Readout of Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew G. Olsen’s Trip to The Hague

Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division traveled to The Hague, Netherlands, this week to address the Counterterrorism Law Enforcement Forum (CTLEF) and to convene a high-level meeting with European partners on stopping the illicit flow of sensitive technology to foreign adversaries.

The CTLEF was held on July 10-11 at the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol). Assistant Attorney General Olsen delivered opening remarks, along with U.S. Deputy Coordinator for Counterterrorism Ian Moss. In his remarks, Assistant Attorney General Olsen discussed the Justice Department’s ongoing efforts to combat heightened threats from domestic violent extremists in the United States, including those engaged in racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism (REMVE) and individuals who cite the ongoing conflict in the Middle East as inspiration in targeting Jewish and Muslim Americans. He also highlighted the importance of international law enforcement cooperation to confront transnational connections among REMVE actors who spread violent ideologies across borders, including through social media and online gaming platforms.

On July 12, Assistant Attorney General Olsen cohosted a meeting at the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust) aimed at enhancing transatlantic cooperation in the fight to keep sensitive western technology out of the hands of Russia and other foreign state adversaries. In addition to the Assistant Attorney General, keynote remarks were delivered by Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin, European Commissioner Didier Reynders (by video), and Eurojust President Ladislav Hamran. Representatives from more than 30 countries as well as several EU institutions participated in the meeting.

In his remarks, Assistant Attorney General Olsen described the threats posed by adversaries seeking sophisticated American technologies like semiconductors, quantum, hypersonics and artificial intelligence. Adversary regimes can exploit these tools to increase their military capabilities, engage in mass surveillance, and commit human rights abuses. He highlighted the success of the Department’s Disruptive Technology Strike Force – an interagency enforcement effort co-led with the Commerce Department to prevent critical technological assets from being unlawfully acquired and used by foreign adversaries. Citing recent criminal prosecutions, Assistant Attorney General Olsen emphasized the concrete impacts of criminal enforcement of U.S. sanctions and export control laws and the force-multiplier effect of international partners’ complementary efforts to deny malign actors these technologies.

“The countries represented here have a shared commitment to the common goal of combating the national security threat posed by the misuse of critical technology,” said Assistant Attorney General Olsen. “International partnerships are critical to our work. Our adversaries’ efforts to obtain sensitive technology reach across the globe, and it demands an international response.” 

Valuable insights were also shared by senior officials from the European Commission, Eurojust, Europol, the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office, Belgium, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.