Where Industry and Security Intersect
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GOOD MORNING. I AM PLEASED TO BE HERE TODAY, AT MY FIRST UPDATE CONFERENCE, TO SHARE A FEW THOUGHTS.
FIRST I WOULD LIKE TO TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE NEW MANAGEMENT TEAM WE HAVE IN PLACE AT EXPORT ENFORCEMENT. MY DEPUTY LISA PRAGER WAS A CAREER PROSECUTOR WHO TRIED CASES INVOLVING EXPORT CONTROLS AND WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION. I AM ALSO A FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR. I SPENT EIGHT YEARS IN NEW YORK, PROSECUTING TERRORISTS, FROM THE GROUP THAT BOMBED THE WORLD TRADE CENTER IN 1993 TO, MOST RECENTLY, THE FOLLOWERS OF USAMA BIN LADEN WHO ATTACKED OUR EMBASSIES IN EAST AFRICA.
LIKE EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM I WAS SHOCKED AND SADDENED BY WHAT HAPPENED IN NEW YORK AND AT THE PENTAGON ON SEPTEMBER 11. BUT WE CAN TAKE GREAT PRIDE IN HOW THE UNITED STATES REACTED - WITH COURAGE, FORTITUDE AND A TREMENDOUS OUTPOURING OF SUPPORT FOR THE VICTIMS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
AS SOMEONE WHO HAS WORKED WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT FOR MANY YEARS, I WOULD LIKE TO PAY SPECIAL TRIBUTE TO THOSE FALLEN COLLEAGUES IN THE NEW YORK POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES TRYING TO SAVE OTHERS INSIDE THOSE TOWERS. THEY DELIBERATELY WENT INTO UNIMAGINABLE DANGER WITH NO REGARD FOR THEIR OWN SAFETY. EVERY DAY, IN EVERY PART OF AMERICA, SIMILAR ACTS OF COURAGE ARE PERFORMED, OFTEN LITTLE NOTED, OFTEN TAKEN FOR GRANTED. THOSE THAT DIED ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 ARE TRUE HEROES AND THEY SHOULD BE AND THEY WILL BE REMEMBERED.
TERRORISTS CAN ONLY DESTROY, THEY CAN NEVER BUILD. IN THE ATTACK ON THE WORLD TRADE CENTER THEY DESTROYED ONLY ONE SYMBOL OF WHAT THIS NATION CAN ACHIEVE. AMERICA WILL REBUILD AND WE WILL DO SO WITH THE STRENGTH THAT WAS SHOWN IN EVERY QUARTER OF THE NATION IN OUR TIME OF CRISIS.
MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT, AS OF SEPTEMBER 11, THE UNITED STATES IS AT WAR WITH TERRORISM. WE READ MUCH ABOUT THOSE ON THE FRONT LINES OF THE INVESTIGATION, ABOUT THE FBI AND THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY. BUT WE, EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM, HAVE TO DO OUR SHARE. WE OWE IT TO THOSE HEROES WHO DIED ON SEPTEMBER 11 AND TO THOSE THEY LEFT BEHIND TO CONTINUE TO DO OUR JOBS IN THE BEST WAY WE KNOW HOW.
THE FIGHT AGAINST PROLIFERATION IS NO LONGER THEORETICAL; IT IS NO LONGER A SECTION IN A GLOSSY HANDOUT OR A POWERPOINT SLIDE. IT IS PRACTICAL - IT MEANS NOT ARMING OR PROVIDING TECHNOLOGY TO TERRORISTS OR TERRORIST-SUPPORTING NATIONS.
WE ARE FIGHTING TERRORISTS WHERE THEY LIVE , WHERE THEY WORK AND WHERE THEY SHOP FOR THE TOOLS AND TECHNOLOGY THEY NEED TO LAUNCH FUTURE ATTACKS. IN EXPORT ENFORCEMENT, WE ARE FIGHTING THE SPREAD OF WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION TO THE STATES THAT SUPPORT AND HARBOR TERRORISTS. THE EXPORT COMMUNITY NEEDS TO JOIN US IN THIS FIGHT.
YOU ARE THE GATEKEEPERS OF THE TECHNOLOGY THAT TERRORISTS SEEK. EACH DAY WE ARE CONFRONTED WITH PRESS REPORTS OF TERRORISTS SEEKING THE MEANS TO DELIVER CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS INSIDE THE UNITED STATES. IN THE INDICTMENT THE UNITED STATES FILED AGAINST BIN LADEN BACK IN 1998 WE CHARGED THAT, EVEN THEN, HE WAS TRYING TO OBTAIN NUCLEAR WEAPONS.
IT IS YOUR EXPORT COMPLIANCE PROGRAMS, AND OUR EFFORTS HERE AT EXPORT ENFORCEMENT, THAT WILL BE THE FRONT LINE IN PREVENTING SUCH TECHNOLOGY FROM FALLING INTO THE HANDS OF TERRORISTS OR STATE SPONSORS OF TERRORISM.
HERE ARE SIX THINGS YOU CAN DO TO HELP:
WHILE WE CONTINUE ON AT EXPORT ENFORCEMENT WITH OUR OVERALL MISSION OF ENFORCING EXPORT CONTROL LAWS, WE HAVE TAKEN SEVERAL STEPS TO REFOCUS THOSE EFFORTS ON THE THREAT TERRORISM POSES TO OUR NATIONAL SECURITY.
AT EXPORT ENFORCEMENT, OUR INTELLIGENCE ANALYSTS HAVE REDOUBLED THEIR EFFORTS IN REVIEWING VISA APPLICATIONS, PLACING SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON THOSE FROM COUNTRIES OF CONCERN. THEY HAVE IDENTIFIED A NUMBER OF SIGNIFICANT LEADS THAT ARE BEING FOLLOWED UP BY OUR OFFICE OF EXPORT ENFORCEMENT.
OUR AGENTS IN THE FIELD ARE DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THE INVESTIGATION OF THE SEPTEMBER 11 ATTACKS. WE HAVE AGENTS IN NEW YORK WORKING SIDE-BY-SIDE WITH THE FBI'S JOINT TERRORIST TASK FORCE. AGENTS FROM OUR COMPUTER EVIDENCE TEAM - ONE OF THE MOST FORWARD LOOKING COMPUTER EVIDENCE RECOVERY UNITS IN ALL OF LAW ENFORCEMENT - ARE ASSISTING WITH THE EXPLOITATION OF THE MOUNTAIN OF INFORMATION SEIZED FROM COMPUTERS. THEY ARE ALSO WORKING TO SET UP DATA BASES THAT WILL BE USEFUL THROUGH THE COURSE OF THIS LONG TERM INVESTIGATION.
OTHER OFFICE OF EXPORT ENFORCEMENT AGENTS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY CONTINUE TO RUN DOWN LEADS, INTERVIEW WITNESSES AND JOIN THEIR FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT COLLEAGUES IN THE FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM. THESE AGENTS BRING A UNIQUE EXPERTISE TO THIS FIGHT AND WE INTEND TO MAKE IT AVAILABLE.
AS UNDER SECRETARY JUSTER MENTIONED, WE ARE SEEKING MORE RESOURCES FOR PRE-LICENCE CHECKS AND POST-SHIPMENT VERIFICATIONS. WE ARE LOOKING TO STATION PERMANENT EXPORT CONTROL ATTACHES OVERSEAS IN KEY TRANSHIPMENT COUNTRIES. WE ARE ALSO SEEKING RESOURCES TO SEND EXPERIENCED AGENTS OVERSEAS FOR LONG-TERM DETAILS SO THAT MORE CHECKS CAN BE PERFORMED.
AT PAST UPDATE CONFERENCES MUCH TIME WAS DEVOTED TO THE STATE OF EXPORT ENFORCEMENT. TO RECITATION OF HISTORICAL CASES AND PAST ACCOMPLISHMENTS. I DO NOT THINK THAT IS APPROPRIATE TODAY. I WILL GIVE YOU THE STATE OF EXPORT ENFORCEMENT IN ONE SENTENCE. EXPORT ENFORCEMENT IS READY. READY TO SEEK OUT VIOLATORS AND SEE THAT THEY ARE PUNISHED. READY TO ENFORCE THE ANTIBOYCOTT LAWS AGAINST THOSE WHO WOULD SEEK TO HARM OUR ALLIES THROUGH UNSANCTIONED BOYCOTTS. IN SHORT EXPORT ENFORCEMENT IS READY TO DO OUR PART IN THE ALL IMPORTANT EFFORT TO PROTECT NATIONAL SECURITY.
I KNOW YOU ARE READY TO JOIN US. THANK YOU.
In April of 2002 the Bureau of Export Administration (BXA) changed its name to the Bureau of Industry and Security(BIS). For historical purposes we have not changed the references to BXA in the legacy documents found in the Archived Press and Public Information.