In Testimony Before the US Senate on July 9, Attorney General Mukasey Acknowledges That OPDAT and ICITAP Are Responsible For "some of the most important work that the Department does."

"... Indonesia is only one of more than 60 countries in which the Department of Justice is engaged in overseas rule of law work. We are working with foreign governments around the world to develop professional and accountable law enforcement institutions that protect human rights, combat corruption, and reduce the threat of transnational crime and terrorism. We do this both through the overseas work of our law enforcement agencies – including the FBI, DEA, USMS, and ATF – and through our specialized international prosecutorial and police development offices, the Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training, known by its acronym OPDAT, and the International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program, known as ICITAP.

With funding from and in coordination with the State Department, those two programs place federal prosecutorial and police experts in host countries for long-term assignments designed to focus on the comprehensive development of all pillars of the criminal justice system. Having had the chance myself to see these programs in action in Indonesia, Iraq, Turkey, and Thailand, and having met with my counterparts from Colombia and other countries where these programs are in place, I can tell you that this is some of the most important work that the Department does. By building the capacity of our overseas law enforcement partners to fight terrorism and transnational crime within the rule of law, we increase the safety not only of their citizens, but of our own as well. ..."

Program on Forensic Evidence in Iraq: On September 18, in Karbala, Iraq, an OPDAT Resident Legal Advisor to Iraq conducted a forensic evidence program for Iraqi investigative judges and police. It covered such topics as DNA, fingerprinting, fiber analysis, footprint, and ballistic evidence. The program illustrated how forensic evidence rather than confessions (which are sometimes coerced) can be used to build strong cases.

Intellectual Property and Financial Crimes Programs in Trinidad & Tobago: From September 16 - 18, in Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago, OPDAT conducted two workshops, one to enhance the ability of Trinidad law enforcement to combat intellectual property rights crimes, and the other to assist them in fighting financial crimes. The intellectual property program included practical exercises, such as conducting searches, and was attended by police, prosecutors, and representatives of private industry. The financial crimes program focused on developing strategies for combating financial and financially-motivated crimes, as well as enhancing collaboration with the financial sector; participants include police, prosecutors, and representatives of the financial sector. Both programs were follow-ups to workshops held earlier this year in Port of Spain. Instructors were an OPDAT Program Manager, an Assistant US Attorney from the Eastern District of New York, and a retired United Kingdom police official who has significant expertise in combating intellectual property crimes under a British-type legal system.

Trial Advocacy Program for Prosecutors in Russia: From September 15 - 18, in Irkutsk, Russia, an OPDAT Resident Legal Advisor (RLA) to Russia conducted a trial advocacy training program for 30 Russian prosecutors from Siberia and the Far East. The program focused on the prosecution of corruption and public bribery cases, and supports DOJ’s ongoing efforts to assist the Russians in implementing their reformed criminal procedure code and enhancing their fight against corruption. Assisting the RLA was an Assistant United States Attorney from the Western District of Oklahoma and a United States Magistrate Judge.

Intellectual Property Program in Brazil for Prosecutors, Judges and Law Enforcement Officers: From September 10 - 16, in Florianopolis and Brasilia, Brazil, the OPDAT Resident Legal Advisor to Brazil and a Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section Trial Attorney conducted seminars for 300 Brazilian investigators, prosecutors, and judges on investigating and prosecuting intellectual property (IP) crimes. The seminars featured presentations from both U.S. and Brazilian experts in the field, and included overviews of US and Brazilian IP laws, examples of successful prosecutions in each country, and a discussion of the importance of cooperation in international cases. The seminar in Brasilia was broadcast to all Brazilian federal prosecutors simultaneously via the Internet. Also participating for the U.S. were agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and a Federal District Court Judge.

Resident Legal Advisor to Bangladesh: On September 7, an Office of Enforcement Operations Trial Attorney arrived in Dhaka, Bangladesh, to begin his one-year duty as the OPDAT Resident Legal Advisor to Bangladesh. In this position, he will provide advice and technical assistance to Bangladeshi law enforcement and government officials designed to improve their capability to investigate, prosecute, and adjudicate money laundering, terrorism, and corruption cases. Before his current posting, he was the OPDAT Resident Legal Advisor to the Republic of Moldova.

Cybercrime Legislative Drafting Working in Colombia: From September 3 - 5, OPDAT and the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) conducted a cybercrime legislative drafting workshop in Bogota, Colombia. This workshop was the second in a series of legislative drafting workshops held in the Americas. The first was held in Trinidad and Tobago in May and included all English speaking countries in the Americas. This workshop, jointly sponsored by the US Department of Justice, Organization of American States, Council of Europe, and the Government of Colombia, included participants from all of the Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries in the Americas. The aim was to bring together legislators, prosecutors and investigators from each participating country to review, revise and draft cybercrime legislation in accordance with the standards set forth by the Council of Europe. Participants spent most of the conference working in small groups to finalize legislation from their countries, in the hopes of submitting that legislation for approval upon returning from the workshop. DOJ participants included two CCIPS Trial Attorneys and an OPDAT Program Analyst.

Two New Legal Advisors for Africa: On August 28 and 29, OPDAT sent new legal advisors to two African nations as part of the President’s Women’s Justice and Empowerment Initiative. These attorneys will assist the host nations in combating gender-based violence and will work with prosecutors, investigators, and courts to improve women’s justice efforts in such areas as domestic violence and rape. On August 28, an Assistant US Attorney from the District of Columbia arrived in Pretoria, South Africa, to begin her assignment as an Intermittent Legal Advisor to South Africa. On August 29, a prosecutor from the Miami-Dade County, Florida State Attorneys Office, where he served as Chief of the Felony Squad and supervised gender based violence cases, arrived in Cotonou, Benin, to begin his one-year assignment as the Resident Legal Advisor to Benin.

New Judicial Complex Opens in Iraq: On August 28, in Baghdad, Iraq, a new judicial complex opened in the Rusafa neighborhood. With more than 80 investigative and trial judges and more than 125,000 square feet of space, the Rusafa Judicial Complex is the largest and most modern Courthouse in Iraq. Its criminal courts will try terrorism and other felony cases, and the civil courts will serve more than 1,000 people a day. Before this courthouse opened, many of the Rusafa courts held their hearings in two inadequately-maintained, converted office buildings borrowed from the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Interior. An OPDAT Resident Legal Advisor to Iraq, working in conjunction with the Chief of Mission/Multinational Force-Iraq, played a key role in the successful effort to open the Rusafa Judicial Complex on time.

US-based Study Tour on Prosecutorial Training for Indonesian Delegation: From August 25 - 29, the OPDAT Resident Legal Advisor to Indonesia led a US-based study tour for seven prosecutors assigned to the training center of the Indonesian Attorney General's Office regarding the US theory and methodology of training prosecutors. The delegation visited the Criminal Division's training center in Washington, DC, attended and observed workshops at the National Advocacy Center in South Carolina, and met with members of the US Attorney's Office in Charleston, SC, where they discussed a US Attorney's Office’s organization, hiring, training, and promotion practices and procedures.

Resident Legal Advisor to the United Arab Emirates and the Gulf: On August 25, an Assistant United States Attorney from the Southern District of Florida arrived in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, to begin his tenure as the OPDAT Resident Legal Advisor to the United Arab Emirates and the Gulf Region. He will focus on providing advice and technical assistance to counterparts in United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, and Jordan in order to enhance those countries’ justice sector capacity to investigate, prosecute, and adjudicate terrorist based criminal activity.

DOJ Official Attends Regional Meetings on Counterterrorism in India: On August 25, the OPDAT Senior Attorney for Counterterrorism Programs represented the Department of Justice at the 10th meeting of the India-United States Joint Working Group on Counterterrorism in New Delhi, India. Topics included threat assessments, counterterrorism coordination, bio terrorism, terrorist financing and money laundering, law enforcement cooperation, border security, and next steps. The following day, she represented the Department at the South Asia Regional Strategic Initiative to discuss regional needs for counterterrorism cooperation with the United States Ambassador and ambassadors from Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan. Following these meetings, she went to Dhaka, Bangladesh, to meet with the departing Resident Legal Advisor to Bangladesh, embassy officials, and Government of Bangladeshi officials.

Intellectual Property Program in Mexico: From August 20 - 22 in Mazatlan, Mexico, OPDAT and the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) presented a training program on customs enforcement and the tracking of intellectual property violations to approximately 65 Mexican customs officials, prosecutors, and specialized intellectual property investigators. The program emphasized the importance of cooperation among the various law enforcement agencies involved in combating intellectual property crimes. This program springs from the Intellectual Property Action Strategy announced earlier this year by Presidents Bush and Calderon and Prime Minister Harper at the North American Leaders Summit. The program aims to enhance Mexico’s capacity to stop pirated and counterfeit goods from crossing its borders and to foster greater US-Mexican cooperation in combating transnational trafficking of illegal merchandise. DOJ participants included a CCIPS Trial Attorney and an OPDAT Program Analyst. They were joined by experts from the Department of Homeland Security, Mexico's Office of the Attorney General and Industrial Property Office, and the World Customs Organization. The American Chamber of Commerce in Mexico also provided industry anti-piracy experts to teach American and Mexican officials how to distinguish legitimate products from fakes. This program was the third in series of customs workshops; the other two were held in Veracruz, Mexico, in July 2007, and Manzanillo in February 2008.

Terrorism Cases Tried in Mosul, Iraq: An OPDAT Resident Legal Advisor to Iraq was instrumental in supporting a group of trial judges sent from Baghdad to try terrorism cases at the Major Crimes Court in Mosul. The first terrorist trials to be held in Mosul since February 2008 commenced on August 20. In two weeks time, the judges tried 26 defendants charged with kidnaping, murder and other terrorist activities in 21 cases, resulting in 13 convictions and 13 acquittals. The Resident Legal Advisor helped judges obtain relevant case files for review, accompanied them to the Major Crimes Court, and observed trials.

DOJ-Trained Iraqi Task Force Investigators and Police Carry Out Arrests: Iraqi investigators and the National Police from the Law and Order Task Force in Baghdad, Iraq, successfully arrested four high level Ministry of Higher Education employees on August 20. This is the first time in the Task Force’s history that Iraqis executed arrests pursuant to warrants without Coalition Forces participation. The cases involve allegations of corruption and kidnapping by the arrested, all of whom are members of the Jaysh al-Mahdi militia of the Sadrist political movement. OPDAT’s Resident Legal Advisors helped make these arrests successful with their ongoing capacity-building and training efforts with the Iraqi investigators.

Intellectual Property Workshop for Judges in Honduras: On August 19 - 21, OPDAT conducted a workshop for judges on adjudicating intellectual property crimes at the International Law Enforcement Academy in San Salvador, El Salvador. This program was part of an ongoing effort with the State Department to enhance the capacity to combat intellectual property crimes in countries participating in the Dominican Republic-Central America-US Free Trade Agreement. Under this effort, programs for law enforcement personnel and the judiciary on combating intellectual property crimes have taken place in Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, and El Salvador; follow-up programs in the same countries are scheduled for the future. In this program, two US judges and one Honduran judge met with about twenty Salvadoran judges to discuss intellectual property rights crimes and develop a first draft of a “bench book” for the Salvadoran judiciary on adjudicating criminal intellectual property rights cases. The training team included a Senior US District Court Judge from the District of Puerto Rico, a US District Court Judge from the Middle District of Florida (Tampa), a Judge from Honduras, and an OPDAT Program Manager.

Optical Disk Piracy Program in Nigeria: From August 18 - 19, in Lagos, Nigeria, OPDAT and the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) conducted an intellectual property program focusing on optical disk piracy for about 60 representatives from the Nigerian Police Force, Nigerian Customs, Standards Organization of Nigeria, Nigerian Attorney General’s office, and music and film industries in Nigeria. The agenda included copyright and optical disk regulations, tracing origin and ownership of optical disks, forensic tracking of optical disks, best practices for conducting raids, and a tour of two legal optical disk plants. US participants were a CCIPS Trial Attorney and Paralegal; an OPDAT Program Analyst; a representative from the US Copyright Office, Office of Policy & International Affairs; an agent from the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and an agent from the Drug Enforcement Agency.

Fingerprint Evidence Program for Judges in Baghdad, Iraq: On August 7, the investigative and judicial units of OPDAT’s Court and Judicial Management Division in the Law and Order Task Force worked with instructors from the Combined Explosive Exploitation Cell to deliver a class on fingerprint evidence to the Investigative Judges at the Central Criminal Court Iraq, Rusafa (located in Baghdad). This training was the first in a series of lectures to be presented to the Rusafa Court on the legal systems, and the types of evidence used by the Multinational Force–Iraq partners in their respective courts. Approximately 23 Investigative Judges, five Attorneys, and two OPDAT Resident Legal Advisors to Iraq participated. The instructors covered the difference between a latent fingerprint and a known fingerprint and also how known fingerprints are obtained. They explained that under a normal clinical setting, another expert would confirm the first expert’s opinion and all disputes would be resolved by a neutral third opinion from a supervisor. The instructors stressed that, to date, no two individuals, not even identical, or Siamese twins, have had the same fingerprints.

Indonesia Illegal Logging/Timber Trade Investigation and Prosecution Workshop: From August 11-13, in Jakarta, Indonesia, the OPDAT Resident Legal Advisor to Indonesia and an Environment and Natural Resource Division Trial Attorney conducted a workshop on illegal logging and timber trading for 40 Indonesian prosecutors and investigators. The program highlighted the problem and focused on the statutes that can be used against violators.

The First OPDAT RLA in Montenegro: From August 3 - 17, an Assistant US Attorney from the District of Oregon was in Podgorica, Montenegro, preparing for his one-year assignment as the first ever OPDAT Resident Legal Advisor to Montenegro. Scheduled to deploy to Montenegro at the end of September, he will assist the Government of Montenegro in structuring it criminal justice system and reforming its criminal procedure code. He will also assist prosecutors and investigators who are responsible for handling such matters as organized crime, corruption, financial crime, terrorism and war crimes. He begins this assignment after serving as the OPDAT Intermittent Legal Advisor to Kosovo.

Prosecutor and Judge Trained by OPDAT Play Key Roles in Bosnia War Crimes Case: On July 29, Bosnia's war crimes court sentenced seven Bosnian Serbs to prison terms ranging from 38 to 42 years for taking part in the genocide and mass killing of Bosnian Muslims (“Bosniaks”) in Srebrenica, on July 13, 1995. Four other Bosnian Serbs from the group of 11 charged in a joint indictment were acquitted due to lack of evidence and immediately released. Both the presiding judge and the prosecutor handling the case participated in several seminars and workshops conducted by current and former OPDAT Resident Legal Advisors to Bosnia on trial advocacy skills used in an adversarial criminal justice system and how to have crucial evidence from the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) admitted into trials in Bosnian courts.

Ethics Code Development Assistance in Ukraine: From July 22 - 24, in Uman, Ukraine, three OPDAT Resident Legal Advisors to Ukraine assisted a working group of Ukrainian officials (from the Accounting Chamber, State Tax Administration, Ministry of Justice, State Border Guard Service, Security and Defense Council, Academy of the National Bank, Main Administration of the State Civil Service, Ministry of Finance, and Academy of Public Administration) in preparing draft legislation that would create an ethics code for public servants. The code would address conflicts of interest and provide a comprehensive system of financial declarations. The Resident Legal Advisors are working with the Government of Ukraine as part of two-year Millennium Challenge Corporation Threshold Country Plan, which began in Spring 2007, to develop a comprehensive arsenal of anti-corruption tools.

Resident Legal Advisor to Turkey: On July 22, the Executive Assistant United States Attorney from the Eastern District of California-Sacramento arrived in Ankara, Turkey, to begin her year-long detail as the OPDAT Resident Legal Advisor to Turkey. She will provide advice and technical assistance to the Turkish Ministry of Justice designed to strengthen its capacity to investigate, prosecute, and adjudicate terrorist-based criminal activity.

Anti-Gangs Program in El Salvador: From July 18 - 25, OPDAT, in conjunction with the US Embassy in El Salvador, conducted an advanced anti-gangs training program at the International Law Enforcement Academy in San Salvador, El Salvador, for participants from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. It focused on the forensics of gang investigations, covering such topics as use of ballistics evidence to connect crime scenes, blood spatter analysis, performing an autopsy, and use of forensic evidence to corroborate or disprove witness testimony. Participants conducted a mock crime scene investigation and visited the Salvadoran crime laboratory. This was the fifth DOJ regional anti-gangs programs; two more are scheduled, one in October and the other in January. DOJ was represented by an International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program Senior Forensic Consultant, an OPDAT Program Analyst, and a Supervisory Special Agent and three Firearms Examiners from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.

Intellectual Property Program in El Salvador: From July 15-16, an OPDAT Program Manager conducted a workshop on intellectual property rights at the International Law Enforcement Academy in San Salvador, El Salvador, for Salvadoran investigators, prosecutors, customs officials, and representatives of rights holders. It focused on strategies for investigating and prosecuting intellectual property rights cases and included practical exercises in planning raids/searches, crime scene control, documenting crime scenes, and interviewing suspects. Assisting OPDAT were a retired Department of Homeland Security Special Agent and a Colombian expert on IPR enforcement .

Computer Investigative Skills Course in South Africa: From July 14 – 23, OPDAT and the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) conducted a train-the-trainers program on computer investigations in Johannesburg and Durban, South Africa. The first part of the program trained officials from the Department of Trade and Industry, South African Revenue Service, and South African Police Service on computer investigative skills. Following that, those officials trained police, prosecutors, and customs investigators seizing omputers and computer forensics. Representing DOJ were a Trial Attorney, Director of the Cyber Crime Lab from CCIPS, and an OPDAT Program Analyst. They were joined by the Special Agent in Charge of Computer Crimes from the Office of the Inspector General located in the US Department of Commerce.

US-Based Program for High-level Officials from Bangladesh: From July 14 - 18, the OPDAT Senior Attorney for Counterterrorism Programs and Resident Legal Advisor to Bangladesh led a US-based study program on counterterrorism and anti-money laundering for two high-level officials of the Bangladesh government: the Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs and Deputy Governor, Bangladesh Bank. They met with Attorney General Michael Mukasey as well as with a Criminal Division Deputy Assistant Attorney General, and representatives from the Office of International Affairs, Public Integrity Section, Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section, and Counterterrorism Section. They also had appointments outside of DOJ with officials from the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, US Federal Reserve, Department of Defense, Department of State, and Department of Treasury.

West Africa Regional Cybercrime Program: From July 9-11 in Cotonou, Benin, OPDAT and the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) conducted a West Africa regional cybercrime workshop for delegations from Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Congo-Brazzaville, Gabon, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, and Togo. The workshop sought to assist these countries in their efforts to develop laws and procedures to improve their ability to investigate and prosecute computer crimes. Topics included drafting domestic cybercrime legislation, developing laws and procedures for gathering and using electronic evidence, and improving international cooperation in cybercrime and electronic evidence matters. DOJ participants included two CCIPS Trial Attorneys, a Senior Cyber Analyst, and an OPDAT Program Analyst.

Criminal Procedure Code Reform Program in Macedonia: From July 1-2, the OPDAT Resident Legal Advisor to Macedonia, in coordination with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe/Soros Foundation, as well as the Macedonian Minister of Justice and the Association of Criminologists, conducted a criminal procedure code reform program in Skopje, Macedonia. The program reviewed proposed legislation on trial procedure, sentencing, and the indictment process. There was also a presentation on the US Federal Sentencing Guidelines and how the guidelines could be used as a tool in the Macedonian criminal justice system. This program is part of a year-long criminal procedure code reform project that includes such sweeping changes as adopting plea bargaining and shifting investigative responsibilities from the investigative judge to the prosecutor. The reform project incorporated many adversarial elements into the predominantly inquisitorial system.

OPDAT RLA Deployed to Kosovo: On June 30, an Assistant US Attorney from the Eastern District, North Carolina, arrived in Pristina, Kosovo, to begin her one-year term as the OPDAT Resident Legal Advisor to Kosovo. She will provide assistance to the Government of Kosovo to in its efforts to address corruption and human trafficking and to enhance the rule of law. She will also help in its efforts to implement legal reforms designed to promote governmental integrity and accountability and to bring Kosovo’s criminal justice system into compliance with accepted international standards.

Program on Counterterrorism and Extradition in Turkey: From June 24-26, the OPDAT Resident Legal Advisor to Turkey convened a conference on counterterrorism and extradition in Istanbul, Turkey. Participants included each of the eight chief prosecutors from Turkey's counterterrorism districts, as well as counterterrorism prosecutors from Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland. Additionally, two Iraqi Ministry of Justice officials attended. The purpose of the program is to identify each country’s terrorist concerns, exchange best practices on combating terrorism, and discuss the basic legal requirements for extradition in terrorism and terrorism-related cases. Also participating was the DOJ Advisor to the European Union.

Management Training Program in Colombia: From June 15 - 21, in Bogota, Colombia, OPDAT conducted a management training program for Colombian prosecutors from the Prosecutor General’s Office as part of “Plan Colombia,” which is assisting the country in its transition from an inquisitorial to an adversarial legal system. The training covers case management, administration of resources, and prosecutor evaluation and development. Representing DOJ were the Director and Chief of Staff of the Executive Office of US Attorneys, as well as Assistant US Attorneys from the Southern District of Texas and the District of Idaho.

OPDAT RLA for Zambia Arrives in Lusaka, Zambia: On June 12, an Assistant US Attorney from the District of Colorado arrived in Lusaka, Zambia, to begin his duties as the OPDAT Resident Legal Advisor to Zambia. This position is part of the Women’s Justice and Empowerment Initiative, a Presidential Initiative announced in 2003, which spans the African nations of Zambia, South Africa, Benin and Kenya. In this position, he will work with various Zambian government agencies to strengthen efforts to combat gender-based violence and improve the legal culture for women. DOJ plays an integral role in each of four countries mentioned above, with Resident Legal Advisors dedicated to women’s justice and empowerment issues in Benin and Zambia, and an Intermittent Legal Advisor in South Africa. The Resident Legal Advisor in Nairobi supports women’s justice issues in Kenya as part of his portfolio.

Witness Protection Program in Albania: From June 9-13, in Tirana, Albania, OPDAT’s Resident Legal Advisor to Albania, along with the Senior Organized Crime Advisor from the ICITAP, conducted a program on witness protection for Albanian prosecutors and investigators. It covered management, financial, and organizational issues relating to the administration of an effective witness protection program.

Three Additional Resident Legal Advisors Deploy to Iraq: OPDAT recently deployed three Resident Legal Advisors to Iraq, bringing to ten the total of Department of Justice legal advisors working there. On May 28, an Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania became the first Rule of Law Coordinator on the Diwaniyah Provincial Reconstruction Team, which works to enhance the provincial criminal justice system. On June 3, a former Deputy County Attorney in Yuma, Arizona, arrived in Baghdad as the Assistant Director of the Law and Order Task Force. He is now leading a team that partners with Iraqi police investigators focusing on terrorism and public corruption cases. On June 6, an Assistant United States Attorney in the Northern District of Illinois arrived in Baghdad, where he now works for the Justice Attaché in the Embassy and focuses on Department of Justice support to the Central Criminal Court and Iraqi judicial leadership.

Extradition Workshop in Bulgaria: From June 9-11, in Sofia, Bulgaria, OPDAT conducted an extradition workshop for Bulgarian prosecutors focusing on the bilateral agreement between the United States and Bulgaria. This workshop comes at a time when the United States-European Union extradition treaties, which include Bulgaria, are pending approval in the United States Senate. Representing the DOJ were the OPDAT’s Resident Legal Advisor to Bulgaria and an Attorney from the Office of International Affairs.

Anti-Gangs Program in El Salvador: From June 6-13, OPDAT, in conjunction with the US Embassy in El Salvador, conducted an advanced anti-gangs training workshop at the International Law Enforcement Academy for law enforcement officials from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico. Course topics included advanced investigative and interviewing techniques, how to effectively manage gang members in prison, increased information sharing among law enforcement officials within each country and across borders, and improved security for witnesses and judicial personnel. This was the fourth DOJ regional anti-gang programs; three more are scheduled, one each in July and October 2008, with the third in January 2009. Representing DOJ at the June program was a Gang Squad Attorney and the OPDAT Acting Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean.

Program on Confiscation of Assets in Kosovo: From June 5 - 6, OPDAT, in conjunction with the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative and Pristina’s Law School, conducted a program on confiscation of assets in criminal cases in Pristina, Kosovo. Kosovar prosecutors, victim’s rights workers, defense attorneys, judges, and police service investigators studied scenarios involving human trafficking and other criminal cases, in connection with the new draft law on the management of confiscated assets. Representing DOJ were an Assistant US Attorney from the Northern District of Illinois (former Resident Legal Advisor to Kosovo), Assistant US Attorney from the District of Colorado, and a Civil Rights Division Trial Attorney.

Program on Nonproliferation Enforcement Efforts in United Arab Emirates: From June 3-5, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, OPDAT and the US Embassy conducted workshops on the nonproliferation enforcement efforts mandated by United Nations Security Resolution 1540, which concerns weapons of mass destruction. One workshop was for prosecutors and judges, and the other was for investigators. Previously, US assistance to the region had not addressed the prosecution of proliferation and export/border control crimes; the Department of Justice is taking the lead in providing training for such prosecutions. Representing DOJ was the OPDAT Resident Legal Advisor to the United Arab Emirates.

Anti-Corruption Program in Poland: From June 2-4, OPDAT, in conjunction with the Polish Ministry of Justice and the US Embassy, conducted an anti-corruption program for Polish prosecutors and investigators in Debe, Poland. It focused on corruption, organized crime, healthcare fraud, and financial crimes. DOJ participants included a Public Integrity Section Attorney; a Fraud Section Deputy Chief, and an OPDAT Program Analyst.

Annual United States - European Union Troika Meeting on Terrorist Financing in Brussels, Belgium: On May 23, the OPDAT Resident Legal Advisor to Turkey participated in the annual US-European Union (EU) Troika Meeting in Brussels, Belgium. The US delegation, led by the State Department’s Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism, meets regularly with the European Union to discuss plans, problems, and possible cooperation between the two regarding terrorist financing. The discussions this year covered a variety of anti-money laundering and terrorist financing topics, including the Turkish terrorist group known as the PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party) and its nexus to Europe. The current Resident Legal Advisor to Turkey has represented the DOJ at the US-EU Troika since the group’s inception.

Financial Crimes Workshop in Bulgaria: From May 14 -16, the OPDAT Resident Legal Advisor to Bulgaria and an Organized Crime and Racketeering Section Trial Attorney, in conjunction with Bulgaria’s prosecutorial training facility known as the National Institute of Justice, conducted a financial crimes workshop in Sofia for thirty-five Bulgarian prosecutors who specialize in money laundering and other financial crimes. Their presentation was a comparative study of how money laundering investigations and prosecutions are conducted in the United States and Bulgaria.

Cybercrime Legislation Drafting Workshop in Trinidad: On May 13-15, OPDAT and the Computer Crimes and Intellectual Property Rights Section, under the auspices of the Organization of American States, conducted a program in Port of Spain, Trinidad, on drafting cybercrime legislation for thirty-five participants representing thirteen Caribbean nations. The aim of the workshop was to support Caribbean countries in strengthening their legislation against cybercrime to conform with international standards and the Convention on Cybercrime. Topics included the substantive and procedural law measures required for a comprehensive national framework against cybercrime; reforms currently underway regarding cybercrime legislation in the Caribbean and other regions of the world; and the steps needed to strengthen cybercrime legislation. Assisting in the workshop were Trial Attorneys from the DOJ Computer Crimes and Intellectual Property Section, an official from the Canadian Department of Justice, and an official from the Council of Europe’s Directorate General of Human Rights and Legal Affairs.

Program on Police-Prosecutor Cooperation in Bosnia-Herzegovina: On May 12-18, the OPDAT Resident Legal Advisor to Bosnia and Herzegovina conducted two workshops on police-prosecution cooperation, one in Jahorina and the other in the Republic of Srpska, Bosnia-Herzegovina, for twenty police officers and fourteen prosecutors. Assisting in the program were the OPDAT Program Manager for Central and Eastern Europe, as well as a retired US postal Inspector, who revisited one of their most successful cases to demonstrate how federal agents and federal prosecutors worked together for nine weeks throughout the investigation and trial of defendants charged with Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act and mail fraud. Until very recently in Bosnia and Herzegovina, investigative judges conducted the investigations while prosecutors were only tangentially involved. Newly enacted laws have changed the legal system from an inquisitorial one to an adversarial one in which prosecutors must work with the police from various branches to conduct investigations. These workshops illustrate how police and prosecutors can work cooperatively together, each recognizing and benefitting from the skills of the other.

Anti-Terrorism Program in Serbia and Montenegro: On May 12-17, the OPDAT Resident Legal Advisor to Serbia, in partnership with an ICITAP Program Manager, conducted an anti-terrorism program for fifty police officers from both Serbia and Montenegro. The training covered trends in terrorism, terrorism case studies, on site investigation in terrorism cases, and the use of cooperating witnesses.

US Study Tour for Macedonian Prosecutors: From May 12-16, the OPDAT Resident Legal Advisor to Macedonia hosted a nine-person delegation of Macedonian prosecutors who specialize in organized crime and financial crimes. They met with US Attorneys’ Offices for the Western District of Wisconsin and the Eastern District of New York to discuss the prosecution of money laundering cases and the use of task forces.

US-Qatar Prosecutor Exchange Program: From May 11-15, the OPDAT Resident Legal Advisor to the United Arab Emirates and the Gulf Region conducted the Qatar portion of the US-Qatar prosecutor exchange program that was a direct outcome of the 2006 meetings in Qatar between the Attorney General of the State of Qatar and a delegation from the Department of Justice led by former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and the Assistant Attorney General of the Criminal Division. The goal of the exchange program was to foster a better understanding of each country’s respective judicial system. In this visit to Qatar, US prosecutors, including the Assistant Chief of the Fraud Section and Assistant United States Attorneys from New Jersey, New Hampshire, and Southern District of Florida, met with their Qatari counterparts. The first installment of the exchange program took place in November/December 2007 when the OPDAT Resident Legal Advisor to the Gulf Region hosted a two-week visit by a five-member delegation from the Qatar Office of Public Prosecutions to the US.

Third South African Judicial Colloquium on Racketeering: From May 9-11, OPDAT, represented by the Intermittent Legal Advisor to South Africa and a judge from the US District Court for the District of Nevada, conducted the third in a series of judicial colloquia on racketeering and organized crime in South Africa. The program, held in Cape Town, South Africa, addressed the legal basis for racketeering prosecutions under South Africa’s Prevention of Organized Crime Act. The previous colloquia were held in February and August 2007.

US Study Tour from Turkey: From May 7-15 the OPDAT Resident Legal Advisor to Turkey hosted a high level three-person delegation from Turkey in Washington, DC, to discuss extradition, mutual legal assistance, and counterterrorism. The delegation included the Director General of General Directorate of International Law and Foreign Relations, Turkish Ministry of Justice, and two reporting judges. While in DC, the delegates met with the Office of International Affairs, the Counterterrorism Section, the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section, as well as the National Security Counsel and the Department of State.

Resident Legal Advisor to Kenya: On May 5, an Assistant United States Attorney from the District of Columbia arrived in Nairobi, Kenya, to begin a detail as the OPDAT Resident Legal Advisor to Kenya. His portfolio will focus on providing advice and technical assistance to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions in Kenya with the goal of increasing the Kenyan justice sector’s capacity to investigate, prosecute, and adjudicate terrorist-based criminal activity. Additionally, he will be responsible for coordinating the Women’s Justice Empowerment Initiative in Kenya.

Plea Bargaining Conference in Turkey: On April 30 and May 1, the OPDAT Resident Legal Advisor to Turkey conducted a program in Ankara for senior prosecutors and judges on the use of plea bargaining as a tool to address the backlog of cases in the Turkish courts. Assisting her were an Assistant US Attorney from the Eastern District of Kentucky and a District Court Judge from the Middle District of Florida.

Financial Crimes Workshop in Trinidad and Tobago: On April 29-May 1, a Program Manager from the OPDAT, in partnership with the Department of Treasury’s Office of Technical Assistance and the US Embassy, conducted a workshop on combating financial crimes for about twenty-five representatives from the government of Trinidad and private industry. The purpose is to enhance the ability of Trinidad’s prosecutors and investigators to handle financial crimes. The participants drafted a handbook of best practices for investigating and prosecuting financial crimes. Assisting in the program were a British investigator and a retired Internal Revenue Special Agent.

DOJ Assistance Instrumental in Drafting Legislation to Reform Kyrgyzstan’s Justice Sector: On April 25, the President of Kyrgyzstan sent draft legislation reforming the country’s justice sector to parliament for review. The legislative package included provisions to implement a jury trial system, which will help safeguard against corruption and provide for a more adversarial form of justice. The OPDAT Resident Legal Advisor to Kyrgyzstan worked with the Kyrgyz officials who drafted the laws to implement jury trials for more than a year to provide the foundation for the shift from the old Soviet-style system that endowed the Procuracy with primary power, and testified before Parliament about the advantages of the adversarial system of justice. The Resident Legal Advisor continues to provide training on trial advocacy skills and technical advice on justice sector reform.

Intellectual Property Rights Workshop in Bosnia-Herzegovina: On April 23-24, OPDAT, in coordination with Business Software Alliance and Microsoft, presented a workshop in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, on intellectual property rights. The workshop included four Bosnian State Prosecutors, nineteen Bosnian investigators, and the Director of the Intellectual Property Rights Institute for Bosnia and Herzegovina. The workshop addressed Bosnian intellectual property laws, the challenge of recognizing pirated material, and enhancing cooperation between prosecutors and police. Representing DOJ was the Resident Legal Advisor to Bosnia and the Intellectual Property Law Enforcement Coordinator for Eastern Europe.

Plea Bargaining Program in Latvia: From April 21-24, OPDAT, in conjunction with the US Embassy in Riga, conducted a program to raise public awareness of the advantages of plea bargaining. The program included various lectures, discussions, and a one-day training seminar for Latvian prosecutors on the use of plea bargaining in the US and how plea bargaining could be used as a tool in the Latvian criminal justice system. Representing DOJ was an Assistant United States Attorney from the District of New Jersey; he was joined by a US District Court judge and a public defender.

DOJ Resident Legal Advisor Returns to US After Completing 23 Months in Mosul, Iraq: On April 21, an OPDAT Resident Legal Advisor to Iraq returned from Mosul where he had served 23 months as the Rule of Law Coordinator for the Provincial Reconstruction Team in the Ninewa Province. During his nearly two years of service, he helped facilitate the development of Ninewa’s courts, including the implementation of a Major Crimes Court for adjudicating terrorist, insurgent, and violent crime cases. He also fostered a close working relationship with various criminal justice officials in the province while addressing a range of bottlenecks affecting the efficient application of justice throughout the province.

Program on Tax Crimes in Bosnia: From April 8-10, the OPDAT Resident Legal Advisor to Bosnia, with the assistance of the International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program, conducted a forum on the investigation and prosecution of tax crimes in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina. The program brought together representatives from the federation tax administration and cantonal and federation prosecutors’ offices to discuss current practices regarding criminal tax violations. Discussion centered on current legislation that supports the investigation of tax crimes, prosecutors’ policies and procedures, investigative procedures used by various agencies, and recommendations for harmonizing the use of agencies’ handbooks of investigative procedures. Also discussed were summary investigative reports, inter-agency cooperation, and asset forfeiture.

Mexican Delegation Meets with Department Officials to Discuss Historic Criminal Justice Sector Reforms and Technical Assistance Under Merida Initiative: On April 7, OPDAT organized a series of meetings for a delegation of nineteen Mexican senior state and federal justice sector officials to discuss with Department of Justice officials the historic reforms to be incorporated in the Mexican criminal justice system. The reforms aim to phase in an oral accusatory system that will provide the citizenry with greater access to justice, make criminal proceedings more transparent, strengthen the investigative capabilities of law enforcement authorities, and reinforce the judicial system’s capacity to fight organized crime. The group met with the Deputy Attorney General, Criminal Division Assistant Attorney General, and Deputy Assistant Attorney General, as well as representatives from the Office of International Affairs, Organized Crime Section, Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, Gang Squad, Domestic Security Section, OPDAT, and the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division. Also discussed were ways to enhance cooperation between the United States and Mexico, and the Justice Department’s role in providing training and technical assistance to Mexico through the Merida Initiative.

Anti-Corruption Resident Legal Advisor Begins Assignment in Albania: On April 7, an Assistant United States Attorney from the Southern District of Mississippi began an assignment as the OPDAT Anti-Corruption Resident Legal Advisor in Tirana, Albania. This new assignment follows her one-year detail as Assistant Counsel with the Office of Professional Responsibility where she investigated allegations of misconduct involving DOJ attorneys. In Tirana, she will work primarily with the Joint Investigative Unit to fight Economic Crime and Corruption, in whose office she will be embedded.

Financial Investigative Techniques Training for new Albanian Joint Investigative Unit to Fight Corruption: On April 7-18, OPDAT’s two Resident Legal Advisors to Albania, assisted by three criminal investigative experts from the Internal Revenue Service, conducted two week-long intensive seminars (one in Tirana, the other in Durrës) on effective financial investigative techniques for prosecutors and investigators. The trainings concentrated on practical exercises involving cases of money laundering, asset forfeiture, and public corruption. These seminars are part of a series of specialized trainings, begun in December 2007, designed to increase the capacity of the newly-created Joint Investigative Unit (JIU) to fight Economic Crime and Corruption in the Tirana District Prosecution Office. As a direct result of OPDAT’s efforts and initiatives, in May 2007, the Albanian Prosecutor General, Minister of Interior, Minister of Finance, and the Director of the National Intelligence Service signed a Memorandum of Cooperation to form the JIU. The JIU brings together prosecutors, police officers, tax officials, customs officials, and intelligence agents in a team structure to concentrate capacity, enhance skills, and foster communication necessary for good investigations and prosecutions. It became staffed and operational in September 2007, and has enjoyed some commendable initial success. As indicated above, the new OPDAT Anti-Corruption RLA will provide daily mentoring and training of JIU members, in whose offices she will be embedded.

Briefing of US Trade Representatives on Colombia’s Human Rights Unit: On April 7, the OPDAT Resident Legal Advisor to Colombia, in conjunction with the Colombian Prosecutor General and Colombia Human Rights Unit Chief, made a presentation in Cartagena, Colombia, on the achievements of Colombia’s Human Rights Unit, including the Unit’s investigations of homicides of labor union members and extrajudicial killings. These are cases of concern for the passage of a Free Trade Agreement between the US and Colombia. The DOJ helped establish the Unit and has been providing technical assistance and training to it under Plan Colombia since 2001.

Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement Program in Russia: On April 3-5, the OPDAT Resident Legal Advisor to Russia conducted an intellectual property rights enforcement program in Yekaterinburg in cooperation with the US Consulate. The program was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Procuracy, Federal Security Service, and private industry. The program showcased improvements in intellectual property rights enforcement in Russia and highlighted a number of remaining difficult issues, such as “corporate end users,” establishing infringers’ willfulness, and improving cooperation between investigators, prosecutors, and experts. DOJ was also represented by the National Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property Coordinator.

War Crimes Program for Bosnian Judges: From March 31-April 4, the OPDAT Resident Legal Advisor to Bosnia conducted a war crimes program for eleven Bosnian judges. Accompanying them to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) at the Hague, Netherlands, she gave an introduction to the ICTY and an overview of current cases. Other topics covered included the role of the Registry, how the defense operates, how the rights of the accused are ensured, how the chambers and prosecutors operate (including the appeals court and the treatment of witnesses), how and when cases are transferred, how to deal with the media, and how investigations are handled. In addition, there were two separate roundtables for judges from the ICTY and the Bosnian judges to discuss problems dealing with adjudication of these cases.

Intellectual Property Rights Program in Botswana: On April 1-3, OPDAT, in conjunction with the Computer Crimes and Intellectual Property Section, conducted an intellectual property rights workshop in Gaborone, Botswana, to develop an investigations handbook. The handbook, drafted by members of the Botswana Police Service, Customs Agency, and Directorate of Public Prosecutions, with input from affected industry representatives, will promote a coordinated approach to investigating and prosecuting intellectual property crimes in Botswana. US participants included a Computer Crimes and Intellectual Property Section Trial Attorney, an OPDAT Program Analyst, and two Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Custom Enforcement Special Agents.

Financial Intelligence Unit Assistance: From March 31-April 2, the OPDAT Resident Legal Advisor to the United Arab Emirates, in conjunction with the Treasury Department’s Office of Technical Assistance and Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, conducted a financial intelligence unit implementation program in Kuwait City, Kuwait. Both he and an Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section Trial Attorney assisted Kuwaiti officials in developing a blueprint to improve their financial investigative unit and make it eligible for admission to the Egmont Group of Financial Units. The Group was formed in 1995 to foster international cooperation in anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing.