COMBATING TERRORISM: Actions Needed to Enhance Implementation of Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership

In 2005 through 2008, the key agencies distributed the majority of the obligated and committed resources to countries in the Sahel region, supporting a range of diplomacy, development assistance, and military activities. In 2005 through 2007, the agencies distributed about 74 percent of approximately 230 million obligated to the four countries in the Sahel region, about 3 percent to the countries in the Maghreb region, and about 8 percent to the countries in the sub-Saharan region the remaining 15 percent of the obligations was distributed through regional assistance, such as military exercises in multiple countries. As of June 2008, the agencies expected to distribute about half of approximately 123 million committed for TSCTP for 2008 to the Sahel countries and to distribute the remaining commitments among the Maghreb and Sub-Saharan countries and through regional assistance. The agencies have supported a wide range of activities related to diplomacy, development, and military assistance. For example, State has hosted educational and cultural exchange programs intended to isolate and marginalize violent extremists USAID supported efforts to improve education and health and DOD has provided counterterrorism training in marksmanship and border patrol as well as distributed equipment such as vehicles to the militaries of TSCTP partner countries. Several challenges have hampered the key agencies implementation of TSCTP activities, in some cases limiting their ability to collaborate in working to strengthen countries counterterrorism capacity and inhibit the spread of extremist ideology. No comprehensive, integrated strategy has been developed to guide the programs implementation. The documents used in planning TSCTP activities lack key elements that we have found to be needed in strategies for large interagency programs, such as a clear definition of the programs goals and objectives and milestones linked to these objectives.