

Currently released so far... 51122 / 251,287
Articles
Brazil
Sri Lanka
United Kingdom
Sweden
00. Editorial
United States
Latin America
Egypt
Jordan
Yemen
Thailand
Browse latest releases
2010/12/01
2010/12/02
2010/12/03
2010/12/04
2010/12/05
2010/12/06
2010/12/07
2010/12/08
2010/12/09
2010/12/10
2010/12/11
2010/12/12
2010/12/13
2010/12/14
2010/12/15
2010/12/16
2010/12/17
2010/12/18
2010/12/19
2010/12/20
2010/12/21
2010/12/22
2010/12/23
2010/12/24
2010/12/25
2010/12/26
2010/12/27
2010/12/28
2010/12/29
2010/12/30
2011/01/01
2011/01/02
2011/01/04
2011/01/05
2011/01/07
2011/01/09
2011/01/11
2011/01/12
2011/01/13
2011/01/14
2011/01/15
2011/01/16
2011/01/17
2011/01/18
2011/01/19
2011/01/20
2011/01/21
2011/01/22
2011/01/23
2011/01/24
2011/01/25
2011/01/26
2011/01/27
2011/01/28
2011/01/29
2011/01/30
2011/01/31
2011/02/01
2011/02/02
2011/02/03
2011/02/04
2011/02/05
2011/02/06
2011/02/07
2011/02/08
2011/02/09
2011/02/10
2011/02/11
2011/02/12
2011/02/13
2011/02/14
2011/02/15
2011/02/16
2011/02/17
2011/02/18
2011/02/19
2011/02/20
2011/02/21
2011/02/22
2011/02/23
2011/02/24
2011/02/25
2011/02/26
2011/02/27
2011/02/28
2011/03/01
2011/03/02
2011/03/03
2011/03/04
2011/03/05
2011/03/06
2011/03/07
2011/03/08
2011/03/09
2011/03/10
2011/03/11
2011/03/13
2011/03/14
2011/03/15
2011/03/16
2011/03/17
2011/03/18
2011/03/19
2011/03/20
2011/03/21
2011/03/22
2011/03/23
2011/03/24
2011/03/25
2011/03/26
2011/03/27
2011/03/28
2011/03/29
2011/03/30
2011/03/31
2011/04/01
2011/04/02
2011/04/03
2011/04/04
2011/04/05
2011/04/06
2011/04/07
2011/04/08
2011/04/09
2011/04/10
2011/04/11
2011/04/12
2011/04/13
2011/04/14
2011/04/15
2011/04/16
2011/04/17
2011/04/18
2011/04/19
2011/04/20
2011/04/21
2011/04/22
2011/04/23
2011/04/24
2011/04/25
2011/04/26
2011/04/27
2011/04/28
2011/04/29
2011/04/30
2011/05/01
2011/05/02
2011/05/03
2011/05/04
2011/05/05
2011/05/06
2011/05/07
2011/05/08
2011/05/09
2011/05/10
2011/05/11
2011/05/12
2011/05/13
2011/05/14
2011/05/15
2011/05/16
2011/05/17
2011/05/18
2011/05/19
2011/05/20
2011/05/21
2011/05/22
2011/05/23
2011/05/24
2011/05/25
2011/05/26
2011/05/27
2011/05/28
2011/05/29
2011/05/30
2011/05/31
2011/06/01
2011/06/02
2011/06/03
2011/06/04
2011/06/05
2011/06/06
2011/06/07
2011/06/08
2011/06/09
2011/06/10
2011/06/11
2011/06/12
2011/06/13
2011/06/14
2011/06/15
2011/06/16
2011/06/17
2011/06/18
2011/06/19
2011/06/20
2011/06/21
2011/06/22
2011/06/23
2011/06/24
2011/06/25
2011/06/26
2011/06/27
2011/06/28
2011/06/29
2011/06/30
2011/07/01
2011/07/02
2011/07/04
2011/07/05
2011/07/06
2011/07/07
2011/07/08
2011/07/10
2011/07/11
2011/07/12
2011/07/13
2011/07/14
2011/07/15
2011/07/16
2011/07/17
2011/07/18
2011/07/19
2011/07/20
2011/07/21
2011/07/22
2011/07/23
2011/07/25
2011/07/27
2011/07/28
2011/07/29
2011/07/31
2011/08/01
2011/08/02
2011/08/03
2011/08/05
2011/08/06
2011/08/07
2011/08/08
2011/08/09
2011/08/10
2011/08/11
2011/08/12
2011/08/13
2011/08/15
2011/08/16
2011/08/17
2011/08/18
2011/08/19
2011/08/21
2011/08/22
2011/08/23
2011/08/24
Browse by creation date
Browse by origin
Embassy Athens
Embassy Asuncion
Embassy Astana
Embassy Asmara
Embassy Ashgabat
Embassy Apia
Embassy Antananarivo
Embassy Ankara
Embassy Amman
Embassy Algiers
Embassy Addis Ababa
Embassy Accra
Embassy Abuja
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Embassy Abidjan
Consulate Auckland
Consulate Amsterdam
Consulate Alexandria
Consulate Adana
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Embasy Bonn
Embassy Bujumbura
Embassy Buenos Aires
Embassy Budapest
Embassy Bucharest
Embassy Brussels
Embassy Bridgetown
Embassy Brazzaville
Embassy Bratislava
Embassy Brasilia
Embassy Bogota
Embassy Bishkek
Embassy Bern
Embassy Berlin
Embassy Belmopan
Embassy Belgrade
Embassy Beirut
Embassy Beijing
Embassy Banjul
Embassy Bangui
Embassy Bangkok
Embassy Bandar Seri Begawan
Embassy Bamako
Embassy Baku
Embassy Baghdad
Consulate Belfast
Consulate Barcelona
Embassy Cotonou
Embassy Copenhagen
Embassy Conakry
Embassy Colombo
Embassy Chisinau
Embassy Caracas
Embassy Canberra
Embassy Cairo
Consulate Curacao
Consulate Ciudad Juarez
Consulate Chiang Mai
Consulate Chennai
Consulate Chengdu
Consulate Casablanca
Consulate Cape Town
Consulate Calgary
Embassy Dushanbe
Embassy Dublin
Embassy Doha
Embassy Djibouti
Embassy Dili
Embassy Dhaka
Embassy Dar Es Salaam
Embassy Damascus
Embassy Dakar
DIR FSINFATC
Consulate Dusseldorf
Consulate Durban
Consulate Dubai
Consulate Dhahran
Embassy Guatemala
Embassy Grenada
Embassy Georgetown
Embassy Gaborone
Consulate Guayaquil
Consulate Guangzhou
Consulate Guadalajara
Embassy Helsinki
Embassy Harare
Embassy Hanoi
Consulate Hong Kong
Consulate Ho Chi Minh City
Consulate Hermosillo
Consulate Hamilton
Consulate Hamburg
Consulate Halifax
Embassy Kyiv
Embassy Kuwait
Embassy Kuala Lumpur
Embassy Kolonia
Embassy Kinshasa
Embassy Kingston
Embassy Kigali
Embassy Khartoum
Embassy Kathmandu
Embassy Kampala
Embassy Kabul
Consulate Krakow
Consulate Kolkata
Consulate Karachi
Embassy Luxembourg
Embassy Lusaka
Embassy Luanda
Embassy London
Embassy Lome
Embassy Ljubljana
Embassy Lisbon
Embassy Lima
Embassy Lilongwe
Embassy Libreville
Embassy La Paz
Consulate Leipzig
Consulate Lahore
Consulate Lagos
Mission USOSCE
Mission USNATO
Mission UNESCO
Mission Geneva
Embassy Muscat
Embassy Moscow
Embassy Montevideo
Embassy Monrovia
Embassy Mogadishu
Embassy Minsk
Embassy Mexico
Embassy Mbabane
Embassy Maseru
Embassy Maputo
Embassy Manila
Embassy Manama
Embassy Managua
Embassy Malabo
Embassy Madrid
Consulate Munich
Consulate Mumbai
Consulate Montreal
Consulate Monterrey
Consulate Milan
Consulate Merida
Consulate Melbourne
Consulate Matamoros
Consulate Marseille
Embassy Nouakchott
Embassy Nicosia
Embassy Niamey
Embassy New Delhi
Embassy Ndjamena
Embassy Nassau
Embassy Nairobi
Consulate Nuevo Laredo
Consulate Naples
Consulate Naha
Consulate Nagoya
Embassy Pristina
Embassy Pretoria
Embassy Praia
Embassy Prague
Embassy Port Of Spain
Embassy Port Moresby
Embassy Port Louis
Embassy Port Au Prince
Embassy Podgorica
Embassy Phnom Penh
Embassy Paris
Embassy Paramaribo
Embassy Panama
Consulate Peshawar
REO Hillah
REO Basrah
Embassy Rome
Embassy Riyadh
Embassy Riga
Embassy Reykjavik
Embassy Rangoon
Embassy Rabat
Consulate Rio De Janeiro
Consulate Recife
Secretary of State
Embassy Suva
Embassy Stockholm
Embassy Sofia
Embassy Skopje
Embassy Singapore
Embassy Seoul
Embassy Sarajevo
Embassy Santo Domingo
Embassy Santiago
Embassy Sanaa
Embassy San Salvador
Embassy San Jose
Consulate Surabaya
Consulate Strasbourg
Consulate St Petersburg
Consulate Shenyang
Consulate Shanghai
Consulate Sapporo
Consulate Sao Paulo
Embassy Tunis
Embassy Tripoli
Embassy Tokyo
Embassy Tirana
Embassy The Hague
Embassy Tel Aviv
Embassy Tehran
Embassy Tegucigalpa
Embassy Tbilisi
Embassy Tashkent
Embassy Tallinn
Consulate Toronto
Consulate Tijuana
Consulate Thessaloniki
USUN New York
USMISSION USTR GENEVA
USEU Brussels
US Office Almaty
US Mission Geneva
US Mission CD Geneva
US Interests Section Havana
US Delegation, Secretary
UNVIE
UN Rome
Embassy Ulaanbaatar
Embassy Vilnius
Embassy Vientiane
Embassy Vienna
Embassy Vatican
Embassy Valletta
Consulate Vladivostok
Consulate Vancouver
Browse by tag
AMGT
ASEC
AEMR
AR
APECO
AU
AORC
ADANA
AJ
AF
AFIN
AMED
AS
AM
ABLD
AFFAIRS
AMB
APER
ACOA
AND
AA
AE
AADP
AID
AO
AL
AG
AORD
ADM
AINF
AINT
ASEAN
AORG
ABT
APEC
AY
ASUP
ARF
AGOA
AVIAN
ATRN
ANET
AGIT
ASECVE
ABUD
AODE
ALOW
ADB
AN
ADPM
ASPA
ARABL
AFSN
AZ
AC
AIAG
AFSI
ASCE
ASIG
ACABQ
ADIP
AFGHANISTAN
AROC
ADCO
ACOTA
ANARCHISTS
AMEDCASCKFLO
AK
ARABBL
ASCH
ANTITERRORISM
AGRICULTURE
AOCR
ARR
ASSEMBLY
AORCYM
AFPK
ACKM
AGMT
AEC
APRC
AIN
AFPREL
ASFC
ASECTH
AFSA
AINR
AOPC
AFAF
AFARI
AX
ASECAF
ASECAFIN
AT
AFZAL
APCS
AGAO
AIT
ARCH
AEMRASECCASCKFLOMARRPRELPINRAMGTJMXL
AMEX
ARM
AQ
ATFN
AMBASSADOR
AORCD
AVIATION
ARAS
AINFCY
ACBAQ
AOPR
AREP
AOIC
ASEX
ASEK
AER
AGR
AMCT
AVERY
APR
AEMRS
AFU
AMG
ATPDEA
ASECKFRDCVISKIRFPHUMSMIGEG
AORL
ACS
AMCHAMS
AECL
AUC
ACAO
BA
BR
BB
BG
BEXP
BY
BRUSSELS
BU
BD
BTIO
BK
BL
BE
BMGT
BO
BM
BX
BN
BWC
BBSR
BTT
BC
BH
BILAT
BUSH
BHUM
BT
BTC
BMENA
BOND
BAIO
BP
BF
BRPA
BURNS
BUT
BBG
BCW
BOEHNER
BOL
BASHAR
BIDEN
BFIN
BZ
BEXPC
BTIU
CPAS
CA
CASC
CS
CBW
CIDA
CO
CODEL
CI
CROS
CU
CH
CWC
CMGT
CVIS
CDG
CTR
CG
CF
CHIEF
CJAN
CBSA
CE
CY
CB
CW
CM
CHR
CD
COE
CV
COUNTER
CT
CN
CPUOS
CTERR
CVR
CVPR
CDC
COUNTRY
CLEARANCE
CONS
COM
CACS
CR
CONTROLS
CAN
CACM
COMMERCE
CAMBODIA
CFIS
COUNTERTERRORISM
CITES
CONDOLEEZZA
CZ
CTBT
CEN
CLINTON
CFED
CARC
CTM
CARICOM
CSW
CICTE
CYPRUS
CBE
CMGMT
CARSON
CWCM
CIVS
COUNTRYCLEARANCE
CENTCOM
CAPC
COPUOS
CKGR
CITEL
CQ
CITT
CIC
CARIB
CVIC
CAFTA
CVISU
CDB
CEDAW
CNC
CJUS
COMMAND
CENTER
COL
CAJC
CONSULAR
CLMT
CBC
CIA
CNARC
CIS
CEUDA
CHINA
CAC
CL
DR
DJ
DEMOCRATIC
DEMARCHE
DOMESTIC
DISENGAGEMENT
DB
DA
DHS
DAO
DCM
DAVID
DO
DEAX
DEFENSE
DEA
DTRO
DPRK
DOC
DTRA
DK
DAC
DOD
DRL
DRC
DCG
DE
DOT
DEPT
DOE
DS
DKEM
ECON
ETTC
EFIS
ETRD
EC
EMIN
EAGR
EAID
EFIN
EUN
ECIN
EG
EWWT
EINV
ENRG
ELAB
EPET
EIND
EN
EAIR
EUMEM
ECPS
ES
EI
ELTN
ET
EZ
EU
ER
EINT
ENGR
ECONOMIC
ENIV
EFTA
ETRN
EMS
EUREM
EPA
ESTH
EEB
EET
ENV
EAG
EXIM
ECTRD
ELNT
ENVIRONMENT
ECA
EAP
EINDIR
ETR
ECONOMY
ETRC
ELECTIONS
EICN
EXPORT
EARG
EGHG
EID
ETRO
EINF
EAIDHO
ECIP
EENV
EURM
EPEC
ERNG
ENERG
EIAD
EXBS
ED
EREL
ELAM
EK
EWT
ENGRD
EDEV
ECE
ENGY
EXIMOPIC
ETRDEC
ECCT
EUR
ENRGPARMOTRASENVKGHGPGOVECONTSPLEAID
EFI
ECOSOC
EXTERNAL
ESCAP
ETCC
EENG
ERA
ENRD
ECLAC
ETRAD
EBRD
ENVR
ECONENRG
ELTNSNAR
ELAP
EPIT
EDUC
EAIDXMXAXBXFFR
EETC
EIVN
EDRC
EGOV
ETRA
EAIDRW
ETRDEINVECINPGOVCS
ESA
ETRDGK
ENVI
ELN
EPRT
EPTED
ERTD
EUM
EAIDS
EFINECONEAIDUNGAGM
EDU
EV
EAIDAF
EDA
EPREL
EINVEFIN
EAGER
ETMIN
EUCOM
ECCP
EIDN
EINVKSCA
ENNP
EFINECONCS
ETC
EAIRASECCASCID
EINN
ETRP
ECONOMICS
ENERGY
EIAR
EINDETRD
ECONEFIN
EURN
ETRDEINVTINTCS
EFIM
ETIO
EATO
EIPR
EINVETC
ETTD
ETDR
EIQ
ECONCS
ENRGIZ
EAIG
ENTG
EUC
ERD
EINVECONSENVCSJA
EEPET
EUNCH
ESENV
ECINECONCS
ETRDECONWTOCS
ECUN
FR
FI
FOREIGN
FARM
FIR
FAO
FK
FARC
FAS
FJ
FREEDOM
FAC
FINANCE
FBI
FTAA
FM
FCS
FAA
FORCE
FDA
FTA
FT
FCSC
FMGT
FINR
FIN
FDIC
FOR
FOI
FO
FMLN
FISO
GM
GERARD
GT
GA
GG
GR
GTIP
GH
GZ
GE
GB
GY
GAZA
GJ
GEORGE
GOI
GCC
GMUS
GI
GLOBAL
GV
GC
GL
GOV
GKGIC
GF
GWI
GIPNC
GUTIERREZ
GTMO
GANGS
GAERC
GUILLERMO
GASPAR
HR
HA
HYMPSK
HO
HK
HUMAN
HU
HN
HHS
HURI
HUD
HUMRIT
HUMANITARIAN
HUMANR
HL
HSTC
HILLARY
HCOPIL
HADLEY
HOURANI
HI
HUM
HEBRON
HUMOR
IZ
IN
IAEA
IS
IMO
ILO
IR
IC
IT
ITU
ID
IV
IMF
IBRD
IWC
ICAO
ICRC
INF
IO
IPR
ISO
IK
ISRAELI
IQ
ICES
IDB
INFLUENZA
IRAQI
ISCON
IGAD
IRAN
ITALY
IRAQ
ICTY
ICTR
ITPGOV
ITALIAN
IQNV
IADB
INTERNAL
INMARSAT
IRDB
ILC
INCB
INRB
ICJ
ISRAEL
INR
IEA
ISPA
ICCAT
IOM
ITRD
IHO
IL
IFAD
ITRA
IDLI
ISCA
INL
INRA
INTELSAT
ISAF
ISPL
IRS
IEF
ITER
INDO
IIP
IND
IEFIN
IACI
IAHRC
INNP
IA
INTERPOL
IFIN
ISSUES
IZPREL
IRAJ
IF
ITPHUM
ITA
IP
IRPE
IDA
ISLAMISTS
ITF
INRO
IBET
IDP
IRC
KMDR
KPAO
KOMC
KNNP
KFLO
KDEM
KSUM
KIPR
KFLU
KE
KCRM
KJUS
KAWC
KZ
KSCA
KDRG
KCOR
KGHG
KPAL
KTIP
KMCA
KCRS
KPKO
KOLY
KRVC
KVPR
KG
KWBG
KTER
KS
KN
KSPR
KWMN
KV
KTFN
KFRD
KU
KSTC
KSTH
KISL
KGIC
KSEP
KFIN
KTEX
KTIA
KUNR
KCMR
KCIP
KMOC
KTDB
KBIO
KBCT
KMPI
KSAF
KACT
KFEM
KPRV
KPWR
KIRC
KCFE
KRIM
KHIV
KHLS
KVIR
KNNNP
KCEM
KLIG
KIRF
KNUP
KSAC
KNUC
KPGOV
KTDD
KIDE
KOMS
KLFU
KNNC
KMFO
KSEO
KJRE
KJUST
KMRS
KSRE
KGIT
KPIR
KPOA
KUWAIT
KIVP
KICC
KSCS
KPOL
KSEAO
KRCM
KSCI
KNAP
KGLB
KICA
KCUL
KPRM
KFSC
KQ
KPOP
KPFO
KPALAOIS
KREC
KBWG
KR
KTTB
KNAR
KCOM
KESS
KINR
KOCI
KWN
KCSY
KREL
KTBT
KFTN
KW
KRFD
KFLOA
KHDP
KNEP
KIND
KHUM
KSKN
KOMO
KDRL
KTFIN
KSOC
KPO
KGIV
KSTCPL
KSI
KPRP
KFPC
KNNB
KNDP
KICCPUR
KFRDCVISCMGTCASCKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG
KDMR
KFCE
KIMMITT
KMCC
KMNP
KSEC
KOMCSG
KGCC
KRAD
KCRP
KAUST
KWAWC
KCHG
KRDP
KPAS
KTIAPARM
KPAOPREL
KWGB
KIRP
KMIG
KLAB
KSEI
KHSA
KNPP
KPAONZ
KWWW
KGHA
KY
KCRIM
KCRCM
KGCN
KPLS
KIIP
KPAOY
KTRD
KTAO
KJU
KBTS
KWAC
KFIU
KNNO
KPAI
KILS
KPA
KRCS
KWBGSY
KNPPIS
KNNPMNUC
KNPT
KERG
KLTN
KPREL
KTLA
KO
KAWK
KVRP
KAID
KX
KENV
KWCI
KNPR
KCFC
KNEI
KFTFN
KTFM
KCERS
KDEMAF
KMEPI
KEMS
KBTR
KEDU
KIRL
KNNR
KMPT
KPDD
KPIN
KDEV
KFRP
KTBD
KMSG
KWWMN
KWBC
KA
KOM
KWNM
KFRDKIRFCVISCMGTKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG
KRGY
KNNF
KICR
KIFR
KWMNCS
KPAK
KDDG
KCGC
KID
KNSD
KMPF
KWMM
MARR
MX
MASS
MOPS
MNUC
MCAP
MTCRE
MRCRE
MTRE
MASC
MY
MK
MG
MU
MILI
MO
MZ
MEPP
MCC
MEDIA
MOPPS
MI
MAS
MW
MP
MEPN
MV
MD
MR
MC
MCA
MT
MIL
MARITIME
MOPSGRPARM
MAAR
MOOPS
ML
MA
MN
MNUCPTEREZ
MTCR
MUNC
MPOS
MONUC
MGMT
MURRAY
MACP
MINUSTAH
MCCONNELL
MGT
MNUR
MF
MEPI
MOHAMMAD
MAR
MAPP
MNU
MFA
MTS
MLS
MEETINGS
MERCOSUR
MED
MNVC
MIK
MBM
MILITARY
MAPS
MARAD
MDC
MACEDONIA
MASSMNUC
MUCN
MQADHAFI
MPS
NZ
NATO
NI
NO
NU
NG
NL
NPT
NS
NA
NP
NASA
NSF
NEA
NANCY
NSG
NRR
NATIONAL
NMNUC
NC
NSC
NAS
NARC
NELSON
NATEU
NDP
NIH
NK
NIPP
NR
NERG
NSSP
NE
NTDB
NT
NEGROPONTE
NGO
NATOIRAQ
NAR
NZUS
NCCC
NH
NAFTA
NEW
NRG
NUIN
NOVO
NATOPREL
NV
NICHOLAS
NPA
NSFO
NW
NORAD
NPG
NOAA
OPRC
OPDC
OTRA
OECD
OVIP
OREP
ODC
OIIP
OAS
OSCE
OPIC
OMS
OFDP
OFDA
OEXC
OPCW
OIE
OSCI
OM
OPAD
ODPC
OIC
ODIP
OPPI
ORA
OCEA
OREG
OMIG
OFFICIALS
OSAC
OEXP
OPEC
OFPD
OAU
OCII
OIL
OVIPPRELUNGANU
OSHA
OPCD
OPCR
OF
OFDPQIS
OSIC
OHUM
OTR
OBSP
OGAC
OESC
OVP
ON
OES
OTAR
OCS
PREL
PGOV
PARM
PINR
PHUM
PM
PREF
PTER
PK
PINS
PBIO
PHSA
PE
PBTS
PA
PL
POL
PAK
POV
POLITICS
POLICY
PO
PRELTBIOBA
PKO
PIN
PNAT
PU
PGOVPREL
PALESTINIAN
PTERPGOV
PELOSI
PAS
PP
PTEL
PROP
PRELAF
PRHUM
PRE
PUNE
PIRF
PVOV
PROG
PERSONS
PROV
PKK
PRGOV
PH
PLAB
PDEM
PCI
PRL
PRM
PINSO
PERM
PETR
PPAO
PERL
PBS
PETERS
PRELBR
PCON
POLITICAL
PMIL
POLM
PKPA
PNUM
PLO
PTERM
PJUS
PARMP
PNIR
PHUMKPAL
PG
PREZ
PGIC
PAO
PROTECTION
PRELPK
PGOVENRG
PATTY
PSOC
PARTIES
PGOVEAIDUKNOSWGMHUCANLLHFRSPITNZ
PMIG
PAIGH
PARK
PETER
PHUS
PKPO
PGOVECON
POUS
PMAR
PWBG
PAR
PGOVGM
PHUH
PTE
PY
POLUN
PDOV
PGOVSOCI
PGOVPM
PRELEVU
PGOR
PBTSRU
PHUMA
PHUMR
PPD
PGV
PRAM
PARMS
PINL
PSI
PKPAL
PPA
PTERE
PGOF
PINO
PREO
PHAS
PAC
PRESL
PORG
PS
PGVO
PKFK
PSOE
PEPR
PINT
PRELP
PREFA
PNG
PTBS
PFOR
PGOVLO
PHUMBA
PREK
PHJM
POLINT
PGOVE
PHALANAGE
PARTY
PECON
PEACE
PROCESS
PLN
PEDRO
PF
PGPV
PCUL
PGGV
PSA
PGOVSMIGKCRMKWMNPHUMCVISKFRDCA
PGIV
PHUMPREL
POGOV
PEL
PBT
PAMQ
PINF
PSEPC
POSTS
PAHO
PHUMPGOV
PGOC
PNR
RS
RP
RU
RW
RFE
RCMP
RIGHTSPOLMIL
REFORM
RO
ROW
ROBERT
REACTION
REPORT
REGION
RELATIONS
RAY
ROBERTG
RIGHTS
RM
RATIFICATION
RREL
RBI
RICE
ROOD
REL
RODHAM
RGY
RUEHZO
RELIGIOUS
RELFREE
RUEUN
RELAM
RSP
RF
REO
REGIONAL
RUPREL
RI
REMON
RPEL
RSO
SCUL
SENV
SOCI
SZ
SNAR
SO
SP
SU
SY
SI
SMIG
SYR
SA
SW
SF
SR
SYRIA
SNARM
START
SPECIALIST
SG
SNIG
SCI
SGWI
SE
SIPDIS
SANC
SELAB
SN
SETTLEMENTS
SCIENCE
SENVENV
SENS
SPCE
SPAS
SECURITY
SENC
SOCIETY
SOSI
SENVEAGREAIDTBIOECONSOCIXR
SEN
SPECI
ST
SL
SENVCASCEAIDID
SC
SECRETARY
STR
SNA
SOCIS
SADC
SEP
SK
SHUM
SYAI
SMIL
STEPHEN
SNRV
SKCA
SENSITIVE
SECI
SCUD
SCRM
SGNV
SECTOR
SAARC
SENVSXE
SWMN
STEINBERG
SOPN
SOCR
SCRS
SWE
SARS
SNARIZ
SUDAN
SENVQGR
SAN
SM
SFNV
SSA
SPCVIS
SOFA
SCULKPAOECONTU
SENVKGHG
SHI
SEVN
SH
SNARCS
SNARN
SIPRS
TBIO
TW
TRGY
TSPA
TU
TPHY
TI
TX
TH
TIP
TSPL
TNGD
TZ
TS
TC
TK
TURKEY
TERRORISM
TPSL
TINT
TRSY
TERFIN
TPP
TT
TECHNOLOGY
TE
TAGS
TRAFFICKING
TJ
TN
TO
TD
TP
TREATY
TR
TA
TIO
TECH
TF
TRAD
TNDG
TWI
TPSA
TWL
TAUSCHER
TRBY
TL
TV
THPY
TSPAM
TREL
TRT
TNAR
TFIN
TWCH
THOMMA
THOMAS
TERROR
TRY
TBID
UK
UNESCO
UNSC
UNGA
UN
US
UZ
USEU
UG
UP
UNAUS
UNMIK
USTR
UY
USUN
UNEP
UNDC
UV
UNPUOS
UNSCR
USAID
UNODC
UNRCR
UNHCR
UNDP
UNCRIME
UA
UNHRC
UNRWA
UNO
UNCND
UNCHR
USAU
UNICEF
USPS
UNOMIG
UNESCOSCULPRELPHUMKPALCUIRXFVEKV
UR
UNFICYP
UNCITRAL
UNAMA
UNVIE
USTDA
USNC
UNCSD
USCC
UNEF
UNGAPL
USSC
UNMIC
UNTAC
UNCLASSIFIED
USDA
UNCTAD
USGS
UNFPA
UNSE
USOAS
UE
UAE
UNCHS
UNDESCO
UNC
UNSCS
UKXG
UNGACG
UNHR
UNBRO
UNCHC
UNFCYP
UNIDROIT
WHTI
WIPO
WTRO
WHO
WTO
WMO
WFP
WEET
WS
WE
WA
WHA
WBG
WILLIAM
WI
WSIS
WCL
WEBZ
WZ
WW
WWBG
WMD
WWT
WMN
WWARD
WITH
WTRQ
WCO
WEU
WB
WBEG
Browse by classification
Community resources
courage is contagious
Viewing cable 04ANKARA3673, TIP IN TURKEY: MEDIA ATTENTION, JUNE 1-15, 2004
If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs
Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:
- The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
- The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
- The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.
Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #04ANKARA3673.
Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin |
---|---|---|---|---|
04ANKARA3673 | 2004-06-29 15:42 | 2011-08-24 01:00 | UNCLASSIFIED | Embassy Ankara |
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 08 ANKARA 003673
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR G/TIP, G, INL, DRL, EUR/PGI, EUR/SE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KCRM PHUM KWMN SMIG KFRD PREF TU TIP IN TURKEY
SUBJECT: TIP IN TURKEY: MEDIA ATTENTION, JUNE 1-15, 2004
¶1. (U) In response to G/TIP inquiries about Turkey-
specific anti-TIP public information, post provides as
examples the following TIP press clips. Text of any
articles originally published in Turkish is provided through
unofficial local FSN translation, unless otherwise noted.
¶2. (U) Versions of the following June 15, 2004 article
published in Hurriyet Newspaper (page 5) were also published
in editions of Aksam, Cumhuriyet, Milliyet, Vakit, Vatan,
and Zaman. Turkish language articles appeared as half-page
or full-page spreads, including photos of alleged
traffickers:
TITLE: Anca's Notebook Burns Celebrities
BEGIN TEXT: A Romanian-Turkish joint police operation
against a gang forcing women for prostitution resulted
in the detention of two people, Anton Chelaru Gica and
Relu Rotaru, important names in international human
trafficking. The two sent Romanian women to Turkey
with the promise of finding jobs but instead forced
them into prostitution.
The arrests came after Romanian police contacted
Turkish police with information about the operation.
Istanbul police raided Flash Hotel at Tarlabasi
district of Istanbul on May 31 and rescued 5 Romanian
women ages 17 to 20. In the operation, Anca Carpusco,
the Istanbul leg of the network was also captured.
Testimonies by the women also led police to bus driver
Fevzi Yesil and driver Cemal Izgi. Police believe
Martinas Andrea Romona and Anca Carpusco controlled the
financial portion of the network. Romona and Carpusco
reportedly transferred USD 200,000 from their bank
account in Istanbul to Anton Chelaru Gica and Relu
Rotaru in Romania.
Acting upon the testimonies of the girls, including 17-
year-old Daniele Ostaci, who is 7 months pregnant, and
a notebook kept by Anca Carpusco, 11 people were
detained on charges of "having intercourse with
minors." Turkish Rock Star `Akin' was among the
detainees. They were then released after being
interrogated by a prosecutor in Beyoglu, Istanbul.
In a separate box, the daily wrote that Anca Corpusco
kept 9 notebooks filled with information about the
organization's customers. She kept very detailed
logbooks that included customers' plate numbers, home
and cellular phone numbers, references, and particular
sexual preferences. The names of the customers who
gave fake money and used force were marked with red
ink. Names of thousands of people including famous
soccer players, actors and famous businessmen were in
the books. Also there was information about policemen.
Plate numbers of police teams patrolling the district
were also noted.
Under a picture, the daily quoted Pop Star `Akin" who
was detained briefly. He said, "They showed me
pictures of some women. I told them that I do not know
any of them. Maybe we happened to be at the same
venues, but I was not with any of them. In a notebook
of one of the women my name was written. Maybe it was
because I am famous. The most interesting thing was,
when we were taken for a health check-up, everyone
covered their faces. As a reflex, I also covered my
face. There were lots of journalists. After
interrogation, I was released."
In a separate box, the daily wrote that the US State
Dept. issued its annual "Human Trafficking Report."
The report noted that Turkey had taken important steps
against international women trafficking. END TEXT.
¶3. (U) Published Friday, June 11, 2004 by Aksam Newspaper
(FBIS translation):
TITLE: NATO's Istanbul Cooperation Initiative, by Yavuz
Gokalp Yildiz
BEGIN TEXT: "The decisions NATO will be making at the
Istanbul summit will shape world politics. It appears
that the decisions will be made in line with the United
States' interests. The steps toward involving NATO more
extensively in the Greater Middle East are an
indication of this.
In practice, the Greater Middle East is being divided
into several regions. There are plans to form a
Mediterranean Dialogue group consisting of "Grey Area"
countries like Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia,
Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Syria, Lebanon, Kuwait, and the
United Arab Emirates. Here is a noteworthy plan to
establish military cooperation between Arab countries
and Israel.
These countries will not be included in partnership
mechanisms but in a status similar to the Partnership
for Peace (PFP). The Istanbul Cooperation Initiative is
being formed with this purpose in mind. The plan is to
make it possible for willing regional countries to take
part in this initiative. The apparent aim is: a) To
fight terrorism. b) To prevent the proliferation of
weapons of mass destruction c) To fight arms, drugs,
and human trafficking. d) To carry out civilian
emergency planning. e) To promote international
military cooperation.
Subtitle: NATO in Greater Middle East
As for the plan to broaden NATO's area of influence in
the Middle East, here is what it involves:
a. Encouraging reforms that will integrate the defense
structure of regional countries with NATO.
b. Stepping up support for the efforts to increase
regional countries' capabilities for conducting joint
operations.
c. Establishing NATO "Contact Bureaus" in regional
countries.
d. Appointing a NATO Special Envoy who will be
responsible for coordinating activities in the region.
e. Restructuring the management of the PFP fund.
f. Establishing a "Multinational Anti-Terror Unit" at
brigade level with the contributions of regional
countries.
These plans indicate that NATO's center of gravity is
shifting out of Europe. Another indication of this is
the United States' plan for the deployment of its
troops outside the US homeland. The United States is
abandoning its current basing policies, which entail
big investments. It is planning to intervene rapidly in
crises by establishing Forward Operation Bases with
ready infrastructures and resources close to crisis
areas. The United States will maintain a smaller number
of troops here to be rotated every six months. Places
like Cyprus are important from the viewpoint of this
plan. END TEXT.
¶4. (U) Published Thursday, June 10, 2004 by Turkish
language Hurriyet Newspaper, page 3:
BEGIN TEXT: Fatimat Magomedova from Dagistan and
Anastasia Kuznetsova from Russia, were lured last
weekend to Antalya with false promises of work as
babysitters, and then forced to go to Bursa. The two
women were put in a house in the Nilufer district and
were marketed at high prices to Bursa's rich and
famous. During the last two days they were locked in
the house and prevented from going out.
In broken Turkish, the two women wrote the following
note on a piece of paper, 'Friends, please call. Tell
them this number. My name is Anastasia. Pimps
kidnapped us.' They threw the note out from the
balcony. A resident of the same apartment complex
found the note and took it to the police station in
Nilufer.
Police came with a locksmith and opened the door and
saved Magomedova (34) and Kuznetsova (26).
Recep Tan (34), who allegedly locked the women in the
house, was detained. In the search police found five
passports that belonged to foreign women.
The two women who were saved said that the person who
was mediating for prostitution was Nilgun Tanguc (30).
END TEXT.
¶5. (U) Published Tuesday, June 8, 2004 by English language
Turkish Daily News:
TITLE: Ankara Chamber of Commerce: Turkish mafia is a
serious domestic threat
BEGIN TEXT: According to an Ankara Chamber of Commerce
(ATO) report, "Our lives are mafia," and organized
crime is involved in 100 sectors in Turkey.
Turkish black market operations equal almost one-
quarter of Turkey's national income, says the report,
which notes that while Turkish national income is $238
billion, Turkish black-market operations are estimated
at around $60 billion per annum.
Approximately 17,000 individuals were taken into
custody by the police between 1998 and 2002 for being
members of organized crime, with 4,182 of them arrested
for involvement in 3,012 criminal acts.
The report notes that the capital of organized crime is
Istanbul. Police records show that Istanbul's Anti-
organized Crime Bureau, which was founded in 1998, had
eliminated 454 criminal gangs by 2003. These gangs were
party to 325 criminal acts, only in Istanbul, the
report noted.
Other cities in which the mafia presence can be felt
are reportedly Adana, Ankara, Aydin, Antalya,
Balikesir, Bursa, Gaziantep, Icel (Mersin), Kayseri,
Kocaeli and Samsun.
The biggest organized criminal activity is the
collection of parking fees on major streets in large
cities. Those who fail to pay the fee are beaten or
their cars are damaged. It was noted in the report
that, assuming that parking fees range between TL 2 and
TL 10 million, the annual revenue of such gangs
approach trillions of lira.
Bodily organs, property, check, children and bid mafias
are also noted as being common, said the report. Drugs,
gold, gambling, rent collection, prostitution,
transportation, construction, licensing, cigarettes,
arms, bazaars, beggars, shanty houses, coffee houses,
human trafficking, pornography, books, music,
historical artifacts, phone tapping and jails are some
of the other areas the mafia is involved in, said the
report.
The methods the mafia employs include murder, wounding,
beating, raids, threats and rape. Having a criminal
record of beating or wounding is considered an
advantage in the mafia.
The Turkish mafia has some special characteristics,
which include total obedience to the leader, an
organizational structure close to a corporate system
and the place of origin figuring prominently in
advancement. Those with a record usually obtain a phony
passport.
Media reports on the top people of mafia usually work
in favor of the organization, creating either fear or
respect.
Policeman Mahmut Cengiz's survey of people linked to
the mafia was also included in the report. According to
it, 54 percent are married, three-quarters come from
families larger than four members, 10 percent are
university graduates and the TV shows they watch are
devoted almost entirely to the mafia. If they had had
the opportunity, they would have wanted to become
engineers or bureaucrats.
ATO President Sinan Aygun said that the mafia had
become a threat to domestic security in recent years,
noting that gaps within the system produce both
criminals and victims. He said people had started to
think that following laws were foolish, when things
could run more smoothly with the help of the mafia. END
TEXT.
¶6. (U) Broadcast Tuesday, June 8, 2004 by Turkish news
television station NTV:
TITLE: Mafia major factor in economy: report
BEGIN TEXT: June 8 - The Turkish mafia has control of a
significant part of the country's economy, according to
a report released on Monday.
Illegal activities are weighing down the legitimate
economy, the report said.
According to the study, undertaken by the Ankara
Chamber of Commerce, mafia activities are equivalent in
value to almost 25 percent of the Turkish economy. More
than 100 separate sectors of the economy have been
penetrated by illegal organisations, the report said.
The direct value of mafia related activities was
estimated at approximately $60 billion, more than half
the state budget for 2004, the report stated.
Not only was the mafia involved in trafficking,
prostitution and loan sharking, it also kidnapped young
children from poor families and sold them and bought
and sold organs for transplants and operations.
"The mafia has in the past few years become one of
Turkey's main internal threats," Sinan Aygn, the head
of the ATO, wrote in the study. "The mafia economy is
weighing on the national economy." END TEXT.
¶7. (U) Published Tuesday, June 8, 2004 by the
International Herald Tribune, Al-Jazeera, the Guardian,
Atlanta Journal Constitution, Miami Herald, Fort Worth Star
Telegram, Houston Chronicle, Seattle Post Intelligencer, and
regional papers throughout the United States.
TITLE: Turkish mafia tightens grip on economy
BEGIN TEXT: ANKARA: The Turkish mafia has an
increasingly vice-like grip on the country's economy
and its tentacles are reaching out into ever increasing
areas of activity, a report revealed on Monday.
According to the report, drawn up by Ankara's Chamber
of Commerce, organized-crime activities currently
generate over $60 billion in the black economy in about
100 different sectors each year, equivalent to a
quarter of the entire national income.
Apart from the mafia's traditional activities such as
trafficking in women and children, people smuggling and
drugs and arms dealing, the Turkish mafia has branched
out into less orthodox areas like organ and baby
trafficking and the organization of fixed soccer
matches.
An organ such as a kidney purchased from a poverty-
stricken donor for a derisory sum can be sold for
between $61,500 to $123,000 in Turkey or abroad, the
report said.
Organs are often removed from individuals kidnapped
specifically for that purpose, according to the report.
Very young children from poor families purchased or
abducted from their families are sold to rich couples
or forced into a life of begging on the streets of
Istanbul or Ankara.
One of the most lucrative areas of activity for the
gangs involves the purchase of plots of urban land
cheaply - often through intimidation - which are then
transformed into car parks, in short supply in the
major cities.
The report said television was to blame for painting a
false picture of mafia members in popular programs as
Robin Hood characters who simply rob the rich to help
the poor, thereby encouraging impressionable youngsters
to follow in their footsteps. END TEXT.
¶8. (U) Published Tuesday, June 08, 2004 by English
language Turkish Daily News:
TITLE: Aksu: 10,000 policemen will be brought in for
NATO summit
BEGIN TEXT: Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu said on
Sunday that 10,000 policemen from outside Istanbul
would be deployed in order to provide security during
the NATO summit.
Speaking to journalists after the ruling Justice and
Development Party (AK Party) Istanbul bureau assessment
meeting, Aksu said the NATO summit in Istanbul was very
important for Turkey, noting that heads of state and
government and chiefs of general staff from between 60
to 65 countries would be attending the meeting.
He said they had thought about every detail of the
summit and that a guiding committee, headed by a
Foreign Ministry diplomat, would oversee the
proceedings with the Gendarmerie, police and coastguard
all cooperating to ensure the security of the event,
adding that 10,000 additional policemen from outside
Istanbul would be brought in to boost security.
It was only natural for groups and individuals to air
their democratic grievances during the summit, said
Aksu, noting that in addition to the meeting places
assigned for such gatherings, they had listed 16 more
such areas that could be used to stage rallies.
At the same press conference, Aksu stated that
terrorist groups were involved in international drug
trafficking and that Turkey had signed agreements with
48 countries to cooperate in preventing this illicit
trade.
Turkey had made significant strides in the past year to
eliminate this crime, said Aksu, before revealing that
the largest drug seizures were made in Istanbul.
Apart from terrorism, the entire world was united in
combating human and drug trafficking, said Aksu, who
went on to say that in the past five years, 470,000
illegal migrants and 4,000 people involved in people-
smuggling had been caught. The human traffickers so far
arrested represented 63 different nationalities, said
Aksu, explaining that these people cooperated with
terrorist groups from time to time.
He said due to precautions taken by Turkish police, the
main route of human trafficking had moved to the north
of the Black Sea and to the south of the Mediterranean.
END TEXT.
¶9. (U) Published Monday, June 07, 2004 by Turkish language
Cumhuriyet Newspaper page 3:
TITLE: "Boss Ainura of Kyrgyistan"
BEGIN TEXT: Ainura Tusunbekova was arrested as the
leader of a prostitution gang luring Kyrgyz girls with
an ad "Employment for those who want to serve as
helpers (bakici) in Turkey" and sending them to Turkey.
Operations are due to begin at the Kyrgyistan leg of an
international prostitution gang disclosed in Istanbul.
The police got in touch with their Kyrgyz counterparts
in order to capture Ainura Tusunbekova who is the gang
leader.
The Istanbul police conducted an operation when a while
ago a woman speaking in broken Turkish called from a
house in the Fatih district and claimed that she was
kept in the house, raped and sold to other men.
Halim Akgun, a pimp, was captured in a three-story
house in Fatih and eight Kyrgyz-citizen women who were
raped and sold to men were liberated.
Testimonies of the women demonstrated the bitter face
of the gang involved in international prostitution.
Women who were deceived and were forced into
prostitution in Turkey said, "In a Kyrgyz newspaper
there was an ad for nannies for kids in Turkey. When
we called the number, a woman said that her husband in
Turkey would arrange a nanny job. s eight women we
came to Istanbul Halim Akgun met us and took us to a
house in Fatih. When we entered the house he said,
'You all owe me $4000. I'll sell you to men for you to
pay me back.' Akgun tied up the arms and legs of the
girls and raped us threatening us with arms. Many of
us were virgins."
Akgun was captured during the operation in Fatih and
after completing police procedures he was sent to the
judiciary. He was arrested and put into jail. END
TEXT.
COMMENT: The newspaper published the pictures of the
girls, as well as Tusunbekova and Akgun. A caption said
that the eight girls were returned to their countries.
END TEXT.
¶10. (U) Published Monday, June 6, 2004 by Zaman Turkish
language newspaper (nationwide distribution):
TITLE: The Ubiquitous Mafia
BEGIN TEXT: According to "Our Life, Mafia report,"
prepared by the Ankara Chamber of Commerce, the mafia
is active in over 100 localities.
The report estimated that throughout the world,
organized crime roughly earns US$1trillion annually.
Organized crime in Turkey makes US$60 billion annually,
a quarter of the total national income and half of the
government's 2004 budget.
The mafia has its greatest presence in Istanbul where
in 2002, 1,637 were committed in Istanbul alone. The
Istanbul Organized Crime Directorate, in response to
the high level of activity, busted 454 criminal
organizations, and caught 325 gang leaders.
Other provinces where networks of criminal activity
exist are in Adana, Ankara, Aydin, Antalya, Balykesir,
Bursa, Gaziantep, Icel, Izmir, Kayseri, Kocaeli and
Samsun. The report concluded that the most common,
illegal activity of criminal organizations is parking
lot fee collection.
The report found that the mafia shared the streets and
roads of big cities and collected parking fees via
parking attendants they hired. When considered that
there are around two million cars in Istanbul, Ankara
and Izmir -- the three largest cities in Turkey -- and
the parking fees in these cities vary between 2-10
million Turkish liras, the annual turnover of a single
mafia network is over trillions of Turkish liras.
"Land mafia, check-bond mafia, organ mafia, child mafia
and tender mafia" follow the parking lot mafia in
presence.
A questionnaire conducted among mafia members by Mahmut
Cengiz, a security forces employer known for his
scientific studies on the mafia, is also included in
the report. The questionnaire found that 54 percent of
mafia members are married. Three fourths are from
families with at least 4-members, and 10 percent are
university graduates. The TV series they watch the
most are about the mafia. If they have the chance to
study, they would become bureaucrats or engineers. END
TEXT.
¶11. (U) Published Sunday, June 6, 2004 by Anadolu News
Agency:
TITLE: Aksu: Turkey Captured 470 Thousand Illegal
Immigrants In Last Five Years
BEGIN TEXT: ABANT - Turkish Interior Minister
Abdulkadir Aksu has said, "our security forces captured
470 thousand illegal immigrants in the last five years
as they were trying to proceed to European countries
via Turkey."
Replying to questions from journalists, Aksu said on
Sunday, "our security forces captured 470 thousand
illegal immigrants from 63 different countries in the
last five years as they were trying to proceed to
European countries via Turkey. Also, 4 thousand human
smugglers were captured. Human smugglers often co-
operate with terrorist organizations."
Noting that illicit drug trafficking happened among the
most important sources that finance terrorist
organizations, Aksu added, "following the September
11th attacks, the United States have exerted great
efforts to improve co-operation in fight against
terrorism. Turkey has signed agreements with 48
countries to co-operate in fight against illicit drug
trafficking and terrorism." END TEXT.
¶12. (U) Published Saturday, June 5, 2004 by the Associated
Press:
TITLE: N.J. not immune to human trafficking problems,
congressman says; By DONNA DE LA CRUZ, The Associated
Press
BEGIN TEXT: WASHINGTON - The small New Jersey towns of
Brigantine and Plainfield tout themselves as family
friendly places. The two towns also share the infamous
distinction of being linked to the worldwide problem of
trafficking young girls and women who are forced to
work as prostitutes or domestic servants.
"Human trafficking has become a negative suburban
phenomenon," Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., said in a recent
interview in his Capitol Hill office.
Smith, vice chairman of the House International
Relations Committee, said millions of young girls and
women are trafficked each year. He said many of these
victims are smuggled into the United States to work in
large cities and small hamlets, like Brigantine and
Plainfield, two of several New Jersey communities where
trafficking victims have been found.
Earlier this year, a Malaysian citizen was arrested for
allegedly operating a brothel he ran from his
Brigantine home, employing women smuggled into the
country from Asia. And in the summer of 2002, federal
authorities charged several people with luring Mexican
girls and women to work as prostitutes in Plainfield.
Two of the defendants later pleaded guilty and were
sentenced to 210 months in prison.
Smith wrote the Victims of Trafficking and Violence
Protection Law, the nation's first law that deals
specifically with human trafficking. The law provides
investigators with resources to prosecute offenders and
money to help victims. He also authored the Trafficking
Victims Protection Act that expanded on the
government's abilities to fight human trafficking.
President Bush signed both laws in 2000 and 2003.
The laws also require the State Department to issue an
annual "Trafficking in Persons Report" to Congress -
known as the TIP Report - that identifies countries
that are found to have significant human trafficking
problems.
The fourth annual report, due to be issued June 14, is
a diplomatic tool that the U.S. government uses to
encourage countries to crack down on human trafficking,
which is third only to drug and arms trafficking in
terms of reaping financial benefits for criminals, said
John Miller, head of the State Department's Office to
Combat and Monitor Trafficking in Persons. Countries
that do little or nothing to deal with the problem can
face sanctions, Miller said.
In the 2003 report, 15 countries, including U.S. allies
Greece and Turkey, were deemed to have made no
significant efforts to stop human trafficking.
"The public is becoming more aware in the last couple
of years but you still have large elements of the
public that would say 'Slavery? Didn't that end with
the American Civil War?' And that's true abroad as
well. This doesn't affect a lot of people, and it comes
to a shock to them," Miller said.
The U.S. government estimates that between 18,000 to
20,000 young girls and women are trafficked into the
United States, but that number could actually be
higher, said Avaloy Lanning, director of the New Jersey
Anti-Trafficking Initiative.
"It's such a hidden phenomenon," Lanning said. "It's so
hidden, because there are cases that may not lend
themselves to arrest or prosecution."
Some victims are afraid to cooperate with authorities,
fearing retribution against themselves or their
families back home, she said.
Human trafficking in New Jersey is widespread because
of the state's makeup, Lanning said.
"We have a high concentration of factory labor and
commercialized workers in the north and a huge
concentration of farm labor in the south," she said.
"And the state's proximity to New York City and
Philadelphia makes New Jersey ripe for the problem."
The International Institute of New Jersey started the
anti-trafficking initiative one year ago in an effort
to establish guidelines on how to identify victims and
help them. The institute held its first statewide anti-
trafficking conference in March, bringing together
human rights and other community organizations, and
legal and law enforcement personnel, Lanning said.
From that conference, the New Jersey Coalition Against
Human Trafficking was formed, and there will be two
meetings held at the end of June - one in north Jersey
and one in the southern part of the state - to discuss
ways to battle human trafficking, Lanning said.
Lanning and Miller credit Smith for taking a leading
role to battle human trafficking.
"He took charge of drafting the bills and he pushed it
through the House of Representatives," said Miller, a
former Republican congressman from Washington State.
"Because of that, the United States has been able to
assume a leadership role in opposing slavery around the
world. And more importantly, thousands of victims have
been freed and hundreds of traffickers have been thrown
in jail."
"This sort of work that he is doing ... mankind will
thank him for in future generations," Miller said.
Smith has traveled extensively to discuss the problem
of human trafficking with other government officials,
and has met many victims.
"You just have to look into one of those young girls'
eyes just to see the despair," Smith said. "So many get
sick, get AIDS or other kinds of sexually transmitted
diseases, become throwaways and they die."
Smith says his Catholic faith is why he became involved
with human rights issues ever since he was elected to
Congress in 1980. He recited part of the Gospel
scripture that motivates his work.
"Whatever you do to the least of my brethren you do
likewise to me," Smith said, quoting scripture. "For
me, it's all about caring for those who are
disenfranchised - that's what government should be all
about." END TEXT.
¶13. (U) Broadcast May 29, 2004 by Islamabad PTV World (FBIS
Transcribed Text):
TITLE: Pakistan, Turkey Joint Commission to Boost
Security Cooperation, Fight Terrorism
BEGIN TEXT: Pakistan and Turkey have agreed to form a
joint commission to gear up cooperation in the field of
security and counter-terrorism. This was announced by
the interior ministers of the two countries at a joint
news conference in Islamabad. The commission--to be
headed by the interior secretaries of Pakistan and
Turkey--will meet twice a year to review the
implementation of the agreements on fighting global
terrorism, drug abuse, and human trafficking.
Earlier, the two leaders held a meeting to discuss the
regional and international situation. Federal Interior
Minister Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat said Pakistan and
Turkey had agreed to work closely in various fields to
boost mutual cooperation. Turkish Interior Minister
Abdulkadir Aksu said Pakistan and Turkey would jointly
play a positive role in countering international
terrorism. END TEXT.
EDELMAN