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MANAMA, Bahrain (May 28, 2009) - Commanders
from the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility gathered in
Bahrain May 20 - 22, for the USCENTCOM Commander's Conference to
discuss regional security issues and approaches to these
challenges.
The conference, hosted by U.S. Naval Forces Central Command,
brought together Gen. David Petraeus, Commander, USCENTCOM, Gen.
Ray Odierno, Commanding General, Multi-National Force-Iraq, Vice
Adm. Bill Gortney, Commander, NAVCENT, Lt. Gen. William Webster,
Commanding General, U.S. Army Central Command and Lt. Gen. Gary
North, U.S. Air Forces Central Command, among others.
At the conference, commanders discussed various issues including
operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, as well as counter-piracy efforts
off the coast of Somalia.
"We face, in this region, a number of interrelated threats and
challenges, from transnational to state-centric, to those who blur
the lines between the two," said Petraeus. "At the transnational
level, violent extremism is, needless to say, the most pressing
challenge. Al-Qaeda and its affiliates pose the greatest such
threat to many states in the region."
U.S. commanders also talked about the security architecture in
place throughout the region and the need for cooperative
comprehensive approaches with regional partners.
"Such approaches involve significantly more than the application
of just military or kinetic action," said Petraeus. "In fact, they
must do far more if they are to address not just the symptoms of
current challenges, but also their underlying causes. The lack of
sustainable economic development in certain parts of this region,
for example, is not just a social or humanitarian issue it is a
serious security concern as well."
Piracy, threats to the maritime environment and the need for
continued cooperation with Coalition and regional partners through
Maritime Security Operations was also discussed by commanders
during the conference.
"The complex threats that we face at sea require cooperative
solutions," said Gortney. "We will continue to work with our
partners in the region to respond to these challenges and help
ensure peace and stability in the region. U.S. Naval forces have
operated in the region for six decades and we'll be here for many
more to come."
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