Seminar on the fight against terrorism completed by BSD exercise

The three-day seminar that began on Tuesday, 28 June 2011, included the following topics: types and forms of terrorist threats in the global environment, ways of combating them, and, especially, national and transnational security threats that result from illegal and criminal activities – smuggling, human trafficking, piracy and drug trafficking. The seminar ended with field demonstration carried out by members of the 3^rd Company of the Special Operations Battalion, and members of the Croatian Air Force and Navy.

The field demonstration was attended by MOD State Secretary Pjer Simunovic, Deputy Chief of General Staff for Operations Admiral Zdenko Simicic, BSD Commander, Colonel Nikola Zupanic, representatives of the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, Ministry of Finance, the State Attorney’s Office, Office of the Council for National Security, National Protection and Rescue Directorate and others, while JSOU was represented by Gordon Scott, Chuck Ricks, Joseph Celeski and Rob Mitchell.

During the exercise, stopping and embarking on the ship on which it was smuggled weapons was demonstrated. Exercise participants demonstrated how to, in a well coordinated action, carry out at the same time the procedures of ensuring a suspicious ship at the sea, a force entry to the ship by sea and air and to provide aerial surveillance. DB 82 ship, attack fighter boats Flash and Storm, and the Mi 171 Sh helicopter participated on the exercise as well.
Upon completion of the exercise, MOD State Secretary Pjer Simunovic said: “Croatia is a credible member of the international community and NATO, and as such is committed to a comprehensive, common approach in the fight against terrorism – as against its consequences, the same against its causes. In this sense, our cooperation with the U.S. is valuable, they are our strategic allies, and this three-day seminar highlights the importance and effectiveness of this cooperation”.

Deputy Chief of General Staff for Operations Admiral Zdenko Simicic expressed his satisfaction with the exercise and said that Croatia has already shown a willingness to collaborate with partners and for joint efforts in preventing and combating terrorism. “The engagement of Croatian Armed Forces in ISAF mission in Afghanistan, where our members conduct training of the ANA, is a form of fighting international terrorism. Combating terrorism is a constant battle, it requires a lot of work, a lot of effort and a lot of events like this seminar”, Rear Admiral Simicic said at the end and commended all the exercise participants.