Army Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti, the commander of U.S. European Command, hosted chiefs of defense from all over Europe here today to discuss how to counter violent extremist organizations.
Dozens of senior leaders from NATO and European Union nations attended the conference to discuss how to better counter the threat posed by terrorism. Scaparrotti also serves as NATO’s supreme allied commander for Europe.
“Terrorism is a transregional problem and presents a clear and present danger to us all,” Scaparrotti said. “It is only with the dedication and resolve of allies and partners that we can confront and defeat this transregional threat. No nation stands alone and no nation is immune to the threat of violence posed by terror. Let me re-emphasize, we are stronger together when we’re working together.”
Conference Focused on Five Areas
The chiefs of defense conference focused on five areas:
-- Developing a shared understanding of the threat;
-- Strengthening partnerships;
-- Opening new avenues for information sharing;
-- Identifying opportunities to enhance the military network; and
-- Building better connectivity among the military network, European intelligence and law enforcement agencies.
“This fight against terror and violent extremists will not be easy, nor will it be fast,” Scaparrotti said. “It is not a war of choice. It will take resources, determination and resolve to see the end of terror in Europe.”
Scaparrotti said today’s conference was a continuation of a similar forum hosted in October by Marine Corps Gen. Joe Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. “This event was tremendously important to Europe as we continue to exchange views on future military cooperation,” he added.
The defense chiefs listened, learned, shared and offered insight, Scaparotti said, and all came together on areas in which they can cooperate.
“We had an honest and candid discussion regarding the issues and challenges we face here in Europe,” he said. “We discussed ways to strengthen the alliance and discussed a whole-of-government approach, because it’s not just the military or police that should combat this threat. Our focus here was to develop a shared understand of the threat, strengthen our partnerships, open new avenues for information sharing, identify opportunities to enhance the military network, and build connectivity between our military network, European Intelligence and law enforcement agencies.”