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Comprehensive U.S. Program Aids Fight Against Terrorism Abroad

By Rebecca Ford Mitchell
Washington File Staff Writer

Washington -- As Indonesia has already discovered, a U.S. program is available to help law enforcement authorities worldwide address the unique challenges posed by terrorism.

On October 15, Indonesian prosecutors brought new terrorist charges against a militant cleric arrested two years ago for his role in the bombing of two nightclubs in Bali that killed more than 200 people. Earlier in October, the Indonesian police announced the arrest of a sixth suspect in the September 9 terrorist car bombing of the Australian Embassy in Jakarta, an attack that killed nine and injured over 170 persons. That man is also suspected of masterminding the December 2003 bombing of a McDonald's restaurant.

Overall, Indonesia's premier counterterrorism police unit, Task Force 88, is credited with investigations leading to more than 110 arrests of terrorist suspects since 2002. That was when, following the Bali bombings, the Indonesian government requested assistance from the U.S. Department of State's Anti-Terrorism Assistance (ATA) program.

Approximately 45 Asian, African and Middle Eastern nations, most having suffered repeated terrorist incidents, have used ATA training to detect and prevent terrorist activities within their borders.

"Most countries have the will to fight terrorism. ATA's mission is to help them with the skills needed to do it," said Joe Morton, director of the Diplomatic Security Service, which oversees ATA.

The program offers comprehensive counterterrorism training, equipment, and skill assistance. Through it, more than 36,000 foreign law enforcement and security officers from 130 countries have received instruction in over 200 separate courses ranging from surveillance, bomb detection and crime scene investigation to crisis management, hostage negotiations and protection of important infrastructures or local and visiting dignitaries.

Collaborative consultations also are offered in areas as diverse as advanced forensics, boarding of suspect ships and kidnapping response.

The ATA program is intentionally flexible so it can be tailored to the needs of the country receiving assistance, with the State Department drawing upon staff expertise from such agencies as the FBI, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, the Transportation Security Administration, the Coast Guard and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms to conduct various courses.

U.S. postal inspectors, for example, give instruction on detecting life-threatening material sent through the mail.

Greater effectiveness against terrorists overseas not only protects the citizens of these countries but also those of the United States living both abroad and at home.

ATA Director John Rendeiro says that the program goes beyond skill training to encompass broader values. "Effective practices involve much more than raiding a hideout or sifting through wreckage to identify the signature left by a bomb maker, although those skills are important and we do teach them," he said.

"They also involve making sound judgments at every level of a society's justice system on issues that we all struggle with. How can we protect the safety of airline travelers without unfairly profiling every passenger? How can we protect against suicide murderers who sometimes disguise themselves as pregnant women without strip-searching every female entering a potential target area? What can a police department do if it suspects terrorists are using a place of worship, elementary school, or mental hospital to store explosives? These are the kind of difficult but real-world scenarios facing law enforcement in many parts of the world," he explained.

Rendeiro believes that ATA has a part to play in changing entrenched attitudes toward civil and human rights.

"The entire police structure of post-apartheid South Africa, for example, had to be transformed into an investigative institution that did not rely heavily on coerced confessions to achieve its objectives," he said. "Iraq's police institutions are facing the same challenge today, and they will succeed -- but it won't be overnight or without hard work."

"Many nations that have transitioned from authoritarian governments have had to reorient their security forces to function in a democracy -- a challenge that can be much tougher than obtaining better equipment and tactics," Rendeiro added. "ATA training is just one piece of that puzzle."

Currently, ATA has long-term, in-country training programs in Kenya, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Indonesia and Colombia. In other nations, assistance is either offered on a short-term basis or the trainees are brought to the United States for courses.

After the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, the U.N. Security Council quickly and unanimously passed a resolution requiring all governments to develop strategies to meet global standards to fight terrorism. ATA has become a prominent partner in helping nations meet that goal.

Although it has been in existence since 1983, its budget has more than tripled over the last three years to nearly $100 million.

Based on its record of success, ATA was invited to assess vulnerabilities of the recent Olympic Games in Greece and of the Pan American and Commonwealth Games, all of which affected the security of many nations.

"The end game," Rendeiro said, "is keeping their people and our people safe by giving other countries the capability to combat terrorism."

"Most of the hard work is done by the dedicated citizens of each nation," he said. "But ATA, and other U.S. programs like it, show our brothers and sisters in law enforcement that we support them, that we struggle with many of the same questions, and that we value and honor their dedication in our shared struggle against terrorism."