As prepared for delivery...

Graduation Remarks by Ambassador Klosson
at Seaport Enforcement Training

Limassol Port

September 8, 2004

I am very pleased to join you today on an issue of common concern.

The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) constitutes a major threat to international peace and security.  If we are going to meet that challenge head-on, diplomats like myself, law enforcement authorities like yourselves, intelligence officers, and others around the world must work in concert with the cooperation of the private sector.

As part of this common effort, the United States, the European Union, and most other countries of the world have established laws and regulations to prevent the proliferation of those weapons, their delivery systems, and related materials.  It is the vital job of customs and police officers to enforce these laws and regulations.

The Seaport Enforcement training that you have attended in Malta, and here in Limassol, is an effort to help law enforcement officers better to enforce these laws, and to stop prohibited items from falling into the wrong hands. In our globally connected world, a failure to stop proliferation in one region can have disastrous consequences for many in a different region thousands of miles away.  The fact that Cypriot, Maltese, and U.S. Customs officers are all gathered in this room shows we understand this reality and share a common commitment to stop the illegal flow of weapons of mass destruction and prohibited items.  It’s up to each of us to make the world more secure for all of us.

The training, as I understand it, provided both theoretical instruction and hands-on practical exercises that will assist your agencies to implement successful seaport enforcement operations. 

I hope that this training will further our cooperative efforts aimed at strengthening the borders of Cyprus and Malta, and will lead to additional joint efforts aimed at preventing the illicit movement of WMD items of concern.

The instructors told me that all of the participants in the training were enthusiastic and provided valuable input. I very much welcome that commitment. The work that you do is an important part of the worldwide effort to combat terrorism. Terrorist groups and others who are hostile to the freedom and prosperity we enjoy must know that their attempts to acquire weapons of mass destruction will be stopped by vigilant law enforcement authorities around the world, including at major seaports. 

I wish you the best of luck in the future, and I hope that this gathering of law enforcement officers from three countries will enhance our common effort to interdict suspect shipments moving through our seaports.