Near East Region
OPDAT’s focus in the Near East Region (the Middle East and North Africa) is on counterterrorism, specifically combatting terrorism, terrorist financing, money-laundering, transnational crime, and Foreign Terrorist Fighters (FTF). All of OPDAT’s efforts promote the Global Counterterrorism Forum’s Rabat Memorandum on Good Practices for Effective Counterterrorism Practice in the Criminal Justice Sector. OPDAT has placed DOJ attorneys (Resident Legal Advisors (RLA)) in U.S. Embassies in Morocco, Algeria, Kuwait, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates (UAE). All of the programs, except for Qatar, are regional in scope. These programs, funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Counterterrorism and Countering Violent Extremism, focus on the following:
In Tunisia, the OPDAT Algeria Program RLA developed critical contacts with Tunisian investigating magistrates and the Tunisian Magistrate Judges School to develop workshops with the Federal Judicial Center and U.S. federal judges addressing standard operating procedures (SOPs) in terrorism cases and working with “battlefield evidence.” OPDAT conducted a successful SOP Workshop in January 2020, and held the Battlefield Evidence Workshop the following month. These workshops were critical in helping Tunisia develop its ability to be able to process and prosecute the anticipated repatriation of large numbers of FTFs, which is a priority.
Gulf Region: OPDAT’s programs in the Arabian Gulf Region are focused on combatting terrorism through prosecutorial and judicial skills development, anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism financing, asset recovery, and legislative reform. These programs are implemented by RLAs based in Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE, but also involve engagements in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, Oman and Yemen, as well as potential programs in the Levant.
In Kuwait, OPDAT developed interagency collaboration with Kuwaiti government entities, including the Public Prosecutor’s Office, Ministry of Justice, Financial Intelligence Unit, Customs, Anti-Corruption Authority and the Judicial Training Institute. This collaboration has
focused on enhancing Kuwait’s anti-money laundering and terrorist financing regimes, crypto currency and computer crimes, and strengthening the government’s capacity to effectively address these areas.
OPDAT continues to build on its efforts, which enabled the Kuwaiti Financial Intelligence Unit to successfully join the Egmont Group. In 2018, OPDAT held its first workshops in Bahrain with further iterations to follow.
In Qatar, OPDAT has embedded its RLA in the Public Prosecutor’s Office to provide significant technical assistance and case-based mentoring. The RLA’s focus has been on developing legal procedures to designate terrorist financiers, anti-money laundering and countering terrorist financing, the use of digital evidence, and investigating complex financial crimes and crypto-currency. The RLA, working closely with DOJ’s National Security Division and the U.S. Embassy’s Treasury Attaché, has supported the drafting of more effective anti-terrorism and anti-money laundering legislation.
In the UAE, OPDAT is working with several key justice sector agencies in developing and conducting capacity building programs. Through providing justice sector assistance OPDAT has developed many strong relationships with authorities throughout the UAE, including working closely with the Attorney General for the State Security Prosecution, which has afforded the RLA to be granted an opportunity to attend a closed session hearing on a CTF case that involves 59 defendants and 33 organizations. This was the first time that a U.S. official has been granted access to an active trial in the UAE. Also, with OPDAT support, the UAE government has submitted two applications to the DOJ Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) to join the G-7 24/7 Cybercrime Network. The applications are now under review and CCIPS will decide which entity to accept as the official point of contact, as required for admission.
In Oman, OPDAT, in close coordination with the U.S. Embassy LEGAT Office, has established a strong working relationship with the Omani Public Prosecutor’s Office and National Police, providing significant assistance in terrorist financing, money laundering, and related financial crimes, crypto and virtual currency, the use of undercover agents, and FTFs.
In Yemen, at the urging of the U.S. Embassy, OPDAT is developing a capacity building program. With OPDAT support, Yemen joined the G7 24/7 High Tech Crime Network.
Morocco: OPDAT’s program in Morocco provides technical assistance to build justice sector capacities to combat terrorism, terrorist financing, and related transnational crimes. A particular focus is on providing technical assistance to address issues with respect to the repatriation and return of the many anticipated Moroccan Foreign Terrorist Fighters. This also involves working closely with Moroccan justice sector officials and the FBI with respect to the use of “battlefield evidence.” OPDAT is part of the Moroccan Terrorist Working Group in which investigating magistrates from Belgium, France, and Spain also participate.
To provide technical assistance in the area of terrorism financing, OPDAT has provided extensive training in terrorism financing, money laundering, digital evidence and crypto currency. As a result, OPDAT enjoys very close working relationships with Moroccan judges, prosecutors, investigators and Justice Sector Officials, thereby enhancing the law enforcement relationship with the Department of Justice and other U.S. government entities.