For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
June 2, 2003

Combating Terror Fact Sheet

Action to Enhance Global Capacity to Combat Terror

Presidential Action

Today, President Bush led the G-8 in adopting an ambitious Action Plan to enhance counterterrorism (CT) capacity globally.

The G-8 will establish a Counterterrorism Action Group of donor countries to expand and coordinate training and assistance for countries with the will but not the skill to combat terror.

The Threat and the Challenge: The international community has been united in fighting international terrorism since the attacks in the United States on September 11, 2001. Subsequent attacks in Indonesia, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, and Morocco underscore the need to build capacity to fight terror worldwide.

Counterterrorism Action Group (CTAG): The G-8 Leaders established the Counterterrorism Action Group (CTAG) to expand counterterrorism capacity building assistance. The CTAG will include the G-8, as well as other states, mainly donors. A representative from the UN's Counterterrorism Committee (UN/CTC) will be invited to CTAG meetings, as will other regional and functional organizations, as appropriate. The CTAG will analyze and prioritize needs, and expand training and assistance in critical areas:

• Terrorist financing, Customs and immigration controls, Illegal arms trafficking, Police and law enforcement.

The CTAG will also help the UN/CTC to promote implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1373, the cornerstone of the UN's counterterrorism effort, which calls on member states to strengthen their counterterrorism capacity and performance. The CTAG will work with the UN/CTC to:

• Identify relevant international best practices, codes, and standards in combating terrorism;
• Target counterterrorism assistance to priority countries as they take steps to meet their UNSCR 1373 obligations; and
• Work with International Financial Institutions to strengthen counterterrorism financing measures.

Building a United Front: The G-8 agreed to engage more countries, more effectively, in the War on Terror. The Action Plan calls for increased outreach efforts to non-G-8 countries, as well as international, regional and functional organizations. The CTAG will:

• Seek to address unmet regional assistance needs (by the 2004 Summit); and
• Encourage regional assistance programs through donor-sponsored training centers (by the 2004 Summit).

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