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Counterterrorism Newsletter




Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism
Periodic Newsletter
November 2006 - January 2007

Message from the Coordinator

Official photo of Henry A. Crumpton, Coordinator for Counterterrorism

Effective February 2, 2007, I will be leaving my position as the Coordinator for Counterterrorism. Working for the Secretary of State over the past nineteen months has been a great honor. Throughout my career, I have served with outstanding Americans and many foreign partners who have inspired me with their courage, wisdom, and dedication. It has been a privilege to work with so many who sacrifice so much.

We have many national security challenges, in Iraq and elsewhere, but we have had successes. Over 4.7 million Afghan refugees have returned to their homeland, which now has a democratically-elected President and Parliament. The Libyan government, which once sponsored terrorism as a matter of state policy, has joined the community of nations, and Southeast Asia continues to advance on many counterterrorism fronts.

Every success in counterterrorism flows from the stregnth of our partnerships, and these partnerships are a reflection of the strength of the leadership in the field. In December, the Senate Foregin Relations Committee recognized the critical role that our Embassies fulfill overseas in their report, "Embassies as Command Posts in the Anti-Terror Campaign." I was encouraged by the Committee's endorsement of the Regional Strategic Initiative (RSI), our effort to establish a strong, all-of-government, field-based approach. I welcomed the report's recommendations regarding the role of the Ambassador and the State-Defense Department relationship overseas.

I am confident that the Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism will continue its good work providing policy leadership and coordination, including further implementation of the RSI and support of the Ambassadors as the President's personal representatives overseas.

Working with International Partners:

  • October: Chief Strategist Dr. David Kilcullen traveled to Afghanistan to lead a counterinsurgency field assessment team, producing a comprehensive assessment of the current state of the campaign in Afghanistan. Dr. Kilcullen also delivered training in counterinsurgency and counterterrorism to Afghan National Army and coalition instructors at the Kabul Military Training Center.

  • November 4-11: Deputy Coordinator for Programs Jerry Feierstein co-led a U.S. interagency delegation to the G8 Roma/Lyon counterterrorism meetings in Moscow.

  • November 5-14: Principal Deputy Coordinator Frank Urbancic led an interagency USG delegation to European capitals to press governments to take greater action against PKK criminal fundraising and propagandizing activities in Europe, and to confer with the Turkish government on next steps.

  • November 28-30: Mr. Urbancic led a USG delegation to Moscow for the "G8 Global Forum on Partnerships between Governments and the Private Sector to Counter Terrorism". The forum capped the efforts of the Russian G8 Presidency to identify new ways for public-private CT partnerships.

  • December 4-14: Ambassador Crumpton met with various French, British, Greek and Polish government officials to discuss our counterterrorism efforts.

  • December 4-17: S/CT's Deputy Coordinator for Counter Terrorism, Virginia Palmer, traveled to India, Bangladesh, and Nepal meeting with numerous regional officials and non-governmental terror experts. This was an important trip as there will be a U.S.-India Joint Counter Terrorism Working Group meeting taking place in New Delhi this February.

  • December 2: Deputy Coordinator Virginia Palmer led an U.S. interagency delegation the "Three Plus One Group" security dialog in Buenos Aires.

  • January 20: The Philippine Government announced the death of Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) leader Khadaffy Janjalani and ASG spokesman Abu Solaiman. The two were killed in battles with the Armed Forces of the Philippines. This represents a tremendous Philippine government victory, as four of the five key ASG leaders have now been killed or detained. Janjalani and Solaiman were responsible for the kidnapping and subsequent death of Americans Martin Burnham and Guillermo Sobero, and the kidnapping of Gracia Burnham. This successful routing of key ASG leaders also demonstrates the close cooperation on counterterrorism that we have with the Philippine government.

S/CT Highlights

  • Dr. Kilcullen was appointed lead author for the new US Government interagency guide to counterinsurgency.

  • Regional/Trans-Regional Directorate:

    • Regional Strategic Initiative (RSI): The following is an update of RSI strategy sessions held over the past three months:

      • November 20 and December 20 Neighbors of Iraq strategy sessions: On November 20, Ambassadors and representatives from U.S. Embassies in Baghdad, Riyadh, Kuwait, Amman, Damascus, and Ankara held a video conference with S/CT and State/Near East Asia bureau officials to review a number of recommendations from those embassies on how to more effectively target the regional terrorist/foreign fighter pipeline across its life-cycle, including strategies to target jihadist recruitment, travel, funding, and operations. On December 20, S/CT hosted a follow-up RSI meeting in Washington with several participating Ambassadors, U.S. military and intelligence officials, and other USG departments and agencies, to ensure full USG support for the field's recommendations.

      • December 6 Western Mediterranean RSI strategy session: Ambassador Crumpton met with Chiefs of Mission from the region and senior Washington-based officials from the interagency in Paris to inaugurate efforts to develop strategies to deal with such trans-Mediterranean issues as massive immigration, integration of new residents and radicalization.

      • December 11 Eastern Mediterranean RSI strategy session: Ambassador Crumpton met with Chiefs of Mission from the region and senior Washington-based interagency officials in Athens to further develop strategies for dealing with regional border security, Hizballah, the PKK, and extremist ideology.

    • Designations: On January 26, 2007, the S/CT worked with the Treasury Department to designate two South African individuals, Farhad Ahmed Dockrat and Junaid Ismail Dockrat, and a related entity for financing and facilitating al Qaida, pursuant to Executive Order 13224. This action freezes any assets the designees have under U.S. jurisdiction and prohibits transactions between U.S. persons and the designees. These individuals have supported al Qaida - one by providing funds to Al Akhtar Trust, a globally-recognized al Qaida fundraiser, and another by facilitating travel for individuals to train in al Qaida camps.

  • Programs Directorate:

    • In early November, S/CT, the Consular Affairs Bureau and the Terrorist Screening Center held bilateral Homeland Security Presidential Directive-6 (terrorist screening) consultations with government officials from a number of European countries. The HSPD-6 proposal would systematize information exchange with other countries and create a mechanism to provide our international partners with additional information on known or suspect terrorists. In separate meetings with European Union (EU) officials in Brussels, the U.S. delegation was briefed on EU efforts to strengthen traveler screening mechanisms through the Schengen group. EU Schengen group members are developing a sophisticated system for the collection and exchange of personal identifying information on travelers to and from the EU.

  • Homeland Security Directorate:

    • November 28-December 1 Border Trip to Detroit: Deputy Coordinator for Homeland Security (HS) Susan F. Burk visited the Detroit/Windsor corridor to examine the role of the various USG agencies with counterterrorism/homeland security missions along the U.S.-Canada border. Briefings with the U.S. Coast Guard 9th District/Sector Detroit, Port of Detroit Customs and Border Protection , Detroit area Border Patrol, Michigan/Ohio Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Detroit FBI were extremely productive and demonstrated the extraordinary challenges these agencies face in that particular region.

    • December HSCC Meeting: At the December Homeland Security Coordinating Committee (HSCC) meeting, the United States North Command's (NORTHCOM) Political Advisor provided a briefing on the roles of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and NORTHCOM, and their unique roles in counterterrorism and homeland security efforts.

    • January 22-23 US-EU Meetings on Justice and Home Affairs Issues: S/CT Deputy Susan Burk met with EU officials in Berlin to discuss various issues on the Justice and Home Affairs agenda including the EU's counterterrorism strategy and radicalization and recruitment, including terrorist use of the internet.

  • Operations Directorate:

    • November 16: An Operations Directorate officer spoke to security and intelligence directors of all the major oil companies in Nigeria about USG interagency coordination and the USG's role in hostage crisis management. Among the corporations present was Chevron, whose subcontractor, Petroleum Geo-Services, had an American citizen briefly taken hostage in early November. The meeting was organized by the Overseas Advisory Council (OSAC) and included presentations from State Department, CIA, FBI, Department of Justice and Department of Defense offices involved in hostage crisis management. The event was designed to build overall USG relationships with key at-risk corporate partners operating in regions of concern; educate them about our policies; explain what the USG can offer in crisis management; and solicit cooperation on best practices for managing terrorist crises such as hostage events.

Speaking Engagements:
  • November: Senior Advisor Michael Hurley addressed counterterrorism conferences in Stockholm, Johannesburg and Berlin. The conference in Stockholm was sponsored by S/CT in cooperation with the Swedish National Defense College's Center for Asymmetric Threat Studies and focused on "Best Practices in European Counter Terrorism." The Johannesburg conference was entitled "Understanding Terrorism in Africa: In Search For an African Voice" and was co-sponsored by U.S. Embassy Pretoria and the South African Institute for Security Studies and financed in part by the Government of Norway. The Berlin conference was sponsored by the German Council on Foreign Relations.

  • November 15: Ambassador Crumpton addressed nearly one thousand members of the private sector at the Annual Briefing of the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) on the global threat environment and how the terrorist enemy views the business community. He urged private sector leaders to promote economic development and the rule of law through trade, training and investment in areas where terrorists seek to exploit historical, political and economic grievances.

  • November 17-19: Ambassador Crumpton spoke to the 2006 Annual U.S.-Turkey Seminar, sponsored by The Congressional Study Group on Turkey, on terrorist networks.

  • November-December: Dr. Kilcullen spoke at a seminar on the future of Special Forces at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, at a seminar on future foreign policy challenges at the Brookings Institution, and at workshop on safe havens for the RAND Corporation. He also taught a counterterrorism film course at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.

  • January 17: Ambassador Crumpton and Swiss Ambassador Ziswiler hosted a briefing for over 75 diplomatic missions on Black ICE, a U.S.-Swiss co-hosted bioterrorism exercise for senior leaders from international organizations across the international community.

  • January 18: Ambassador Crumpton addressed an audience of Congressional Members and staff, academics, representatives from foreign Embassies, and press, at the National Press Club.

  • January 25-27: Deputy Coordinator Virginia Palmer spoke at a conference in Tswalu, South Africa, on "Southern Africa and Terrorism".

  • January 31: Ambassador Crumpton spoke on "A New Era of Conflict" at a forum for students, faculty, and the public, organized by the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

  • January 31: PDAS Frank Urbancic spoke at a workshop organized by the RAND Corporation on safe havens in Southeast Asia. He discussed the Regional Strategic Initiative (RSI), counterterrorism developments in the region, and the positive impact of the RSI in Southeast Asia.

Press Highlights:
  • S/CT in the Press

    • November 26: Dr. Kilcullen's article on future counterinsurgency challenges, "Counterinsurgency Redux" was published in the International Institute for Strategic Studies journal Survival.

    • December 18: Ambassador Crumpton and Dr. Kilcullen were featured in George Packer's New Yorker article entitled "Knowing the Enemy."

  • Press Items of Note:

    • "American and British Hostages Released in Nigeria" (AP, November 7, 2006): This article described the release of an American and Briton seized by gunman the week prior. The kidnapping was the latest in dozens of seizures and attacks targeting Nigeria's oil industry since the beginning of 2006.

    • "German Terror Trial: Motassadeq Guilty on 246 Counts of Abetting Murder" (Mary Wiltenburg and Daryl Lindsey, Spiegel Online, November 16, 2006): This article reported the reaffirmation by Germany's highest appellate court of a lower court ruling that Mounir el Motassadeq, a Moroccan man linked to the Hamburg-based 9/11 terror cell, had been a member of a terrorist organization. The Chief Justice also expanded the conviction to include accessory to murder charges for each of the 246 passengers killed in the planes hijacked on September 11. Motassadeq, who was first tried in 2003, was a close friend of Mohammed Atta, the ringleader of the Hamburg terror cell that carried out the 9/11 plot.

Produced by the State Department's Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism. Please direct comments/queries to Marc David Block in S/CT at blockmd@state.gov or Gerry Fuller in the Legislative Affairs Bureau at fullergw@state.gov.


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