somalia and the commitment of Djibouti to be making a difference in Somalia, the president had some, I think, very relevant, important advice and counsel with respect to the road ahead. We agreed that it is critical for government to – the government in Mogadishu to finalize its constitution, hold democratic elections next year, and integrate – particularly important – integrate forces from Somalia’s regions into its national army. And the President importantly pointed out that having a national army which fully represents all of the different interests and people of Somalia will be critical to its ability to be able to have successful elections and move on to the future.

The United States Government recognizes – and I underscore that today both with my presence and what I’m saying – that the Government of Djibouti has made a very important contribution to this effort, and has also committed peacekeeping battalions – two of them – to AMISOM and has hosted the Italian Carabinieri, who train Somalia’s national police. The United States is going to continue to consult with Djibouti as we consider the provisions of broader security assistance to Somalia. And today, I say thank you to Djibouti for its contribution to this important global effort.

We’re also working with Djibouti to assist many thousands of refugees who have fled violence in the region. Djibouti has provided safe haven for many years to Somali refugees, and now, it is providing it to those seeking refuge from Yemen. We – excuse me – we recently provided $2 million to support the UNHCR’s operations in Djibouti alone, along with new support for humanitarian assistance in Yemen itself, where millions of vulnerable people urgently need help. And today, I am pleased to announce that the United States is providing another $68 million in humanitarian aid for Yemen. This contribution will include food, water, shelter and other necessities, and it will support vital work of the World Food Program, the UN High Commission for Refugees, UNICEF, the International Organization for Migration, and other international and nongovernmental organizations that are struggling to deliver aid in Yemen itself, on the ground.

In addition to welcoming Yemeni refugees, Djibouti has also helped to ensure the safe passage of thousands of evacuees from more than 60 nations, including American citizens. Our embassy here, ably led by Ambassador Tom Kelly, has helped hundreds of people to be able to secure medical care, temporary lodging, and the documentation that they need to be able to return home. And I want to thank everybody in our consular division in our embassy for their extraordinary work. The protection of American citizens abroad is a top priority, obviously, always. And we’re going to continue to do everything we can possible to be able to ensure their safety. But we are particularly grateful – we could not be doing what we’re doing today without the help of Djibouti.

We’re working with Djibouti on another challenge, which is helping the people of this country to generate a healthier and more dynamic national economy. That’s why we’re partnering with the government here on a new workforce development project that will help match the training of young people to the needs of today’s job market. During my conversation this morning with the youth leaders, I listened to each of them as they expressed their ambitions for the future, their hopes to learn English, to go to college, to university, to be able to find a job, to help to make a contribution to Djibouti. And what we, above all, want to do is prevent any young person from falling victim to the preying of violent extremists and people who offer a dead end instead of all of the possibilities of education and opportunity and work.

So I thought it was a valuable discussion, as Foreign Minister Youssouf suggested. It wasn’t as long as I would have enjoyed to hear from every single one of them. But I will share with President Obama, who has inaugurated this program called YALI, the Young African Leaders Initiative. And several of the people who were there this morning were either people who attended last year’s session in Washington of YALI or will come this summer. And I know in every case that I have met one of these exciting leaders from all over Africa, they are already fresh out of the university or in university or in early years of working, demonstrating remarkable leadership. They are the future leaders of the continent, and I have said many times, I say it again: I believe the history of this century is going to be defined by the remarkable growth and development of Africa.

I will also be reporting to the President that the friendship between the United States and Djibouti is healthy and it is strong, and we are very thankful to our hosts for their commitment to host our facility at Camp Lemonnier, where we try hard to be good guests. And I’m personally grateful always for the working relationship I have with Foreign Minister Youssouf, and very grateful for the warm welcome and hospitality here in Djibouti today.

With that, we’d be delighted, I’m sure, to take a couple questions.

MS HARF: Great. The first question is from Hidaya of RTV. Go ahead.

QUESTION: Hello, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. John Kerry. My name is Hidaya Mohammed from RTD Radio and Television Broadcasting News Djibouti. So as you know, the international community deploys efforts --

SECRETARY KERRY: Hold the mike up to you there so I can --

FOREIGN MINISTER YOUSSOUF: (Inaudible.)

SECRETARY KERRY: Maybe it’s not even working.

FOREIGN MINISTER YOUSSOUF: (Inaudible.)

QUESTION: Sorry. As you know, the international community deploys major efforts in order to stop the terrorism, and the result are not (inaudible). So my question is: Is it a strategic problem, and can you explain this failure?

SECRETARY KERRY: This – try to – on which human?

QUESTION: The – this (inaudible) is progressing in Africa, as you know --

FOREIGN MINISTER YOUSSOUF: Terrorism.

QUESTION: Counterterrorism.

SECRETARY KERRY: Terrorism. Counterterrorism.

FOREIGN MINISTER YOUSSOUF: Terrorism, yeah.

QUESTION: Yeah, terrorism.

SECRETARY KERRY: Yeah. Well, the rise of violent extremism is something that has challenged all of us in the world. Extremism and violence and terrorism is not new to this generation, but it really began to burst on the scene as a strategy by some people during probably the 1960s and ’70s, and then has grown but reached an altogether unfathomable, incomprehensible level of depravity and nihilism with the attacks that took place in 2001 in September in New York, and then subsequently in various other parts of the world, or during that period of time, certainly, other parts of the world.

Most recently with the rise of Daesh and al-Shabaab, al-Nusrah, al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula and various other entities, people have regrettably found a way to exploit a great religion and to present it in a completely false manner. And they take advantage of young people particularly, and particularly those who don’t have jobs, don’t have opportunities, people who are poor, and twist their minds, indoctrinate them, and send them on missions of death and terror to literally destroy – not to build, not to provide a future. I don’t hear any terrorist group in the world talking about building schools or introducing people to literature or building a world of tolerance and of opportunity. All you hear them talking about is how other people have to live the way they order them to, and if they don’t, they’ll kill them. And Daesh particularly has proven its readiness to take the lives of other people in the most grotesque public fashion, simply because those people are part of a different religion, part of a different belief, or aren’t them.

So we have to, all of us in positions of responsibility, do everything in our power to reach out to more people, to show them the utter depravity of one road versus the benefits of saying no and taking a difficult road to school, to education, to a job, to building community, to living by rule of law, and by understanding fully what the real nature of a particular religion or philosophy or ideology is.

Djibouti and its leadership understand this, and they are pushing back against this kind of extremist effort, as are all – every country in the region. There isn’t one country here – thank you, sir, very much – there isn’t one country here in the region that I know of as a country that supports Daesh. They’re all opposed to their activities.

And so Djibouti, thankfully, is today at the forefront of our global efforts against terrorism. Ever since September of 2001, Djibouti has fully cooperated with us on this issue, they’ve provided military access to Camp Lemmonier, they have welcomed U.S. counterterrorism training, and because of its strategic location and its proximity to areas of concern, the threat that it faces from al-Shabaab extremists on its own border or people attacking its border, Djibouti is a frontline state in the efforts to stand up against terrorism.

And we will continue to work very closely with the Djiboutian Government on counterterrorism strategies for all of east Africa, for the Arabian Peninsula, as part of our effort to try to offer the kinds of young people I met today at the Salman Mosque the future that they want so much. And we’re grateful to Djibouti for hosting the only military presence in Africa – about 4,500 U.S. military-contracted personnel are on the ground here, and we’re very grateful for this relationship and for what it means, I think, in answer to your question about the pushback against terrorism.

In the end, the victory will not be defined through the military component; it will be defined through the victory of young people over this who embrace a future defined by education, by rule of law, by job opportunities, by inclusivity, by tolerance, and by the real values and principles taught in every major religion and philosophy in the world, which is “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” and “Love your brother as yourself,” and so forth. That’s the golden rule, and that’s exactly what is really at the core of all of our efforts.

FOREIGN MINISTER YOUSSOUF: (Via interpreter) If I can say something to answer that question, to complement Secretary of State John Kerry’s answer, it’s that we must state loud and clear that religions themselves are not the source of terrorism, whichever religion. I’m not talking only about Islam. The source of terrorism, its expansion, its escalation come from the fact that there are states that have weak institutions or there are states that have failed to ensure security on their national territory. In Afghanistan, when the state failed, we saw what happened in terms of terrorist acts in New York – 9/11 – which was mentioned by the Secretary. In Somalia, when you had a failed state, we saw what the Shabaab were capable of doing.

Today, in Libya, we talk about al-Nusrah and other groups because the state no longer exists. Syria is in the same type of situation. These states whose institutions have collapsed and which today are experiencing a situation of security void are a fertile ground and the main source of the escalation and development of terrorist activities and terrorists in general. This is a point that I wish to underscore with respect to this question that you asked.

MS HARF: Great. Our next question’s from Lesley Wroughton of Reuters. Go ahead.

QUESTION: Excuse me. I’m sorry, Mr. Secretary. You’ve just pledged additional aid for Yemen, yet today humanitarian organizations said they were unable to operate in Yemen because they’ve run out of fuel. Is it time for that pause so that humanitarian efforts can be scaled up?

Also, looking at Yemen, the Saudi campaign has dialed back on these bombardments, yet its failed to make massive changes on the ground. The Houthi still are entrenched in areas that they’ve taken up. Is it perhaps time to relook at this campaign and your support for it?

Mr. Foreign Minister, Djibouti has played a significant role in bringing it – in taking in foreigners as they’ve evacuated Yemen. What other assistance have you asked from the United States as you deal with increased refugees from this conflict?

FOREIGN MINISTER YOUSSOUF: If I may start?

SECRETARY KERRY: You go ahead. Yeah, go ahead.

FOREIGN MINISTER YOUSSOUF: Actually, we have been dealing with this influx of refugees from Yemen for the past three months – or two months, to be more exactly – by ourselves. I mean that the Government of Djibouti national solidary, social NGOs, communities have been deploying all kind of efforts to assist these people. Of course, so far we have evacuated 12,000 refugees from Yemen. Most of them were not Yemenis. They were Americans, Chinese, Indians, and many other nationalities. We held them at the port, at the airport. We evacuated them to gathering centers sometimes, sometimes to hotels. And we facilitated their evacuation and repatriation to their homeland.

We still have a few thousands of Yemenis in Djibouti. Some of them and their families in the capital. Around 1,000 are located in a region called Obock. We don’t have the facilities to house them there, but we opened a stadium for them. We opened other facilities belonging to private associations. We created a refugee camp there, but it is so hot and the weather is becoming very, very tough. So they are requesting to be removed or moved from that place to Holhol which is in the southern part of the country where the climate is a little bit more acceptable in a way.

But as we all know, the response of the international community takes time. We have been – we launched the call, the appeal to the international community so that the assistance can flow in, but so far we are still expecting that response. But anyway, the overall conditions of the refugees are quite satisfactory. We have a number of medical teams on the spot, some coming from NGOs. Doctors Without Borders, Arab NGOs, and others are trying to help to cover the medical needs of the refugees. And the Djiboutian Government (inaudible) Djiboutian people provides for the food and all other stuffs.

But the – I mean, the offer or the proposal of increasing the assistance to the refugees by the Secretary of State is a good omen. It is indeed a good omen because these people are in need for everything – everything. And we think that the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques also announced something like $273 million for the refugees and the Yemenis in general, and this money will come also as an omen and they will certainly take advantage of that. But I suppose and I assume that the needs are higher than that, and we hope that there will be, as the United States proposed, a humanitarian pause in the conflict so that corridors could be opened and so that this assistance could reach the most in need in this neighborly country. Thank you.

SECRETARY KERRY: So let me emphasize we are deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation that is unfolding in Yemen – shortages of food, shortages of fuel, shortages of medicine. The situation is getting more dire by the day, and we’re deeply concerned about that. And we have urged all sides, anybody involved, to comply with humanitarian law and to take every precaution to keep civilians out of the line of fire, out of harm’s way, as well as to provide the opportunity for humanitarian assistance to be able to be delivered. And several weeks ago we urged the parties to engage in a pause in order to be able to deliver aid. The Saudis, to their credit, immediately announced that they were shifting out of one phase and into a phase for political resolution as well as humanitarian delivery, but that they would respond if Houthi continued to attack; and regrettably, they did. And so, unfortunately, conflict has continued.

Just a day or so ago, the Saudi foreign minister announced their consideration of the need for this humanitarian pause. I spoke with him yesterday. I will be there in Saudi Arabia tonight. We will be discussing the nature of the pause and how it might be implemented, but I am convinced of their desire to implement a pause. And in my conversation yesterday with another foreign minister from another country, there was an indication that others – the Houthi might be willing to engage in a pause. So I think this would be welcome news for the world if it were able to be effected in a way that doesn’t see people try to take advantage of it and either secure more territory or attack people participating in a legitimate pause.

So we hope that the coalition will join in working with the UN and the rest of the global community in order to find a way to deliver aid through the existing aid organizations that have the ability to make sure this is delivered in a way that it’s not contributing to the conflict or somehow being abused or exploited. And hopefully in the next days this is something that can take place.

The Saudis have also – or not the Saudis. President Hadi has called for a conference that he would like to see take place. And we’re certainly supportive of any efforts to have a dialogue, but we also believe it is very important to move to the UN venue as soon as possible because there is no military solution to this crisis. It’s going to have to be a negotiated political process that rebuilds a government and rebuilds Yemen itself. And I think we need to find a way to get to that. But for the time being, the immediate crisis is the humanitarian one, and I hope that very quickly the structure can be put together which will enable humanitarian assistance to be delivered to the people who desperately need it.

MS HARF: Thank you all very much.

SECRETARY KERRY'S REMARKS IN MOGADISHU, SOMALIA

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Remarks in Mogadishu, Somalia
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Mogadishu, Somalia
May 5, 2015

I’m very, very pleased to be able to come to Somalia. It was important to be able to meet face to face with President Hassan Sheikh and with Prime Minister Sharmarke and regional leaders and with a range of civil society representatives. As everybody knows, more than 20 years ago, the United States was forced to pull back from this country. And now we’re returning in collaboration with our international community and with high hopes mixed, obviously, with ongoing concerns.

My brief visit confirms what diplomats have been telling me: The people here are both resilient and determined to reclaim their future from the terrorists and the militias who’ve been attempting to steal it. Over the past quarter century, Somalis have known immense suffering from violence, from criminals, from sectarian strife, from dire shortages of food, and from an inability to remain safely within their villages and their homes. In Kenya yesterday, I spoke through an internet link with refugees in Dadaab who had fled their homes for protection from the persecution and from the violence, from the war. I met Somalis who were 15, 18, 20 years old who had never lived anywhere except in a refugee camp; this in an era of unprecedented globalization and opportunity.

So I’m here today because Somalia is making progress in its mission to turn things around. Three years have passed since a new provisional constitution was adopted and a parliament was sworn in. With help from AMISOM, the UN mission here, the United Nations has contributed significantly to this progress. Somali forces have pushed al-Shabaab out of major population centers. A determined international effort has put virtually all of Somalia’s pirates out of business. New life has returned to the streets of Mogadishu, and fresh hope to the people of all the country. I want to acknowledge particularly the remarkable commitment and sacrifice of the nations and countries that make up a part of AMISOM, particularly Kenya, Burundi, Ethiopia, Uganda, Djibouti, and previously Sierra Leone. It is really a great statement about the leadership of African nations stepping up to deal with African problems.

The question now is how quickly and completely the next steps of governing will be taken. The Somali Government has put forward a blueprint for the country’s development as a unified and federal state. It is working with the new regional administration to enhance stability and sow the seeds of prosperity in every part of Somalia. That includes finding the right balance of authority and responsibility between the national, the regional, and the local levels. And we look forward to seeing progress soon on an integration process between the regional forces into the Somali National Army so that we can broaden our security assistance to those forces.

The government is also working towards finalizing and holding democratic elections in 2016. The president, the prime minister, and the regional leaders affirmed to me today that they are committed to making progress on these issues and ensuring that there is a broad consensus on exactly how the constitutional review and the elections are going to proceed. And in addition, he also committed to me today that the mandate will not be extended beyond 2016, that the government will keep the schedule of Vision 2016 and avoid delays, that they will appoint the members of the national independent electoral commission and the boundaries and federation commission by next week. He committed that they will work with parliament to pass the political parties law by next month, and committed to move forward with the integration of the National Army. So I am confident that the leaders came together today from the regions and the federal government to affirm solidly their determination to work cooperatively with the international community and to move the reform process of governance of Somalia forward.

We all have a stake in what happens here in Somalia. The world cannot afford to have places on the map that are essentially ungoverned. We learned in 2001 what happens when that is the case, and we have seen on a continued basis with splinter groups how they are determined to try to do injury to innocent people and to whole nations by operating out of ungoverned spaces. And so Somalia’s return to effective government is an historic opportunity for everybody to push back against extremism and to empower people in a whole country to be able to live the promise of their nation.

In recognition of the progress made and the promise to come, I’m pleased to announce that the United States will begin the process of establishing the premises for a diplomatic mission in Mogadishu. And while we do not yet have a fixed timeline for reopening the embassy, we are immediately beginning the process of upgrading our diplomatic representation. And I look forward, as does the President, to the day when both the United States and Somalia have full-fledged missions in each other’s capital city again. And I look forward as well to the time when we can say, and all the world will be able to see and to measure, that this country is fully united, combining regional strengths with national purpose, able to welcome its refugees home, and secure in a new Somalia that occupies an honored place on the regional and global stage for generations to come.

That is a job, in the end, that only Somalis can accomplish. But together with many other international partners, the United States is prepared to do what we can to help bring Somalia the peace and prosperity and security and the future that the people of Somalia want and that they deserve. Thank you.

UN AMBASSADOR POWER'S REMARKS ON YOUTH AND COUNTERING VIOLENT EXTREMISM

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
U.S. Mission to the United Nations: Remarks at a UN Security Council Debate on the Maintenance of International Peace and Security: the Role of Youth in Countering Violent Extremism and Promoting Peace
04/23/2015 12:27 PM EDT
Samantha Power
U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations
New York, NY
April 23, 2015
AS DELIVERED

Thank you, your Royal Highness Crown Prince, for joining the Council to chair this meeting, your presence here is yet another testament to Jordan’s deep commitment to combatting violent extremism among youth and people of all ages.

This Monday, April 20th, six young Somali-American men – ages 19 to 21 – were charged in Minneapolis on terrorism related offenses. They had planned to travel to Syria to join ISIL. Five of the six were U.S. citizens, and one was a permanent resident.

The young men had reportedly been inspired in part by another Somali-American, Abdi Nur, who left the same city in May 2014, shortly after his 20th birthday, and joined ISIL in Syria. And they had in part been encouraged by one another – what is known as peer-to-peer recruiting – through regular meetings to plan their trip and discuss their violent ideology.

Their case is just one of the many recent instances in which young people have attempted to join ISIL or other terrorist groups. In some instances, as in the Minneapolis arrests, we have succeeded in stopping youth before they could reach their destination. In other instances, we have not, as happened in February, when three British girls – ages 15 to 16 – traveled to Turkey, and likely onwards to ISIL-controlled territory, where they presumably remain.

ISIL is showing increased sophistication in recruiting young people, particularly in virtual spaces. The group disseminates around ninety thousand tweets each day, and its members and supporters routinely co-opt trending hashtags to disseminate their messages. ISIL even reportedly developed a Twitter app last year that allows Twitter subscribers to hand over control of their feed to ISIL – allowing ISIL to tweet from the individual subscriber’s account, exponentially amplifying the reach of its messages. In February, ISIL posted a polished, 50-page guide online called, “The Hijrah to the Islamic State,” that instructs potential recruits how to make the journey to its territory – including everything from finding safe houses in Turkey, to what kind of backpack to bring, and how to answer questions from immigration officials without arousing suspicion. And it’s not just ISIL that is aggressively targeting children and youth – but al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, Al-Shabaab, and other groups.

There is a clear consensus that we – and by we of course, I mean not only the United States, but all countries committed to combatting terrorist groups – must make countering violent extremism a central part of our counter terrorism efforts. And this is particularly true among children and teens, whose youth makes them especially vulnerable to recruitment. Yet even with increased attention to this problem, the reality is that we are being outspent, outflanked, and out-innovated by terrorist groups intent on recruiting new young members. We have to catch up – for their welfare, and for our collective security.

That is one of the reasons we are looking forward to the Secretary-General’s Plan of Action to Counter Violent Extremism, which we hope will galvanize the UN to take a leading role in empowering and uniting Member States to tackle this very grave problem. And it is one of the main reasons President Obama convened a White House Summit to Counter Violent Extremism on February 19th. More than 60 governments took part in the summit – including most of the members of this Council – together with civil society representatives from over 50 countries and private sector leaders. And as many of you know, we are looking forward to a leaders summit on the margins of the General Assembly in September, to evaluate the progress that has been made and the challenges that most definitely remain to implement the White House’s CVE Agenda.

One of the participants in the White House’s February summit was a young Moroccan woman named Zineb Benalla. Zineb works for the Arab Center for Scientific Research, an NGO that, with support from the U.S. Agency for International Development, has helped lead an innovative effort to counter violent extremism in northern Mali. As you all know, terrorist groups seized large swaths of the region in 2012, and continue to carry out attacks and recruit young people. Zineb’s project was focused on reaching vulnerable youth studying in the region’s madrasas. Research showed that madrasa instructors were teaching only religious texts and focusing mainly on rote memorization; Zineb’s program aimed to broaden the curriculum to foster more critical thinking and reasoning skills – skills that help young people question, and ultimately reject, the narrow ideologies of terrorist groups.

Zineb did not go directly to the schools, knowing that she would be turned away. Instead, she met repeatedly with imams and elders in Timbuktu and Gao – gradually earning their trust over cups of tea. When eventually she laid out the proposal to start book clubs in the madrasas, they accepted. With the backing of the imams, these imams and these elders, students and teachers were given e-Readers, and allowed to download books that previously would have been considered “haram,” or sinful, such as works of philosophy and novels. She then organized workshops where she trained dozens of educators in how to teach the new material.

Now, this is a narrow program designed for a specific set of circumstances. But Zineb’s story demonstrates several key lessons about how to build efforts to counter violent extremism among young people.

First, education is of course essential to developing the critical thinking skills that empower youth to challenge violent extremist ideologies. We’ve seen similar efforts undertaken on a broader scale by the government of Morocco and others, Morocco is working to replace teachers and imams who promote violent extremist ideologies with ones who hold up the values of respect and dignity, and preach more moderate interpretations of Islam.

Second, the trust and support of local actors is critically important – and that includes not only government officials, but religious and civil society leaders, and even families. As the first and most important line of defense in protecting youth, communities need the tools to do their part. The Safe Spaces Initiative – a guide created by the Muslim Public Affairs Council to help communities implement a multi-tiered strategy of prevention, intervention, and ejection of violent extremist elements – is just one example of a resource that informs communities how to be more active partners.

Third, as others have stressed here today, we need to enlist youth themselves in leading this effort. Research shows that young people are more likely to listen to, and be influenced by, their peers. Yet too often, we approach youth as the passive recipients of campaigns to counter violent extremism, rather than active participants in shaping their strategy and spearheading their implementation. We’ve seen how powerful youth-led initiatives can be, including those that use satire. That was the approach Karim Farok adopted. An amateur Egyptian musician, Karim took an ISIL chant and remixed it into a pop song, posting his version on social media sites. While his action may at first glance look like a way of amplifying ISIL’s message, in reality Karim’s remix was a form of protest, because ISIL’s fundamentalist interpretation of Islam forbids music with instruments. By transgressing the group’s rules, Karim’s song encouraged others to express criticism as well, rather than be silenced by fear. Not only did his remix go viral, garnering hundreds of thousands of views, but it also spawned countless other musical and dancing spoofs of ISIL chants – a potent form of counter-extremist messaging that kids can relate to.

Of course, we must pursue other lines of effort in countering violent extremism among youth as well, such as strengthening laws and international coordination to stop the flow of young foreign terrorist fighters to battlefields, as we committed to do under Resolution 2178; and enlisting the private sector in amplifying our message, as Google Ideas has done through the launch of its Against Violent Extremism Network, which has given a platform to more than 500 rehabilitated former extremists. We need to do more on all of these fronts.

At the beginning, I spoke about the six young men from Minneapolis who were detained earlier this week. One of the main reasons that they were stopped from joining ISIL was because a young man who had originally planned to join with them experienced a change in conscience. He took a step back, he saw the group’s violent intentions for what they were, and he decided to report the group to law enforcement. Without his action, those young men may well have made it to ISIL-controlled territory, where they could have taken part in the group’s horrific atrocities. That young man’s choice shows how a single changed mind – just one person who starts to think differently, and more compassionately – can disrupt and ultimately stop a dangerous action by many people. That is a valuable lesson in countering violent extremism, and ultimately, it is what our efforts are all about.

Thank you.

DOD EXPLAINS EVOLUTION OF 'USE OF FORCE LAW' TO COVER MULTIPLE MILITARY OPERATIONS

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
General Counsel Charts Use of Force Law’s Evolution
By Jim Garamone
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, April 13, 2015 – Though the very idea of law sounds immutable and concrete, the law evolves as circumstances change, the Defense Department’s general counsel told the American Society of International Law here April 10.

Stephen W. Preston updated the group on the latest thinking behind the legal framework for military options and on how that thinking has changed.
Preston explained the history behind the authorization for the use of military force that allowed operations against al-Qaida in 2001. The AUMF, as it is commonly abbreviated, was not a traditional declaration of war against a state, he said.

“We had been attacked, instead, by a terrorist organization,” he said. “Yes, the Taliban had allowed [Osama] bin Laden and his organization to operate with impunity within Afghanistan. But it was not Afghanistan that had launched the attack. It was bin Laden and his terrorist organization.

“The authorization for the use of military force that Congress passed aimed to give the president all the statutory authority he needed to fight back against bin Laden, his organization and those who supported him, including the Taliban,” Preston added.

Associated Forces

Congress, the executive branch and the courts agreed in 2011 that the 2001 AUMF covered associated forces, too: al-Qaida, the Taliban and certain other terrorist or insurgent groups in Afghanistan; al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula in Yemen; and individuals who are part of al-Qaida in Somalia and Libya, the general counsel said.

“In addition, over the past year, we have conducted military operations under the 2001 AUMF against the Nusrah Front and, specifically, those members of al-Qaida referred to as the Khorasan Group in Syria,” he added. “We have also resumed such operations against the group we fought in Iraq when it was known as al-Qaida in Iraq, which is now known as [the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant].”

Putting groups into this category is done only at the highest levels of the U.S. government, Preston said.

He stressed that American actions against ISIL are consistent with international and domestic law. ISIL grew out of al-Qaida in Iraq, and Americans and American interests have been targets of the terror group since 2004, he said.
ISIL’s recent split from al-Qaida does not change the situation in respect to law, Preston told the group. ISIL considers itself to be the true inheritor of bin Laden’s legacy and groups that have pledged loyalty to ISIL, he explained, adding that this alone covers the group under the 2001 AUMF.

Authorization for Force in Iraq

Preston stressed that the president’s authority to fight ISIL is further reinforced by the 2002 authorization for the use of military force against Iraq. “That AUMF authorized the use of force to, among other things, ‘defend the national security of the United States against the continuing threat posed by Iraq,’” he said.

Though the AUMF was directed against Saddam Hussein’s regime, “the statute … has always been understood to authorize the use of force for the related purposes of helping to establish a stable, democratic Iraq and addressing terrorist threats emanating from Iraq,” he said.

For current operations in Iraq, he noted, the Iraqi government requested American help against ISIL. “In Syria, the United States is using force against ISIL in the collective self-defense of Iraq and U.S. national self-defense, and it has notified the U.N. Security Council that it is taking these actions in Syria consistent with Article 51 of the U.N. Charter,” he said. Article 51 allows for self-defense actions.

Though the NATO combat mission in Afghanistan ended in December, the 2001 AUMF remains valid, Preston said.

“Although our presence in that country has been reduced and our mission there is more limited, the fact is that active hostilities continue,” he said. “As a matter of international law, the United States remains in a state of armed conflict against the Taliban, al-Qaida and associated forces, and the 2001 AUMF continues to stand as statutory authority to use military force.”

The roughly 10,000 U.S. service members in Afghanistan have two missions, Preston told the group. The first -- a NATO mission -- is to continue training Afghan security forces. The second is a counterterrorism mission aimed at the remnants of al-Qaida and to prevent an al-Qaida resurgence or external plotting against the homeland or U.S. targets abroad, the general counsel said.

“The use of force by the U.S. military in Afghanistan is now limited to circumstances in which using force is necessary to execute those two missions or to protect our personnel,” he said.

Adapting Law to the ISIL Fight

Preston then turned to current discussions over an AUMF aimed directly at ISIL. President Barack Obama wants ultimately to repeal the 2001 AUMF and to tailor its authorities to better fit the current fight and the strategy going forward, he said. In February, the president submitted draft legislation authorizing use of “the armed forces of the United States as the president determines to be necessary and appropriate against ISIL or associated persons or forces.”

“This raises the question: If the president already has the authority needed to take action against ISIL, why is he seeking a new authorization?” the general counsel asked. “Most obviously and importantly, as the president has said, the world needs to know we are united behind the effort against ISIL, and the men and women of our military deserve our clear and unified support. Enacting the president’s proposed AUMF will show our fighting forces, the American people, our foreign partners and the enemy that the president and Congress are united in their resolve to degrade and defeat ISIL.”

U.S. CONDEMNS ATTACK ON HOTEL IN SOMALIA

FROM:  THE STATE DEPARTMENT
U.S. Condemns Terrorist Attack in Somalia
Press Statement
Marie Harf
Acting Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
March 28, 2015

The United States strongly condemns al-Shabaab’s terrorist attack on the Maka al-Mukarama Hotel in Mogadishu yesterday. We extend our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the innocent victims killed in the attack and our regrets to the many who were injured. The United States praises the Somali forces for their response to this terrorist attack.

The United States stands with the Somali people and their government as they bring stability, security, and prosperity to all Somalis. We will not be swayed by cowardly terrorist attacks, but will work together for a brighter future.

CIA HEAD SAYS TERRORISM "MORPHING" INTO THEATS LIKE CYBERATTACKS

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
CIA Chief: Terrorism Morphing Into Different Threats
By Jim Garamone
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, March 16, 2015 – Terrorism is morphing into different types of threats, including cyberattacks that can impact nations across the globe, the director of central intelligence said in New York last week.

John Brennan told the Council on Foreign Relations that terror attacks in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia show the terror threat is changing. The CIA working with foreign partners is key to defeating the terror threat, he added.
“These attacks underscore a disturbing trend that we have been monitoring for some time -- the emergence of a terrorist threat that is increasingly decentralized, difficult to track and even more difficult to thwart,” Brennan said.

Though the United States and its partners have had considerable success in attacking core al-Qaida, affiliates have risen, said Brennan, pointing to al-Qaida groups in Libya, Egypt, Somalia, Nigeria “and especially Yemen where al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula has demonstrated a capability to plot attacks well beyond Yemen’s borders, including in our homeland.”

ISIL a ‘Serious Danger’ Beyond Region

But the heartland of terror, the director said, now operates in Syria and Iraq where the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant is waging a campaign of unspeakable brutality against the local population and anyone who does not share its ideology.

Left unchecked, ISIL poses a serious danger not only to Syria and Iraq, but to the wider region and beyond, including the threat of attacks on the U.S. homeland and the homelands of its partners, Brennan said.

The intelligence chief echoed DoD leaders in saying the fight against ISIL will be a long one. “If there is one thing we have learned over the years, it is that success against terrorism requires patience and determination,” he said. “Clearly our country will be dealing with terrorism in one form or another for many years to come.”

Threats in the Cyber Realm

Modern communications technologies complicate the fight against ISIL and its ilk, Brennan said. “New technologies can help groups like ISIL coordinate operations, attract new recruits, disseminate propaganda and inspire sympathizers across the globe to act in their name,” he said. “The overall threat of terrorism is greatly amplified by today’s interconnected world where an incident in one corner of the globe can instantly spark a reaction thousands of miles away, and where a lone extremist can go online and learn how to carry out an attack without ever leaving home.”

The cyber domain brings tremendous benefits, but also brings tremendous dangers, he said.

“Threats in the cyber realm are an urgent national security priority, as America has no equivalent to the two wide oceans that have helped safeguard our country’s physical, maritime and aviation domains for centuries,” Brennan added.

Nations, terrorist organizations, criminals and hackers are trying to penetrate U.S. digital networks, he said.

“Government institutions are under constant assault, and private companies are spending enormous sums of money to defend against hacking attempts, denial of service attacks and other efforts to disrupt their networks,” Brennan said.
The North Korean attack on Sony last year highlighted the cyber threat, he said.
“CIA is working with our partners across the federal government to strengthen cyber defenses, to share expertise and to collaborate with the private sector to mitigate these threats,” Brennan said. “Together we have advanced our understanding of the threats in the cyber realm.”

U.S. CONDEMNS ATTACKS ON SOMALIA CENTRAL HOTEL

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Condemnation of Attacks on Somalia Central Hotel
Press Statement
Jen Psaki
Department Spokesperson
Washington, DC
February 20, 2015

The United States strongly condemns al-Shabaab’s terrorist attack on the Central Hotel in Mogadishu today. We extend our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those killed in the attack, and wish the injured a speedy recovery.

This murderous attack, targeting government ministers and Members of Parliament, once again highlights that al-Shabaab stands only for death and destruction, and is firmly opposed to the Somali people’s efforts to build a secure and prosperous future.

The United States will continue to support the Somali people and their government as they rebuild their country. Those who stand in the way of Somalia’s progress will not succeed.

MAN RECEIVES 15 YEAR PRISON TERM FOR CONSPIRING TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO AL-SHABAAB

FROM  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Thursday, February 5, 2015
Somali Citizen Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Provide Material Support to Al-Shabaab

Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin, Acting U.S. Attorney Richard L. Durbin Jr. of the Western District of Texas, FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs and Chief Patrol Agent Rudolfo Karisch of the U.S. Border Patrol’s Del Rio Sector announced today that Abdinassir Mohamud Ibrahim was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for conspiring to provide material support to Al-Shabaab, a designated foreign terrorist organization, and for making a false statement in an immigration matter.

Ibrahim, 43, a citizen of Somalia, was charged in a two-count superseding information, returned on July 31, 2014 and unsealed today in San Antonio, and pleaded guilty to both counts of the information on July 31, 2014.  Ibrahim admitted that from about May 18, 2010, to about Jan. 31, 2014, he knowingly conspired to provide material support and resources, specifically sending emails enlisting support for al-Shabaab and making a cash payment to a known member of al-Shabaab for the benefit of the organization.  Ibrahim knew at the time that al-Shabaab was designated by the United States as a foreign terrorist organization.

Ibrahim also pleaded guilty to making a false statement in an immigration matter.  According to the information, Ibrahim knowingly lied in his application for naturalization as he had previously lied on his request for refugee status, falsely claiming that he was of a member of the minority Awer clan in Somalia and subject to persecution by the majority Hawiye clan.  However, Ibrahim was actually a member of the Hawiye clan and not subject to persecution.  Ibrahim also admitted he had lied on his naturalization application by having previously lied on his refugee application by falsely claiming that he had not provided material support to a terrorist group, when he had in fact provided material support in the form of cash to an al-Shabaab member.

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Border Patrol together as part of the San Antonio Joint Terrorism Task Force.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Roomberg and Christina Playton for the Western District of Texas.

AL-SHABAB LEAER TARGET OF U.S. AIRSTRIKE

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Somali Airstrike Targeted al-Shabab Leader, Camp, Official Says

By Claudette Roulo

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Sept. 2, 2014 – Manned and unmanned aircraft operated by U.S. special operations forces participated in an airstrike yesterday in Somalia that destroyed an al-Shabab encampment and a vehicle located at that camp, Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said today.

Kirby said the operation was a direct strike against the al-Shabab network, and specifically, the group's leader, Ahmed Abdi al-Muhammad, also known Ahmed Godane.

The operation was carried out after actionable intelligence was obtained that suggested that Godane was present at the camp, located south of the Somali capital of Mogadishu, the press secretary said. It’s too early to know whether Godane was killed as a result of the airstrikes, Kirby said, adding that if he were, it would be a “very significant blow to their network, to their organization and, we believe, to their ability to continue to conduct terrorist attacks.”

The aircraft fired several Hellfire missiles and laser-guided munitions, he said, noting that the Defense Department is still assessing the results of the operation.

“We certainly believe that we hit what we were aiming at,” the press secretary said. “And based on intelligence that, as I said, we believe was actionable -- in other words, strong enough -- we took this strike.”

No U.S. forces were present on the ground, either before or after the attack, he noted.

Al-Shabab is a jihadist group based in Somalia. It has claimed responsibility for last year’s attack on the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, Kenya, which resulted in more than 70 deaths and 200 injured. The group is also believed to be responsible for many bombings, including suicide attacks in Mogadishu and in central and northern Somalia, the admiral said.

These attacks typically target officials and perceived allies of the current federal government of Somalia and the former transitional federal government of Somalia, Kirby said.

Al-Shabab has occupied most of southern Somalia since 2006, he said. It has claimed responsibility for the deaths of numerous government officials, aid workers, peace activists and journalists and was named as a foreign terrorist organization by the State Department in 2008.

“They've also continued to plan plots targeting Westerners, including U.S. personnel in East Africa,” the press secretary said. “In recent months, al-Shabab claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in Djibouti that killed a Turkish national and wounded several Western soldiers, as well as a car bomb at the Mogadishu Airport that targeted and killed members of the United Nations convoy.”

The operation is an example of the commitment of the U.S. government and its allies and partners to the people and government of Somalia “to detect, deter, disrupt and defeat violent extremists who threaten progress in the region, as well as threaten to conduct terrorist attacks against innocent people around the world,” Kirby said.

The United States will continue to use all of the tools at its disposal, he said -- including finance, diplomacy, intelligence and military force -- to dismantle al-Shabab and other terrorist groups that threaten U.S. interests and those of U.S. allies and partners.

DEFENSE SECRETARY HAGEL THANKS PORTUGAL FOR SUPPORTING NATO'S BALTIC AIR POLICING

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, center left, meets with Portuguese Defense Minister Jose Pedro Aguiar-Branco, center right, at the Pentagon, March 31, 2014. The two leaders met to discuss defense-related topics. DOD photo by Glenn Fawcett  

 FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Defense Secretary Welcomes Portuguese Minister to Pentagon
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 31, 2014 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel today welcomed Portuguese Minister of Defense Jose Pedro Aguiar-Branco to the Pentagon, and expressed to the minister his appreciation for Portugal’s many contributions to international security, Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said in a Defense Department news release.

The secretary specifically thanked Portugal for supporting NATO’s Baltic Air Policing rotation later this year, and Portugal’s support in combating piracy and maritime crime in the Gulf of Aden and off Somalia, Kirby said in the release.
Kirby said Hagel also thanked Aguiar-Branco for Portugal’s hospitality towards U.S. airmen at Lajes Field.

The two leaders “discussed the situation in Ukraine and reaffirmed both nations’ steadfast commitment to our collective defense obligations,” Kirby said.
Both men, he said, agreed on the need for Russia to begin discussions with the Ukrainian government, as diplomacy remains the only acceptable means of resolving this crisis.

“Secretary Hagel looks forward to seeing Minister Aguiar-Branco at the NATO Summit in Wales, this September,” Kirby said in the release.

"PIRACY OFF THE COAST OF SOMALIA: QUARTERLY UPDATE"

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 
Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia: Quarterly Update
Fact Sheet
Bureau of Political-Military Affairs
December 24, 2013

The Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia was created on January 14, 2009 pursuant to UN Security Council Resolution 1851. This voluntary ad hoc international forum brings together over 80 countries, organizations, and industry groups with a shared interest in combating piracy. Chaired in 2013 by the United States, the Contact Group coordinates political, military, and non-governmental efforts to tackle piracy off the coast of Somalia, ensure that pirates are brought to justice, and support regional states to develop sustainable maritime security capabilities. The European Union will assume the chairmanship in 2014.

Through its five thematic working groups, the Contact Group draws on a wide range of international expertise and adopts a problem-solving approach to piracy, working closely with Somali officials from the central government and regional administrations and officials in Indian Ocean States. Working Group 1, chaired by the United Kingdom, focuses on operational naval coordination, information sharing, and capacity building; Working Group 2, chaired by Denmark, addresses legal and judicial issues; Working Group 3, chaired by the Republic of Korea, works closely with the shipping industry to enhance awareness and build capabilities among seafarers transiting the region; Working Group 4, chaired by Egypt, aims at raising public awareness of the dangers of piracy; and Working Group 5, chaired by Italy, focuses on disrupting the pirate criminal enterprise ashore, including the illicit financial flows associated with maritime piracy.

This unique international partnership is contributing to a significant decline in piracy off the Horn of Africa. Thanks in part to the Contact Group’s concerted efforts, there has not been a successful pirate attack on a commercial vessel off the Horn of Africa in more than a year and a half, and pirates no longer control a single hijacked vessel.

Recent Developments

• On November 18, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2125, renewing the call for international action to fight piracy off the Coast of Somalia.

• The Contact Group convened November 10-15 for Counter Piracy Week in Djibouti. This first ever extended duration gathering of the CGPCS included meetings of all five working groups, a number of stand-alone thematic discussions, and the 15th Plenary. In all, the event drew 55 delegations totaling approximately 220 participants. Notably, the first ever plenary session in the Horn of Africa included active participation by the Federal Government of Somalia and a number of regional partners in the fight against piracy. Participants agreed that, while significant progress has been made in the last two years, the underlying conditions that allowed piracy to flourish remain. Somalia will continue require significant capacity building assistance to ensure pirate gangs cannot return to peak. The 15th Plenary also marked the handover of the Contact Group chairmanship from the United States to the European Union, which will chair during 2014.

• On October 11, India detained the Sierra Leone-flagged S/V SEAMAN GUARD OHIO and later charged 33 men aboard for failing to produce papers authorizing the carriage of weapons in Indian waters. A U.S. maritime company, Advanfort, operates the ship with a crew that includes British, Estonian, Indian and Ukrainian nationals.

• On November 13, Japan’s parliament enacted a bill to allow security guards to carry rifles aboard Japanese-registered vessels to counter piracy in waters off Somalia and elsewhere. The new law allows armed guards employed by foreign security contractors to fire warning shots at approaching pirates.

• On December 3, France announced it would change its laws to allow private armed guards to protect its shipping fleet against pirates. News reports indicated that although tougher ship security and Western naval patrols have reduced attacks from Somali pirates, French ships are increasingly being targeted in the Gulf of Guinea off West Africa, where France has trade ties with former colonies.

Apprehensions at Sea

• On October 18, the Combined Task Force (CTF)-151 reported the capture of nine suspected pirates believed responsible for two attacks in the Indian Ocean. The RFA FORT VICTORIA, HMAS MELBOURNE and ROKS WANG GEON from CTF-151 were involved, as well as the European Union flagship HMLMS JOHAN DE WITT and a Seychelles based maritime patrol aircraft. Pirates exchanged gunfire with security personnel aboard a super tanker on October 11 before attacking a Spanish fishing vessel three days later. CTF-151 apprehended the suspects and destroyed two skiffs and associated pirate equipment.

• On November 10, the Danish warship HDMS ESBERN SNARE, part of NATO’s OPERATION OCEAN SHIELD, arrested nine suspected pirates in the Indian Ocean. The warship tracked down a pirate skiff and mother ship (a whaler) overnight after the suspects attacked the MV TORM Kansas, a Danish flagged oil tanker on November 9. A skiff of five armed pirates had approached the tanker, exchanging fire with private security guards on board before breaking off. On November 30, Seychelles agreed to try the suspects, which were then handed over.

Piracy Trials and Prosecution Support

• On November 26, seven Somalis convicted of piracy in Kenya were repatriated to Somalia by the UNODC upon the completion of their sentence. They were flown to Galkayo.

• Also in Kenya, judgment in the piracy case concerning an attack on the vessel ARIA has been delayed until 23 December 2013.

• Forty Somalis held in Maldives have been repatriated to Somalia by UNODC. They were detained on suspicion of engaging in piracy, but were not charged as Maldives has no legislation on the subject. They were held as prohibited immigrants prior to their return to Somalia. UNODC is engaging with Maldives to develop its piracy legislation.

• On November 14, a U.S. District Court Judge passed life sentences on the last two Somali pirates convicted of killing four Americans on a yacht off the Horn of Africa in 2011. The third convicted pirate was sentenced on November 12. All three were given 21 life sentences. Eleven others previously pled guilty and are serving life sentences.

• On November 5, there was a procedural delay in the Mauritius trial of nine suspected Somali pirates. One of the accused demanded the presence of the French officer who arrested him. The court advised the defendant to enter a motion to that effect.

• On October 30, a court in Madrid convicted six Somalis for piracy and sentenced them to between eight and 12 and a half years in jail for attacking a Spanish warship in 2012 off the coast of Somalia. The six were caught following a firefight when they tried to board the SPS PATINO, a Spanish navy supply ship supporting the European Union's OPERATION ATALANTA.

• On October 23, four Somali pirates were sentenced to seven years each in prison on by a Kenyan court that found them guilty of hijacking a fishing dhow in the Indian Ocean in 2010. The men were arrested by Spanish naval forces and handed over to Kenyan authorities.

• On October 18, a French court sentenced three Somali pirates to nine years in prison each for the 2009 hijacking off the Somali coast of a French yacht that led to the death of its skipper. The three pirates had asked for leniency, saying they were forced into piracy by lives of abject poverty. French troops stormed a sailboat in April 2009 and captured the trio during a bid to free the captain, his wife, their three-year-old son and two crew members.

• On November 26, a federal jury in the U.S. State of Virginia acquitted Ali Mohammed Ali of piracy charges in connection with the takeover of a Danish merchant ship, the CEC FUTURE, in the Gulf of Aden in 2008. Ali worked as a translator for both ship owners and pirates as they negotiated terms for release of the ship and crew. The jury deadlocked on two hostage-taking charges against Ali. U.S prosecutors said that they will retry Ali on those two allegations.

• On November 29 in Seychelles, the conviction for piracy of a Somali man was overturned on appeal. The man, who was originally sentenced in December 2010, claimed to be 16 years old at the time of the offences. He is being held in custody due to his immigration status and will be repatriated to Somalia by UNODC at the earliest opportunity.

Related Meetings

• On October 15-16, the United Nations’ Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute hosted the second of a series of workshops for legal experts in Rome on to draft a code of conduct on Rules for the Use of Force by Privately Contracted Armed Security Personnel on board merchant ships.

• On November 8 and 9, UNODC conducted a tour for CGPCS Trust Fund donors in Puntland and Somaliland. Representatives from Denmark, DPA, the EU, Germany, UNODC HQ, Norway, the UK and the US were able to visit the projects in Garowe, Berbera and Hargeisa that they have supported through the Trust Fund.

Significant Developments

• On the night of 8 November 2013, Al-Shabaab fighters launched a deadly attack on Bosasso Prison in Puntland, which was substantially rebuilt in previous years by UNODC using money from the CGPCS Trust Fund. The Deputy Commander of the prison and one guard were killed. Prison defense forces fought off the attack and no prisoners escaped.

• The UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs told Counter-Piracy Week in Djibouti participants that the Trust Fund to Support Initiatives of States Countering Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (Trust Fund) will fund the Hostage Support Programme, administered by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, for an additional 18 months.

• The Trust Fund Board of Directors also approved a project submitted by INTERPOL and the International Maritime Bureau which will support debriefing of former hostages held by Somali pirates in support of law enforcement investigations.

• RAPPICC, the Regional Anti-Piracy Prosecutions Intelligence Coordination Centre, changed its name to REFLECS3, the Regional Fusion Law Enforcement Centre for Safety and Security at Sea, to better describe its new three-part mission – combating transnational organized crime; improving maritime shipping information sharing; and coordinating local and regional capacity building programs. Additionally, the Seychelles government agreed to enact legislation to incorporate the Centre as a legal entity. The Steering Group also decided to invite countries from the East African and South Asian regions to join as new members.

• On November 22, the EU/UNODC launched its Programme to Support Maritime Security, known as MASE. The 5 million Euro (approx. 6.8 million USD) MASE programme will address maritime crime in the Indian Ocean including piracy, drugs and arms smuggling, human trafficking, illegal fishing and maritime pollution.

Hostages in Custody

• At least 49 seafarers remain in pirate custody, including:

-- 27 (Taiwanese, Chinese, Cambodian, Filipino, Vietnamese and Indonesian) from the F/V NAHAM 3, Omani-flagged, hijacked March 26, 2012, now aground in Somalia;

-- 11 (7 Bangladeshi, 2 Sri Lankan, 1 Indian, 1 Iranian) from the M/V ALBEDO, Malaysian-flagged, hijacked November 26, 2010, which sank at anchor on July 8, 2013, with a further 4 (Sri Lankans) missing;

-- 4 (Thais) from the M/V PRANTALAY 12, Thailand-flagged, held since April 18, 2010; which was grounded after the anchor chain broke July, 20, 2011; and

-- 7 (Indians) held since September 29, 2010 from M/V ASHPALT VENTURE, Panama-flagged; the ship and other crew were released April 15, 2011.

CONTACT GROUP ON PIRACY OFF THE COAST OF SOMALIA

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 
Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia: Quarterly Update
Fact Sheet
Bureau of Political-Military Affairs
October 21, 2013

The Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia was created on January 14, 2009 pursuant to UN Security Council Resolution 1851. This voluntary ad hoc international forum brings together over 80 countries, organizations, and industry groups with a shared interest in combating piracy. Chaired in 2013 by the United States, the Contact Group coordinates political, military, and non-governmental efforts to tackle piracy off the coast of Somalia, ensure that pirates are brought to justice, and support regional states to develop sustainable maritime security capabilities. The European Union will assume the chairmanship in 2014.

Through its five thematic working groups, the Contact Group draws on a wide range of international expertise and adopts a problem-solving approach to piracy, working closely with Somali officials from the central government and regional administrations and officials in Indian Ocean States. Working Group 1, chaired by the United Kingdom, focuses on operational naval coordination, information sharing, and capacity building; Working Group 2, chaired by Denmark, addresses legal and judicial issues; Working Group 3, chaired by the Republic of Korea, works closely with the shipping industry to enhance awareness and build capabilities among seafarers transiting the region; Working Group 4, chaired by Egypt, aims at raising public awareness of the dangers of piracy; and Working Group 5, chaired by Italy, focuses on disrupting the pirate criminal enterprise ashore, including the illicit financial flows associated with maritime piracy.

This unique international partnership is contributing to a significant decline in piracy off the Horn of Africa. The last successful pirate attack on a major merchant vessel in the region occurred on May 10, 2012.

Recent Developments
• A physician from the United Nations Hostage Support Program (UNHSP) visited hostages from the M/V ALBEDO in late August and mid September to treat 11 crewmen held captive for nearly three years. The men were suffering from rashes and infections , and required medicine for malaria, controlling blood pressure and stomach ailments caused by drinking dirty water.

• The UNHSP visited released hostages and families in Doha, London and Dubai and documented that little or no help has been provided for these seafarers since their release.

Apprehensions at Sea
• None reported

Piracy Trials and Prosecution Support
• On October 12, Belgian police arrested Mohamed Abdi Hassan at Brussels airport. Hassan, whose nickname, Afweyne, means "Big Mouth,” and whom the United Nations has called "one of the most notorious and influential leaders" of a major Somali pirate organization. Hassan is believed responsible for the hijacking of dozens of commercial vessels from 2008 to 2013. In a sting operation, Hassan was lured from Somalia to Belgium with promises of work on a documentary about high-seas crime. Belgian authorities also arrested an accomplice, Mohammad Aden Tiiceey.

• Also on October 7, Spain began the trial of six Somalis accused of attacking the EU NAVFOR ship SPS PATINO in early January, 2012. Spain said the six apparently mistook the warship for a trawler and broke off an attack when the ship returned fire. The six claimed they were innocent fishermen.

• On October 7, Mauritius delayed the trial of 12 suspected Somali pirates due to the illness of one of the accused. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) had two interpreters there to translate in the courtroom. A third UNODC interpreter who was present for the translation of the defendants' statements in the investigation will be called as a prosecution witness.

• On October 5, the counter-piracy Force Commanders from Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), the EU Naval Force and NATO met at sea off the Somali Coast on board the EU Naval Force flagship, HNLMS JOHAN DE WITT. The meeting was to review the current and future situation concerning piracy in the Indian Ocean and to share information. Commodore Peter Lenselink from the Royal Netherlands Navy welcomed on board Commodore Jeremy Blunden from the Royal Navy (CMF) and Commodore Henning Amundsen from the Royal Norwegian Navy (NATO Operation Ocean Shield).

• On October 2, the Seychellois Supreme Court passed sentence on the 11 Somali pirates convicted on three counts of piracy against the M/V SUPER LADY. The adults were given a 16-year sentence for each charge (to run concurrently). The youngest of the group was given an 18 month sentence which, taking account of the time he has served meant he was released immediately. He was returned to his family in Somalia within one week. The 11 were captured by the Dutch Navy ship HNLMS VAN AMSTEL, operating under Operation ATALANTA.

• On September 19, a Tanzanian court found procedural problems in the trial of seven accused Somali pirates. The High Court in Dar es Salaam ordered a lower court to conduct proper committal proceedings in the trial against the seven, who are charged with attacking the oil exploration vessel M/V SAM S ALL-GOOD within Tanzania's waters. The Tanzanian navy captured the Somali suspects in October 2011.

• On September 10, Spain's National Court sentenced six Somali pirates to jail for attempting to kidnap the crew of a fishing boat. They will likely serve 40 years each. The pirates targeted the F/V IZURDIA in October 2012 while it was sailing in the Indian Ocean. A French Ship, the FS LA FAYETTE, working under EUNAVFOR’s Operation ATALANTA, and the Dutch ship HNLMS ROTTERDAM, working under NATO’s Operation OCEAN SHIELD, caught the pirates October 24, 2012.

• On September 5, a U.S. Appellate Court ordered pirate interpreter Ali Mohammed Ali returned to custody. The ruling came just 24 hours after a U.S. District Court Judge in Virginia freed Ali pending trial because he was held in pre-trial detention for 28 months.

• Also on September 2, the trial of nine defendants accused of involvement in the unsuccessful pirate attack on M/V ALBA STAR in February 2013 commenced in the Seychellois Supreme Court. Dutch naval officers from HNLMS DE RUYTER (operating under EUNAVFOR’s Operation ATALANTA) as well as officers from the Spanish maritime aerial reconnaissance patrol gave evidence.

• On September 2, a Malaysian court sentenced seven Somali pirates to eight to 10 years imprisonment for shooting at Malaysian troops on board a tanker in Gulf of Aden. The pirates boarded the Malaysian-operated chemical tanker M/T BUNGA LAUREL in January of 2011. A Royal Malaysian Navy ship, the MT BUNGA MAS LIMA, captured the pirates a few hours later.

• A U.S. jury on August 2 recommended that three Somali pirates be sentenced to life in prison in the slayings of four Americans aboard the yacht QUEST off the coast of Africa. Formal sentencing is set for October and November. Eleven of the pirates who attacked the QUEST pleaded guilty in federal court in 2011 and were given life sentences. The onshore negotiator working for the pirates also received multiple life sentences.

• On July 23, the Seychellois Supreme Court convicted six Somali pirates accused of acts of piracy against the M/V BURHAN NOOR. Five of the six received sentences of 24 years. The other convicted pirate, aged 15, was sentenced to 12 years. The six were captured August 13, 2012, by the Dutch Navy ship HNLMS ROTTERDAM, working under NATO’s Operation OCEAN SHIELD.

• On July 30, the Magistrates Court in Mombasa, Kenya delivered sentence in the M/V COURIER case. Nine pirates, apprehended by the German frigate RHEINLAND-PFALZ, working under EUNAVFOR’s Operation ATALANTA, and the American destroy USS MONTEREY of CTF 151, on March 3, 2009, received sentences of five years which will start from the date of judgment.

Prisons and Prisoner Transfers
• The UNODC reported two successful prisoner transfers from the Seychelles to the Bossaso Prison in Puntland. Another four convicted pirates who completed their prison sentences were returned to Galkyo. The 15 represent convictions in six different cases conducted in Seychelles and were arrested by Denmark, EU, Netherlands and the UK.

Meetings
• Ambassador Chul Huh, the new Korean Chair of the CGPCS Working Group 3 (WG 3), convened a meeting at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) headquarters in London on 9 September.

• The group supported the revised draft ”Interim Guidelines on Measures to Provide Welfare for Seafarers and Their Families Affected by Piracy.”

• NATO noted that the mandate for Operation OCEAN SHIELD (OOS) will expire at the end of 2014. EUNAVOR Operation ATALANTA is facing a similar timeline. Each of the two groups will hold discussions on their this fall regarding the way ahead.

• The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) is reviewing the definition of the HRA among industry. ICS also stated ISO PAS 28007 is being successfully piloted in the UK and should be completed by the end of the year.

• IMO said the Project Implementation Unit (PIU) of the Djibouti Code of Conduct assisted in the delivery of training to some 700 personnel in Djibouti.

• The Fourth Meeting of the CGPCS Working Group 1 Capacity Building Coordination Group (CBCG) took place in Dubai on 10 September. The CBCG noted that no regional countries reported needs since the meeting in June. It then adopted the mechanism of dispatching representatives to work with governments in the region to review all projects and support the formulation of needs. The CBCG put immediate priority on Somalia, Tanzania and Yemen for project review as well as finalizing the work on Kenya.

• The United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute plans to conduct the second of a series of workshops for legal experts in Rome on October 15-16 to draft a code of conduct on Rules for the Use of Force by Privately Contracted Armed Security Personnel on board merchant ships.

Significant Developments
• The U.S. Department of State awarded the UNODC an Anti-Piracy Incentive Fund grant of nearly 1.3 million dollars to increase the efficiency and capacity of the Seychellois and Kenyan court systems to prosecute suspected pirates and other legal cases.

• On September 11 in Dubai, Regional Anti-Piracy Prosecution and Intelligence Coordination Center (RAPPICC) leaders said the Center it will transition to a regional Maritime Center for Security and Transnational Crime. RAPPICC leaders want to develop sustainable regional capacity and capability to bring pirate leaders, financiers and enablers to justice and deprive them of the proceeds of their crimes. The center has three specific objectives: A) Intelligence development; B) Investigation and prosecution; and C) Capacity and capability building. RAPPICC will act as a regional hub for Interpol, providing extra resources and regional support for prosecuting states.

• Acording to an INTERPOL spokesperson, INTERPOL and RAPPICC are working on a joint, ambitious plan of action to target the leadership of the piracy networks and breathe life in UNSCR 2077.

• The Ukrainian Navy frigate HETMAN SAGAIYDACHNIY has joined NATO's Operation Ocean Shield, marking the first time a partner nation has contributed to the western military alliance's counter-piracy effort.

Hostages in Custody
• At least 50 hostage seafarers remain in pirate custody. Only F/V NAHAM 3 is still held by pirates, although it has now run aground; the M/V ALBEDO sank at anchor off Haradhere on July 8, 2013.

• 28 on F/V NAHAM 3 (Oman-flagged), hijacked March 26, 2012.

• Four held since April 18, 2010 from PRANTALAY 12 and 7 held since April 16, 2011 from M/V ASHPALT VENTURE.

U.S. SAYS IT WILL CONTINUE WORK IN SOMALI

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
Pentagon Official: U.S. Must Continue to Work with Somalia
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Oct. 8, 2013 - Progress in Somalia has been "significant," a senior Defense Department official told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee today, and the United States will continue to work with the Somali government to defeat terrorism there.

Amanda J. Dory, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for African affairs, told the committee that al-Shabaab -- an al-Qaida affiliated terrorist group -- once controlled large swaths of Somalia, including most Somali cities.

"Today, Somali, [African Union Mission in Somalia] and Ethiopian forces have weakened al-Shabaab as a conventional fighting force in Somalia," she said in prepared remarks.

Still, al-Shabaab remains dangerous, she said. The terror group is capable of launching sophisticated unconventional attacks aimed at the African Union mission and the fledgling Somali government, Dory told the senators.

"For the foreseeable future," she added, "we must maintain focus on Somalia to sustain security progress made to date, as al-Shabaab is likely to remain the primary threat to Somalian and East African stability for some time to come."

The African Union mission -- supported by the United States -- has provided critical space for the Somali government to stand up and establish its legitimacy. The United States recognizes the new government and wants to normalize military-to-military contacts. U.S. Africa Command will work with State Department personnel to assist with the development of a unified Somali security force, Dory said.

Piracy that originated from Somalia has been virtually eliminated, Dory said.

"As recently as 2011, Somali pirates held nearly 600 mariners hostage aboard 28 captured ships, and roamed an area the size of the continental United States looking for their next opportunity," she said. "Today, thanks to changes in business practices by the commercial maritime industry, and the presence of international naval forces, piracy is almost nonexistent off the coast of Somalia. The last successful hijacking of a major commercial ship was in 2012."

Dory said she is encouraged by the way the African Union mission in the country has provided stability. The troops come from Uganda, Burundi, Kenya, Djibouti and Sierra Leone. They work with Ethiopian forces and the Somali National Army.

The United States and international partners have provided important training and equipment to the Somalis. The proposal for training in fiscal 2014 will stress logistics, personnel management, finance and budgeting and maintenance, Dory said. All this is done in close cooperation with the Somali government.

The antipiracy mission must continue, as the progress made is perishable, she said, adding that Somalia will continue to present problems and opportunities.

"With sustained assistance from the United States and other international partners, Somalia's national security apparatus will be better positioned to fend off the al-Shabaab insurgency, and gradually transform the fragile state into a success story," she said.

GENERAL HAM DISCUSSED CHALLENGES FOR U.S. AFRICA COMMAND

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Africom Commander Outlines Diverse Challenges Ahead
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 7, 2013 - Somalia and Mali represent different stages of the challenges for U.S. Africa Command, Army Gen. Carter F. Ham told the Senate Armed Services Committee today.

Ham, who will step down as Africom commander next month, said the five-year-old command has increased operational capabilities and capacities and has worked to build and focus security cooperation on the continent.

"Our approach seeks to address the near-term threats to our national security while simultaneously building partnerships and fostering regional cooperation which contribute to achieving longer-term U.S. objectives in Africa," he said.

Africa has been a mixed bag in recent years, with positive steps in Somalia and security challenges in Mali.

Along with allies in East Africa, Africom developed a strategy that has seriously weakened the terror group al-Shabaab, Ham said. "Somalia still faces significant political, economic and security challenges, but the Somali people now have something they haven't had for a very long time: hope for a better future," he added. "And I'm proud that we've played a role in that."

In Central Africa, African troops, advised and assisted by U.S. Army Special Forces personnel, have achieved some significant tactical gains against the Lord's Resistance Army and its leader, Joseph Kony. "Today, we are seeing increased levels of LRA defections, fewer LRA attacks, and enhanced cooperation between the military forces in the region," the general told the Senate panel.

Africom also is working with nations and regional groups in the Gulf of Guinea to boost cooperation against pirates, smuggling and illegal trafficking, Ham said.

Such security initiatives illustrate what can be achieved through an Africa-led endeavor to which America provides support and logistical capabilities, he said, and this same approach could be key to establishing peace and stability in Mali. The command has supported French and African allies' efforts in northern Mali and is sharing intelligence and providing some transportation to forces opposing al-Qaida in the Islamic Mahgreb, he said.

But while the increasing willingness of many African partners to actively address shared threats is encouraging, the general told the panel, other trends in the region are deeply concerning. Terror groups in West and North Africa are increasingly working together, he noted.

"The loss of four Americans in Libya and three more in Algeria underscores the threat presented by this growing network," Ham said.

The terror groups individually pose threats to the region, he said, but their increasing collaboration increases the danger they present collectively.

"I'm convinced that if left unchecked," Ham added, "this network will develop into one that poses a greater and more imminent threat to U.S. interests."

Stopping the spread of these groups is the command's top priority, the general said. "At the same time, we're tasked to focus on prevention through a very active partnership strategy," he said. "It remains clear that Africans must solve Africa's problems."

And it is in this area that fiscal challenges will hurt the most, Ham said.

"I'm concerned about the impacts resulting from the combined effects of sequestration and a continuing resolution," the general told the senators. "We've already had to make difficult decisions based on the availability of funds, such as reducing reconnaissance flights."

Budget reductions will cut theater security cooperation engagements and will reduce important joint and combined exercises, Ham said. The cuts, possible cuts and threatened cuts mean uncertainty in both the military ranks and in Africom's civilian workforce, he added.

"They are not sure what to expect of their government," Ham said.

Civilian employees face furloughs, he noted, and military personnel and their families face the question of whether Congress will sustain programs.

"I don't think we yet understand what effect this uncertainty may have in the recruiting and retention of our civilian workforce, and perhaps even more importantly, on the recruiting and retention of what I think is the crown jewel in all of this, and that's the sustainment of the incredibly talented all-volunteer force we have," he said. "I think there are a lot more unknowns right now than knowns."

The command is looking at new ways to address the many challenges in Africa, Ham said. "The Army's regionally aligned force, Navy's Africa Partnership Station, and the Air Force counterpart, Africa Partnership Flight, are programs the services have purposely designed to help us achieve our objectives," he said. "We look forward to the capabilities of the Marine Corps' new Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force, which will bring improvements in our crisis-response capabilities."

Ham commended Africom's service members and civilians as he prepares to turn over the command to Army Gen. David M. Rodriguez.