Cormack on fighting terrorism: We must deter young people from radicalism and violence

The Ambassador of the United States of America to BiH, Maureen Cormack, officially welcomed the participants of the seminar on fighting terrorism, organized in Sarajevo by the U.S. Department of Justice with the aim of fostering cooperation between investigators and prosecutors, reports the Bosnian news agency Patria.

This two-day seminar, held at the Hotel Hollywood, is attended by counter-terrorism experts from the U.S., as well as their colleagues from SIPA and the Prosecutor's Office of BiH. They will discuss ways to improve investigations and prosecutions of terrorism cases. The seminar is also an opportunity to examine, within a scenario, the methodology for investigating cases of foreign fighters and better identifying potential threats. A seminar with similar content will also be held in Teslić next week.

In her opening address, Ambassador Cormack emphasized that “Bosnia and Herzegovina must commit to fighting violent extremism and prosecuting cases of terrorism and foreign terrorist fighters. 

- To fight terrorism, we must find an alternative for young people – jobs, educational opportunities – that will deter them from radicalism and violence - said Cormack.

She also stressed that “the prosecutors and police investigators present have the greatest responsibility.” The citizens of this country count on you to uphold justice and protect them from terrorist threats, and to have the courage to confront and prosecute those responsible for these acts.

The Ambassador also reflected on her role in establishing the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL while working with President Obama's special envoy, General John Allen, in Washington, noting that BiH is part of that coalition, but also that “the fight against violent extremism in BiH requires greater engagement from political leadership, institutions, and civil society.  This country is a source of foreign fighters supporting ISIL, and that is a problem affecting the lives of all its citizens.”