Antiterrorism Assistance Program

Definition/Scope: The Antiterrorism Assistance Program (ATA) is a program within the Department of State(DOS) that trains civilian security and law enforcement personnel from friendly governments in police procedures that deal with terrorism. The DOS officers work with the host country’s government and a team from that country’s U.S. mission to develop the most effective means of training for bomb detection, crime scene investigation, airport and building security, maritime protections, and VIP protection. DOS assesses the training needs, develops the curriculum, and provides the resources to conduct the training. The bureau uses its own training experts as well as those from other U.S. federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, police associations, and private security firms and consultants. Most ATA program recipients are developing nations lacking human and other resources needed to maintain an effective antiterrorism program and infrastructure. ATA training seeks to address deficiencies noted in the ability to perform the following areas: protecting national borders, protecting critical infrastructure, protecting national leadership, responding to and resolving terrorist incidents, managing critical terrorists incidents having national-level implications.

Acronym:

ATA

Broader Terms:

Bureau of Diplomatic Security
Department of State
foreign affairs

Narrower Terms:

border security
counterterrorism
police
security officer
terrorist
training

Related Terms:

core state
law enforcement
rogue state
transition state