Croatia: ICITAP Facilitates European Task Force Applied Counterterrorism Executive Seminar

From November 26 to December 1, the ICITAP Engaging Multinational Police Women on Equality and Rights (EMPoWER) team held the second meeting of the European Task Force in Split, Croatia. The Applied Counterterrorism Executive Seminar (ACES) included individuals from Bosnia-Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Albania, and Ukraine. Training throughout the week addressed women, peace, & security and gender equity; mentorship programs for counterterrorism capacity building; illegal arms and trafficking smuggling; and interviewing and interrogation of foreign terrorist fighters. In addition, each country presented an adjudicated counterterrorism case and discussed the successes and challenges – in some cases highlighting regional coordination. The case studies encompassed a number of topics, such as the preparation and repatriation of foreign terrorist fighters (FTF) and their families, the prosecution of FTF’s, issues involved with incarcerating FTF’s, and rehabilitation and reassociation programs for FTF’s. In addition, the EMPoWER team along with the participants traveled to the Croatia Ministry of Interior’s (MOI) National Maritime Data Collection Center in Zadar. The center highlighted how it monitors events and activities that affect the state of security in the maritime space of the Republic of Croatia and the inviolability of the sea borders, along with how they communicate and exchange data with the neighboring countries. They also provided demonstrations on the technical systems that enable the display of maritime traffic in real time for the sea borders. Based on discussions throughout the week and requests from the participants, EMPoWER EE will provide additional training in advanced interviewing and interrogation of women and children FTFs, profiling, and recruitment of women. EMPoWER will also continue working with each country on tailored mentorship programs that address the needs of each unit. ICITAP manages the EMPoWER Program with the support of and in partnership with the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Counterterrorism (CT).