SECRETARY OF DEFENSE HAGEL PRAISES NETHERLANDS FOR SUPPORT

 

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel welcomes Dutch Defense Minister Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert upon her arrival at the Pentagon for defense talks, May 22, 2013. DOD photo by U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Aaron Hostutler

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Hagel Hails Netherlands as Strong U.S., NATO Partner

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 22, 2013 - Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel hosted the Netherlands' Minister of Defense Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert at the Pentagon today, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.

Little said Hagel strongly emphasized the importance of the Netherlands as both a bilateral partner and North Atlantic Treaty Organization ally, and on behalf of the Department of Defense, reemphasized the commitment of the U.S. to the strong United States-Netherlands defense partnership.

Hagel and Minister Hennis-Plasschaert discussed a range of issues, including the Joint Strike Fighter program, NATO's role in post-2014 Afghanistan, and Syria, Little said.

On JSF, Hagel underscored U.S. commitment to the program and encouraged continued cooperation between the U.S. and the Netherlands in its development, Little said.

Hagel thanked Minister Hennis-Plasschaert for the Netherlands' decision to support the NATO Patriot missile deployment to Turkey, Little said, and he stressed the need for continued international cooperation on the ongoing crisis in Syria.

TITAN AND MULTINATIONAL MISSILE DEFENSE

 

Nimble Titan, a series of two-year experimentation campaigns, promotes multinational cooperation and interoperability in missile defense activities and, when required, responses. Here, U.S. soldiers deployed with a Patriot missile battery to help defend Turkey's border with Syria are part of a coordinated NATO response that includes missile defenders from Germany and the Netherlands, Feb. 4, 2013. DOD photo by Glenn Fawcett

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Nimble Titan Increases Multinational Missile Defense Cooperation

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 16, 2013 - When the United States, Germany and the Netherlands deployed missile defenses to Turkey to augment the Turkish military's capabilities near the Syrian border, it wasn't happenstance that they were able to quickly coordinate their efforts and go operational.

U.S. Strategic Command has led an international effort for the past eight years to promote cooperation and interoperability in missile defense, not just among NATO allies, but also around the globe.

Known as Nimble Titan, it's a series of two-year experimentation campaigns that bring together 22 nations to address missile defense challenges in the coming decade, said Army Col. Michael Derrick, director of allied integration for Stratcom's Joint Functional Component Command for Integrated Missile Defense.

Nimble Titan is now in its fourth two-year iteration, with a mix of seminars, tabletop exercises, war games and instrumented experiments, Derrick explained during a telephone interview from his office at Schriever Air Force Base, Colo.

All are aimed at promoting partnership Derrick called essential to standing up to ballistic missile threats.

Each participating nation realizes that none can go it alone in missile defense, he said. That includes nations such as the United States, Japan and the Netherlands, among others that have their own missile defense systems, he added. The U.S. system, for example, depends in part on basing sensors and interceptors in other countries and using their airspace and ground facilities to operate.

"As the United States developed its own ballistic missile defense system, we realized that the system is inextricably engaged with our allies around the world," Derrick said. "Integration with our allies around the world in the field of missile defense is absolutely necessary. We simply cannot do this without them."

But international cooperation brings more to the effort, he said, increasing transparency about missile defense and setting the conditions for nations to share information and leverage one another's assets. This may save money at a time when many militaries are experiencing severe budget cutbacks, while providing more comprehensive missile defenses, he noted.

Collaboration is particularly vital at a time when several nations as well as non-state actors are ratcheting up the threat. "We have those nations that consistently threaten us, either with real capability or with rhetoric," Derrick said.

"Nimble Titan creates an environment where these likeminded nations can discuss and try to solve the challenges that we have now or anticipate that we will have in the next 10 years," he said. "Instead of doing things independently against a common foe, we are able to work together."

Through Nimble Titan events, participants explore ways to improve information-sharing and distribution and develop plans, including command-and-control procedures, to provide coordinated, synchronized missile defenses.

"We discuss concepts of operation such as how to put the capabilities from different nations together to build a coherent and effective unit," Derrick said. "The goal is to put mechanisms in place to optimize those international efforts."

Nimble Titan 14, latest in the series of campaigns, kicked off in February with an orientation seminar for new participants at the NATO headquarters in Brussels. In March, Japan hosted a planning exercise among Asia-Pacific countries focused on the Northeast Asia threat.

Participants from the Tokyo event will converge on the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif., in June for a tabletop exercise based on groundwork laid at the planning exercise, Derrick said.

Another tabletop exercise, focused on the Southwest Asia threat, is slated for December at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.

The most significant takeaways from these individual events will be incorporated into the Nimble Titan 14 capstone event planned for next spring in Suffolk, Va. "This will be a program that allows nations from around the world to see the global implications of what is going on in each region," Derrick said.

Although Nimble Titan isn't designed to address any particular threat, and activities all involve notional perpetrators, sometimes the events correspond with those in the real world.

Last year, for example, the capstone event for the Nimble Titan 12 series kicked off just four days after North Korea's failed three-stage missile launch. Over the course of four days, participants and observers planned military, as well as political and civil defense responses, to mock launches a decade into the future from the fictitious countries of Seac and Rubicon.

But Derrick said the cooperation developed during Nimble Titan has a huge payoff when real-world challenges develop.

"You can't work with a nation until you have some basis upon which to build that cooperation. And through Nimble Titan, we have a group of people, now in 22 nations, who know the topic, who know one another, and who know the challenges we all face," he said. "We have been very successful in building a cadre of people around the world who can work together."

This assures U.S. allies of the United States' commitment to standing with them in missile defense. "We want them to know that we are not only willing, but able to work with them," Derrick said.

But even more importantly, he said, is its deterrent effect -- one Derrick said every participating nation can agree to.

"Missile defense is an important deterrent because it doesn't threaten and can't hurt anyone," he said. "If someone launches a missile at you, being able to destroy that missile in space and cause no damage or harm whatsoever gives you the moral high ground. You have defended yourself, but you haven't caused your attacker any harm."

This makes missile defense an important complement to U.S. Strategic Command's other assets, most of which have offensive capabilities, he said.

One of its greatest advantages, Derrick said, is that it provides the opportunity for informed, coordinated responses.

"It gives our leadership at the national level a whole lot of options that otherwise would not be available: to pursue diplomatic outcomes, to arrange responses with other nations, or to go to the United Nations if they need to," he said. "That's one of the real advantages of missile defense. It provides options and time for the leadership that otherwise would not be available."

REMARKS BY SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY TO STAFF AND FAMILIES AT ISTANBUL CONSULATE

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Meeting With Staff and Families of Consulate General Istanbul
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Consulate General Istanbul
Istanbul, Turkey
April 7, 2013


SECRETARY KERRY: Hey, folks. Good morning to you.

AUDIENCE: Good morning.

SECRETARY KERRY: How are you?

AUDIENCE: Good morning.

SECRETARY KERRY: Good to see you all.

AMBASSADOR RICCIARDONE: Mr. Secretary, just a little over a month ago, I had the pleasure of introducing you to a part of the best American mission in the world. This is not the other part; this is an equal part, and Turkey’s a sort of (inaudible) world capital. And this is a place where we specialize in showing our hospitality to our visitors. We have a lot of practice at it here in this town. And I have great pleasure and pride in introducing to you the part of the team here that is just specializing in greeting a few visitors and helping them understand what an important (inaudible) is.

You’ve met Scott Kilner, one of my oldest friends in the Foreign Service. He’s had even more tours in Turkey than I have, and I know Scott mentioned on the way in we served together in Afghanistan. He had the pleasure of taking you all around Afghanistan a few years ago. So thanks so much for coming, again, so soon in your tenure. We wish you many, many happy returns.

SECRETARY KERRY: Frank, thank you. Thank you very much. Good morning. I know this is a somber morning for a lot of us, for everybody, and I appreciate everybody coming out and taking a moment to say hello today, especially the future over here. Frank, thank you for your stewardship. Really, you’re very, very lucky to have an extraordinary array of professionals, and I have seen Frank at work in a number of different countries, most recently before here in Afghanistan. And Scott, thank you for your leadership here at a very important crossroads, and I want to thank every single one of you for being part of this extraordinary mission. And Marie – where’s Marie gone? She’s here somewhere.

AMBASSADOR RICCIARDONE: Went off to join the missus.

SECRETARY KERRY: She went off to join my wife.

But we are grateful to all of you. I was thinking, just a little while ago when I was here, the first thing I did was walk into a memorial service at the Embassy for Mustafa Akarsu. And I learned then that his name stands for sort of flowing waters, or waters flowing over, and there’s that beautiful memorial now out in front of the Embassy. And he bravely gave his life, stepping up to prevent others from being harmed.

Yesterday in Afghanistan, we had a different stealing of a young life. And I think there are no words for anybody to describe the extraordinary harsh contradiction of a young 25-year-old woman with all of the future ahead of her, believing in the possibilities of diplomacy, of changing people’s lives, of making a difference, having an impact, who was taking knowledge in books to deliver them to a school. And someone somehow persuaded that taking her – his life was a wiser course and somehow constructive, drives into their vehicle and we lose five lives – two Foreign Service, three military, large number wounded, one Foreign Service officer still in critical condition in the Kandahar hospital because they’re trying to provide people with a future and with opportunity.

The folks who want to kill people, and that’s all they want to do, are scared of knowledge. And they want to shut the doors and they don’t want people to make their choices about the future. For them, it’s "You do things my way and if you don’t, we’ll throw acid in your face. We’ll put a bullet in your face," to a young girl trying to learn. So this is a huge challenge for us. It is a confrontation with modernity, with possibilities, and everything that our country stands for, everything we stand for, is embodied in what Anne Smedinghoff stood for, a 25-year-old young woman, second tour of duty, been a vice consul in Caracas, Venezuela and then off to an exciting, challenging, unbelievable undertaking in one of the toughest places on earth.

I met her about two weeks ago. She was part of my team that was my control team when I was there, and I remember her – vivacious, smart, capable, chosen often by the Ambassador there to be the lead person because of her capacity. So it’s a grim reminder to all of us, though we didn’t need any reminders, of how important and also how risky carrying the future is with people who want to resist, and just trying to provide opportunity to those young boys and girls and men and women in Afghanistan, so many of whom I’ve met, who believe in education and believe in the possibilities of opening a business and believe in the rights of women and the rights of everybody to be able to make choices.

So I think every single one of us can stand very, very proud of Anne and her cohorts as America stands very, very proud of each and every one of you. This is not easy work. It’s not easy being away from home. It’s not easy packing up, breaking ties to family and friends and coming over to represent your country. But the whole world is in a state of transition right now. It is important for us to be able to help to bring stability and rule of law and alternatives to this kind of nihilistic violence that simply destroys and steals lives without offering any other constructive purpose whatsoever.

So I think we can walk with pride. I think the extended Foreign Service family feels a lot of pain today. But we also feel pride. And it’s my honor to be here with all of you to shake your hands, say hello to you, give everybody a hug, and let’s share together the feelings of the Smedinghoff family, who I talked to yesterday in Pennsylvania. There is no more painful conversation in the world. And they were extraordinary and are strong, and I ask you all to pray for them and their friends and their family, and just keep your heads high and keep doing what you do, because we’re so proud of you. Thank you very, very much.

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE HAGEL DISCISSES CONTINGENCY RESPONSES

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Hagel: Partnerships Lay Groundwork for Contingency Responses
By Claudette Roulo
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 28, 2013 - Established military and diplomatic partnerships set the tone when it comes time to defend international allies, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said today.

The recent rapprochement between NATO member Turkey and major non-NATO ally Israel was critically important to the region, Hagel said during a joint Pentagon press conference with Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

"It does affect Syria," he said. "It does affect the neighbors in developing more confidence, I would suspect, among the neighbors in that area that Turkey and Israel will once again begin working together on some of these common interests."

On Wednesday, NATO announced the appointment of Swedish scientist Ake Sellstrom to lead a commission examining whether Syrian President Bashar Assad used chemical weapons in Syria.

"He does possess chemical weapons," Hagel said. "It is dangerous. It is real. And we've got to deal with that eventuality and how we would respond to it."

The take-away is that the United States is working with its international partners, through NATO and other alliances, to address the complex challenge posed by Syria, Dempsey said.

"We ... have collaborative planning efforts underway with each of them, not just uniquely for the possibility of chemicals, but also for other eventualities," he said. Those include the loss of control of heavy air defense weapons, refugee or humanitarian assistance requirements, and the defense of Turkey and Jordan, Dempsey added.

"So we've got any number of contingency plans. And each of them -- each of them at some level rely upon regional partners to help us figure this out," he noted.

Addressing tensions elsewhere in the world, Hagel said the NATO agreement made last summer in Chicago is guiding the drawdown in Afghanistan, exactly as intended. The transition was designed to be an orderly, step-by-step process, he said, and each interim agreement "gets us to eventually where we all want to go, a peaceful transition, a transition that will hopefully put Afghanistan in a position to have a peaceful, prosperous future."

"It's jaggedy, raggedy, not easy, up and down, but we're on track," Hagel said. "Afghanistan's a sovereign nation. And we want them to be a strong sovereign nation with a significant future."

Other countries with interests in regions where the U.S. has strategic interests -- like the Asia-Pacific -- can't be ignored, Hagel said. Regional interests must be factored into long-term relationships, he said.

"The key to relationships with great powers is common interest. You anchor relationships around common interests. You don't start with your differences. And that's what we'll continue to do," Hagel said.

U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPECIAL BRIEFING

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Background Briefing: En Route to Turkey
Special Briefing
Senior Department Official
En Route, Ankara, Turkey
March 1, 2013


MODERATOR: All right, good morning everybody. We are en route from Rome to Ankara. This is now our fourth stop on Secretary Kerry’s first trip.

QUESTION: London, Berlin, Paris, Rome.

MODERATOR: This is our fifth stop on Secretary Kerry’s first trip. We have with us today [Senior State Department Official], hereafter Senior State Department Official, to talk to you about the Ankara stop. Take it away, [Senior State Department Official].

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: Hi, everybody. So we’ve got a full afternoon and evening planned for Ankara, where the Secretary will have a chance to meet with Foreign Minister Davutoglu, Prime Minister Erdogan, and President Gul. He’ll actually begin as soon as we land by doing a memorial ceremony at the Embassy.

You know, of course, on February 1st there was the bombing at the Embassy that sadly, tragically took the life of a Turkish guard, and he wants to pay tribute to the courage of that individual who was performing his duties and protecting Americans working at the Embassy. And that will also underscore the importance of our common challenge in facing terrorism, which will be one of the big things on our agenda for the discussions.

Turkey – it was – the Secretary felt it important to stop in Turkey on this trip. It’s obviously in some ways a pivot between the European stops that we just did and the challenges in the Middle East, and Turkey naturally plays an important role in both as a member of NATO, an aspirant to the EU with important relations with European countries – Greece, Cyprus, and the Balkans – but also a neighbor and important player in Iran, Iraq, Syria, Egypt, and the rest of the Middle East.

So as always with Turkey, there’s an enormous agenda. We always try to get through it all, and there’s never enough time. But fortunately, as I say, we got a long afternoon and evening, so we should have a chance to really go into depth into a lot of issues. I won’t try to do that for you, and I’m happy to take your questions. I’ll maybe just flag a couple of those that I’m sure will be raised, I guess – starting with Syria, the urgent problem that we have been addressing in Rome.

And I think it’s fair to say that we’re very much on the same page with the Turkish Government when it comes to Syria, and have been for some time, starting with the basic commitment of both countries to work towards the political transition and the departure of Assad. And I think Turkey welcomed the announcements that Secretary Kerry made on behalf of the President in Rome yesterday about new assistance to the Syrian opposition. Turkey is also doing its part in helping the Syrian opposition and doing more than its part in welcoming and supporting over 150,000 refugees at great cost. And we are going to continue to work very closely together to get them to that goal.

I mentioned counterterrorism cooperation already. And just to flag that again, at the – near the top of the list, not just in the wake of the February 1st bombing, but obviously, we face very common challenges in dealing with the PKK threat, which we’ve defined as a threat to both countries, the threat from al-Qaida, and other extremist groups. We cooperate well with Turkey, which is a co-chair of the Global Counterterrorism Forum that Secretary Clinton and Foreign Minister Davutoglu launched a couple of years ago. And the Secretary will have a chance to discuss how we can better deal with what is a growing threat in the region in the world.

Israel – you know we have been working hard over the past couple of years to foster a better cooperation to restore what was once historic cooperation between Turkey and Israel. The Secretary will have a chance to express his concern over the remarks that Prime Minister Erdogan made in a – reportedly made in a speech yesterday equating Zionism with a crime against humanity. Obviously, we strongly disagree with that notion. You saw the statements out of Washington yesterday making clear that we felt that statement was both offensive and wrong, and I’m sure the Secretary will be able to convey that to the Prime Minister directly this afternoon.

We have regretted for some time that Turkey and Israel, which are both strong friends and partners of the United States and once cooperated extensively with each other in terms of trade and tourism and even military and strategic cooperation, that cooperation has broken down. Deeply unfortunate. And we’ll continue to urge Turkey and continue to urge both countries to do what they can and normalize that important relationship.

So much else will be on the agenda. I don’t want to take too much time. We’re going to be called up forward in a minute. Iran, obviously; Turkey shares our goal dealing with Iranian nuclear challenge, and the Secretary can provide a readout of the Almaty talks. He’ll also address some regional issues that are important to us, including Armenia and the Caucasus and Nagorno-Karabakh, Cyprus in the wake of presidential election. Turkey, EU – so much more, but why don’t I end there and see what’s on your mind?

MODERATOR: Arshad. No? James.

QUESTION: Since he’s going to be providing a readout of the Almaty talks, perhaps you could do likewise for us.

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: Well, I think we have already on the ground in Almaty given a readout of the talks. We felt they were constructive. There was no breakthrough and we didn’t expect a breakthrough, but as you saw, the parties agreed to resume in the coming weeks both at a technical level and at a higher political level to see if we can make progress on the package that P-5+1 put on the table. And you’ve read about the elements of that package.

And again, I don’t want to overpromise, but we’re encouraged, at least, that these talks will begin in the near term, because we have long felt that we are proposing a way for Iran to meet its obligations to the international community, to respect UN Security Council resolutions, to take advantage of the possibility of having a civil nuclear energy program but without moving towards nuclear weapons capability, which the President has made absolutely clear is unacceptable.

QUESTION: What I don’t understand is why you consider these talks more encouraging, more – or useful, as the Secretary said, than previous talks that resulted in agreements to talk.

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: Well, I wasn’t on the ground in Almaty, so I can’t give you a firsthand account of that. But our people who were there felt that the sanctions have gotten Iran’s attention, and they understand that a failure to respond to the constructive ideas we’re putting on the table will only lead to further international isolation and consequences. And they were responsive on that basis.

MODERATOR: But of course, the onus is on Iran, and we’ll see what they come back with when we meet again.

QUESTION: Just wanted to ask about Syria and Russia. Obviously, here you have the 11, and they’re cooperating. There’s a lot of talk about unity, being on the same page, and kind of a – the jobs that each of them have. Are – is the Secretary in any type of cooperation with the Russians as he goes along on this trip? You getting any feedback at all from them on what happened in Rome?

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: Yes. You know the Secretary spent a good hour and a half with Lavrov on the eve of Rome, and we have been in touch with the Russians again both before and after Rome. We have never felt that dialogue with the Russians and what the countries that met in Rome are doing are mutually incompatible or inconsistent. The countries that met in Rome are determined to do everything they can to support the Syrian opposition in – with the objective of strengthening it, changing Assad’s calculation, and bringing about the political transition that we believe is – and the departure of Assad that we believe is absolutely essential. And they’re consulting together, they’re taking decisions together, and we made progress in moving on that agenda.

But that doesn’t mean we won’t continue to talk to Russia. As I think we discussed in this group the other day, we have long felt that this process would be facilitated if Russia would support it. We’ve been to the Security Council several times seeking Russia’s support and have failed to get it, but we will continue to try because we don’t believe that Russia has a magic wand here like anybody else does, but if Russia would make also clear that Assad needs to go, and if Russia would stop providing him both the political legitimacy and other support that it has been giving him, it would facilitate our task.

So we’re going to carry on with the partners we met in Rome in supporting the opposition and pressuring Assad, but we’re also going to carry on talking to the Russians. The French President Hollande was in Moscow the day after Secretary Kerry was in Paris, taking our common message to the Russians; that we want to see them join us in implementing what we – including the Russians, as Secretary Kerry has reminded everybody in the past couple of days – agreed to in Geneva, which is accepting a transitional body with full executive powers established on the basis of mutual consent, which we all know means that Assad cannot play a role.

QUESTION: Since the Patriot missile batteries have been deployed, how do you assess the comfort level of the Erdogan government about the Syrian border issues? And how much of his earlier concern and request for those Patriots do you think was real, and how much was he playing to the home constituents?

MODERATOR: The question was: Now that the Patriot batteries are in place, is Prime Minister Erdogan feeling more comfortable in terms of Turkish security?

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: Yeah. I mean, I think the Patriot deployment was a good sign of our bilateral solidarity with Turkey, and general NATO solidarity with Turkey on the question of Syria. After some missiles and artillery had crossed the border, Turkey asked its NATO partners, including us, for help in bolstering its air defenses. And several NATO allies, those with a Patriot capability that can be deployed – the United States, Germany, and the Netherlands – agreed to do that, to deploy Patriots to Turkey, and to do it in a coordinated NATO fashion. Every member of NATO supported the decision and agreed to use NATO command and control. And we said we would do it, and we did it, and it’s now operational on the Turkish border. And I think Prime Minister Erdogan welcomes that, both to strengthen his air defenses against that air and missile threat, and also to demonstrate that we stand by Turkey.

Now, no one ever thought that this was a comprehensive solution to a problem. In the weeks following the declaration of an operational capability, you saw there was a bombing at the border. So there are other ways that Turkey’s borders can be threatened by the Syrians. Obviously, the refugee flow alone is a threat to Turkish borders. So there is great concern, and we continue to stand by Turkey. But the Patriot deployment was one positive element of how we can show our support and solidarity.

PARTICIPANT: (Inaudible.)

QUESTION: Hi, [Senior State Department Official]. The sort of comments that were attributed to Erdogan and other Turkish officials on Israel and Zionism are not really new. They seem to say – they’ve said these things periodically. And so they make these comments, the U.S. condemns them, and then things more or less continue. Is there any special urgency or point Secretary Kerry may make to drive the point home? Because over time, this pattern is likely to have a corrosive effect on American-Turkish relations.

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: Well, it does have a corrosive effect. I mean, yes, there have been comments in the past that we have taken issue with and we have raised and we’ve criticized both from Washington and directly with our Turkish counterparts. I mean, one thing you can say about this relationship is we do have a frank discussion. And the previous Secretary of State had multiple conversations, frank conversations with her counterpart. The President and Prime Minister Erdogan have as well. And so we have an ongoing and very transparent dialogue, and we’re close enough and friendly enough to say when we disagree, and we’ve strongly disagreed with comments in the past, and we strongly disagree with this one.

I don’t think that this particular comment has been made like this before. This was particularly offensive, frankly, to call Zionism a crime against humanity. I don’t think we’ve heard that before, and like I said, I’m sure the Secretary will be very clear about how dismayed we were to hear it. And I don’t want to get into speculation about the overall relationship, but just to state the obvious, that it complicates our ability to do all of the things that we want to do together when we have such a profound disagreement about such an important thing.

QUESTION: Can I just switch (inaudible)?

MODERATOR: One more question.

QUESTION: Just – it’s brief, but on that. So the Turks have – this is just about the Turkish-Israeli relationship, not about your relationship. How concerning – how bad is it, and how concerning is that to you? And are you still telling the Turks to stop preventing Israel from being invited to all sort of these different events and keeping them out of these NATO advisory councils and things?

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: You want to repeat the question?

MODERATOR: So, the question was: How bad is the Turkey-Israel relationship getting, and are we working on the issues like Israeli access to NATO programs, et cetera?

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: The Turkey-Israel relationship is frozen. It’s not positive in the way that it used to be positive. And that’s deeply unfortunate. We want to see a normalization because – not just for the sake of the two countries, but for the sake of the region, and frankly for the symbolism of it. Not that long ago, you had these two countries –

PARTICIPANT: He’s ready for the briefing.

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: -- okay – demonstrating that a majority-Muslim country could have very positive and strong relations with a Jewish state. And that was a sign for the region of what was possible. As for the specific latter part of your question, yes, we continue to stand by the principle that Turkey shouldn’t block Israel’s participation in any multilateral activities. We found a way forward in the NATO context to allow exercises and partnership activities to move ahead. And we continue to take the view that if Turkey doesn’t want to participate in activities with Israel, that’s obviously its sovereign right. But we want to see – we don’t want to see Israel excluded from multilateral activities in which they also should have a sovereign right to participate.

MODERATOR: I apologize, guys. We have to cut this off. But the boss is looking to see us. Thanks.

DEPUTY SECRETARY OF DEFENSE CARTER INSPECT MISSILE BATTERY IN SYRIA

U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Ashton B. Carter speaks to troops on arrival on a Turkish army base at Gaziantep, Turkey, Feb. 4, 2013. Carter was there to see Patriot missile batteries installed with the help of U.S. forces to help deter potential incursions by Syrian forces. DOD photo By Glenn Fawcett.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Carter Visits Turkish Defense Leaders, U.S. Patriot Battery Troops
By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service

ANKARA, Turkey, Feb. 4, 2013 - On his first official visit to this prosperous capital as deputy defense secretary, Ashton B. Carter spent the day with Turkish defense leaders, then traveled southeast to Gaziantep near the Syrian border to examine the first of two U.S. Patriot missile batteries to be located there.

But Carter's first stop was the U.S. Embassy here on Atatürk Boulevard, where on Friday a suicide bomber attacked a checkpoint on the embassy's perimeter, killing Mustafa Akarsu, a guard in his forties and the father of two teenagers.

At the embassy today, Ambassador Frank Ricciardone ordered the American flag flown at half-staff until sunset on Wednesday, and the embassy operated on a reduced-manning schedule.

Those who did come to work to support the deputy secretary's planned visit observed a moment of silence at 1:13 p.m., exactly 72 hours after the bomb went off. The explosion blew out checkpoint windows, creating scattered debris, wounding several people and ending Akarsu's own life as he attempted to save the lives of his colleagues and friends.

Carter met with the ambassador this morning and walked the blast site. He then met with Akarsu's coworkers in the local guard force and with the embassy's seven Marine Corps guards. He also met -- in person and by telephone and digital video conference -- with about 45 embassy staff members from Ankara, Istanbul and the consulate in Adana, as well as with U.S. staff members from Turkey's Incirlik Air Base.

After the bombing, Carter told the embassy staff, "the ambassador called me and said, 'Do you still want to come?' And I said, 'One blankety-blank isn't going to stop us.'"

Carter said that later in the day he would visit the 80 or so Army troops manning and supporting the NATO-led U.S. deployment of two Patriot missile batteries at Gaziantep "because that ... stands for the strength of our alliance and the willingness of America to stand with Turkey at this moment of danger, when so many unsettled things are happening in Syria [that] pose a threat to the people of Turkey."

The deputy secretary added, "We stand with the people and the government of Turkey, and missile defense is just one way we are doing that."

This afternoon Carter began meeting with Turkish defense leaders.

At the Ministry of National Defense, he and Undersecretary of Defense for Industries Murad Bayar met and discussed three major U.S.-Turkey defense acquisition efforts.

Later, at the Ministry of National Defense, Carter met with Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz, and both made statements ahead of their discussion.

"This unfortunate incident [involving the death of Mustafa Akarsu] has again shown us that the new [era] is one in which cooperation between countries has become more important than ever," Yilmaz said, adding, "The fight against terrorism has great importance and calls for sustained cooperation."

In his remarks, Carter said he planned his trip to Turkey to discuss with Yilmaz and other leaders the military-to-military cooperation long shared by the United States and Turkey in ... counterterrorism, missile defense and every other area of cooperation."

For decades, he added, the United States "has been pleased and honored to be your partners ... [and] we thank the government of Turkey for everything it does to combat terrorism with us."

Later in the day, Carter traveled to a military facility in Gaziantep, just over 60 miles from Aleppo, Syria, where one U.S. Patriot battery is operational and another will be moved from nearby Incirlik as soon as the grounds at the base are prepared for its massive components and the troops required to operate the systems.

The Patriot missile system uses ground-based radar to find, identify and track incoming missile targets. The system can lock onto an incoming missile that's up to 50 miles away. The system can even be made to operate automatically.

Patriot missiles, each weighing nearly a ton, launch from ground-based batteries. A battery is made up of MIM-104 surface--to-air missiles; a launcher that holds, transports, aims and launches the missiles; an MPQ-53 or MPQ-65 radar antenna for detecting incoming missiles; an equipment van called an engagement control station that holds computers and consoles to control the battery; and power-plant truck with two 150-kilowatt generators that power the radar antenna and van. Each Patriot missile battery can have up to 16 launchers.

At the missile launch site, Carter spoke with about 18 soldiers -- men and women -- who operate the site, and then spoke with 80 more in a small theater near the battery site. They're assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment, based on Fort Sill, Okla.

"I'm so pleased that two days ago you rolled all the way in from Incirlik with all this fantastic equipment," Carter told the troops.

"Your country is watching and the world is watching and what they see is this magnificent performance," he added. "The good people of Gaziantep see it and the good people of Turkey see it and the good people of the Middle East see it and your country sees it. And you know what? The bad guys see it too."

Carter told the young men and women that they're doing a significant thing.

"When you place your next call," the deputy secetary said, "whether it's to a spouse or your mom and dad, kids, if you have them, or good friends ... tell them that you were thanked today by the leadership of your department, the leadership of your country, for what you're doing here."

Tonight, after leaving Turkey, Carter will travel to Amman, Jordan, to meet on Tuesday with U.S. Embassy personnel and government and defense leaders. He'll also have lunch with troops to thank them for their service to the nation.

U.S. DOD LEADERS SAY TERRORISTS WILL NOT HAVE BASES IN MIDDLE EAST

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
DOD Leaders Vow to Deny Terrorists Middle East, Africa Bases
By Amaani Lyle
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 3, 2013 - The need for U.S. vigilance in thwarting terrorism throughout the Middle East and North Africa led the conversation during dual interviews Pentagon senior leaders took part in today.

In television segments that aired today on CNN's "State of the Union" and NBC's "Meet the Press," Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey addressed lessons learned following the Benghazi, Libya, embassy attacks on Sept. 11, 2012, and the embassy attack in Ankara, Turkey, Feb. 1, 2013. They also discussed their continued focus on eradicating al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, or AQIM.

Panetta said that before his retirement, expected later this month, he expects to testify on Capitol Hill about the Benghazi attacks on Sept. 11, 2013. He noted defense officials are working with the State Department to review embassy security around the – "especially around that part of the world." He added, "We are taking steps."

But better security is one of three essential considerations in protecting U.S. embassies, he noted. "You still need to build up the host-country capacity," Panetta said. "[And] you've got to harden these embassies as much as possible."

Panetta and Dempsey described the complexities of orchestrating personnel and aircraft distance, intelligence and other factors to respond to an attack such as Benghazi.

"This is not 911," Panetta said. "You cannot just simply call and expect within two minutes to have a team in place; that's the nature of it."

Dempsey said the nearest armed aircraft were in Djibouti, Africa, at the time of the Benghazi attacks.

"The distance from Djibouti to Benghazi is the difference from Washington, D.C., to Los Angeles," Dempsey said. "There are some significant physics involved."

The chairman also maintained that with the alert time and intelligence information available at the time, the U.S. was "appropriately responsive."


"We've learned a lot from the Benghazi incident," Dempsey said. "We work with the State Department in surveying those parts of the world where there's a new norm ... of instability."

Dempsey and Panetta agree that many stymied attacks by the U.S. often go virtually unnoticed. Panetta noted the Feb. 1 suicide attack on the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Turkey, which left the bomber two gatehouse security guards dead, occurred at the perimeter "nowhere close to the embassy."

"I think that was good security and ... [was] an example of good intelligence ... [guiding] us so that we could prevent something more serious from happening," he said.

Both leaders acknowledged that while AQIM remains a menace to Middle Eastern and North African regions, the U.S. will work with partner nations to contain terrorist organizations and prevent their acquiring chemical or other weapons in the region.

"We're better when we operate with partners," particularly in the Middle East, Dempsey said. "We've got options for any number of military contingencies, and we're maintaining both a deterrent and preparedness posture."

Dempsey said current U.S. planing involves working with partners in Turkey, Jordan and Israel, all of whom "share common interests in making sure these spill-over effects don't affect them."

Panetta said as al-Qaida affiliate leaders become more brazen in their movements, as recently happened in Mali, he is pleased with the French initiative to push back extremist encroachment and prevent burgeoning safe havens.

The secretary added that the U.S. and its partners have successfully targeted senior al-Qaida leaders in the federally administered tribal areas in Pakistan along the Afghanistan border, as well as in Yemen and Somalia. Planners have long foreseen the eventual need to contain extremists in North Africa has long been foreseen, he added.

"We were always aware that there was AQIM [there]," Panetta said. "Now we're focused on AQIM as a result ... of the French action, but we were also anticipating that we would have to move into North Africa."

Panetta said he hopes the massive changes happening in the Middle East and North Africa in the wakrt of the "Arab spring" will move toward greater democracy and stability in those regions, but operations against terrorist cells must not ebb.

"Wherever they are, we have to make sure they have no place to hide," Panetta said. "Bottom line is, al-Qaida is our enemy and we have to make sure we go after them."

MORE U.S. AID TO PEOPLE AFFECTED BY SYRIAN CONFLICT

Map:  Syria.  Credit:  CIA World Factbook.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
The U.S. Announces Additional Humanitarian Assistance in Response to the Syrian Crisis
Fact Sheet
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
January 29, 2013

Today, President Obama reaffirmed the United States’ continued commitment and support for the Syrian people by announcing an additional $155 million in humanitarian aid to help meet the acute needs of people inside Syria and refugees across the region who are affected by the violence in Syria. This new funding includes the $10 million announced last week in Turkey by the visiting U.S. delegation. This new assistance brings the United States’ total humanitarian response to the crisis in Syria to approximately $365 million to date.

In December 2012, the United Nations issued revised humanitarian appeals to help meet the growing needs of those affected by the conflict in Syria. The United States strongly supports these appeals as the most effective way for donors to provide urgently needed humanitarian aid to the Syrian people. The United States is helping to meet urgent needs in all 14 governorates inside Syria through its support for the UN appeals and by partnering with non-governmental organizations.

INSIDE SYRIA:
U.S. assistance is:

· helping feed millions of Syrians throughout all 14 governorates;

· providing medicine and medical treatment in areas including Damascus, Dar’a and Homs;

· immunizing one million Syrian children against preventable diseases like the measles;

· providing winter supplies to Syrians in areas including Aleppo, Dayr az Zawr and Homs.

With this additional funding, the United States is providing nearly $202 million to address critical needs inside of Syria. U.S. assistance is tackling severe food shortages through robust funding of international and non-governmental organizations providing food packages to those in need and flour to restart bakeries. Funding for emergency health care and supplies will enable surgeons in field hospitals and mobile clinics to save more lives. For those taking refuge in damaged public buildings, we are providing winter supplies such as blankets, heating stoves, and heavy-duty plastic sheeting to cover windows and other damaged areas. We are supporting the provision of household items, shelter support, cash assistance, health care, and community protection services to displaced Syrians. U.S. funding enables direct food, cash, and winter assistance for more than 400,000 Palestinian refugees inside Syria who are affected by the violence.

REGIONAL:
The United States is providing $5 million in additional regional contributions to UN agencies as part of the refugee response, including in Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon and Iraq.

JORDAN:
The United States is providing over $52 million for Syrians in Jordan who have fled the violence in Syria.

U.S. assistance to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the World Food Program (WFP), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and non-governmental organizations is helping Syrians living in local communities as well as in Za’atri camp. In addition to providing food, water, winter supplies and shelter, U.S. assistance is supporting medical assistance, efforts to address psychological trauma, and support measures to prevent and respond to gender-based violence. Community impact projects provide needed support to Syrians as well as to Jordanian host communities. U.S. assistance helps children through informal and remedial education programs, formal schooling, and programs that help them deal with trauma. Partners are also providing emergency transport and reception and health referrals.

LEBANON:
With this additional funding, the United States is providing nearly $51 million to help support displaced Syrians and Palestinians in Lebanon who have fled the violence in Syria.

Previous U.S. contributions in Lebanon are helping provide rent support, household items, and food vouchers. Additionally, U.S. assistance supports primary health care consultations, services, and emergency medical care.

As part of this new announcement, the United States is supporting UNHCR Lebanon’s critical work providing for the basic humanitarian needs of Syrians in Lebanon, including medical services and supplies, such as clean water, blankets, and shelter support. Additional support to WFP will continue to provide food vouchers and dry rations to refugees throughout Lebanon.

The United States is also supporting efforts to assist Palestinian refugees who have fled Syria by providing education, relief supplies, shelter, and medical care in Lebanon.

In addition, the United States is also providing contributions to other UN agencies as well as international NGOs providing much needed shelter and medical care to Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

TURKEY:
With this additional funding, the United States is providing more than $34 million to help those in Turkey who have fled the violence in Syria.

The Government of Turkey, through the Turkish Red Crescent, is leading the relief effort with strong support from the United States and international partners. U.S. support of UN agencies helps feed Syrians, provides safe, child-friendly learning environments, and resources like household items, winter tents and blankets. The United States is also funding measures to prevent and respond to gender-based violence.

As part of this new announcement, the United States is supporting the expansion of programs providing debit cards and cookware so Syrians can purchase and cook food for their families. This contribution includes funding to the Turkish Red Crescent for winterization support in the camps. U.S. funding also supports primary health care for urban refugees and Syrian children dealing with the trauma they have endured.

IRAQ:
With this assistance, the United States is providing nearly $19 million to help support Syrians who have fled to Iraq.

The United States is providing food aid, medical supplies, emergency and basic health care, shelter materials, clean water, hygiene education and supplies, and other relief supplies to refugees in host communities and camps. Separately, the United States continues its strong support for the thousands of Iraqi refugees who have returned to Iraq as a result of the violence in Syria.

As part of this new announcement, in addition to UNHCR, the United States is supporting IOM for the provision of basic domestic and hygiene items and other non-food items for Syrian refugee camps in Iraq. Additional funding through WFP ensures the continued provision of hot meals, bread, dry rations and food vouchers.

EGYPT:
The United States is providing more than $2 million in food assistance and to support UNHCR’s efforts for Syrian refugees in Egypt.

The United States recognizes and applauds the generosity of the governments and people of Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq, Egypt and other nations hosting all those who have fled the violence in Syria. These countries have taken on a significant burden. They are not alone.

INTERNATIONAL CENTER OF EXCELLENCE FOR COUNTERING VIIOLENT EXTREMISM FACT SHEET



Burj-Al-Arab Hotel In Dubai.  Credit:  CIA World Factbook.

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT

Co-Chairs Fact Sheet: International Center of Excellence for Countering Violent Extremism
Fact Sheet
Bureau of Counterterrorism
December 14, 2012

Below is the text of the Fact Sheet issued by the Co-Chairs (Turkey and the United States) of the Global Counterterrorism Forum for the December 14, 2012, GCTF Ministerial-Level Plenary in Abu Dhabi.

"We have to continue working together to defeat extremist ideology, blunt the spread of radicalization, and slow the flow of recruits to terrorist networks. The UAE took an important step when it announced it would host the first-ever international center developed to combat extremism and develop those best practices that will do so."
--Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton

"It is only through our collective efforts and sustained commitment that we, as a global community, will be able to address one of the most pressing issues in the context of counterterrorism, namely countering violent extremism."
--H.H. Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan


Background: On 14 December 2012, ministers and other senior officials from the 30 members of the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) will inaugurate the first-ever international center of excellence for countering violent extremism (CVE), with its headquarters in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. At the September 2011 ministerial-level launch of the GCTF in New York, the United Arab Emirates offered to host this center in response to the growing desire from GCTF members and the wider international community for the establishment of an independent, multilateral center devoted to training, dialogue, collaboration, and research to counter violent extremism in all of its forms and manifestations, one that can bring together the experts, expertise, and experience that exist in countries around the globe.

This initiative could not be more timely. There is widespread agreement on the need to prevent individuals from starting down the path toward radicalization, the embrace of violence, and support for terrorism, as well as to divert those already on that path before they are fully committed and mobilized. With the opening of the International Center of Excellence on Countering Violent Extremism in Abu Dhabi there will now be an international institution dedicated to addressing this challenge.

Mandate: The Center’s mandate will focus on three core areas:
1) Training: Providing government and non-governmental stakeholders with the necessary training and practical tools to design and implement effective programs and policies to counter violent extremism in all of its forms;
2) Dialogue: Providing a dedicated platform to facilitate dialogue among community leaders, teachers and other educators as well as relevant national and local actors involved in CVE; and
3) Research: Conducting and commissioning research to gain a deeper understanding of the drivers of violent extremism, and which approaches are effective in countering it.

Relationship between the Center and the GCTF: Preventing individuals from starting down the path towards radicalization, the embrace of violence, and support for terrorism, is a priority for the GCTF. Although the Center will be independent from the GCTF and all of its members, a close partnership between the two bodies will be critical to their success. GCTF members have been engaged in the development of the Center and will be supportive of the Center’s governance and operation.

GCTF members are encouraged to support the Center in a number of ways. This includes:
• providing voluntary financial contributions to the Center
• sponsoring and delivering courses
• seconding staff (e.g., trainers or dialogue facilitators)
• sponsoring resident and non-resident research fellows and other visiting instructors
• identifying appropriate participants for the relevant Center activities.

With support from GCTF members and other countries, the Center will respond to and further develop efforts flowing from the GCTF CVE Working Group’s priorities. For example, the Center expects to develop a robust independent capability to evaluate CVE initiatives sponsored by GCTF members and other Center partners. Through its own sponsored initiatives and by providing support to those of others, the Center expects to advance work in the fields of CVE communications and messaging, as well as to play a key role in deepening understanding of how institutions – ranging from education through health and social services to law enforcement and prisons – can build resilience against violent extremism and to provide a reference point and training for officials in how to craft policies, programs and activities that minimize the risk of individuals being radicalized into violent extremism. Throughout its work, the Center will place a premium on collaboration and dialogue and will take practical steps to develop, expand and strengthen the emerging international CVE community of practice. Already, the Center has published the first issue of its Newsletter, and work is underway to create a web-portal for virtual collaboration.

Partnerships: Building and leveraging partnerships with existing international and regional training centers and academies, relevant academic and research institutions, and UN counterterrorism programs, including the newly-established UN Centre on Counter-Terrorism, as well as relevant private sector and non-governmental organizations from around the world will be a priority for the Center.

Multinational Governance and Staff: A multinational International Steering Board will provide the Center with the necessary policy and strategic guidance. It will initially be comprised of the ten co-chairs of the five GCTF Working Groups. The Center’s multinational staff, which will grow gradually over time, will be led by a Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer and include a mix of seconded CVE experts and direct-hires. The CEO will lead the Center and serve as the primary interface between the Center and the ISB and other senior external officials. The COO will help lead the Center, run regular meetings with Center staff, cooperate with the CFO on budget issues, oversee the performance of the central department management, as well as develop and submits the Center’s annual operational plan.

The Initial 12-18 Months: During its initial 12-18 months the Center intends to focus its efforts in a few key areas:
• convening CVE expert brainstorming sessions that support the GCTF’s CVE Working Group’s priorities;
• developing and piloting initial CVE training curricula, while seeking to integrate and leverage the efforts of GCTF CVE Working Group activities; and
• developing an international CVE community of practice, including by creating a Network of CVE Professionals from around the globe.

In addition, the Center intends to host a lecture and film series, as well as topical CVE workshops and conferences organized by international partners.

Curriculum Development: Among the initial subject matter areas where the Center will develop curricula and host workshops could include:
• media and messaging
• the role the security sector plays in CVE
• capacity building aimed at strengthening state institutions entrusted with the CVE mission
• empowering local actors
• empowering educators
• empowering knowledge and innovation
• the role of and empowering victims of terrorism
• the role of cultural and sports diplomacy in CVE
• the role of and engaging non-traditional CVE actors and initiatives.

CVE Center of Excellence Launch Schedule:
12 December UNODC half-day workshop on victims of terrorism
12 December UNICRI half-day workshop on prison de-radicalization
13 December GCTF Coordinating Committee to discuss Center and future programs
14 December Center Launch and GCTF Ministerial

U.S. SENDS ADDITIONAL 400 U.S. PERSONNEL TO TURKEY

 

The Topkapi Palace courtyard in Istanbul. The Palace was the official residence of the Ottoman Sultans for 400 years. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and contains many holy relics of the Muslim world. Construction was begun in 1459, and at its height, the complex housed 4,000 people. In 1924, a governmental decree transformed the Palace into a museum of the imperial era.

 

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENTEY

Panetta Signs Order to Deploy 400 U.S. Personnel to Turkey
By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service

INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey, Dec. 14, 2012 - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta has signed an order that will deploy 400 U.S. personnel to Turkey to support the deployment that NATO agreed to recently of Patriot missile capability there, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said today.

Panetta signed the agreement en route to Turkey as he wrapped up a trip this week that included time in Kuwait and Afghanistan with civilian and military leaders.

He visited the troops to thank them for their dedication and sacrifice, and for spending another holiday season away from family and friends.

While in Kabul the secretary also met with Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, commander of the International Security Assistance Force, ISAF regional commanders and Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

"The United States has been supporting Turkey in its efforts to defend itself," Little said. "NATO has recently offered up Patriot missile battery capability to Turkey, [which] is a very strong ally of the United States."

Little said he expects the troops to be deployed in the coming weeks.

"I'm not going to go into precise locations at this time, he added, "but I wanted to let you ... know that we signed that order and that we are prepared in the context of NATO to support the defense of Turkey for an unspecified period of time."

The personnel will deploy to Turkey to operate two U.S. Patriot missile batteries once they are in place, he said.
"The purpose of this deployment is to signal very strongly that the United States, working closely with our NATO allies, is going to support the defense of Turkey, especially with potential threats emanating from Syria," Little said.

Incirlik Air Base is an installation of U.S. Air Forces in Europe, a major command of the U.S. Air Force and the air component of the U.S. European Command, a DOD unified command.

"Turkey also is a key NATO ally and we have a lot of U.S. forces stationed there to enhance our strong defense cooperation," Panetta told reporters traveling with him as the trip began.

"Both the United States and Turkey share common concerns now about the violence in Syria and the threat that it poses to regional stability, he added.

Panetta said DOD has been working closely with Turkey on humanitarian issues, chemical and biological weapons issues, and missile defense.

"I'm pleased that last week NATO pledged to deploy missile defense systems to protect Turkey, and we will participate in that effort as well," the secretary said.

Panetta said the United States and Turkey are committed to work together to strengthen defense systems and to put pressure on the Assad regime in neighboring Syria to end the violence in that country and help develop the political transition that must take place there.

TURKEY WILL GET PATRIOT MISSILES

Photo:  Patriot Missile Launch System.  Credit:  U.S. Army.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

NATO Approves Turkey's Request for Patriot Missiles
By Nick Simeone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4, 2012 - NATO foreign ministers have agreed to Turkey's request for Patriot anti-missile batteries to defend the country against possible airstrikes from neighboring Syria.

The decision came during the first of two days of meetings at alliance headquarters in Brussels, with ministers saying the goal is to "defend the population and territory of Turkey and contribute to the de-escalation of the crisis along the alliance's border."

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen described the situation along Turkey's southeast border with Syria as one of "grave concern," adding that NATO stands in full solidarity with Turkey.

The Patriot missiles are expected to be supplied by the United States, Germany and the Netherlands and would remain under the operational command of the alliance's supreme allied commander for Europe.

The decision comes as the civil war in Syria intensifies and amid new concerns in Washington over the status of the Syrian government's stocks of chemical and biological weapons. In recent weeks, Syrian rockets and shells have landed on the Turkish side of the border, killing several people, a development that Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta has said raises concerns that the Syrian conflict could spill over into other countries in the region.

The Turkish government has supported Syria's opposition, and as an alliance member had requested that NATO provide the U.S.-built Patriot air defense system to deter further threats to its territory. NATO officials stress that use of the missiles will be purely defensive. Rasmussen emphasized that the system will in no way be used to support a no-fly zone over Syria, as some have proposed.

NATO's decision to approve Turkey's request comes a day after the United States said it was growing increasingly concerned that Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime might be considering using its stocks of chemical weapons against its own people. Yesterday, President Barack Obama issued a direct warning to the Syrian leader that any use of chemical or biological weapons would be unacceptable.

"There will be consequences, and you will be held accountable," Obama said.

TURKEY'S REQUEST FOR PATRIOT MISSILE SUPPORT CONSIDERED BY U.S. AND UN

Photo:  Turkey/Syria Coast.  Credit:   U.S. CIA World Factbook.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

U.S., NATO Consider Turkey Request for Missile Support
By Claudette Roulo
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Nov. 21, 2012 - The U.S. will work closely with its NATO allies to determine the best way to respond to a recent request from Turkey for Patriot missile support, a defense official said today.

Turkey is seeking to deploy the Patriot missiles along its southeastern border in an effort to de-escalate crisis conditions due to the civil war in neighboring Syria, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said in a statement.

"The deployment would be defensive only," Rasmussen said. "It will in no way support a no-fly zone or any offensive operation."

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said in a Nov. 15 Voice of America interview that the U.S. was talking with Turkey about the threats to its security. "Turkey is obviously facing a difficult situation as refugees pour into their country and they're threatened by the instability in Syria," he said.

"They have asked that we work with them to try to see what we can do to give them some missile defense capability," he continued. "And we are working with them. And our hope is that we can help provide that kind of assistance."

"If approved, the deployment would be undertaken in accordance with NATO's standing air defense plan," Rasmussen said. "It is up to the individual NATO countries that have available Patriots -- Germany, the Netherlands and the United States -- to decide if they can provide them for deployment in Turkey and for how long."

"We will remain in close dialogue with our NATO allies as we work through this request for support. We take Turkey's concerns very seriously," the defense official said.

U.S. SAYS IT'S WORKING WITH JORDAN, TURKEY REGARDING PROBLEMS WITH SYRIA

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Panetta: DOD Works with Jordan, Turkey on Syria Repercussions
By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Oct. 10, 2012 - The Defense Department is working with Jordan and Turkey to help with collateral humanitarian and security issues affecting them because of the brutal war that continues in Syria, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said here today.

During a news conference held at the close of a NATO defense ministers meeting, Panetta described U.S. efforts in the Syrian border countries of Jordan and Turkey, where the numbers of Syrians fleeing to Turkey have spiked because of recent fighting in Aleppo.

Together the nations harbor tens of thousands of the more than 200,000 refugees from the violence and death produced since March 2011 by the clash between opposition fighters and the regime of Bashar Assad.

"We have been working with Jordan for a period of time now on a number of the issues that have developed as a result of what's happening in Syria," Panetta said.
One of the main issues is humanitarian relief, the secretary added, and the United States is doing what it can to help both countries respond to the flow of displaced Syrians.

Pentagon officials also have been working with Jordan in the effort to monitor Syrian chemical and biological weapon sites and to try to determine how best to respond to any concerns in that area, he said.

"We've also been working with [Jordan] to try to develop their own military and operational capabilities in the event of any contingency there," Panetta added.

For that reason, he said, "we have a group of our forces there, working to help them build a headquarters and to ensure that we make the relationship between the United States and Jordan a strong one so we can deal with all of the possible consequences" of the war in Syria.

The U.S. presence in Jordan consists of about 150 mostly Army special operations forces, some of whom have been in Jordan for several months, a senior defense official said.

The United States also has reached out to Turkey on humanitarian and chemical and biological weapons issues, the secretary said.

"They're obviously concerned about the CBW sites as well," Panetta said, "so we've worked with them to do what we can to monitor that situation."

On the U.S. approach to the situation in Syria, Panetta said the nation, in addition to working with allies to apply as much diplomatic pressure as possible, operates in three important areas.

One area is humanitarian relief, he said.

"We've provided funds for humanitarian assistance and we have provided other facilities that are needed ... to support the large number of refuges that have gathered in these different camps," the secretary said.

A second area involves monitoring chemical and biological weapon sites in Syria.

"We continue to be concerned about security at those sites," Panetta said. "We want to ensure that security is maintained and we want to be very sure that those [weapons] do not fall into the wrong hands." The United States continues to work with regional partners to monitor the situation and evaluate the security of the sites, he added.

The third area involves assisting the opposition, the secretary added, including providing nonlethal support.

"I know there are countries in the region that are providing lethal support," he said, "but our effort is aimed at trying to work with the opposition in every way possible to ... try to develop their capabilities as well."

U.S. EXPORT-IMPORT BANK APPROVES $66 MILLION LOAN TO EXPORT POWER-GENERATION EQUIPMENT

Map:   Turkey.  Credit:  CIA
FROM: U.S. EXPORT-IMPORT BANK

Ex-Im Approves more than $66 Million in Financing
for Export of Power-Generation Equipment to Turkey

Washington, D.C. – The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) has authorized a a $66.3 million guarantee in favor of UPS Capital Business Credit’s loan to Bis Enerji Elektrik Uretim AS (Bis) of Turkey for the export of American power-generation equipment to the Republic of Turkey.

Ex-Im Bank’s financing will support more than 160 American jobs in Houston, Texas; Wellsville, N.Y.; Orlando, Fla.; and Lewiston, Maine.

"Ex-Im Bank’s loan guarantee affords the U.S. companies involved in the transaction an opportunity to export their American-made products to a Turkish market hungry for electricity," said Ex-Im Bank Chairman and President Fred P. Hochberg. "Equally important is the loan guarantee’s impact on American jobs, which will benefit from the increased business."

"We see UPS Capital Business Credit’s participation in this particular Ex-Im Bank financing opportunity as a reflection of our company’s commitment to helping customers grow their exports," added Bob Bernabucci, president of UPS Capital. "Export growth is critical not only to the U.S. economy but also to the creation of jobs."

This represents Ex-Im Bank’s second transaction involving Turkiye Halk Bankasi AS of Ankara, Turkey, which participated in support of BIS Energy, and will finance the export of a General Electric Packaged Power Inc. turbine and generator, a Dresser-Rand steam turbine generator, a World Control International Inc. heat recovery steam generator, a WahlcoMetroflex Inc. diverter damper unit, and associated installation services.


"Bis Enerji, now with its sixth installation of GE LM 6000 Gas Turbine Generator set since 1993, is a long time and repeat customer of GE Power & Water and Ex-Im Bank. Ex-Im Bank’s financing support in each of those transactions has been a key factor in GE’s success and a boon to GE’s jobs, and it has broadened exports from other US suppliers to Bis Enerji as well," stated Mohammad Kudia, the managing director of GE Sales & Project Finance, the financing advisor to Bis Enerji.

Bis will employ the new equipment at its power plant in Bursa, Turkey, to expand its current electricity-production capacity by 76 megawatts. The project will convert a pre-existing simple-cycle turbine into a combined-cycle operation that will rely upon a steam turbine heat recovery steam generator. Ex-Im Bank supported four previous expansions of the plant’s output.


Founded in 1993 and headquartered in Bursa, Bis supplies electricity to domestic markets and has worked with Ex-Im Bank since 1997. The company’s Bursa power plant is the largest private sector plant of its kind in the Bursa industrial zone of Turkey, and it generates electricity by way of natural gas.

Turkey accounted for approximately $3.8 billion of the Bank’s worldwide credit exposure as of the end of FY 2011, and in FY 2011 alone the Bank authorized $2.1 billion in export financing for American goods and services bound for Turkish markets.

Also in FY 2011, the Bank authorized $2.2 billion in power-generation transactions worldwide.

U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: SPECIAL BRIEFING IN GHANA ON SYRIA

Ghana Map Credit:  U.S. State Department
FROM: U.S. STATE DELPARTMENT
Background Briefing By a Senior State Department Official, Accra, Ghana
Special Briefing
Senior State Department Official
Accra, Ghana
August 10, 2012
SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: Thanks, [Moderator]. I want to just start by setting the context for this visit. We were last in Istanbul in early June for the Global Counterterrorism Forum, on the margins of which we held a Core Group meeting on Syria with a number of key stakeholders, and then approximately a month later in Paris, a Friends of the Syrian People meeting. Since the Friends of the Syrian People meeting, there have not been any high-level gatherings or ministerial level visits by the Secretary specifically on Syria, but in that timeframe a lot has happened.

You’ve had a series of high-level defections, a major bombing that took the lives of key security officials in the regime. You’ve had the opposition, the Free Syria Army and associated groups, consolidate gains on the ground that stretch from Aleppo up to the Turkish border, and gains elsewhere in the country as well, including showing increased operational effectiveness. And of course, over the past month you’ve had the Syrian economy continue to deteriorate, you’ve had a Security Council resolution vetoed by the Russians and the Chinese, and you’ve had the resignation of Kofi Annan effective at the end of this month, among a range of other things that have unfolded just in the last four weeks.

So after that Security Council resolution was vetoed, we made clear that we were shifting from New York to a focus on supporting the opposition in its efforts to hasten the day that Assad falls and to begin in earnest planning for the day after Assad falls in close coordination with our partners and in support of Syrian groups on the ground, who are going to be charged with, ultimately, building the new Syria and trying to safeguard institutions of the state and deal with all of the challenges that will come once the transition begins.

So that’s the frame within which this visit takes place. The Secretary is eager to have the opportunity to roll up her sleeves and have in-depth, lengthy, detailed conversations with the senior Turkish leadership, with the President, the Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister, and a number of other key officials in the Turkish Government to talk about the three broad pillars of our strategy.

The first is to discuss with the Turks both what it is that we’re doing and how we judge the effectiveness of what we’re doing in terms of supporting the opposition, to hear from them about the latest approaches they’re taking to support the opposition, as well as the picture each of us have of the work that other countries are doing and how our work and the Turks’ work can fit into that broader effort by the international community to coordinate and effectively deliver support for the opposition on the ground inside Turkey.

At the same time – so that goes for the nonlethal assistance that we’re providing. It goes for other forms of support and assistance that are being provided to the Syrian opposition. And it also goes for the work that the Arab League, the Turks, us, and others are doing with the political opposition groups that are trying to come together under an umbrella to have a single common plan, a transition plan and vision for a future Syria that’s pluralistic, democratic, and effectively maintains the institutions of the state. So we’ll also want to talk to the Turks about the July 3rd transition plan that the opposition groups collectively arrived at and the work that is ongoing right now to try to follow up on that and put additional meat on the bones as everybody plans for the day after.

The second --

MODERATOR: Sanctions.

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: Oh, sorry. Yes, I am reminded that in terms of supporting the opposition, we all have to remember that the overall goal here is to hasten the day that Assad goes. And part of that work is direct support but part of it also is pressure and isolation of the regime. And one of the key forms of pressure is economic sanctions, which in the coming days or very shortly we will be tightening even further with additional sanctions that drive at both Syrian entities and at those who are supporting the efforts of the Syrian Government to oppress its own people. So the sanctions piece and talking to the Turks about how we can most effectively both ramp up and enforce the sanctions on the books will also be a feature of the conversations.

The second area is humanitarian assistance. The humanitarian picture has grown more dire as the fighting has spread. That’s true both inside Turkey and in countries – I’m sorry, inside Syria and in countries bordering Syria, all of them, including Turkey. There are now more than 50,000 refugees that the Turks are supporting, and the need for international support in the form of funding and other types of tools and resources is growing.

So last week, the United States announced $12 million in additional assistance, a portion of which will go to refugees in Turkey or to support refugees in Turkey. And tomorrow, the Secretary will make further announcements both with respect to funding for UNHCR and for the specific Turkish appeal through IOM. And when the President and Prime Minister Erdogan talked on July 30th, one of the issues they discussed was how the international community can effectively support a growing burden on Turkey as it continues to be very generous in providing for refugees that come across its border. And they’re coming across every day in significant numbers.

MODERATOR: (Inaudible) more than a 1,000 a day –

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: The third area is transition planning and day after planning. The Secretary was very clear that we don’t want to put a date on Assad’s departure, because we can’t. We don’t know when that day will come, but it is our strong conviction that it will come and that the international community needs to be prepared to support the Syrians themselves as they deal with all of the challenges that will come with actually effectuating a transition to a new Syria.

There are political challenges in terms of organizing the state and protecting its institutions. There are economic challenges, both in terms of short-term stabilization and in terms of rebuilding a deteriorating Syrian economy. There are security challenges that may require international and multilateral assistance of various kinds. There are challenges related to securing, of course, weapons inside Syria to ensure they don’t fall into the wrong hands. And there are humanitarian challenges related to the need to provide basic subsistence to displaced Syrians both inside and outside Syria.

So all of that work has to be conducted at the earliest possible point, which is why we’ve been working on it for some time now and why we want to intensify our collaboration with the Turks and with other key stakeholders.

So all of this will be on the agenda, and in a specific way when the Secretary sits down with her counterparts and with the Turkish leadership. And the goal here is to try, as much as possible, to be able to arrive at a common operational picture, to gain a better understanding of the effectiveness of what we’re doing now and what more can be done, and then to take it from there and to coordinate effectively with the other key partners in the international community. And in that regard, the Secretary will be having conversations next week by telephone with key partners in Europe and elsewhere, and planning for another Friends of Syria gathering at some point in the coming weeks.

Also while she’s in Turkey, the Secretary will meet with activists, opposition activists, some of whom are just very recently arrived from Syria and have firsthand experience with what is going on on the ground in Aleppo and elsewhere. And she will talk to them about what their assessment is of where things are, where they’re headed, and what kinds of support they need from the United States and the international community. She’ll also have an opportunity to engage with the humanitarian and refugee issue in meetings as well.

So that’s a broad overview of where we’re headed, and I’ll take a few questions before we all have to go down to the van so we don’t miss our flight (inaudible).

MODERATOR: Anne.

QUESTION: On the activists, has she met any of these figures before? And can you characterize them anymore particularly than activists?

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: She hasn’t met any of them before. They represent a cross-section of people from inside Syria and some now based outside Syria who are helping coordinate efforts to address the specific needs of the opposition. So you have students who are organizing student protests and student political opposition to the regime. You’ve got women who are working as part of a collection of women’s groups in Syria specifically addressing the needs of women who are part of the opposition. You’ve got those who are involved in communications, from Skype to Facebook to other web-based tools to try to get messages out and coordinate the public strategic communications dimension of the opposition.

So it is folks with a very hands-on set of experiences related to both resisting the Syrian regime and trying to organize and coordinate and effectively marshal various elements of those who are in the opposition or associated with the opposition on the ground in Syria.
QUESTION: And at this point, who’s doing the accountability – legal work on the ground in Syria?

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: (Inaudible.)

QUESTION: No actual rebel figures?

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: No. When you say rebel figures, meaning armed --

QUESTION: Fighters. Armed fighters.

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: Armed fighters.

QUESTION: Armed fighters (inaudible).

QUESTION: Can I wait?

MODERATOR: Andy.

QUESTION: I just have a quick one. On the announcements of further sanctions regarding both Syrian entities and those who are supporting the efforts of the Syrian Government, is this going to represent sort of a broadening of efforts to get at Iranians groups or others who may be involved here?

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: I think that’s pointed in the right direction. I’d prefer not to preempt the announcements, although [Moderator] will work, I think, over the course of today to see what’s possible in terms of getting you additional information.

QUESTION: Is it today? It will happen today in D.C.

MODERATOR: We’ll talk a little bit more about this in a minute.

QUESTION: Okay.

QUESTION: Does any of this discussion with the Turks or with the activists speak to any additional steps intervention or involvement, non-humanitarian, and kind of talking support that you’ve already offered?

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: Well, for starters, we’ve already gone beyond humanitarian by providing specific, tangible types of assistance that can help the opposition on the ground – communications equipment, medical assistance of different kinds. So – but I take your question to be moving beyond where we are now.

QUESTION: Right. Yeah, right.

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: One of the key things that the Secretary wants to achieve when she arrives in Turkey is to compare notes with the Turks so that she can sharpen her own operational picture of what’s happening on the ground. It’s a very fluid situation. The groups that are participating are themselves quite fluid. And what she would like to do over the course of the day is gain a clearer picture of the effectiveness of what we’re currently providing and how it can be made more effective, and then whether or not there are additional things that we can do to be helpful to the opposition that will add value rather than cause harm.

And over the course of her conversations and in trying to arrive at conclusions on that, she will shape her advice to the President and to her colleagues back in Washington about any further types of support or assistance that the United States might be prepared to provide.

QUESTION: Does that mean you do or do not rule out lethal assistance (inaudible)?

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: Well, I think you heard this week from both Susan Rice and John Brennan that we’re never in the business of categorically ruling things in or out. I think her focus will be on the effectiveness of what we’re doing, how we can make it more effective. But she certainly will be looking to see whether there’s anything else that we can do that will have a positive impact as opposed to a detrimental impact on the overall situation in Syria.

MODERATOR: Let’s do Matt and then (inaudible).

QUESTION: Do we have anything else? I know that you’re not going to – the questions that I would ask, you’re not going to be able to answer. So –

MODERATOR: Nicolas.

QUESTION: Just to make clear the first pillar of your strategy, we are still taking about nonlethal assistance?

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: That’s what she’ll be focused on today.

MODERATOR: Okay. Thanks, everybody.