Remarks by Ambassador Robert Blake for the Graduation Ceremony for Port and Harbor Security Management Training

May 9, 2008 Galadari Hotel, Colombo

Senior DIG Wickramarathne, Assistant Superintendent of Police Cecil De Silva, US Embassy RSO Michael Perkins, ATA Lead Instructor Robert McKay, ladies and gentlemen.

It’s a pleasure for me to be here today for the graduation ceremony marking the first ever training offered in Sri Lanka on Port and Harbor Security Management. 

This training is taking place under the auspices of the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service’s Office of Antiterrorism Assistance.  This program provides training and equipment to the law enforcement and security organizations of friendly countries to enhance their capabilities and capacity to detect, deter, counter, and investigate terrorist activities.  

ATA officers work with the participating country’s government and their resident U.S. Embassy to develop the most effective means of training for bomb detection and neutralization, crime scene investigation, airport and building security, harbor security, VIP protection, and other diverse antiterrorism skills. Since its inception, the ATA program has trained and assisted more than 57,000 foreign law enforcement and security personnel from 151 countries. 

The United States began offering Anti-Terrorism training to Sri Lanka in 1988.  In that 20-year span we have provided training to more than 430 Sri Lankan law enforcement and security officials.  We look forward to continuing this successful program. 

Sri Lanka faces deadly terrorist threats from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.  The United States is proud to work with the Sri Lankan military and police to help your security services defend your country against this threat.

The Port and Harbor Security Management course was designed to help Sri Lanka increase its overall antiterrorism capabilities and to enhance the abilities of port/harbor security managers to deal with port and harbor emergencies.  This event marks the first time that ATA instructors have presented the Port and Harbor Security Management course in the region.  I was pleased that ATA chose Sri Lanka as the venue for this presentation, as Sri Lanka is a steadfast partner with the United States in the struggle against terrorism.  Colombo’s port is also one of the region’s largest and most active. 

I was even more pleased to learn that the course brought together Police Service and Navy personnel, many of you for the first time.  You had the unique opportunity to learn not only from the instructors, but also from students from different services.  You now have an appreciation for one another’s jobs that you may not have had otherwise.  The contacts you made with the other service will reap benefits well into the future.

The ATA instructors tell me that the course has been an unqualified success.  They were impressed with the high caliber of the students and with your attentiveness throughout these past three weeks.  They are pleased with the access to the ports that you were able to provide.  Above all, they are grateful to their Police Service and Navy counterparts for your warm hospitality and friendship.  On behalf of the United States Government let me congratulate all the graduates and thank the Police and Navy for their continued cooperation.