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Release Date: 06/24/04 00:00:00
Brussels, Belgium
June 24, 2004
(Remarks as Prepared)
As we gather today, we face a critical moment in history – and another test for liberty and democracy. While the 20th century saw the defeat of movements that mounted challenges to freedom – Nazism, Fascism, Communism – the opening of the 21st century has brought forward a far more menacing danger…with the potential for far more horrifying consequences.
International terrorism has become “the new totalitarian threat.” And unlike the past, we now face an enemy with no flag, no borders, no president, nothing but deeply held hatred and a desire to see our countries – and our citizens – harmed. We face an enemy that seeks chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons with which to wreak untold havoc in our cities, against our nations, and at the expense of the innocent.
Such an enemy requires the biggest fight of our lives...for the very sake of our lives...and our freedoms. And as we know all too well from the terrorist attacks in Bali, Baghdad, Istanbul, Saudi Arabia and Madrid…terrorism is not just a threat to America and to Europe…it is a global enemy that requires a global response.
It is no coincidence that the threat to the stability and peace of the world has coincided with the globalization of technology, transportation, commerce and communication. The same benefits enjoyed by freedom-loving people across the world are available to terrorists as well. That means that terrorists themselves have greater mobility, more targets and more places to hide than ever before.
So to fight back, we too must exploit our assets. We must utilize diplomacy, intelligence, law enforcement and asset seizure – a multi-lateral approach to a multinational problem. We must enlist stronger collaboration and cooperation, and improved information-sharing, both within nations and between them. We must investigate and prosecute. We must use every available tool to repel these shadow soldiers.
One of the most valuable tools in our arsenal is strong partnerships…partnerships both national and global in scope…partnerships that build barriers to terrorists and build bridges to one another…partnerships that knit us ever closer together and eliminate gaps our enemies could otherwise exploit.
The United States shares an important partnership with the European Union – and her member nations. In nearly every field of human endeavor, we are bound together by our common interests, common goals, and mutual respect.
We both value freedom and liberty above all else – and wish to secure these blessings for our citizens. We also share the heartbreak, devastation, and despair of terrorist attacks at home. Yet, we are resilient and determined.
We both realize that security – for our individual countries and for freedom throughout the world – must rely on collective action. As airplanes connect family and friends across oceans, and cargo ships make ports of call around the world…we must find ways to work together to reduce our common vulnerabilities to terrorist attack.
When George Marshall spoke to Harvard University for the first time about his plan to reconstruct Europe following World War II, he said: “with foresight, and a willingness on the part of our people to face up to the vast responsibility which history has clearly placed upon our country, the difficulties I have outlined can and will be overcome.”
We have a task in front of us not unlike that faced by Secretary of State Marshall – a task driven by social, human, and economic concerns – a task to rid the scourge of terrorism from our world – and it will take both the willingness and cooperation of all freedom-loving nations to see that task through to completion.
Already, in pursuit of this mission, we have seen unprecedented cooperation at the international level.
MIO experience 11/15/01 – Diplomatic Conference 12/02. International stops ET.
With our partner nations around the world we initiated the Container Security Initiative, or CSI. Under this program, we have placed Customs and Border Protection inspectors at 19 foreign seaports from Vancouver to Rotterdam to Singapore. These officers work alongside our allies to target and screen containers aboard cargo ships headed for the United States.
The United States and the European Community signed an agreement that calls for the prompt expansion of CSI throughout the European Community. The agreement will intensify and broaden Customs cooperation and mutual assistance in customs matters between the European Community and the United States.
With this agreement, we have pledged to share tools, information, and best practices necessary to secure our ports and oceans from attack.
In the past, efforts to secure the vast global shipping industry – both in America and throughout the world – were isolated, scattered and uncoordinated. A port of origin might inspect cargo manifests, but ignore physical securities around their port. While a port of arrival might employ security personnel, but fail to double-check container contents or crew credentials.
Like other areas of critical vulnerability, we recognized this problem, coordinated with stakeholders and partners, and took specific actions to secure our homeland – and the global economy. I’m pleased to report that the United States is in full compliance with the requirements of the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code – just in time for the July 1st deadline.
For the first time ever, this international effort will establish one world standard for ship and port security. It will help create a culture of security at ports around the world and mandate specific improvements. Adherence to this code will increase our ability – and that of our neighbors – to prevent terrorists from attacking our ports or using ships as weapons.
In addition, we have also worked closely with the European Union on the passenger name record – or PNR – data access agreement which formalizes and governs the PNR data transfer related to flights between Europe and the United States. It is an essential security measure that allows us to link information about known terrorists and serious criminals…to co-conspirators and others involved in their plots.
PNR data is substantially similar to information that U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers (CBP) would otherwise be forced to collect upon arrival, which would impose serious and unacceptable delays on legitimate travelers. Receiving PNR information before a flight’s arrival will facilitate and expedite the entry of the vast majority of visitors who travel to the U.S. with innocent intent.
And it will help us identify, prior to take off, people who could pose a threat to passengers on the flight. Also, this is not a one way approach. We check passengers as they leave the U.S. We have thus kept dangerous people off flights bound for EU member states.
We must not forget that while this agreement will allow Homeland Security officials to protect America against terrorism and other transnational threats, it also contains appropriate privacy protections that reflect the shared values of both the United States and the European Union.
All of the additional security capabilities that we are building have not, will not, and cannot ever come at the expense of our fundamental values or individual liberties.
While we have accomplished much together, we can not allow past success to lull us into complacency. The terrorists are constantly at work…adaptable and untiring…and so we must not let up. We must continue to rise to new levels of security and protection for our nation and peoples.
Especially, in the areas of port and border security, we have an opportunity to go even further in building up our defenses. By utilizing our collective strength, sharing information, and integrating people and technology more completely we can improve both the free flow of trade and travelers as well as enhance our security.
About ninety percent of all world cargo moves in and out of international ports in containers. For the sake of security and prosperity, we must take additional steps to secure cargo – and, along with it, the foundation for global commerce.
A good place to start – as we have in the past – is with a commitment to standards. I hope that freedom-loving nations around the world can come together, perhaps as soon as this year, to cooperate closely in enhancing container security.
Such cooperation through relevant institutions such as the World Customs Organization could include the development of common standards and consistent procedures that would allow countries to build upon existing protections and incorporate new advanced technologies to make shipping containers – and the ports they reach – more secure than ever before.
For instance, we could identify and establish the methods by which we transmit, check, and share documents – ensuring maximum authenticity and efficiency. This process could – and should – allow businesses to demonstrate to port officials and inspectors that ships or containers are carrying legitimate commercial goods.
However, process and procedures are not enough – we need new technologies as well. Technologies such as electronic seals and container tracking devices offer additional protections against container tampering – thus further securing our ports and ships from attack.
And just as we can utilize advanced technology and unprecedented cooperation to secure our ports, we can do the same at our land borders and points of entry.
We have begun that process by finalizing the agreement to share passenger name records, contemplating mutual benefit to both the United States and Europe. A next step in making our borders more secure is US and EU work to promote travel document security – studying, collaborating, engaging in dialogue and planning together to incorporate interoperable biometric indicators on passports and visas.
I think we all agree that biometrics can be a useful security tool…allowing us to accurately identify and cross check travelers – and potential terrorists – before they enter our countries.
In America, we have already seen through our US VISIT program that biometric information can provide an added layer of security, while at the same time bringing travelers across our borders with greater ease and convenience.
Since the beginning of the year, US VISIT has processed more than 5 million legitimate passengers and since the program began we have matched more than 600 potential entrants against criminal watch lists.
However, to apply the use of biometrics globally, we must develop a set of international standards for capturing, analyzing, storing, reading and protecting biometric data in order to ensure maximum interoperability between systems…and maximum privacy for our citizens.
The ICAO is in the process of developing such a set of standards, in conjunction with the OECD in developing guidelines for privacy policy advice. The Department of Homeland Security believes that the technical standards should include both facial recognition and finger scan requirements. It is in the interest of all countries to begin as quickly as possible to issue travel documents with biometric indicators…for they can and will make us more secure.
Despite great progress, I think we can all agree that there is still plenty of work left to be done. Finding the right security paradigm for our vast, interconnected global environment is an ongoing and ever-developing task. No doubt, there are more and better ideas and solutions in the future – solutions that will require even more coordination and cooperation between our countries.
At the beginning of the month, the G8 came to agreement on several areas of common interest – including secure and facilitated travel, port and maritime security, fighting cyber-crime, protecting infrastructure, combating corruption, and enhancing state’s abilities to prevent terrorist attacks by investigating and prosecuting related crimes.
This agreement will provide an excellent blueprint – not to mention specific action items and deadlines – for our future work together.
Under the Secure and Facilitated International Travel Initiative – or SAFTI – the G-8 committed to 28 action items that include establishing a 24-hour aviation point-of-contact network for addressing imminent threats; sharing information on suspect travelers; facilitating real-time sharing of data on lost and stolen passports; establishing a methodology for assessing port security; and expanding research and collaboration on biometric technology for next-generation passenger control.
We can build on the work of the G8 and bring these protections to more countries and more citizens by working together with the entire EU; which we are currently doing so that they can join in implementing these initiatives.
The adoption of this program is not, however, an end, but a beginning. The G8 countries – and soon the entire EU – have agreed to accomplish a significant amount of work and we must now ensure that the promises are delivered.
We are currently developing a calendar for ensuring accomplishment of all commitments within the specified time frame and for providing a status report on progress by the end of this year. We cannot rest long on past accomplishments – or even recent agreements. We must press ahead for continued progress and tangible results for increased security.
Time and again, we have proven to be stronger together than we are apart. We take individual actions, but we coordinate in the development and implementation of international standards and principles.
Global security is primarily about this kind of integration – bringing nations together to face down our common enemy with the strength of our shared resources and resolve.
Thank you.
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This page was last reviewed/modified on 06/24/04 00:00:00.