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Press Release

Oregon's United States Attorney Joins President Obama at White House Summit on Countering Violent Extremism

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Oregon

PORTLAND, Ore. – United States Attorney Amanda Marshall is pleased to be in attendance at a Summit on Countering Violent Extremism being hosted by the White House today in Washington, D.C.  The Summit will highlight domestic and international efforts to prevent violent extremists and their supporters from radicalizing, recruiting, or inspiring individuals or groups in the United States and abroad to commit acts of violence, efforts made even more imperative in light of recent, tragic attacks in Ottawa, Sydney, Paris, and Copenhagen.  It is expected that Summit participants will include President Barack Obama, Vice-President Joe Biden, Secretary of State John Kerry, Attorney General Eric Holder, and many others, from all over the world, deeply involved in the efforts to prevent such acts of violence.

The Summit is focused on developing an action agenda to address the rise in violent extremism by bringing together key stakeholders from national and local governments around the world, the private sector, civil society, and religious and youth leaders by identifying and addressing the conditions that can lead individuals to commit violent actions, as well as ways to prevent and intervene where appropriate – both of which are key elements of President Obama’s comprehensive national security strategy, and elements of the U.S. Attorney's strategy here in Oregon.

Individual United States Attorneys’ offices play a role in these efforts, as a critical part of President Obama’s national strategy to prevent violent extremism domestically focuses on partnering on a local level with social service providers, religious leaders, community members and law enforcement agencies to address violent extremism as part of the broader mandate of providing public safety and crime prevention in each of our communities.  A focus of the Summit, and of efforts by U.S. Attorneys, is developing ways to empower local communities by raising awareness and providing them with useful information so that they are better equipped to protect young people from the lure of radicalization.

Recognizing that preventing the spread of violent extremism requires localized, specialized, and expanded efforts, things that the U.S. Attorneys’ offices – along with many of our federal, state and local law enforcement partners – have been fully committed to for several years, and we continue to strive for enhanced open communication and transparency in Oregon.

“Protecting our citizens and our communities means more than finding ways to respond to terrorist incidents,” said U.S. Attorney Amanda Marshall.  “It requires working hand-in-hand with diverse communities to help further our understanding and ability to identify and address the various factors that can lead to radicalization and violence.  My office will continue to fight for those who are threatened because of their ethnicity, race, religion, gender or sexual orientation, and against all violent extremists who threaten the very core of Oregon’s culture of celebrating diversity and renouncing oppression.  I am honored to participate in this Summit, and I look forward to working with Oregonians to carry out this very important work.”

Additional information concerning efforts to prevent violent extremism can be found in an editorial by President Obama, published in today’s edition of the Los Angeles Times.

Marshall was one of five U.S. Attorneys who were invited to attend the Summit.

Updated February 18, 2015

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Community Outreach
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