Algiers Counterterrorism Conference : Rare Opportunity On the Right Time, US Official

The conference on counterterrorism to be hosted in Algiers on September 7 and 8 “is a rare opportunity that stands at the right time,” coordinator for counterterrorism at the US Department of State, Daniel Benjamin said on Tuesday.

In an interview APS news agency, Mr Benjamin said “This conference is a rare opportunity presented in the right time for countries of the region and their foreign partners in addition to concerned organizations to discuss means of fighting terrorism, and hopefully to draw up better and new strategies in this regard,” adding “We congratulate Algiers for organizing this conference, and the US is glad to efficiently attend it.”

As for the crisis in Libya and its impact on the African Sahel region regarding the mass circulation of weapons, the US official said his country “is seriously taking reports on weapons falling in hands of terror groups, and yet we are doing our best to carefully look at such reports.”

He further praised the “key and leading role of Algeria in terms of countering terrorism in the region,” adding that “the bilateral cooperation in this field between the two governments (Algeria and the US) is getting stronger than ever, and I’m optimistic for a brighter future for our bilateral partnership.”