Diplomatic Security’s Anti-Terror Training Program Graduates New Class
On Friday, October 13, 2006, U.S. Ambassador John Tefft and Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Eka Zguladze spoke at the graduation ceremony for 25 Georgian law enforcement officers who have completed the U.S. Department of State’s Anti-Terrorism Assistance (ATA) program. Each officer was presented with a certificate in recognition of their successful completion of the two week course.
The ATA program was established in 1983 and is implemented by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security. The program provides partner governments with the training, equipment, and technology to combat terrorism locally and contribute to international anti-terrorism efforts. The Government of Georgia has been active in ATA since 1994.
Approximately $23,000 in equipment was provided for the most recent ATA training, which includes binoculars, recorders, cameras, camera lens, flash cards, cases, and software. This equipment is in addition to a $148,000 rapid response trailer donated by ATA in June, 2006 to the Georgian government. The trailer protects officers and provides them with detection and decontamination equipment for responding to chemical, biological, radiological threats.
Since 1994, the Department of State’s ATA program has invested an estimated $6.5 million in training and equipping over 700 Georgian personnel to respond to terrorism threats. |
