It
is an honor to be here. I thank all of
you for coming today. There are several
individuals I would like to acknowledge.
We have already heard from Scott Army
of the General Services Administration.
Thank you for helping us get the funding
for construction of this spacious new
office building. Also, I would like to
thank developer John Harvey, President
and CEO of the Cowperwood Company.
We
are pleased to have U.S. Attorneys Jane
Boyle and Matthew Orwig here, as well
as Chief Judge Joe Fish. There are a number
of former FBI employees joining us today,
including Edwin Dorris -- one of the oldest
former Agents in the country. He is here
with one some of his former colleagues.
And there are many more of you from across
the law enforcement community.
I
also welcome the family of the man to
whom we dedicate this building
his wife Emily Shanklin and granddaughter
Lisa Shanklin. Thank you for joining us.
As
we dedicate this new structure, it is
worth remembering a little of the unique
and sometimes colorful history of the
Dallas Field Office. In the 1930s, Dallas
Agents from what was then the Bureau of
Investigation, assisted in the most elaborate
manhunt the country had ever seen. It
began after outlaws Clyde Barrow and Bonnie
Parker went on a nationwide crime spree
that is believed to have resulted in 13
murders. Through a prescription bottle
found in a car they had stolen in Oklahoma
and abandoned in Michigan, Special Agents
linked the medicine to Clyde Barrow's
aunt. This helped track the killers to
end Bonnie and Clyde's deadly rampage.
Many years later, Dallas was again at
the center of one of our country's most
traumatic national events. The shooting
of President John F. Kennedy stunned all
America. Amidst a nationwide outpouring
of emotion, the Dallas FBI office led
the investigation under the direction
of Special Agent in Charge J. Gordon Shanklin.
He, and all those who worked with him,
labored under tremendous pressure, and
they performed admirably. His outstanding
leadership continues to serve as an example
for all of us.
Today,
the Dallas office continues to compile
an impressive list of accomplishments.
It is the tenth largest field office,
but consistently one of the most productive.
Most of the FBI employees here today had
an integral role in responding to the
9/11 attacks, especially in identifying
the hijackers and establishing their contacts.
Later, they gathered computer evidence
as well as communication and travel information
that helped identify many terrorist associates.
This dedication was initially scheduled
for February. But when the space shuttle
Columbia exploded and the entire team
of astronauts lost their lives, employees
of this office went to work, assisting
with the recovery and identification of
those individuals who gave their lives
so that America and the world might benefit
from their mission into space.
Another area in which this office stands
out is its work on crimes committed against
children. Many of you assisted the Arlington
Police Department on the Amber Hageman
kidnapping. Tragically, she did not survive,
but the case has resulted in the nationwide
public notification system known as "Amber
Alert." It allows information about
the victim and possible suspects to be
broadcast immediately. To date the alerts
have been directly responsible for the
safe return of 53 missing children.
It is important to remember history because
of the lessons we can learn in meeting
new challenges. The challenge before us
today is terrorism. In two years, we have
made substantial progress against al Qaeda
by removing the sanctuary of Afghanistan
and apprehending many of its senior leaders,
including, Wadih al Hage, about whom the
Dallas office helped gather evidence that
led to his receiving a life sentence,
and most recently, Hambali, head of al
Qaeda's operations in Southeast Asia.
But in spite of this progress, Al Qaeda
still seeks to attack us, and they have
the capacity to do so.
Recent terrorist attacks in Bali, Riyadh,
Morocco and Jakarta have been stark reminders
of the deadly threat posed by groups and
individuals with the desire and the ability
to kill. And the threat will likely remain
for some time. Future world trends indicate
that the economic and displacement factors
which breed terrorists will continue.
To succeed against a shadowy and resilient
global enemy, the FBI must also be ready
to pursue the enemy across the globe.
In the last year, the FBI has changed
to focus more on its international role,
and the Dallas office has been at the
forefront of much of that change.
We are working more closely with our international
law enforcement partners. We now produce
a better intelligence product, and this
intelligence information is shared, not
only with law enforcement in the United
States, but throughout the world.
This office has established the Dallas
Intelligence Service Center, or DISC.
Its mission is to provide analysis, disseminate
intelligence information to our partners
and support terrorism investigations.
Cyber security is another global challenge.
A year ago, cyber investigations were
conducted on an ad hoc basis. Now efforts
are coordinated, and we are working more
closely with government and the private
sector to protect against viruses, privacy
invasions, child pornography and fraudulent
e-commerce. The Dallas office has been
a leader in Cyber Security. Its local
chapter of InfraGard -- in which the FBI
works with corporations to prevent cyber
intrusions -- is the largest in the United
States with 700 members.
InfraGard is an outgrowth of the most
important change in the FBI since 9/11
-- partnerships. The FBI has worked to
strengthen our partnerships at all levels,
including internationally. Where Bonnie
and Clyde once roamed from state to state,
terrorists now travel from country to
country. As a result of our presence in
communities across the U.S. and in our
45 international or "Legal Attache"
offices, the FBI has established relations
with our partners in law enforcement.
These alliances have improved our effectiveness
in cases around the world.
We have also set up local and national
task forces in communities across the
country. They are the eyes and ears in
the war against terrorism. Here, the North
Texas Joint Terrorism Task Force has grown
to include over 90 different law enforcement
agencies.
And this office has found other ways to
strengthen national and international
partnerships. The Dallas Emergency Response
Network pools people, skills and equipment
to increase public safety in the event
of an emergency. It serves as a model
for similar programs throughout the nation
and throughout the world.
The reason the Dallas office and the entire
FBI have been able to meet new global
challenges, is because of our people.
It is the dedication, integrity and hard
work of our employees that make the FBI
a very special place in which to work.
As we change to address global challenges,
expectations will be high. But the history
of the Dallas office tells us that the
FBI responds in whatever way needed to
protect the citizens of this country.
With time and effort, the FBI will be
like this new building. It will be better,
stronger, and more modern able
to meet whatever challenges lay ahead.
And it is to that effort which I dedicate
this building and to which I ask that
we in the FBI dedicate ourselves.
Thank you and God Bless you all.