22 January 2003
U.S. Donates $1 Million to Combat Terrorism in Western Hemisphere
(Bonner announces contribution to CICTE, urges other countries to
help) (3030)
The United States is pledging $1 million to the Inter-American
Committee Against Terrorism (known by its Spanish acronym, CICTE) "to
nurture CICTE's growth as a technical body devoted to increasing
counterterrorism expertise in the Americas," U.S. Customs Commissioner
Robert Bonner has announced.
CICTE, an arm of the Organization of American States (OAS), opened its
third regular session on January 22 in El Salvador. In his address to
the CICTE conference, Bonner told regional diplomats that the U.S.
donation represents "a continued commitment to OAS/CICTE" in order to
help protect the Western Hemisphere from existing and emerging
terrorist threats.
Sixteen months after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks against
New York and Washington, "the threat from international terrorism is
every bit as real, immediate and dangerous as it was then, if not more
so," Bonner said. Moreover, he added, "we must remember that the
threat from terrorism is a multi-national threat -- it is a threat
that knows no boundaries."
As he described the importance of CICTE's mission, Bonner also noted
that many countries in the hemisphere have grim first-hand experience
of terrorist activity within their borders. "The United States
applauds CICTE as an institution that can and will help us to protect
the Americas from terrorism, both now and in the future," he said,
while reminding his audience of previous attacks in Buenos Aires as
well as "the kidnappers and bombers of Colombia, and the other
perpetrators of terrorism in our part of the world."
The U.S. government will soon launch its new Department of Homeland
Security, encompassing 22 existing federal agencies that each has some
responsibility for protecting the United States, Bonner observed. One
such agency, he pointed out, is the U.S. Customs Service that he
currently manages. Under the new U.S. security arrangement, "the
measures we take will be in accordance with domestic and international
law," he told CICTE delegates. And U.S. dedication "to the principles
of democratic institutions is at the forefront of the global campaign
against terror," he said.
The Department of Homeland Security will help U.S. authorities to
identify and respond to emerging threats such as "terrorist attacks on
information systems that control or run the critical infrastructures
that are essential to our economies and to our way of life," Bonner
explained. "Networked systems are often globally interdependent, and
failure or disruption in one system could lead to widespread damage."
He cited cyber-security as one major concern, in addition to "the
development of alliances between largely domestic terror organizations
around the world and international terrorist organizations for
purposes of perpetrating specific attacks," "the use of surface-to-air
missiles" by terrorists, "terrorist use of established smuggling and
illegal migration routes in the region," and -- perhaps most dangerous
of all -- "the possibility of weapons of mass destruction -- chemical,
nuclear, or biological -- falling into terrorist hands."
The use of these weapons "poses not only a great physical threat to
our citizens, [but] ... poses a great economic threat, as well,"
Bonner argued. "We need to increase the security surrounding the
movement of trade between our nations" because "containerized shipping
is the primary means of global trade." If "a terrorist attack
involving a weapon of mass destruction [is] concealed in a cargo
container," he noted, "[it] could wreak havoc on global trade and the
global economy, and damage the economic growth of all nations."
To prevent such attacks, the U.S. Customs Service is introducing its
Container Security Initiative, or CSI. "Through CSI, the United States
is partnering with other governments to identify and pre-screen
high-risk cargo containers for terrorist weapons at the port of
departure instead of the port of arrival," Bonner said. CSI will help
deter crime "without hindering the flow of legitimate trade," he
added.
The U.S. customs commissioner stressed that "there are steps that all
OAS member states can take to reduce the prospects of terrorist
exploitation of our means for trade and transport," including "better
application of risk-management principles; requiring automated,
advance data on goods and people; and the use of some level of
detection technology for inspections." The dangers posed by domestic
and transnational terror operations underscore the urgent need for
"collective, cooperative defense against terrorism" in the Americas
and elsewhere, he cautioned.
Bonner lauded recent strides in regional counterterrorism cooperation,
such as the adoption in June 2002 of the Inter-American Convention
Against Terrorism. At the same time, he urged OAS member states to
vigorously pursue further measures. "Much more can and must be done,"
he said, for the obvious reason that "nowhere in the world is the
nexus of drugs and terror more clear than in our hemisphere. These are
twin evils that feed off each other -- drug revenue provides funds for
terrorist organizations and operations, and those operations create a
chaotic atmosphere in which the drug trade can continue to thrive. We
believe that CICTE should enhance cooperation with CICAD
(Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission) to put an end to this
cycle."
Just as the Bush Administration is reorganizing government agencies
"to strengthen our capacity to respond to terrorist attacks and
emerging terrorist threats," Bonner noted, "we are similarly
strengthening our multilateral cooperation efforts in the global
campaign against terrorism." In this spirit, he said, the United
States has decided to pledge "new financial support in the amount of
$1 million" to assist CICTE in carrying out its mission.
"I hope our pledge today will encourage other [OAS] member states,
beyond [CICTE contributors] Trinidad & Tobago and Brazil, to do what
they can to support cooperative counterterrorism efforts," he
concluded. "Although countless national priorities compete for scarce
resources throughout many member states, we must not forget that
investments in the prevention of terrorism are not only far less
costly than the costs of an attack, they also serve to combat all
other forms of transnational crime, such as drugs and arms
trafficking."
Finally, "we must remember that the achievement of our other national
priorities depends on a hemisphere free from terrorism," Bonner said.
"By working together, I believe we can and will help safeguard the
hemisphere against the terrorist threat."
Following is a transcript of Bonner's remarks:
(begin transcript)
Remarks of U.S. Customs Commissioner Robert C. Bonner
At the Third Regular Session of the Inter-American Committee Against
Terrorism
January 22, 2003
(As delivered)
Introduction
Thank you, President Flores, Secretary General Gaviria, Foreign
Minister Brizuela de Avila, distinguished delegates, and friends of
CICTE from throughout the Americas. I am honored to have the
opportunity to address this distinguished body on behalf of the United
States.
Let me just congratulate you, Madam Foreign Minister, on election to
the chair of CICTE. We know we are in excellent hands under your
leadership. I would also like to express appreciation to the
Government of El Salvador for its outstanding hospitality in hosting
this Third Regular Session of CICTE, which we are sure will be of
great benefit to all of us in the hemisphere.
Although we are 16 months removed from the terrorist attacks of
September 11th, the threat from international terrorism is every bit
as real, immediate and dangerous as it was then, if not more so. In
the United States, I can tell you that we are as committed as ever to
winning the war against terrorism.
But we must remember that the threat from terrorism is a
multi-national threat -- it is a threat that knows no boundaries.
Almost every country in the hemisphere lost citizens in the World
Trade Center on September 11, and the terrorist attacks more recently
in Bali, in Kenya, off the coast of Yemen, and elsewhere across the
globe remind us all that the terrorist threat is one we must all
confront, and it is a long-term threat.
It is critical that we maintain the same sense of urgency and action
that galvanized the Americas and the world against terrorism on 9/11.
It is critical that we continue to do everything that we can to
protect our hemisphere from the terrorist threat.
The United States applauds CICTE as an institution that can and will
help us to protect the Americas from terrorism, both now and in the
future, long after justice is served on the murderers who were behind
the 9/11 attacks, the AMIA attackers in Buenos Aires, the kidnappers
and bombers of Colombia, and the other perpetrators of terrorism in
our part of the world.
The United States also applauds the member states of CICTE for taking
steps in their own countries to counter the terrorist threat.
Department of Homeland Security
In the United States, we are about to officially launch -- in just two
days -- a new Department of Homeland Security, whose primary mission
will be to prevent and respond to acts of terrorism against our
citizens and fellow countrymen.
The new Department will put under one roof 22 existing federal
agencies that each have some responsibilities for protecting our
nation. This includes the United States Customs Service, which I
manage. This new Department will make us far more effective and more
efficient in protecting the United States against the threat of
terrorism.
As we move forward with this new Department and with our other
initiatives for addressing the terrorist threat, I want to emphasize
to my fellow delegates that the measures we take will be in accordance
with domestic and international law, and that our commitment to the
principles of democratic institutions is at the forefront of the
global campaign against terror.
Emerging Terrorist Threats
One of the things the new Department of Homeland Security will help us
improve in the United States is our ability to identify and respond to
emerging terrorist threats. This is a challenge that all nations, and
counterterrorist institutions like CICTE, must confront. Terrorists
continue to seek new ways to exploit our vulnerabilities to harm us.
We must address these emerging terrorist threats before they become a
reality.
One major emerging threat we must all be aware of, and continue taking
concrete steps to prevent, concerns terrorist attacks on information
systems that control or run the critical infrastructures that are
essential to our economies and to our way of life. Networked systems
are often globally interdependent, and failure or disruption in one
system could lead to widespread damage. Tomorrow you will be hearing
more about this emerging threat, and suggestions for successfully
addressing it, from Assistant Secretary of State Lincoln Bloomfield,
the lead U.S. official on international cyber-security policy.
Other potential emerging threats include:
-- the development of alliances between largely domestic terror
organizations around the world and international terrorist
organizations for purposes of perpetrating specific attacks;
-- they include the use of surface-to-air missiles, which we saw used
in the failed attack in Mombasa, Kenya, to shoot down a passenger jet;
and
-- terrorist use of established smuggling and illegal migration routes
in the region (although these routes are not a new threat, their
potential use by terrorists does pose new and dangerous
ramifications).
Perhaps the gravest emerging terrorist threat we face is the
possibility of weapons of mass destruction -- chemical, nuclear, or
biological -- falling into terrorist hands. The dangers from this
threat are very real: just two weeks ago, we saw the discovery of
traces of ricin -- a deadly toxin -- in a London apartment occupied by
suspected terrorists.
The use of weapons of mass destruction by terrorists poses not only a
great physical threat to our citizens -- it also poses a great
economic threat, as well. We need to increase the security surrounding
the movement of trade between our nations. For example, containerized
shipping is the primary means of global trade. A terrorist attack
involving a weapon of mass destruction concealed in a cargo container
could wreak havoc on global trade and the global economy, and damage
the economic growth of all nations.
One initiative the U.S. Customs Service is implementing to address
that emerging threat -- without hindering the flow of legitimate trade
-- is the Container Security Initiative, or CSI. Through CSI, the
United States is partnering with other governments to identify and
pre-screen high-risk cargo containers for terrorist weapons at the
port of departure instead of the port of arrival. We also have begun
to expand our existing Business Anti-Smuggling Coalition (BASC) and
Carrier Initiative Programs to include a strong counterterrorism
element. These public-private partnership programs, as many of you
know, were originally established to improve security practices to
prevent narcotics smuggling.
There are steps that all OAS member states can take to reduce the
prospects of terrorist exploitation of our means for trade and
transport. These include better application of risk-management
principles; requiring automated, advance data on goods and people; and
the use of some level of detection technology for inspections.
Cooperative Counterterrorism Efforts
Our concern about potential terrorist use of weapons of mass
destruction underscores the essential nature of strict
non-proliferation conventions and practices, and it reminds us that
still greater cooperation between and among nations is necessary to
prevent the unthinkable from happening. That leads me to an important
point: collective, cooperative defense against terrorism is an
imperative for success in the global campaign against terrorism.
We have made many cooperative strides since 9/11. The negotiation of
the Inter-American Convention Against Terrorism adopted in Barbados
last June and now signed by all but one of the OAS member states is an
excellent example of hemispheric counterterrorism cooperation.
Building on the United States' long record of bilateral
counterterrorism assistance in the region, the United States has also
played an active role in sub-regional cooperative efforts. In
December, for example, the United States participated in the "Three
Plus One Tri-Border Terrorism Conference" in Buenos Aires at the
invitation of Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil. The United States was
particularly pleased with the opportunity these formal four-way talks
presented for augmenting the existing counterterrorism efforts of this
important regional grouping.
The United States is also engaged in several cooperative efforts with
OAS member states on terrorist financing issues. A number of Latin
American countries have provided support for investigations under
Operation Green Quest -- this is the U.S. government's multi-agency
enforcement initiative, led by U.S. Customs, that goes after the
sources of terrorist funding both here in the United States and around
the world. In addition, our State Department, in conjunction with our
Justice Department, has provided training on terrorist financing
issues in the region, including a course in Asuncion just last month.
The U.S. has also provided other counterterrorism training programs --
including, among others, a workshop for Latin American countries on
counterterrorism legislation, a new anti-kidnapping training program
in Colombia, and, as part of the Third Border Initiative, an airport
security training program in Trinidad and Tobago to assist
English-speaking Caribbean countries in meeting the new International
Civil Aviation Organization standards established in the wake of the
September 11 terrorist attacks. We look forward to seeing CICTE become
a multilateral vehicle for coordination of these types of
counterterrorist training programs in the future.
Strengthening Our Cooperative Efforts in the Hemisphere
Additional cooperative counterterrorism efforts are underway
throughout the hemisphere; however, much more can and must be done.
For example, nowhere in the world is the nexus of drugs and terror
more clear than in our hemisphere. These are twin evils that feed off
each other -- drug revenue provides funds for terrorist organizations
and operations, and those operations create a chaotic atmosphere in
which the drug trade can continue to thrive. We believe that CICTE
should enhance coordination with CICAD (Inter-American Drug Abuse
Control Commission) to put an end to this cycle.
We also believe that CICTE members should:
-- aid each other in developing legal authorities in each member state
to designate terrorist activity as a crime;
-- develop national legislation required to implement the obligations
they have assumed under the 12 U.N. conventions and the OAS
convention;
-- sign, ratify and implement the 12 U.N. conventions against
terrorism and our OAS convention and convert that into national
legislation;
-- work together to exchange pertinent information regarding potential
terrorist threats, and the movement of goods or people that pose
potential terrorist threats;
-- work together to demand transparency from charitable organizations
to ensure that terrorist diversions of funds do not occur;
-- cooperate with each other on developing good governance programs
and a firm rule of law to reduce the threat of corruption and to deter
terrorists from gaining a foothold in this region, and
-- consider making or increasing financial or other tangible
commitments to CICTE, some of which was started this morning.
On that last issue, I can tell you that, while we are reorganizing the
United States government domestically to strengthen our capacity to
respond to terrorist attacks and emerging terrorist threats, we are
similarly strengthening our multilateral cooperation efforts in the
global campaign against terrorism. This includes a continued
commitment to OAS/CICTE as a means for protecting our hemisphere from
terrorism. And so today, the United States is pledging new financial
support in the amount of $1 million to further seed the Secretariat
and nurture CICTE's growth as a technical body devoted to increasing
counterterrorism expertise in the Americas.
Conclusion
I hope our pledge today will encourage other member states, beyond
Trinidad & Tobago and Brazil, to do what they can to support
cooperative counterterrorism efforts. Although countless national
priorities compete for scarce resources throughout many member states,
we must not forget that investments in the prevention of terrorism not
only are far less costly than the costs of an attack, they also serve
to combat all other forms of transnational crime, such as drugs and
arms trafficking. We must remember that the achievement of many of our
other national priorities depends on a hemisphere free from terrorism.
By working together, I believe we can and will help safeguard the
hemisphere against the terrorist threat.
(end transcript)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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