(L to R) Maj. Gen. Teramon Roeksbutr, Special Advisor to Special Warfare Command, Royal Thai Army; Lt. Col. Hau Hung Tran, Chief of Planning Division, Vietnam Ministry of Defense, Institute for International Relations; and Sr. Col. Le Xuan Kien, Director of Reconnaissance Faculty, National Defense Academy, Vietnam, pose for a photo during a conference break.

Cmdr. Kimio Kumagai, Executive Officer, Special Boarding Unit, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, and Col. Francis Agwi, Chief of Defence Intelligence, HQ Papua New Guinea Defence Forces, engage in conversation.

The crime/terrorist connection has profound organizational implications for inter-regional cooperation. Professor Phil Williams, Director of the Ridgeway Center for International Security Studies at the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, suggested as early as 1998 that “Criminal networks have become borderless while law enforcement agencies are still constrained by national borders.” Mr. Williams concludes, “Government and law enforcement agencies have to think and act much more in network terms; they need to develop the same kind of flexibility to operate both nationally and transnationally through the creation of informal transnational law enforcement networks based on trust that is exhibited by drug-trafficking networks. Greater care also needs to be given to devising strategies for more effective attacks.” What Prof. Williams described was exactly the situation confronting PASOC 2004.

Singapore Armed Forces Col. Ho Kiat Chng and U.S. Army Col. Andrew Burton share a laugh during a break.

Singapore Army Maj. Tee Jong Foo and New Zealand Army Maj. Rian McKinstry share views during a break in the conference.

Attendees learned how transnational threats link to regional security. They learned that, though collective capabilities are mighty, even cooperating countries can only do so much. Crime, both on land and at sea, will always exist. Therefore, efforts must concentrate on those activities that sever connections between criminals and terrorists and on activities that dissuade the criminal from establishing relationships with terrorists or insurgents.

Finally, the organizational solutions offered by the conference attendees were remarkably similar. In short, regional authorities – with special operations forces playing a key role – must determine how to “network” or “fuse” all appropriate legal, military, and international interdiction agencies, so they respond quickly to the movements of traffickers and terrorists. Although this is often easier said than done, the organizational model for this is well established. Most nations in the region have significant military coalition experience. Whether from operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, Timor-Leste, or combined exercises, regional special operation forces are adept in working with counterparts from sister services and from other countries. The one element that requires improvement, however, is the linking or fusing of interdiction forces at a lower level than what is now the norm. The Thai delegates best stated this when they challenged the often-used intelligence maxim, “need to know” and advanced a new philosophy – “need to share.”

The need to share information between agencies and allies alike was the salient point of the conference. As Brig. Gen. Trebon concluded, “If one agency, or government has, but does not readily share, information relevant to the CT [counter terrorist] efforts of another . . . the terrorist, not the agency or country will benefit. But, by working together, we can lead the way to a future our children all deserve . . . free from terror . . . a future made possible by a wide range of effective offensive policing and military activities which will eliminate those who made the mistake of choosing to employ the cowardly weapon of terror.”

The message of PASOC 2004 was clear. Through teamwork the nations of the region can better deal with threats – whether terrorist or criminal – and bring about a better future for our citizens.

(L to R) Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) Maj. Zulkiflee Hanafiah; Lt. Col. Klaimanee Wiphusana, Special Warfare School, Royal Thai Army; and RBAF Maj. Sigar bin Apoi engage in a discussion.

(L to R) Lt. Col. William Janguan, Commanding Officer, 2 Royal Pacific Islands Regiment, Papua New Guinea Defence Forces; U.S. Army Lt. Col. Kim A. Rapacz assigned to Special Operations Command, Pacific; Cmdr. Satisi Vunipola, Acting Commander, Tongan Naval Division, Tongan Armed Services; and Col. Francis Agwi, Chief of Defence Intelligence, HQ Papua New Guinea Defence Forces, pose for a photo during a conference break.