All right, thanks everyone. Thank you to cf i asked for holding a timely and fascinating friend, bringing together so many vital perspectives from the region and from here in washington. Im very honored to moderate this panel with doctor ahmed driss whos the moderator for International Studies and mister arezki daoud who edits the african journal. We will be talking about government approaches to countering terrorism in the region. And the frame, the discussion im also interested in drawing out my fellow panelists on the sort of impact that all the considerations inherent in us strategy towards counterterrorism and its very complicated arena. Im interested in their perspective on what has worked, what hasnt. What needs to be taken into account. And as you all know, the us approach to antiterrorism in north africa involves effort in libya, obviously including the racks military action. And the other countries of zagreb we see a Security Assistance and cooperation approach aimed at building thecapacity of partner forces, partner militaries. Which includes extensive military sales and grants in some countries. Training and other types of support with varying levels of engagement depending on which country we are talking about. We also see the us engaging in sanctions programs and watch lists to limit financing and mobility as in other regions of the world a ll as programs designed to counter violent tremists ideology. Which have been particularly prominent with regards to us partners in morocco but we also see efforts in the other countries of the region. Morocco, algeria and tunisia participate in a longrunning state Department Led regional counterterrorism Assistance Program in north and westafrica known as the transamerican counterterrorism project. But they have largely focused overtime on the poorest countries of the hotel region and much of the us Security Assistance relationship with zagreb countries runs through bilateral channels. Each of our departments have historically led these efforts but over the last 16 years, we see an increasing role for the department of defense. As congress and the executive branch have worked in some ways together to increase the scope and level of resources and authorities available for community activities. And that may have complications, political implications for our own government as well as the region. As we found in the aftermath of the recent deadly attacks on us soldiers in niger. The extension is not without risk and raises policy concerns and considerations both for us and regional actors. From where i sit in the us congress on the Congressional Research service , the legislative branch and support agency there is a continues to be a debate with over the policy framework for us antiterrorism in regions of the world affected by threats that may be primarily local and regional info but which have the capacity to affect personnel. And i look forward is limited to exploring tax from the region and on the region with my panelists. More broadly, im interested in discussing sort of some of the unintended consequences that may principles or some of the considerations that may not be from front and center but perhaps should be. With that i will send it over to doctor ahmed driss first. Good morning. Thank you very much to the center for strategic and International Studies for the invitation and the in particular to name for having us here. Well, when i saw the program and the folder i said to myself i have to speak under a group. Who is responsible for the security, missteps insecurity and decisions today and tunisia. So yes, i also have to deal with that and be careful for what i am also saying. But so speaking about the tunisian strategy, both strategies included to counter terrorism, to counter radicalization, i think three keywords have to be sent to life. The first one is informing. The second one is restructuring. And the third one is vision building for vision making. Which is also innovating now. On the first point, reform on what . After the rising, tunisia had a new constitution. A new constitution was adopted in2014 and says that , everything should be in accordance to the constitution so that means that most of our initiation had to be amended before. In order to be in not in contradiction with the new constitution. The new constitution indicates to disposals, one transliterate the other one on Security Forces, both of them. That means that maybe in the past or not serving other centers of the public and the people which means that now all efforts are written by the Security Forces and by the military have to be driven by that concept of serving the people. And in accordance to that, the new law against terrorism and the questions of money and laundering was adopted and focus to 2050 and this law, the new one , the former one adopted in 2003 immediately after the 9 11 attacks, before law was the support of theinternational amework to combat terrorism. The effort to combat terrorists as it terrorism is outside of the country and they have the support only the effort to combat. So now we have new laws which is more precise, more precise to define. Not terrorism but all the time we have a problem to define terrorists and our state also faces this same problem and is not able to define the word terrorist or the concept of terrorism so we have a list of facts considered as terrorist acts and this can be used to define what is terrorism. Terrorism is linked to acts of violence but its a very long list. But it is precise and clearly underlined. But theres also more respectful of the workflow which is very important because as the admiral said this morning, once the objective is to be very difficult to the rule of law and i will have great ownership by people and if we counter flow, people will not consider as serving. A new element in this law which is very important, i think is a chapter on special investigation needs. Or means or tools. And this was not at all present in the former law so the new law, decides the role of how to investigate other tools. Its very new and also very helpful to the rule of all because everything had to be allowed or with the permission of the judiciary. And the last new point in this law is the creation of the National Commission for the fight against terrorism so now with thiscommission to also analyze and toal adopt strategies to fight against terrorism. So this is reforming the legislative framework. The second idea is about reflecting. Reflecting what . Reflecting the services and it is not what we have but very. Very canny and qualified as a deed and very detailed frame of services. It sends 2013, immediately after the election of the current president. So it seems that all the effort on services is linked to that. And also the president also behind the president. So the destructing of the services in november 2014. By establishing a new body, a new administrative public body. Which gave autonomy to this body because since 2014, it was generally directed to security. As part of the different militaries and this general directorate was intelligence, military intelligence within the defense history but since 2014, its been replacing the former director he of military intelligence by a new body, call agency for different security. But still, its related only to different, not to cover all of the Intelligence Services but only to protect Agency Equipment and secrets of the department of national service. But its a new body and its a new body because its a public administrative body. And also this agency had to contribute to the prevention and fight against terrorists. In 2015, a degree establhed the center for military session which is also a very new one so now theres a decision. The new body ultimately and then the center for military areas related to National Defense policy. So another step instructed the services and the last one in january 2017, by the creation, the National Intelligence center. So the National Intelligence center is considered a new step in Restructuring Services because something really new in the fact that there was only be different intelligence status but now we have the National Intelligence center which is the main focus was that the center is coordination between the various National Intelligence programs. But with this indication in article 2 of this degree that this is the role of the National Intelligence systems, its an answer to a concern, since the uprising in tunisia, tunisia has suffered a lot. From the meat of the nation between the, this was the main object. 25 of urse terrorism, but that also mainly to place any of the threat that tunisia is facing since 2011. Absolutely, its all very difficult in coordination and this was one of the main demands during the four years to establish the body and to coordinate between these services and this was established since january. This year. 2007 and 17. And also, the other objective is the development of the National Intelligence. So that also means that there is a new vision in order to have an event and to monitor the institution of that plan. Which is a new element. And yes. Im supposed to have a presentation but i am leaving for myself. And also, in january, 2017. The same date, same date, 19 of january 2017, is the reformulation of the National Security council so the National Security council this morning it was indicated that mark mood is now the secretary, lets say that this council was established in 1990. 1990. By the former president and i dont see any difference between the objective of this National Security council in 90 or today. The same article one, its the same. The National Security council is to ensure the interests of the state within the framework and as the preservation of the sovereignty of the state. And to guarantee its integrity, the integrity and security of the people and the protection of research. Its article one of the decree of 1990, so its the same purpose or the same objective. The National Security council was established. But what is new now in this degree, this council is also responsible for the National Strategy, particularly the fight against terrorism so to update, periodically, it is a strategy in coordination with the National Commission on the fight against terrorism rated by the law of 15. So its a link with the new law established there. And also a link with the commission to establish the National Strategy against terrorism so the national body, the National Security council had to work in this y. And also, the presence of the new director of the new body created at the center of intelligence created as to replace the director of the Defense Agency in the composition of the national end. But this is whats new today is a decision taken by the president by 13 of october 2017. Creating 15 commission within this council. One of them is also intelligence. And the other is in the other also 15 commissions is the permanent secretary of the head present everywhere. But those are the minister of defense has to be present and also everywhere or one of them in the 15 commission but im curious, that 15 commissioncovered all the mains, not only intelligence and terror affairs etc. But also education, health, energy under the elimination of security and education and security innovation. So everything is related to the age of the domain. And also creating a lot of trouble now in tunisia is this concept of basing the elements of some work. But the question had to be also. Its legitimate to answer to this question because one of the maybe risks is the dissensions of the institutions since we have the implication. So we have each minister, each minister is behind and there is the minister of this defense so the security general of the national council. The Security Council and okay. So what the head of the government would do with that and this can create a sort of dissension and it creates a risk of dissension between the politicals so we can discussthis. Yes, one minute. In the last minute, about the strategies. And i am putting the admiral and one of the direct declarations he made. So the objective of these strategies and prevention, prediction,prosecution. So yes. Prevention, protection and i can say that for the three lessons, protection, constitution, the strategy can be different. Because of the frame and also the operational capacities in power now in tunisia. So its a little bit more able to risk now than before to the threat. But one remains problematic for me is the constition becae prevention, that needsome rehearsal strategy and we are building a radical strategy. This is primarily why because we are not able to take all the aspects and link it to that radicalization. And to answer them as a threat or answer them as related to terrorism and counterterrorism and for example correction. Correction is not one element of the National Strategy because its only radical, not transversal. So if we do transversal strategies, then we can fight to have correction and coordinate more with those who are fighting. Yes. So the last thing. The last thing is about the decision about innovating. And i think that november and italy, this year in 2016, it was enough announced by the minister of defense. The white book, this minimization in tunisia and it doesnt explain in fact, its an innovation because modern armies use this technique to think about these strategies, think about how to build armies and in new ways. So now its also trying to have in tunisia a white book. That was launched in november 2060. They set their goals but i have no time to explain or speak about the old goals of the white book but this is very important element now to understand the tunisians in tunisia but again, i have a remark here. The white book is proposed only to create ownership. Ownership between the structures, between the military and security centers. We have to create confidence between people and those structures because without people, you cannot fight. Terrorism is not, it ithere on the ground, it is living in our city and they have a new generation of the fast food generation of japanese. In two weeks you had your bodies because you have to face not only your body but also the facility of the world. [inaudible] you have a lot of self these in our country and one woman who crossed the border being nonviolent and being violent and we have to be prepared to do that. In order to be prepared we have to involve all of the components of this idea and we have to work on one thing. This thing is how to deal with our religious prejudices and with our religious differences. We have to learn how to not use the consent of haram ll in our society. It is what is permitted but is forbidden originally and we are in our houses using it , this is haram, this is halal. We can be considered part of the terrorist movement because tomorrow we are creating those were transcending the haram or and we have to involve society on that. We have to make the societies learning how in the. [inaudible] way. To avoid. This is also partly innovation and we have to deal with that and not only to speak about our self and between experts or between those who are in the society to those who are of note. And altogether. Thank you very much. Thank you, mister daoud. Good morning everyone. Id like to thank amy for inviting me. I have been tasked or asked to discuss the not so easy topic of counterterrorist strategies or a colonel in algeria and i will do my best. Right from the start its very weird that the two countries share many many similarities. I think with relations, culture and profile. That includes also a level of economic level and to a certain extent it is a centralized government that we see sometimes are could be a root cause of the problems that we see reedit in the region. The two countries obviously have different attributes and characteristics when it comes to deploying, attracting counterterrorism strategies. The example of syria, does require a broader contribution of all these purposes whether they are military or the Border Patrol and the minister of defense for the Police Needed to administer the interior and that because considering certainly the risk zones along the tunisian malian kneejerk orders. In contrast, morocco has been relying heavily on a centralized fbi like agency called vela somehow. We see which i will refer to from now on. So as people, as we get close to the end of the year, how did the region do in 2017 and what do you expect to see Going Forward, let me start with a quick status check for the year. Thats closing. Clear looking at the research that we do, this is not government data, this is private data. Its, ouparent company being the rest and we continuously track whats going on in the region 2017 could be considered by the moroccans and the algerian authorities as surprisingly as stabilizing year. This is not a stable year but clearly a stabilizing year and we will share some of the numbers. Being exposed to the crisis in mali, libya and tunisia, algeria is closing the year with much bigger numbers in terms of incidences and Counterterrorism Operations but in general, when you take the broad moderate region as a whole, libya due to his complex set of circumstances, the number of terror related incidents against surprisingly failed by nearly 45 percent compared to 2016 so were talking numbers up to pretty much today and if you compare them versus 2016, the numbers of Critical Incidents dropped by 45 percent. So the three thank franco countries are. Company risk recorded 65 terror relate related incidents down from 118 of these areartifacts. The threat is remar