BRIEFING: COUNTRY REPORTS ON TERRORISM IN 2014

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Counterterrorism: Briefing at the Release of Country Reports on Terrorism 2014
06/19/2015 01:12 PM EDT
Briefing at the Release of Country Reports on Terrorism 2014
Special Briefing
Tina S. Kaidanow
Ambassador-at-Large and Coordinator for Counterterrorism
Washington, DC
June 19, 2015

(As Prepared)

Thank you all very much for coming. Today, the State Department is issuing Country Reports on Terrorism 2014, which fulfills an important congressional mandate and provides us with an opportunity to review the state of terrorism worldwide and define the nature and the scope of the terrorist threat. Doing so also allows us to assess our effectiveness and best calibrate our strategy and response. Reviewing how involved and engaged countries are in various aspects of their counterterrorism efforts – which comprises the bulk of this report – helps us make informed assessments about priorities and where to place resources in our various capacity building programs.

First, I would note that, according to the Statistical Annex prepared by the University of Maryland, the numbers of terrorist attacks in 2014 increased 35% and total fatalities increased 81% compared to 2013, largely due to activity in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Nigeria. More than 60% of all attacks took place in five countries: Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, and Nigeria, and 78% of all fatalities due to terrorist attacks also took place in five countries: Iraq, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Syria. The increase in total fatalities was, in part, a result of certain attacks that were exceptionally lethal – in 2014, there were 20 attacks that killed more than 100 people, compared to two such attacks in 2013.

While I cite these statistics, which are compiled by the University of Maryland and are not a U.S. government product per se, I stress again that they do not provide the full context. Aggregate totals or numbers of attacks are not a particularly useful metric for measuring the aims of extremist groups, or of our progress in preventing or countering their activities.

To that end, I’d like to talk about the content of the report itself and some of the trends we noted in 2014.

Despite significant blows to al-Qa’ida’s (AQ) leadership, weak or failed governance continued to provide an enabling environment for the emergence of extremist radicalism and violence, notably in Yemen, Syria, Libya, Nigeria, and Iraq. We are deeply concerned about the continued evolution of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the emergence of self-proclaimed ISIL affiliates in Libya, Egypt, Nigeria and elsewhere, and tens of thousands of foreign terrorist fighters who are exacerbating the violence in the Middle East and posing a continued threat to their home countries.

The ongoing civil war in Syria has been a spur to many of the worldwide terrorism events we have witnessed. Since the report covers calendar year 2014, it notes that the overall flow of foreign terrorist fighter travel to Syria was estimated at more than 16,000 foreign terrorist fighters from over 90 countries as of late December – a number that exceeds any similar flow of foreign terrorist fighters traveling to other countries in the last 20 years. Many of the foreign terrorist fighters joined ISIL, which has seized contiguous territory in western Iraq and eastern Syria. Iraqi forces and the Counter-ISIL Coalition have dealt significant blows to ISIL, but it continues to control substantial territory.

As with many other terrorist groups worldwide, ISIL has brutally repressed the communities under its control and used ruthless methods of violence such as beheadings and crucifixions. Uniquely, however, it demonstrates a particular skill in employing new media tools to display its brutality, both as a means to shock and terrorize, but equally to propagandize and attract new recruits. Boko Haram shares with ISIL a penchant for the use of brutal tactics, which include stonings, indiscriminate mass casualty attacks, and systematic oppression of women and girls, including enslavement, torture, and rape.

Though AQ central leadership has indeed been weakened, the organization continues to serve as a focal point of inspiration for a worldwide network of affiliated groups, including al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula – a long-standing threat to Yemen, the region, and the United States; al-Qa’ida in the Islamic Maghreb; al-Nusrah Front; and al-Shabaab in East Africa.

We saw a rise in "lone offender attacks," including in Ottawa and Quebec in October and Sydney in December of 2014. In many cases it was difficult to assess whether attacks were directed or inspired by ISIL or AQ and its affiliates. These attacks may presage a new era in which centralized leadership of a terrorist organization matters less, group identity is more fluid, and violent extremist narratives focus on a wider range of alleged grievances and enemies. Enhanced border security measures among Western states since 9/11 have increased the difficulty for known or suspected terrorists to travel internationally; therefore, groups like AQ and ISIL encourage lone actors residing in the West to carry out attacks on their behalf.

ISIL and AQ affiliates, including al-Nusrah Front, continued to use kidnapping for ransom operations, profits from the sales of looted antiquities, and other criminal activities to raise funds for operational purposes. Much of ISIL’s funding, unlike the resources utilized by AQ and AQ-type organizations, did not come from external donations but was internally gathered in Iraq and Syria. ISIL earned up to several million dollars per month through its various extortion networks and criminal activity in the territory where it operated, including through oil smuggling. Some progress was made in 2014 in constraining ISIL’s ability to earn money from the sale of smuggled oil as a result of anti-ISIL Coalition airstrikes that were conducted on ISIL-operated oil refineries, but the oil trade was not fully eradicated.

ISIL and AQ were not the only serious threats that confronted the United States and its allies. Iran continued to sponsor terrorist groups around the world, principally through its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF). These groups included Lebanese Hizballah, several Iraqi Shia militant groups, Hamas, and Palestine Islamic Jihad.

Addressing this evolving set of terrorist threats, and the need to undertake efforts that span the range from security to rule of law to efficacy of governance and pushing back on terrorist messaging in order to effectively combat the growth of these emerging violent extremist groups, requires an expanded approach to our counterterrorism engagement. President Obama has emphasized repeatedly that we need to bring strong, capable, and diverse partners to the forefront and enlist their help in the mutually important endeavor of global counterterrorism.

A successful approach to counterterrorism must therefore revolve around partnerships. The vital role that our partners play has become even clearer in the last year with the emergence of ISIL as the hugely destructive force in Iraq and Syria that I have described. We have worked to build an effective counter-ISIL coalition, a coalition that is clearly crucial because the fight against ISIL is not one the United States can or should pursue alone. More than 60 partners are contributing to this effort, which is multi-faceted in its goals – not only to stop ISIL’s advances on the ground, but to combat the flow of foreign fighters, disrupt ISIL’s financial resources, and counteract ISIL’s messaging and undermine its appeal, among other objectives. I would also highlight the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2178 in September as a particularly significant step forward in international efforts to cooperate in preventing the flow of foreign terrorist fighters to and from conflict zones.

The notion of finding and enabling partners, of course, is not new or limited to the counter-ISIL effort, and indeed many of our most significant counterterrorism successes in the past have come as a result of working together with partners on elements ranging from intelligence to aviation security.

The United States needs partners who can not only contribute to military operations, but also conduct arrests, prosecutions, and incarceration of terrorists and their facilitation networks. Addressing terrorism in a rule of law framework, with respect for human rights, is critical both for ensuring the sustainability of our efforts and for preventing the rise of new forms of violent extremism. Multilateral entities such as the United Nations and the Global Counterterrorism Forum can also play a critical role in promoting good practices and mobilizing technical assistance in this regard.

As we develop partnerships to disrupt terrorist plots and degrade terrorist capabilities, we also need partners – both governmental and non-governmental – who can help counter the spread of violent extremist recruitment and address the conditions that make communities susceptible to violent extremism. We must do more to address the cycle of violent extremism and transform the very environment from which these terrorist movements emerge. That is why we are committed to enlarging our strategy in ways that address the underlying conditions conducive to the spread, and not just the visible symptoms of, violent extremism. This was a major theme of the White House Summit on Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) earlier this year, which brought together 300 participants from over 65 countries representing national and local governments, civil society, the private sector, and multilateral organizations. The Summit highlighted the especially vital role that partnering with civil society plays in our counterterrorism efforts.

In addition to counterterrorism assistance rendered in the fields of rule of law and countering recruitment, we provide a wide array of expertise and programmatic support for our partners to help them identify and disrupt the financing of terrorism, strengthen aviation and border security, and sharpen their law enforcement and crisis response tools to respond to the terrorist threat.

The terrorism challenges that we face continue to evolve at a rapid pace, and we cannot predict with precision what the landscape will look like one decade or even one year from now. However, we believe we can best protect America’s interests and people over the long run by engaging in robust diplomacy, expanding our partnerships, building bilateral and regional capabilities, and promoting holistic and rule of law-based approaches to counter terrorism and violent extremism. This remains our program of action over the months ahead.

And now, I invite your questions about the report and its findings.

TWO BROTHERS SENTENCED FOR TERRORISM AND ASSAULT ON TWO U.S. MARSHALS

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, June 11, 2015
Qazi Brothers Sentenced on Terrorism Violations and Assault on Two Deputy U.S. Marshals
Younger Sibling Plotted to Attack New York City with a Weapon of Mass Destruction

Brothers Raees Alam Qazi, 22, and Sheheryar Alam Qazi, 32, both naturalized U.S. citizens from Pakistan, were sentenced today to 35 years and 20 years in prison for terrorism violations and assaulting two Deputy U.S. Marshals while in custody, announced Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin, U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer of the Southern District of Florida, Director Stacia A. Hylton of the U.S. Marshals Service and Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the FBI’s Miami Division.

Raees Qazi and Sheheryar Qazi were sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Beth Bloom of the Southern District of Florida, and their prison term will be followed by a term of 10 years and five years of supervised release, respectively.

“With the sentences handed down today, Raees Qazi and his brother Sheheryar Qazi are being held accountable for their roles in a plot to conduct a terrorist attack using a weapon of mass destruction in New York City and their assault on two federal officers during their pretrial detention,” said Assistant Attorney General Carlin.  “This case highlights our commitment to pursue any individuals who would seek to conduct an attack on U.S. soil or to injure law enforcement officials who risk their lives to protect us.  I want to thank the U.S. Marshals, agents, analysts, and prosecutors who are responsible for this successful result.”

“Protecting the homeland and our national security remains our number one priority,” said U.S. Attorney Ferrer.  “Today’s sentences demonstrate this Office’s unwavering commitment to work with our law enforcement partners to combat all forms of terrorism by proactively finding and prosecuting those who actively seek to kill or harm innocent citizens in the name of violent extremism.”

“Today’s sentencing of the Qazi brothers represents the final chapter for two men who wished to bring harm and mass destruction to Americans on U.S. soil,” said Director Hylton.  “Their sentences demonstrate that justice prevailed.  I am proud of our brave men and women who participated in this process, and thank the prosecutors who worked tirelessly for this successful conclusion.”

“The threat of a terrorist attack against innocent Americans is real as demonstrated by the actions of these two brothers,” said Special Agent in Charge Piro.  “The fact that their terrorist aspirations were cut short didn’t stop Raees and Sheheryar Qazi from attempting to use potentially lethal force against two U.S. Marshals while they were in custody.  This case highlights outstanding work and team effort of our South Florida Joint Terrorism Task Force.”

On March 12, 2015, Raees Alam Qazi pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to provide material support and resources to terrorists in preparation for the use of a weapon of mass destruction, one count of attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization and one count of conspiring to assault a federal employee.  Sherheyar Alam Qazi pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to provide material support and resources to terrorists in preparation for the use of a weapon of mass destruction and one count of conspiring to assault a federal employee.

The brothers acknowledged during the plea hearing that Raees Alam Qazi was going to initiate an attack using a weapon of mass destruction in New York City and that he had been financially and emotionally supported by his older brother, Sheheryar Alam Qazi, who encouraged him to launch the attack.  Among other things, the brothers acknowledged that Sheheryar Alam Qazi had encouraged his younger brother to travel from Pakistan to Afghanistan in 2011, and that when Raees Alam Qazi had been unsuccessful in his attempt to enter Afghanistan, he returned to his older brother.  The brothers acknowledged that Raees Alam Qazi had been trying to reach the “guys from Yemen” aka Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) on the internet and that they told him not to come to Afghanistan because there were enough people, but instead suggested they do something in the United States.  Raees Alam Qazi admitted that he had taken “hints” from an AQAP online publication entitled Inspire Magazine, including building an explosive device using Christmas tree light bulbs.  Raees Alam Qazi also conceded that he had used information in Inspire to communicate with AQAP, and that his communications with Al Qaeda dealt with his desires to launch an attack in the United States.

The brothers acknowledged that Raees Alam Qazi travelled to New York in November 2012 to conduct an attack with a weapon of mass destruction while Sheheryar Alam Qazi actively misled friends and family members about Raees Alam Qazi’s true whereabouts and activities.  The brothers acknowledged that Raees Alam Qazi called Sheheryar Alam Qazi from New York to notify him that he had not been successful in his task.  Sheheryar Alam Qazi encouraged Raees Alam Qazi to return to “practice over here [Florida] then you may return [to New York] you know…. I will give you complete freedom.”

The brothers additionally admitted their participation in a conspiracy to assault federal officers.  They conceded that on April 8, 2014, while being moved within the U.S. Courthouse complex in Miami, they simultaneously punched two Deputy U.S. Marshals in the face and struggled with them and attempted to use potentially lethal force on them.  Raees Alam Qazi and Sheheryar Alam Qazi acknowledged that while struggling with the Deputy U.S. Marshals, the defendants simultaneously exclaimed “Allahu Akbar,” an Arabic exhortation meaning “God is Great.”

The case was investigated by the FBI’s South Florida Joint Terrorism Task Force.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen E. Gilbert and Adam S. Fels of the Southern District of Florida, and Trial Attorney Jennifer E. Levy of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

U.S.-GREECE DISCUSS DEFENSE ISSUES

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT

Right:  Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Christine E. Wormuth welcomes Greece's Minister of Defense Panos Kammenos to the Pentagon May 20, 2015. During their meeting, Wormuth and Kammenos discussed security and defense issues of mutual concern, including trans-Mediterranean migration, terrorism, the Balkans, Libya, the Middle East, and Russia's aggressive actions in Ukraine. DoD photo. 

Leaders Discuss U.S.-Greece Security, Defense Issues

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, May 21, 2015 – Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Christine E. Wormuth met yesterday with Greece's Minister of Defense Panos Kammenos at the Pentagon to discuss security and defense issues of mutual concern, according to a DoD news release.

Those issues included trans-Mediterranean migration, terrorism, Russia's aggressive actions in Ukraine, the Balkans, Libya, and the Middle East, the release said. Wormuth thanked Greece for hosting U.S. forces at Souda Bay, Crete, and for its participation in operations in Afghanistan and Kosovo, according to the release.

Greece's Support in Opposing ISIL

Wormuth also noted the important support Greece is providing the coalition in opposing the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, the release added. She and Kammenos agreed that the security situation along NATO's southern flank is a growing concern and called for NATO to develop a southern strategy.

She also conveyed that Secretary of Defense Ash Carter is looking forward to working with Kammenos at the NATO Ministerial next month, the release said.

NSC STATEMENT ON MEETING WITH UN SPECIAL ENVOY FOR YEMEN

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE
May 02, 2015
Statement by NSC Spokesperson Bernadette Meehan on Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Lisa Monaco's Meeting with United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed

On May 1st, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, Lisa Monaco, met with incoming United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, for consultations as he begins his new role.  Ms. Monaco underscored the importance the United States places on rapidly shifting from the military conflict in Yemen to all-party negotiations under UN auspices, and offered strong U.S. support for Mr. Ould Cheikh Ahmed’s efforts.  She noted that this shift would allow Yemen to resume the inclusive political transition process outlined in the Gulf Cooperation Council Initiative, the National Dialogue outcomes, and relevant UN Security Council resolutions and focus on combatting al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula.

The United States strongly believes that all of Yemen's communities have important roles to play in the country's peaceful governance.  They also discussed the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen.  Ms. Monaco expressed U.S. determination to support the unimpeded delivery of badly needed food, medicine, and other supplies to the people of Yemen who are suffering.  She reinforced that the United States is working closely with humanitarian aid organizations, governments, and others to facilitate access and the urgent delivery of assistance to those in need.  Finally, Ms. Monaco and Mr. Ould Cheikh Ahmed agreed that all Yemenis must come together in a political dialogue to serve the needs of the Yemeni people and counter the shared threat from al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula, which is exploiting the crisis.

SPECIAL OPS WEAKENING TERRORISTS SAYS ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENCE LUMPKIN

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT

Right:  Michael D. Lumpkin, assistant secretary of defense for special operations and low-intensity conflict, addresses the Defense Department's policy and programs to counter threats to the nation from terrorism and irregular warfare during a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee's subcommittee on emerging threats and capabilities, April 21, 2015. DoD screen shot.
 
Special Ops Forces Weakening Terrorist Groups, DoD Official Says
By Terri Moon Cronk
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, April 21, 2015 – U.S. special operations forces are successfully taking direct action against multiple global terrorist organizations while building U.S. partner capacity, a top Defense Department official told a Senate panel today.

Michael D. Lumpkin, assistant secretary of defense for special operations and low-intensity conflict, addressed DoD’s policy and programs to counter threats to the nation from terrorism and irregular warfare during a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee’s subcommittee on emerging threats and capabilities.
Special operations forces provide “a small but vital component of our comprehensive approach to counterterrorism,” Lumpkin said, taking steps to understand and address multiple global threats including terrorist networks, a flow of foreign fighters, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and activities undertaken or sponsored by other states.

Deployed around the world, special operations forces work closely with U.S. allies and partners to leverage the nation’s respective strengths and capabilities against common threats, he added.

AUMF Critical to Special Forces

The nation’s special operations forces are a “unique asset,” Lumpkin said, an asset that can be effective only when DoD has authority to employ them properly through Authorized Use of Military Force legislation.

“I fully support our president’s AUMF to counter the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant,” the assistant secretary said, adding that the authorization would “provide appropriate flexibility to confront ISIL’s affiliates where conditions merit.”

The president’s proposed legislation also would signal to U.S. allies and enemies that the United States is serious about addressing future permutations of this expanding threat.

“I urge you to favorably consider it,” Lumpkin told the panel.
By making thousands of strikes against ISIL leadership and its forces, special operations forces weakened the enemy’s ability to exert external territorial control and challenged the foundation of its propaganda, he said.

Special Forces Expanding its Reach

Yet while U.S. special operations forces work to destroy ISIL in Syria and Iraq, they also are expanding their reach into Africa and Southeast Asia, Lumpkin said.

“The recent killings of civilians in Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen [and] Tunisia … highlight the expanding nature of the threat,” he pointed out. In West Africa, special operations forces are partnered with local and European allies to degrade the extremist Islamic group Boko Haram, which recently pledged allegiance to ISIL, Lumpkin said.

With what he described as a relatively modest investment of personnel and resources, he said, special operations forces and U.S. allies are exerting “significant pressure” on Boko Haram and its facilitation network.
Concern About Libya

“I’m deeply concerned that the lack of unity of government and the deteriorating situation in Libya has created a safe haven for militias and terrorist organizations,” Lumpkin said. “ISIL’s increased popularity and presence in Libya highlight the need to quickly achieve a lasting political solution.”

Across Africa, special operations forces are working with local and regional forces and European allies to degrade terrorist groups, Lumpkin noted. “These efforts have had significant disruptive effects on these organizations,” he said.
Special Ops Continue Work in Yemen

Lumpkin said he is troubled by the ongoing military aggression the Houthis are perpetuating in Yemen, and by the resulting unstable security conditions that are widespread in that country. But special operations forces will continue to contribute to the broader U.S. efforts to restore stability in Yemen, and degrade al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula,” he told the panel.

The U.S. special operations forces represent a relatively small slice of the U.S. government’s efforts against these threats, Lumpkin said. “However,” he added, “they are achieving meaningful and positive effects.”

SECRETARY KERRY'S REMARKS WITH PORTUGUESE MINISTER OF STATE AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS RUI MACHETE

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Remarks With Portuguese Minister of State and Foreign Affairs Rui Machete
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Treaty Room
Washington, DC
April 21, 2015

SECRETARY KERRY: Good morning, everybody. Bom dia. It’s my pleasure to welcome Foreign Minister Machete here back to Washington, and I’m delighted to be able to have a chance to talk with him about important issues between our countries.

Portugal, as everybody knows, is an old and firm ally of the United States, a NATO ally. And we’re particularly grateful for Portugal’s many efforts of global responsibility, not the least of which now are their support in the coalition against ISIL, their commitment to counterterrorism, their support for sanctions with respect to the Russian activities in Ukraine and our efforts to try to implement the Minsk agreement, which we all believe will help to quiet things down and stabilize the region and be good for everybody. We also are grateful for their support for our efforts in Iraq. And there is a very significant effort by Portugal to exercise responsibility towards the environment, towards the oceans, particularly the Gulf of Guinea.

So we appreciate it – that leadership – very much. And I know recently Portugal, like other countries in Europe, has been making difficult economic choices. And I want to congratulate Portugal on the fact that it is growing. We want to see that continue. We have high hopes, but we welcome you here. So thank you very much. We’re happy to have you here.

FOREIGN MINISTER MACHETE: Thank you very much. For me, it’s a great pleasure to come back to Washington and to see John Kerry again. We will have to talk about important international issues such as terrorism, Iran and the nuclear negotiations, and to congratulate John Kerry by the results and the negotiable – strong-willed stand in which – with which he led the negotiations, with of course the problems of the Middle East and terrorism.

And we have to talk about the bilateral problems we have on agenda. We have some difficulties to settle, but they are not – this is natural among allies. So we expect to have a good conversation. Thank you.

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

SECRETARY KERRY'S REMARKS WITH GREEK FOREIGN MINISTER NIKOS KOTZIAS

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Remarks With Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Treaty Room
Washington, DC
April 20, 2015

SECRETARY KERRY: Good afternoon, all. It’s my pleasure to welcome the Foreign Minister Kotzias of Greece. I think everybody knows what incredible, strong, and long ties the United States has with Greece, and obviously Greek-Americans make an enormous contribution to our country. We have a very large Greek-American community in the state I was privileged to represent in the Senate in Massachusetts, but in many parts of our country – New York, California, elsewhere.

So we have strong ties and we are NATO partners, and obviously we are in challenging times. We are very aware of the sacrifices the people of Greece have been called on to make because of the challenges of the economy and also the challenges of terrorism and counterterrorism, but particularly the economy right now. We’re confident about Greece’s ability with reforms and with effort to be able to chart a new course ahead. I would hope very much, Mr. Minister, that we have an ability to be able to maintain the strong U.S.-European partnership with respect to our support for Ukraine, the need to be able to encourage Russia in every way possible to live up to the Minsk agreement and to help bring about peace in the region, and also to work together on longer-term challenges like energy, energy supplies, and diversification for the region.

And our efforts on counterterrorism could not be more important together in the future. Obviously, we’re very concerned that those who have committed acts of terrorism who’ve been incarcerated need to remain incarcerated. And we hope that we can work through all of our policy issues, because the relationship between us is so important, and obviously we wish the new government in this moment of challenge we wish it well and we look forward to being supportive and being helpful in the days ahead. Thank you.

FOREIGN MINISTER KOTZIAS: Thank you, (inaudible). Thank you, Secretary Kerry. Thank you for your invitation to come here in Washington. I’m here as a friend – as a friend with somebody who’s working together with us for democracy and peace against terrorism (inaudible). And I hope that our relations will be deepened and that we will find new feat of cooperation.

I think I can – we can be sure that the new law in Greece about the prisoners will not let any terrorists become free. It will be not only a test of the detention of – the way of this detention, nobody will become free. I am very thankful for this invitation.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you, sir. Welcome.

FOREIGN MINISTER KOTZIAS: Thank you.

SECRETARY KERRY: Good to have you. Thank you. Thank you very much.

HAROON ASWAT, ABU HAMZA CO-CONSPIRATOR PLEADS GUILTY TO TERRORISM

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Monday, March 30, 2015
Haroon Aswat, Abu Hamza Co-Conspirator, Pleads Guilty to Terrorism Charges in Federal Court

Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Carlin and U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara of the Southern District of New York announced that Haroon Aswat pleaded guilty in the Southern District of New York to terrorism charges related to Aswat’s efforts to establish a terrorist training camp in the United States.  Aswat was arrested in Zambia in July 2005, and in August 2005, Aswat was deported from Zambia to the United Kingdom, where he was arrested pursuant to a provisional arrest warrant that was issued in response to a request by the U.S. government in connection with this case.  Aswat was extradited to the United States from the United Kingdom on Oct. 21, 2014.  Aswat pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiring to provide material support to al Qaeda, and one count of providing material support to al Qaeda.

“With this guilty plea, Haroon Aswat is being held accountable for his provision of material support to al Qaeda and his role in a plot to establish a terrorist training camp on American soil,” said Assistant Attorney General Carlin.  “Aswat was arrested almost 10 years ago, and his guilty plea is a testament to our determination to bring to justice all those who wish to harm the United States, whether at home or abroad, no matter how long it takes.  I would like to extend my gratitude to all of the many agents, analysts and prosecutors whose dedication and persistence made possible the guilty plea in this case.”

“Haroon Aswat fought his extradition to the United States for almost 10 years,” said U.S. Attorney Bharara.  “He then pled guilty to material support charges within just six months of arriving here, showing again our legal system’s capacity for swift justice.  For providing support to al Qaeda, Aswat now comes face-to-face with justice and faces up to 20 years in prison, and after the completion of his term he will be deported.”

According to the allegations contained in the indictment, statements made at related court proceedings including today’s guilty plea, and evidence presented at prior trials:

In late 1999, Aswat, along with co-defendants Mustafa Kamel Mustafa, aka Abu Hamza, Ouassama Kassir and Earnest James Ujaama, attempted to create a terrorist training camp in the United States to support al Qaeda, which has been designated by the U.S. Department of State as a foreign terrorist organization.  Aswat conspired with Abu Hamza, Kassir and Ujaama to establish the terrorist training camp on a rural parcel of property located in Bly, Oregon.  The purpose of the Bly camp was for Muslims to receive various types of training – including military-style jihad training – in preparation to fight jihad in Afghanistan.  As used by the conspirators in this case, the term “jihad” meant defending Islam against purported enemies through violence and armed aggression, including, by using murder to rid Muslim holy lands of non-believers in Islam.

In a letter faxed from Ujaama, who was in the United States, to Abu Hamza in the United Kingdom, the property in Bly was described as a place that “looks just like Afghanistan,” and the letter noted that the men at Bly were “stock-piling weapons and ammunition.”  In late 1999, after transmission of the faxed letter, Abu Hamza directed Aswat and Kassir, both of whom resided in London and attended Abu Hamza’s mosque there, to travel to Oregon to assist in establishing the camp.  On Nov. 26, 1999, Aswat and Kassir arrived in New York, and then traveled to Bly.

Aswat and Kassir traveled to Bly for the purpose of training men to fight jihad.  Kassir told witnesses that he supported Usama Bin Laden and al Qaeda, and that he had previously received jihad training in Pakistan.  Kassir also possessed a compact disc that contained instructions on how to make bombs and poisons.  After leaving Bly, Aswat and Kassir traveled to Seattle, where they resided at a mosque for approximately two months.  While in Seattle, Kassir, in Aswat’s presence, provided men from the mosque with additional terrorist training lessons – including instructions on different types of weapons, how to construct a homemade silencer for a firearm, how to assemble and disassemble an AK-47 and how an AK-47 could be altered to be fully automatic and to launch a grenade.  On another occasion, with Aswat sitting by his side, Kassir announced to the men in Seattle that he had come to the United States for martyrdom and to destroy, and he informed his audience that some of them could die or get hurt.

A ledger recovered in September 2002 from an al Qaeda safe house in Karachi, Pakistan, listed a number of individuals associated with al Qaeda, including ASWAT.  The al Qaeda safe house was used by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, al Qaeda’s chief operational planner and the alleged planner of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

*                              *                             *

Aswat pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and one count of providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, each of which carries a maximum term of 10 years in prison.  The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

Abu Hamza and Kassir were previously convicted for their roles in attempting to establish a terrorist training camp in the United States.  On May 12, 2009, after a four-week jury trial in the Southern District of New York, Kassir was found guilty of charges relating to his efforts to establish the terrorist training camp in Bly and his operation of several terrorist websites.  On Sept. 15, 2009, U.S. District Judge John F. Keenan of the Southern District of New York sentenced Kassir to life in prison.

On May 19, 2014, after a four-week jury trial in the Southern District of New York, Abu Hamza was found guilty of charges relating to his role in the conspiracy to establish the terrorist training camp in Bly, as well as his role in a hostage-taking in Yemen in 1998 that resulted in four deaths and his support of violent jihad in Afghanistan in 2000 and 2001.  On Jan. 9, 2015, U.S. District Judge Katherine B. Forrest of the Southern District of New York sentenced Abu Hamza to life in prison.

Assistant Attorney General Carlin joins U.S. Attorney Bharara in praising the outstanding efforts of the FBI’s Manhattan-based Joint Terrorism Task Force, which principally consists of agents of the FBI and detectives of the New York City Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Metropolitan Police Department of London.  Assistant Attorney General Carlin and U.S. Attorney Bharara also thanked the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs for their ongoing assistance.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John P. Cronan, Ian McGinley and Shane T. Stansbury of the Southern District of New York, and Trial Attorney Erin Creegan of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.

SECRETARY KERRY'S STATEMENT ON SOLIDARITY MARCH IN TUNISIA

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Solidarity March in Tunis, Tunisia
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
March 28, 2015

On behalf of President Obama, I would like to express the United States’ solidarity with the Tunisian people as they march tomorrow in Tunis in defiance of the shocking and grotesque terrorist attack at the National Bardo Museum on March 18. The U.S. Ambassador to Tunisia, Jake Walles, will represent the United States at tomorrow’s event.

We join all those gathered from Tunisia and around the world in rejecting every form of terrorism. We commend Tunisians’ resolve, in the wake of this tragedy, to stand up for the ideals of their hard-fought, democratic revolution and applaud their efforts to build a free, secure, and prosperous future.

Deputy Secretary of State Tony Blinken looks forward to visiting Tunisia in early April to reaffirm our strong support for Tunisia and to discuss ways to expand our strategic partnership.

SECRETARY KERRY'S PRESS AVAILABILITY IN SHARM EL-SHEIKH, EGYPT

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Press Availability in Sharm el-Sheikh
Press Availability
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt
March 14, 2015

SECRETARY KERRY: Good morning to all. I want to thank President al-Sisi and Foreign Minister Shoukry for their warm welcome here and for the tremendous work that the Egyptian Government has been doing with respect to the conference itself but equally importantly the larger issue of development and the reforms and initiatives that are necessary to really kick development off in Egypt at this point.

The United States, as I’ve said previously – I said last night – is committed to strengthening the partnership with Egypt. And we’ve been working hard at that over the last years. How Egypt develops in the coming years, how it succeeds, and how it recharges its economy will not only affect, obviously, the near 90 million people who are in Egypt, but it will also have a profound impact on the entire region. It is strategically important to this region and to all of us who are looking for stability and for a better standard of living and greater inclusivity and participation by citizens. It is important to make certain that Egypt can move along the road to development and to the full achievement of its democratic aspirations. And that’s something the United States will remain committed to.

So I came here today – came here over this weekend to this conference to reiterate the support of President Obama and the Obama Administration and the people of the United States for Egypt as it undertakes significant reforms and works toward the economic transformation that all the people of Egypt are hoping for.

Over the past few days, I have met with a range of American business leaders in order to discuss the specific concerns that they have raised with my economic team both in Washington as well as here in their visits. And I had a very candid and constructive conversation with President Sisi and Foreign Minister Shoukry about how to will improve the business climate, specific steps that, in some cases, they’ve already made the decision and need implementation and in other cases will still need further legislation.

But all of these things are key to attracting new investment. Everybody knows that money, capital, behaves in fairly predictable ways. And those who make decisions about investment look for certainty. They look for confidence. They look for the knowledge that, if they invest, what they’re investing in will be a transparent and accountable transaction.

The Egypt Economic Development Conference underscores, I think, in the breadth of the numbers of people who were here – the high-level participation says a lot about the deep well of support for Egypt, the shared hopes for Egypt, which are really reflected in that. And also, it underscores the challenges that Egypt faces as it works to meet the democratic aspirations of its people.

We also discussed the importance of respect for human rights and for Egypt’s security and stability, including a free press, a free speech and assembly, and due process under the law. And there is no question that Egypt is stronger when all of its citizens have a say and a stake in its future, and that includes a strong and active and independent civil society.

President Sisi and Foreign Minister Shoukry and I also continued our conversation about the important role that Egypt is playing in the coalition against ISIL and the challenges of extremism, violent religious extremism that is manifested in many ways in the region. We have all been deeply shocked and saddened by the recent terrorism attacks, including of those in Egypt and the grotesque murder of 21 Egyptian Copts in Libya.

The United States supports Egypt’s efforts to combat the threat of terrorism in the Sinai and throughout the country. And these atrocities that we have all witnessed around the world simply cannot be rationalized, they cannot be excused, they must be opposed, and they must be stopped.

Now I also met, as I think many of you know, with President Abbas and King Abdullah and President Sisi in a side meeting to the conference. And particularly at this week’s conference, which underscores the powerful connection between investments in business and investments in peace, we discussed efforts to develop a healthy, sustainable, and private sector-led Palestinian economy, one that could transform the fortunes of the Palestinian people and all of their neighbors in the region.

Before I take your questions, let me also just say a word quickly about the P5+1 talks with Iran. From the beginning, these talks have been tough and they’ve been intense, and they remain so. And we’ve made some progress, but there are still gaps, important gaps, and important choices that need to be made by Iran in order to be able to move forward.

Now I want to be very clear. Nothing in our deliberations is decided until everything is decided. And the purpose of these negotiations is not just to get any deal; it is to get the right deal. President Obama means it when he says, again and again, that Iran will not be permitted to get a nuclear weapon. As you all know, Iran says it doesn’t want a nuclear weapon, and that is a very welcome statement that the Supreme Leader has, in fact, incorporated into a fatwa. And we have great respect – great respect – for the religious importance of a fatwa. And what we are effectively trying to do is translate that into legal language, into everyday language within the framework of a negotiated agreement that everybody can understand, which requires everybody to have certain obligations and ultimately be able to guarantee that Iran’s program, its nuclear program, will be peaceful now and peaceful forever.

Now sanctions alone can’t achieve that. We need a verifiable set of commitments. And we need an agreed-upon plan that obviously provides the access and the opportunity to be able to know what is happening so that you can have confidence that the program is, indeed, peaceful. That’s what we’re negotiating about. And we need to cover every potential pathway – uranium, plutonium, covert – that there might exist towards a weapon, and only an agreement can do that.

So what’s the alternative? In previous years, when U.S. policy was not to talk to Iran and insist at the same time that they could have no nuclear program whatsoever, the number of centrifuges skyrocketed. Every time negotiations have broken down in the past, Iran’s nuclear program has advanced. Only the joint plan, which Iran agreed to and fully implemented, has actually succeeded in freezing Iran’s program for the first time in nearly 10 years, and even rolled it back in some cases. And they agreed to that, because they have an interest in proving that their plan is peaceful.

The comprehensive plan will lock in, with greater specificity and breadth, if we can arrive at it, the ways in which Iran will live up to its international obligations under the NPT for the long term. So we continue to be focused on reaching the right deal, a deal that would protect the world, including the United States and our closest allies and partners, from the threat that a nuclear-armed Iran could pose. We still don’t know whether or not we will get there, and that’s why I will travel to Lausanne in Switzerland tomorrow in order to meet with Foreign Minister Zarif and once again engage in talks to see if we can find a way to get that right deal.

As I have said previously, it may be that Iran simply can’t say yes to the type of deal that the international community is looking for. But we owe it to the future of everybody in the world to try to find out. If we cannot get to a diplomatic agreement, make no mistake, we obviously do have other options. But those options will mean no transparency, they will mean no verifiable set of commitments, and they don’t close off Iran’s potential pathways to a nuclear weapon for nearly as long as a negotiated agreement can, if it’s the right agreement. And so we will return to these talks, recognizing that time is of the essence, the clock is ticking, and important decisions need to be made.

And with that, I would be very happy to answer a few questions.

MS. HARF: Great. Our first question is from Margaret Brennan of CBS. And I think we have mikes coming to you.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, thank you. With the deadline for a deal so close, do you believe that a deal is within reach? And given the recent comments by the Supreme Leader as well as some of U.S. allies, do you think that the GOP letter has undermined the diplomacy and made reaching of an agreement that much harder?

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, the deadline is approaching. As you all know, we have set the end of the month as the deadline. And so we will be going into this understanding that time is critical. I can’t tell you whether or not we can get a deal or whether we’re close. And one reason I can’t tell you is because we have heard some comments from the Supreme Leader regarding the letter that was sent by the 47 senators. And until I engage in those conversations, I cannot gauge on a personal level that reaction – though I can tell you from common sense that when the United States Senate sends a letter such as the 47 senators chose to send the other day it is a direct interference in the negotiations of the executive department. It is completely without precedent, and it is almost inevitable that it will raise questions in the minds of the folks with whom we are negotiating as to whether or not they are negotiating with the executive department and the President, which is what the Constitution says, or whether there are 535 members of Congress.

Let me make clear to Iran, to our P5+1 counterparts who are deeply involved in this negotiation, that, from our point of view, this letter – the letter was, in fact, incorrect in its statements about what power they do have. It was incorrect in its assessments of what type of agreement this is. And as far as we are concerned, the Congress has no ability to change an executive agreement per se. So we will approach these negotiations in the same way that we have approached them to date, not affected externally but looking at as this Administration, according to President Obama’s instructions, to get the right deal that will accomplish what we need to for the security interest of the United States, our friends and allies in the region, and for the long-term security of everybody who cares about nonproliferation.

MS. HARF: Great. Our --

SECRETARY KERRY: And with respect --

MS. HARF: Go ahead. Sorry. Go ahead, sir.

SECRETARY KERRY: No, no. That’s it. Thank you.

MS. HARF: Okay. Our next question is from Ronda Abulazin of Al Arabiya. Go ahead.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, welcome. You came here with – okay, can you hear me now? You came to Egypt with a very strong message in support of its – reform its economy, its security. However the United States is still holding part – a big part of its military aid to Egypt, which is very crucial for its fight – Egypt’s fight against terrorism, whether in Sinai or to protect its border. So when will the United States release the military aid? And does it include F16?

My other part of the question, the war against ISIL in Iraq. The scene there looks very – really bizarre. Did the Iraqi prime minister allow the contribution of Iranian Qods brigade and Hizballah without the U.S. knowledge, especially that the U.S. is providing military counsel on the ground and military operation room? Thank you.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you very much. With respect to the aid and assistance, I really expect a decision very soon. We look at this conference as a very important step, mostly because this conference is focused on private sector contributions and private sector engagement in the future of Egypt. We applaud those countries who have put very significant amounts of money on the table in order to help Egypt over the hump, if you will, over these hurdles of the immediate budget crisis. And it’s a very important part of the overall effort to sustain and kick into higher gear Egypt’s economy.

But in the long run, unless Egypt transforms its economy with more private sector investment, creating long-term jobs and opening up new capabilities, you will just keep repeating the cycle of emergency assistance and aid. So we think the most important thing that we can do is help provide access to those companies and help to leverage the relationships that can create jobs for the people of Egypt.

Now we’re already doing that. Last year, before this conference, 160 American businesspeople, representing some 70 companies from the United States, came to Cairo. I think President Sisi spent about two hours with them, and they had long conversations about what Egypt’s needs are. Out of that have come a number of deals, which will create jobs in Egypt. I know General Electric, for instance, signed deals with respect to the Suez and other provision of power – other deals were made.

But in addition to that, we are providing economic assistance in the hundreds of millions of dollars that will be directed to small business enterprises and to new startups, because we want to see a sustainable economy grow in Egypt. Right now, the United States of America is providing over 20 percent of all foreign direct investment in Egypt. It’s a total of about $2.2 billion. And it is the number-two largest foreign direct investor in Egypt. So I hope that will share with the people of Egypt and the government a sense of our commitment to this. And we have top executives who are here, part of this conference, in order to try to grow the private sector entrepreneurial component of job creation in Egypt.

With respect to Iraq and the question of --

QUESTION: (Off-mike.)

SECRETARY KERRY: I said the decision – I think we’ll come – that’s what I said, very soon, very soon.

With respect to Iraq, we absolutely have known of Iran’s engagement in the northeastern parts of Iraq and, indeed, we’ve had conversations with Prime Minister Abadi about it. He doesn’t hide it, and we’re not blind to it. We know that Iran has been engaged. We know that General Soleimani has been on the ground. We know that they have an interest. We understand that. And we fully understand some of their engagement with some of the militia. At the same time, they are deeply opposed to Daesh. And while we are not coordinating with Iran – we do not have conversations with Iran about this – we work through the Iraqi Government. We do so with the knowledge that they are also opposed to Daesh and are working for Daesh’s defeat.

Now going forward, I would also note that part of this operation in Tikrit also involves significant participation by Sunni tribes and Sunni participants from the region. And the governor in Salah al-Din province was well aware of what is happening and of this whole-of-government initiative, whole-of-coalition effort, to continue to press the fight against Daesh. And even while the fighting in Tikrit is taking place, there are several other fights taking place nearby which involve significant Sunni participation, U.S. support, and others.

So what we made clear some months ago when we first announced the coalition, lots of countries will make lots of different kinds of contributions, and every country can make some kind of contribution, and all of us are committed to the defeat of Daesh. And the sooner that can happen, the better.

Now the real measure of the Tikrit operation will not be just in the clearing; it will be in how people are treated afterwards. It will be in whether or not there is a inclusivity or whether there is, in fact, a breakdown into a kind of sectarian division. So we’ll watch that carefully. We will work with the Government of Iraq very carefully to do our best to minimize or avoid that. But we are not surprised at all by the participation such as it has been with respect to the Tikrit operation itself.

MS. HARF: Great. Our final question is from Lesley Wroughton, Reuters. Go ahead.

QUESTION: Thank you. Mr. Secretary, do you want to see the Israeli-Palestinian process restarted after next week’s election? With the center left holding a solid lead in the election, does that brighten for you the prospects when it comes to moving forward on the Middle East peace process? When – do you expect that after the politics of the election has passed a new spirit can be brought to this process?

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, let me just say that the position of the United States, with respect to the long expressed hopes of Republicans and Democrats alike, of many presidents over the last 50 years or more, has always been for peace. And President Obama remains committed to a two-state solution and remains hopeful that when there – whatever choice the people of Israel make, that there will be an ability to be able to move forward on those efforts.

I’m not going to say anything more whatsoever about any aspect of that because there is an election in, what, three days, three and a half, four days, and I don’t want any comment I make misinterpreted in any way by anybody. And therefore, I will simply reiterate the longstanding commitment of the United States to peace and our hopes that the choice that the people of Israel make will not only meet their needs domestically and their hopes in their country, but obviously meet the hopes for peace, which I think everybody shares.

MS. HARF: Thank you very much.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you, all. Thank you very much, everybody. Appreciate it. Thank you.

QUESTION: One question on --

SECRETARY KERRY: Did you have one? One more.

QUESTION: (Off-mike.)

MS. HARF: Okay. Wait, wait. Okay. We can do one more, if Secretary has some time. We’ll do Dalia Ashraf of Al Nahar TV.

SECRETARY KERRY: Dalia? Who’s Dalia?

MS. HARF: Sorry. Dalia.

SECRETARY KERRY: This is Dalia here?

QUESTION: Yes, of course. Egyptians felt yesterday in your speech to the American Chamber of Commerce that you that expressed more U.S. support for Egypt. Can you explain this change?

SECRETARY KERRY: That I did what?

QUESTION: More support, more American support for Egypt. Can you explain this? In your speech yesterday --

SECRETARY KERRY: That I expressed --

QUESTION: Yeah.

SECRETARY KERRY: -- more support for Egypt?

QUESTION: Yeah.

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, we are supportive. I was very clear about our hopes for Egypt to move down the road of the democratic process, to continue to make progress in its internal relationship with the people of Egypt. We’ve always expressed that. But we’ve also expressed the connection of jobs and of economic opportunity to help provide stability and help provide the basis for all the other aspects of civil society to be able to come together. The stronger the economy, the more opportunity there is, the more that young people coming out of university can find a future that they want here, the stronger Egypt will be. And what I expressed yesterday was our commitment to the continued steps to move towards a full democratic process, a respect for rights, a respect for speech, as I mentioned earlier, the full participation of people in the society, at the same time as they are making very serious commitments to the social fabric and the economic opportunities that actually strengthen that social fabric.

So that’s really what I was talking about. It’s the link to those businesses. It’s why what I just said about America being the number-two nation in foreign direct investment in Egypt is so important, because that’s how you build the capacity of the society to embrace all of these other hopes and aspirations that the people have.

MS. HARF: Okay. That really is it, guys. Thank you very much for coming.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you.

DOD NEWS REPORTS NATO FOCUSES ON RUSSIAN AGGRESSION AGAINST UKRAINE

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT

Right:  Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, left, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and German Chief of Defense Army Gen. Volker Wieker talk between NATO's Military Committee conference and the chiefs of defense quarterly meeting in Brussels, Jan. 21, 2015. DoD photo by D. Myles Cullen.  

NATO Focuses on Russian Violations of Ukraine's Sovereignty
By Lisa Ferdinando
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

ABOARD A U.S. MILITARY AIRCRAFT, Jan. 22, 2015 – NATO is focused on strategies to deal with its two biggest threats -- Russian aggression to its east, and the threat of terrorism from its south, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said today.

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey and other alliance defense chiefs today concluded two days of talks at NATO headquarters in Brussels.
Russian aggression, Dempsey said, has "changed sovereign borders with the use of coercion." And the recent terrorist attacks in Paris underscore the "very real threat of terrorism that comes up into NATO's southern flank."

There was consensus among the military chiefs that NATO must confront these threats, he said.

NATO Needs to Address Both Threats

"I thought this would be the most important meeting of its kind that I've had with NATO since I've been chairman, and in my judgment it proved to be just that," the chairman said in an interview on his plane back to Washington.
"We came to an agreement that NATO really does have to address both threats, and that NATO has the capability and the resources to address them both," Dempsey said. "We don't have to pick which threat is more serious."

While Dempsey declined to discuss details of the most recent allegations of Russia violating September’s Minsk ceasefire agreement, he did underscore the seriousness in which NATO views the Russian aggression.

"It is indicative of efforts on the part of Russia to support separatists in, frankly, violation of Ukrainian sovereignty," Dempsey said. "We're very concerned about it."

Eastern Europeans are very unsettled about the threats to the east, and the southern Europeans are very unsettled about the threats to the south, Dempsey said.

U.S. and European officials have expressed concern about the return of foreign fighters through NATO's southern flank, and the threat that those extremists pose to Europe.

NATO to Evolve Strategy to Address Threats

The defense chiefs also discussed the strategic concept, crafted in 2010, that informs NATO's defense planning. Global security has changed "pretty dramatically" in those four years, Dempsey said.

NATO will evolve its strategies to deal with the threats to its east and south, and the military chiefs will make recommendations on the way the NATO military arm is organized and resourced, he said.

Dempsey said it is important to demonstrate "our resolve and our reassurance" to NATO's Baltic and Eastern European allies through the Readiness Action Plan, NATO's response to the Russian aggression.

Alliance officials say the Readiness Action Plan will significantly enhance NATO’s readiness and responsiveness and ensure that NATO forces remain ready. In the interim, NATO has established a “very high readiness” joint task force coordinated by Air Force Gen. Philip M. Breedlove, NATO’s supreme allied commander for Europe.

NATO has bolstered its presence in Eastern Europe, while the United States has conducted a variety of reassurance measures to include airborne exercises in Poland and the Baltic nations.

"We have the very real requirement to reassure our allies, to increase the readiness of NATO's forces, and to adapt some of the organizations that provide NATO rapid response and the NATO command structures," Dempsey said.
The defense chiefs did "really big lifting" to address the near-term requirements on readiness and assurance, he added, and on the longer-term approach to the threats to east and south.

Pleased With Transition in Afghanistan

Dempsey said the defense chiefs were pleased with the successful transition from the combat International Security Assistance Force mission to the Resolute Support mission that trains, advises, assists and builds capacity.

Flexibility is needed in the strategy for Afghanistan, Dempsey said, encouraging the allies to "stay committed at the regional level through the fighting season of 2015." It is prudent to stay at the regional level militarily through the year, he added.

Dempsey, who said the alliance has a great ally in Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, said the strategy must consider both conditions on the ground and a timetable for progress.

"Milestones based on time are an important goal, so that you have something to reach for and to plan for and to resource for," he said. "It just seems to me that in these kinds of missions, it is useful to have both a timetable but then be willing to assess and reassess and assess again the conditions."

The United States has demonstrated flexibility, he said.

"Initially we were supposed to be at 9,800 [troops in Afghanistan] by the end of 2014, but our NATO allies had some challenges in resourcing, and so we've left an additional 1,000 there into the spring, to allow NATO to catch up with its resourcing challenges."

SECRETARY KERRY'S REMARKS WITH FRENCH PRESIDENT HOLLANDE

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 
Remarks With French President Hollande Before Their Meeting
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Elysee Palace
Paris, France
January 16, 2015

PRESIDENT HOLLANDE: (In progress) (Via interpreter) And (inaudible) victims of terrorism a couple of months ago, this is the reason why (inaudible) the violence together. This is the purpose of (inaudible) our friendship.

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, Mr. President, thank you very, very much. And I think you know that you have the full and heartfelt condolences of the American people, and I know you know that we share the pain and the horror of everything you went through. We appreciate your comments about our common history with respect to terrorism. But the American people watch you and your team, and indeed all of the government lead with great elegance and grace in this week, during this difficult time. And we watched the people of France come together with a great sense of purpose and unity. It was a great lesson to the world, I think. And once again, France, through its commitment to freedom and to the passion of ideas, has made an important statement to the world.

So really, our hearts are with you and it’s a pleasure to be able to be here to share these thoughts with you on a personal basis.

DOJ ANNOUNCES OHIO MAN ARRESTED FOR PLOTTING TO ATTACK U.S. CAPITOL

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT 
Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Cincinnati-Area Man Arrested for Plot to Attack U.S. Government Officers
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin and Acting Special Agent in Charge John A. Barrios of the Cincinnati Division of the FBI announced today that the Joint Terrorism Task Force has arrested a Cincinnati-area man for a plot to attack the U.S. Capitol and kill government officials.  Acting Special Agent in Charge Barrios noted that the public was not in danger during this investigation.

Christopher Lee Cornell, 20, of Green Township, Ohio, was charged in a criminal complaint with attempting to kill officers and employees of the United States and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

Cornell was taken into custody today by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF).  The JTTF is made up of officers and agents from the Cincinnati Police Department, Colerain Police Department, Dayton Police Department, Ohio State Highway Patrol, United States Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, United States Secret Service, West Chester Police Department and the Xenia Police Department.

The department would also like to acknowledge the Cincinnati Police Department, Colerain Police Department, Green Township Police Department and the U.S. Capitol Police for the cooperation and assistance they provided during this investigation.

The criminal complaint was filed today before a U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge.  The public is reminded that criminal complaints contain only allegations of criminal misconduct and that defendants are presumed to be innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

FINDINGS, SENTENCE DISAPPROVED IN TERRORISM CASE AGAINST NOOR UTHMAN MUHAMMED

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
Release No: NR-013-15
January 09, 2015
Findings and sentence disapproved in US v. Noor Uthman Muhammed

On Jan. 9, pursuant to his authority under 10 U.S.C. § 950b, the convening authority for military commissions disapproved the findings and sentence, and dismissed the charges in the case of United States v. Noor Uthman Muhammed.
Muhammed, a native of Sudan, pled guilty in February 2011 at a military commission to providing material support for terrorism and conspiracy to provide material support for terrorism. A panel of military officers sentenced him to fourteen years confinement. In accordance with the provisions of a pretrial agreement, a previous convening authority granted a deferment of confinement effective Dec. 3, 2013.

Muhammed was repatriated from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to Sudan on Dec. 19, 2013.

Subsequent to his commission proceedings, decisions by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals in separate commissions cases established that it was legal error to try the offense of providing material support for terrorism before a military commission. The decisions of the D.C. Circuit are binding on commissions cases and the convening authority’s action to disapprove the findings and sentence in Muhammed’s case is required in the interests of justice and under the rule of law.

DOJ ANNOUNCES FARC TERRORIST MEMBER RECEIVES 27 YEAR PRISON FOR 2003 HOSTAGE-TAKING

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT 

Friday, October 24, 2014

Member of FARC Terrorist Organization Sentenced to 27 Years in Prison on Hostage-Taking Charges in 2003 Capture of U.S. Citizens

Alexander Beltran Herrera, 38, a commander of the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) terrorist organization, was sentenced today to 27 years in prison on federal hostage-taking charges stemming from the 2003 capture of three U.S. citizens in Colombia.  All told, members of the FARC held the Americans hostage for 1,967 days.

The sentence was announced by John P. Carlin, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, Ronald C. Machen Jr., U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia  and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Miami Division.

Beltran Herrera, aka Jhon Alexander Beltrain Herrera, aka Rodrigo Pirinolo, pled guilty on March 18, 2014, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to three counts of hostage-taking.  He was sentenced by the Honorable Senior Judge Royce C. Lamberth.

 “In February 2003, the FARC – a Colombian terrorist organization – kidnapped three American citizens and held them captive for nearly 2,000 days,” said Assistant Attorney General Carlin.  With the sentence handed down today, Alexander Beltran Herrera is being held accountable for his role in those offenses.  This case underscores our resolve to pursue and bring to justice those who target our citizens with violence anywhere in the world.  I want to thank all of the prosecutors, agents, and analysts who made this result possible.”

 “This Colombian terrorist will spend the next 27 years in an American prison for his role in holding three U.S. citizens captive overseas,” said U.S. Attorney Machen.  “Our fellow citizens were held hostage for more than five years under brutal conditions.  This extradition, prosecution, and incarceration should chasten terrorists who doubt our resolve to serve justice on those who harm American citizens on foreign soil.”

 “Alexander Beltran Herrera, a former terrorist commander for the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC), will now be held accountable for his role in holding three U.S. citizens hostage in Colombia for 1,967 days,” said Kelly M. Darden, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Miami Division.  “Essential to bringing Beltran Herrera to justice was our close cooperation with the Colombian National Police.”

According to the government’s evidence, the FARC is an armed, violent organization in Colombia.  Since its inception in 1964, it has engaged in an armed conflict to overthrow the Republic of Colombia, South America’s longest-standing democracy.  The FARC has consistently used hostage taking as a primary technique in extorting demands from the Republic of Colombia, and hostage taking has been endorsed and commanded by FARC senior leadership.  The FARC has characterized American citizens as “military targets” and has engaged in violent acts against Americans in Colombia, including murders and hostage taking.  The FARC was designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. Secretary of State in 1997 and remains so designated.

Beltran Herrera, a commander in the FARC, was involved in the hostage taking of three United States citizens: Marc D. Gonsalves, Thomas R. Howes, and Keith Stansell.  These three, along with Thomas Janis, a United States citizen, and Sergeant Luis Alcides Cruz, a Colombian citizen, were seized on Feb. 13, 2003, by the FARC, after their single-engine aircraft made a crash landing in the Colombian jungle.

Members of the FARC murdered Janis and Cruz near the crash site.  Gonsalves, Howes, and Stansell were held by the FARC at gunpoint and were advised by FARC leadership that they would be used as hostages to increase pressure on the government of Colombia to agree to the FARC’s demands.  At various times, the FARC marched the hostages from one site to another, placing them in the actual custody of various FARC fronts.

At the conclusion of one 40-day long march, in or about November 2004, the hostages were delivered to members of the FARC’s 27th Front, who imprisoned the hostages for nearly two years.  During part of this period, Beltran Herrera was responsible for moving the hostages and keeping them imprisoned.  Throughout the captivity of these three hostages, FARC jailors and guards used choke harnesses, chains, padlocks and wires to restrain the hostages, and used force and threats to continue their detention and prevent their escape.  In July 2008, the Colombian military conducted a daring operation which resulted in the rescue of the hostages.

Beltran Herrera was indicted in February 2011 and was extradited to the United States from Colombia in March 2012.

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Miami Division.  The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony Asuncion and Fernando Campoamor-Sanchez from the National Security Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and Trial Attorney David Cora, from the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.  The case was indicted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Kohl, of the National Security Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The FBI’s Miami Division partnered in the investigation with the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the Department’s Judicial Attachés in Colombia, and the FBI’s Office of the Legal Attaché in Bogota, Colombia.  The Directorate of Intelligence (DIPOL) and the Anti-Kidnapping Unit (GAULA) of the Colombian National Police also provided valuable support during the investigation.

SECRETARY KERRY'S REMARKS WITH CHINESE STATE COUNCILOR JIECHI

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

Remarks With Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi Before Their Meeting

Remarks

John Kerry

Secretary of State

Taj Hotel

Boston, Massachusetts

October 18, 2014

SECRETARY KERRY: Good morning, everybody. I just want to say a couple things. First, my great pleasure to welcome the State Councilor of China Yang Jiechi to Boston. We have a great deal that we will be talking about and already began last night with a very informal and pleasant dinner. But there are many issues that China and the United States are cooperating on, even as we have some differences that we try to manage effectively. But right now, particularly on Ebola, on Afghanistan, on the Democratic Republic of North – of Korea, the North Korea nuclear situation, on Iran particularly, and on ISIL and counterterrorism, and on climate change. There are many areas where we are working hard.

So we look forward to some good discussions today. And on another note, I might just report we had a very positive step forward in Iraq today with the selection of a minister of the interior and a minister of defense. These were critical positions to be filled in order to assist with the organizing effort with respect to ISIL. So we’re very pleased. We congratulate Prime Minister Abadi and we look forward to working with them as we continue to grow the coalition and move forward.

So thank you for being here, State Councilor.

STATE COUNCILOR YANG: Well, friends from (inaudible), it’s a great pleasure to see you here today. (Inaudible) invitation of Secretary John Kerry, I have the great pleasure to visit this beautiful city of Boston. And the purpose of my visit to Boston and then to Washington is really to pave the ground for President Obama’s visit to China in November and also for participation of the President in the APEC informal leadership meeting to be hosted by China.

I think the Sunnylands meeting between President Xi Jinping and President Obama was very successful. Two countries have decided to work to build this new model of major country relationship between China and the United States. Since then, much progress has been made in our relationship. Lately, the Secretary himself went to China to participate in the S&ED discussion with the Chinese side. We believe that we should continue to work together to deepen our mutual trust and to put our efforts to the major areas of cooperation while on the basis of mutual respect we can properly handle any kind of difference between us.

I think the Asia Pacific region is a very important region. We need to work together to build up even more cooperation between China and the United States in the area because this is the area which has experienced robust economic development, and I’m sure that the APEC meeting will go further to bring about more connectivity, innovative development, and to shape a greater future for the region.

There are also quite a few issues in the world, as the Secretary State has mentioned. I believe that in terms of climate change, Ebola, and we have to address the (inaudible) issues and so on, so forth, China and the United States have a lot to discuss today and beyond.

I would like to thank the Secretary for his warm hospitality. I’m sure that our discussion will be both constructive and productive. I’m sure that China-U.S. relationship will be on the way up.

Thank you very much.

DEFENSE SECRETARY HAGEL, FRENCH DEFENSE MINISTER LE DRIAN HOLD NEWS CONFERENCE

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian conduct a news conference at the Pentagon, Oct. 2, 2014. Both leaders discussed the international effort underway to defeat ISIL. DoD photo by Glenn Fawcett

Hagel Praises Historic Bonds, Current Coalition Ties With France

By Amaani Lyle

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Oct. 2, 2014 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel welcomed French Minister of Defense Jean-Yves Le Drian to the Pentagon to reaffirm their mutual resolve to address a spectrum of issues, from terrorism to infectious disease control, the two leaders said in a joint news conference today.

The secretary lauded Le Drian for France’s leading role in the international coalition to degrade and destroy the terrorist group Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, noting that France was the first nation to join the United States in conducting airstrikes against the terrorist network. The coalition has since grown to include 40 nations.

The fight against ISIL

“American and French forces will continue to work side by side to support Iraqi forces on the ground as French aircraft patrol the skies over Iraq and provide valuable intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance on ISIL targets,” Hagel said.

These efforts, he added, enable Iraqi and Kurdish security forces to take the offensive against ISIL.

The two leaders also discussed ways to continue building and strengthening the coalition and supporting the new government of Iraq.

“The United States and France recognize the grave threat that ISIL poses to our shared regional interests and our citizens,” Hagel said.

He recounted the recent murder of a French hostage in Algeria, an incident he described as a “stark reminder of the deadly threats ISIL presents” to France and its allies.

Challenges in Africa

During their meeting today, the secretaries also focused on security challenges in North and West Africa, two regions Hagel said now face surges of violent extremism, instability and deadly infectious disease.

“France’s leadership in confronting extremist threats in the Sahel is particularly important as the United States continues to provide support to French operations in Mali, including airlift, refueling and intelligence cooperation,” he said.

Hagel also noted that the two nations will continue to coordinate efforts across the region in response to the Ebola crisis.

NATO a cornerstone of security

The defense secretary said that in discussions at the NATO summit in Wales last month, the two nations agreed on the importance of reinforcing NATO partnerships in Eastern Europe and strengthening the readiness and capabilities of the NATO alliance.

“A strong and united NATO will be critically important to assuring a Europe whole, free and at peace,” Hagel said. “That goal remains a cornerstone of America’s approach to global and transatlantic security.”

DOD VIDEO: OBAMA: NO SAFE HAVEN FOR TERRORISTS

SECRETARY KERRY'S STATEMENT WITH SAUDI FOREIGN MINISTER SAUD al-FAISL

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

Joint Press Statement With Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal

Joint Statement

John Kerry

Secretary of State

Royal Terminal

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

September 11, 2014

FOREIGN MINISTER SAUD: (Via interpreter) In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate, we have held today a regional meeting to combat terrorism with the presidents of all of our states of the Gulf Cooperation Council, in addition to Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, and with the presence of the United States of America. This meeting comes in the light of our cooperation to face the threat of terrorism and with the increased activity of terrorist groups in the region.

This danger that is propagating in the region very fiercely, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques has always warned against this danger from a long time ago. The last time he warned against this was in last August when he said that it was a shame that these terrorists undertake these activities in the name of religion. They kill innocent peoples and they cut their victims and they take pride in this in the name of religion. They are killing souls that God has forbidden to kill, and they have disfigured the face of humanity.

His Majesty then called upon all the (inaudible), all the scholars of the Muslim Ummah to do their duty in the face of terrorism and hate and extremism, expressing at the same time that his disappointment about this vis-a-vis the silence of the international community with regard to what’s happening in our region. He also urged the leaders of the world and expressed a message towards these leaders when he received ambassadors on August 29th that it’s important to fight against this legion with force, wiseness, and speed. He warned that neglecting it will lead to its wide spread in Europe and America in a few months.

I would like also to refer to the statement of His Excellency the President of the United States Barack Obama and its various contents that reflect the seriousness in the fight against terrorism, including its stress on following terrorists, pursuing terrorists wherever they are.

Our meeting today was a good opportunity to discuss – we have listened today – an outline, explained outline of His Excellency Secretary Kerry about the strategy laid down by the United States to combat terrorism. The meeting today was a good opportunity to discuss this phenomena from all different aspects and perspectives, and to go deep in its roots and causes and reflected keenness to come up with a joint vision to combat it through military means, security means, and intelligence, as well as economic and financial means, and intellectual means also.

The meeting sought to deal with this phenomena from a strategic, comprehensive perspective not only limited to a single country, but extends to deal with this terrorism that strikes Libya, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen – these countries that have become safe haven for these organizations and their networks, in particular with regard to the transfer of weapons and ammunition to them and among them. A case in point: The ISIL terrorist organization, through their – and their infiltration to the borders between Iraq and Syria and their cancellation of these borders, moving freely to Syrian territory with forces and military weapons as safe as they want.

Another important item that we discussed today is the importance of being clear in our plans and policies and to share responsibilities – this, in addition to being serious and continuous in our action to eliminate and wipe out all these terrorist organizations. Inaction and hesitation will not help to uproot this phenomenon. On the opposite, it might encourage its return, and we have learned at great experience in the past years, and this is the best example of this. It’s needless to say that any security action against terrorism to be fruitful and to bear fruit, it has to be accompanied by another action to combat this ideology – erroneous ideology – and also to cut the resources from the terrorists, whether the financial or in terms of weapons, including arms control of the flows from some country that are only interested in destabilizing security and stability of the region and to meddle in its affairs.

In this meeting, we also discussed the volatile political situation in the countries that are plagued with terrorism, which requires the intensification and the strengthening of political efforts in order to support addressing the condition in this countries – in these countries in a way to achieve unity and solidarity between the citizens, whether – and to protect them from racial and sectarian affiliations, and to give them equality of rights and duties.

In conclusion, I would like to point out that within the framework of the efforts required to combat terrorism, we have underlined the importance of maintaining the unity and the sovereignty of the different states, as well as their independence and territorial integrity.

Thank you very much, and I give the floor to His Excellency Secretary Kerry.

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, first of all, thanks you very, very much, Your Royal Highness. We are deeply appreciative to you, very grateful for your leadership, for His Majesty King Abdullah and Saudi Arabia’s commitment to this effort, and we thank you for bringing us together today in this very, very important meeting.

This meeting couldn’t happen at a more important time, and frankly, it couldn’t include a more important group of partners. Every single country represented here today, including – especially Iraq, will be a critical part of the effort to destroy ISIL’s ability to terrorize. We’re very grateful to His Royal Highness for helping to facilitate the invitation to Iraq immediately after the formation of the new government as a sign of recognition of the possibilities for a real transformation. And that in and of itself helped to make this meeting more meaningful and more comprehensive.

As all of us know, ISIL is an organization that knows no bounds. It is an organization that rapes and brutalizes women and sells even young girls as brides. They viciously and indiscriminately attack groups of all ethnicities, all sects, any religion, including vulnerable minorities like Christians and Yezidis. And they do so only because those people are not them, because they represent something different. They brutally murder innocent people, including most recently two Americans, whom they beheaded for the world to see in recent weeks. Their barbarity literally knows no limits and they have to be stopped.

Obviously, today is a particularly poignant day for this meeting. Today is September 11th. Thirteen years after the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001, the devastating consequences of extremist hate remain fresh in the minds of all Americans and so many of our friends and allies around the world. Those consequences are felt everyday here in the Middle East, where extremist ideology in groups like ISIL continue to tear apart communities, restrain growth, stop progress, pursue violence, and repress people, and ignore and oppose any sort of rule of law.

Last night, in response to ISIL, President Obama outlined a clear, unified global strategy to support the Government of Iraq in taking on and destroying ISIL wherever it is found. That strategy is centered in a global coalition of nations, and as I understand – underscored in the meeting that we had today, Arab nations play a critical role in that coalition – the leading role, really, across all lines of effort: military support; humanitarian aid; our work to stop the flow of illegal funds and foreign fighters, which ISIL requires in order to thrive; and certainly, the effort to repudiate once and for all the dangerous, the offensive, the insulting distortion of Islam that ISIL propaganda attempts to spread throughout the region and the world. ISIL attempts to tell people that what they’re doing is somehow based on their notion of Islam and their view of religion. No religion, certainly not a peaceful, great religion like Islam, ever condones the kinds of activities that ISIL engages in.

I’m very pleased to say that the countries that were here today that joined in the communique that is being issued today have all, each of them, committed to play a role in achieving this mission. In the days ahead I will continue to meet with leaders in the region and beyond as we work to build the broadest coalition possible. Developing this global coalition will also be a primary focus of the UN General Assembly later this month.

As my partners here and I discussed today, the world is obviously in the midst of an enormously challenging time. Nothing is easy right now, but the truth is we are moving in a direction that people in countries all across the world can understand in an effort to try to bring peace and stability and prosperity and opportunity, dignity, and respect to the lives of the people in our countries. This is a moment which is one of those rare opportunities in history where leaders making the right choices can actually bend the arc of history in the right direction in the goals – the direction of the goals that we share: peace and prosperity and security for all.

And if we take advantage of this opportunity, what we are doing now could actually become a model for cooperation. It becomes perhaps even a model for addressing extremism and isolating it, as it should be anywhere where it exists. We believe that we’re all up to this task, and we believe that this is what our citizens are asking of us. We believe we will beat back the evil of ISIL and we will fight for the peaceful and secure world that people of all nations, ethnicities, religions, and sects deserve.

And I’m very grateful for the leadership that Saudi Arabia has exhibited in bringing us here for this meeting, and I look forward to continuing to work with all of the colleagues who are part of today’s meeting. It was important; we made progress; the coalition is growing and it now has a clarity of purpose within this region which is essential to our possibilities of success.

So thank you very much, Your Royal Highness. We appreciate it.

FOREIGN MINISTER SAUD: Thank you.

QUESTION: I have two questions. My first question is for Mr. Secretary. Immediately after American President announcement with regards to the strategy, there was three reaction. First, the Russian who said that any military operation, even against the fundamentalists in Iraq and Syria, it has to get the UN mandate. The Bashar regime said any military operation without coordination with the regime --

MODERATOR: Your question, please. Your question.

QUESTION: So do you think that this will be a (inaudible) on your operation against the ISIL?

(In Arabic.)

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, first of all, Iraq, the Government of Iraq, has invited the United States of America and asked for help. It has asked for help from the United States and has asked for help from its neighbors, from other countries in the region. And under international law, when a country is invaded and a country invites somebody to come in and help them, we have every right in the world to respond to that request.

And I must say if it weren’t so serious, what is happening in Ukraine, one might almost laugh at the idea of Russia raising the issue of international law or of any question at the UN. And I’m really rather surprised that Russia would dare to assert any notion of international law after what has happened in Crimea and eastern Ukraine.

FOREIGN MINISTER SAUD: (Via interpreter) Regarding Turkey – and indeed there was no difference at all between Turkey and any member of this meeting. As for the training of the free army, it has areas of training where it conducts its training in all neighboring countries.

QUESTION: (Via interpreter) My question is for you from Al Arabiya. What is the role required from the regional countries, especially for Saudi Arabia, especially with regard to this coalition?

My other question for the foreign minister of – no, the Secretary of State. What are the (inaudible) that you (inaudible) to engage (inaudible) any ground force intervention apart from airstrikes? Or what can be done as far as land intervention is concerned?

FOREIGN MINISTER SAUD: (Via interpreter) Yes, there are efforts undoubtedly from Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has always taken initiatives with regard to a firm position towards terrorists and against them. So there is no limit to what the Kingdom can provide in this regard. So this is the position of the Kingdom. I have not heard from any party to this meeting today, they have not expressed any reservation with regard to the role required from them. So this shows that the Kingdom is determined to face and overcome this scourge.

SECRETARY KERRY: Did you ask about ground troops in Syria or in Iraq? What was your question?

QUESTION: (Via interpreter) Yes, my question is: What are the (inaudible) that the American Government can support, or at least this coalition, as far as ground troops intervention?

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, the current plan, as the President said, no country is talking about placing ground troops, nor do we believe there’s a need to. Iraq has a very sizable army. Some of it needs to be reconstituted and retrained. There will be major efforts to do exactly that. But the current plan of the President is not to engage with foreign troops engaging in this fight. This is a fight where the Syrian opposition and the Iraqi forces themselves have significant capacity. Some of it has to be retrained and refocused; but we are confident that together with the efforts of other countries involved, that will happen and it will be sufficient to the task.

Thank you.

QUESTION: One, Foreign Minister, from the American press? Will you take a question, sir?

FOREIGN MINISTER SAUD: If it’s one.

QUESTION: Your government has been quite critical of the United States over the last year or so for not entirely seeing things – the crisis in Syria – the way you did, and I know you were deeply disappointed by President Obama’s decision last summer not to move ahead with airstrikes then. In light of that, do you feel that President Obama and the United States now see the situation as dire – as being as dire as you did then?

FOREIGN MINISTER SAUD: I only see agreement. I don’t see disagreement. (Laughter.) I see the agreement that we have about the present situation.

Thank you.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you.