USA and Quatar sign Letter of Intent on Bilateral Security Initiatives

Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and Qatari Minister of State for Interior Affairs HE Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani signed a letter of intent to expand collaboration between the two nations on bilateral initiatives to enhance security for American and Qatari citizens.

"Homeland security does not begin at America's borders-it starts with our international partnerships to detect and deter terrorists and other individuals who pose a threat to citizens around the world," said Secretary Napolitano. "This agreement will help us expand collaboration with Qatar in order to better protect the citizens of both nations against the evolving threats we face."

The letter of intent signed today recognizes expanded coordination between the United States and Qatar, and outlines several areas for expanded collaboration-including:

• Strengthened information sharing about individuals with ties to terrorism and serious crime;
• Enhanced passenger screening at airports;
• Sharing of best practices for document screening, behavior detection capabilities and efforts to combat bulk cash smuggling and money laundering; and
• New partnerships to enhance international aviation security, cybersecurity, disaster response and emergency preparedness, and the protection of critical infrastructure and key resources.

The letter of intent builds on the Obama administration's historic coordination on homeland security issues with Middle East partners-leveraging the shared commitment of the United States and its allies abroad to work together to crack down on terrorism and serious crime while facilitating legitimate travel and commerce. Secretary Napolitano also discussed with the Minister the importance of effective intelligence and law enforcement action against al Qaeda and other global terrorist organizations.

Secretary Napolitano's visit to Qatar follows stops in Ireland and Afghanistan, where she met with top Afghan officials including President Karzai, Finance Minister Zakhiwal and Interior Minister Mohammadi to discuss progress being made in securing the region and America's commitment to working with Afghanistan to disrupt, dismantle and defeat al Qaeda in the region.

Secretary Napolitano will continue to Israel on Jan. 3-5 and Belgium on Jan. 5-6 to meet with her counterparts and discuss international efforts to ensure the security of our global aviation and supply chain systems against threats of terrorism.