Speeches

Statements by Senior

Embassy Officials

David Hagey, U.S. Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Office of Justice Programs, and Acting Principal Deputy Director, The National Institute of Justice, provides welcoming remarks at the Bi-National Symposium, "To Protect and to Serve...Police and Policing in an Age of Terrorism and Beyond," held in Jerusalem, October 23 - 24, 2007. " U.S. Embassy photo by Gil Shimon"

U.S. Ambasssador Richard H. Jones provides welcoming remark at the bi-national symposium. Israeli Minister of Public Security, Avi Dichter, sits on the right.." U.S. Embassy photo by Gil Shimon"

Remarks for Ambassador Richard H. Jones
To Protect and Serve; Policing in an Age of Terrorism
Bi-National Symposium, U.S. Department of Justice and Israeli Ministry of Public Security
Crowne Plaza Hotel, Jerusalem
Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Good morning and welcome.  It is an honor for me to help open this important symposium and to be with you all today.  I would like to thank both the United States National Institute of Justice, as well as Israel’s Ministry of Public Security, for inviting me to speak today and for sponsoring this symposium addressing a topic of crucial importance: law enforcement in the age of terrorism.

Ever since September 11, 2001, and  much earlier in fact in Israel, the objectives of law enforcement and police work have been inextricably intertwined with the goals and necessities of the struggle against terrorism.  For the United States in particular, it has redefined and re-shaped our priorities, and even the make-up, of the law enforcement community, from the smallest local police departments to the FBI. 

Around the world, both the volume and direction of the work conducted by US law enforcement agencies is focused on the central theme of this conference:  policing in a time of terrorism.  Your mission is critical and daunting.   Cooperation between and among allies and friends, such as the U.S. and Israel, is more critical now than ever before.  I commend you on your efforts, not only for putting together such an impressive symposium with so many distinguished speakers and guests, but for all your hard, dangerous work and day-to-day efforts to combat terrorism.

Although my career is in diplomacy not law enforcement, I have some personal experience in the issues you will be discussing today.  From November, 2003, until June 28, 2004 I served as the Chief Policy Officer and Deputy Administrator of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad.  One of the problems which vexed us the most during my tenure was the rapidly growing prison population as the US military pursued an aggressive campaign against terrorism in Iraq.  By the first quarter of 2004 our capacity to hold prisoners was stretched to the limit.  We literally had no more space to put people.  It became essential to begin releasing people.  We recognized, however, that as soon as we started doing that, we would be immediately faced with the problem of recidivism.  How could we be sure that those we released wouldn’t just turn around and attack us again?  I don’t think that we ever satisfactorily answered that question, but we tried to minimize the risk by developing a system of parole whereby prisoners were released to a tribal elder or notable person within their local community, someone who had signed a pledge that they would prevent them from re-engaging in terrorism.  The theory was that even terrorists would not want to compromise the honor of someone in their local community whom they respected.  I’m not sure how successful our program was because it was really just getting started by the time I left Iraq.  However, I do know that the progress we have made in reducing the violence in al-Anbar province west of Baghdad is based on the cooperative links we have forged with the local communities there.  Our prisoner release program was certainly one of the first efforts that we made to establish such links. 

For those of you visiting Israel this week, you will quickly realize that the favorite Israeli saying “there is never a dull moment in Israel” is true. Events unfold quickly, often assuming national and even international importance virtually instantaneously.  You have arrived at a time when the U.S. and Israel are engaged in the most intensive diplomatic activity in years in this region.  As I’m sure most of you know, Secretary Rice has visited here numerous times this year.  Her latest visit ended just days ago, and she will return in less than two weeks for more talks with both sides. 

Events are now moving rapidly toward the fall international meeting, originally announced by President Bush last July.  There is a strong commitment on the part of Prime Minister Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Abbas to lay the foundation for, and begin serious, constructive work on, the two-state solution sought by both sides.  Personally, I am more hopeful now than at any other point during my tenure here that the parties will in fact reach an agreement.  Although this will require difficult compromises on all fronts, I think that there is a strong consensus on the need to bring an end to this decades-old conflict.

Both sides are now seriously discussing the important so-called “core issues” for the first time since 2000.   We have reached this point as a direct result of a lot of hard work and some difficult steps taken by Israel, the Palestinians and the international community.  Yet despite all the parties’ best intentions, we are all too aware that one successful major terrorist act could bring these efforts to a grinding halt.   

In fact, even as we speak, we know that extremists and radicals on all sides are trying to derail the movement towards moderation and peace.  These violent elements will stop at nothing to infuse fear and instability into a process that the vast majority of people on both sides fervently desire.  These same extremists have demonstrated their willingness to engage in any number of traditional criminal activities to fund their extremist causes.  This makes the ongoing dialogue, innovation, and action that symposiums such as this one foster even more essential.

In closing, I would like to reiterate that you have indeed come to Israel at a propitious moment.   The whole world is now focused on this region.  People are tired of empty commitments and unfulfilled promises; they want to see results.  As the Secretary of State has said on several occasions, a phrase which applies equally to the work engaged in by everyone in this room today, “failure is not an option.”

Thank you again for your commitment to peace and justice, and for your interest and contribution to law enforcement and counterterrorism.  I hope that this symposium proves to be personally and professionally rewarding and productive in the ongoing fight against crime and terrorism.  I know it will be.  I wish you all the best of luck.  And remember, we’re counting on you!