Testimony of Dale L. Watson, Executive Assistant Director,
Counterterrorism/Counterintelligence Division, FBI
Before the Senate
Select Committee on Intelligence
February 6, 2002
"The Terrorist Threat Confronting the United States"
Good morning Chairman Graham,
Vice-Chairman Shelby and members of the committee. I am Dale
Watson, the Executive Assistant Director of the FBI over counterterrorism
and counterintelligence. I am pleased to have this opportunity
to appear before your committee and I convey Director Mueller's
regrets for not being able to be with you today. This morning
I would like to discuss the domestic and international terrorist
threat facing the United States and the measures the FBI is
taking to address this threat.
The terrorist attack of September
11, 2001, marked a dramatic escalation in a trend toward more
destructive terrorist attacks which began in the 1980s. Before
the September 11 attack, the October 23, 1983 truck bombings
of U.S. and French military barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, which
claimed a total of 295 lives, stood as the most deadly act
of terrorism. The attacks of September 11 produced casualty
figures more than ten times higher than those of the 1983
barracks attacks.
The September 11 attack also
reflected a trend toward more indiscriminate targeting among
international terrorists. The vast majority of the more than
3,000 victims of the attack were civilians. In addition, the
attack represented the first known case of suicide attacks
carried out by international terrorists in the United States.
The September 11 attack also marked the first successful act
of international terrorism in the United States since the
vehicle bombing of the World Trade Center in February 1993.
Despite its unprecedented scope
and destruction, the September 11 attack underscored many
of the trends in international terrorism identified in recent
years by the U.S. intelligence community (Central Intelligence
Agency, National Security Agency, Defense Intelligence Agency,
the Bureau of Intelligence and Research of the State Department,
intelligence elements of the departments of Defense, Treasury,
Energy, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, and intelligence/counterterrorism
elements of the FBI). Among these has been an apparent shift
in operational intensity from traditional sources of terrorism--state
sponsors and formalized terrorist organizations--to loosely
affiliated extremists. This trend has been paralleled by a
general shift in tactics and methodologies among international
terrorists that focus on producing mass casualties. These
trends underscore the serious threat that international
terrorists continue to pose to nations around the world, particularly
the United States.
At the same time, the United
States also faces significant challenges from domestic terrorists.
In fact, between 1980 and 2000, the FBI recorded 335 incidents
or suspected incidents of terrorism in this country. Of these,
247 were attributed to domestic terrorists, while 88 were
determined to be international in nature.
Threats emanating from domestic
and international terrorists will continue to represent a
significant challenge to the United States for the foreseeable
future. Further, as terrorists continue to refine and expand
their methodologies, the threats they pose will become even
greater.
Background
The FBI divides the terrorist
threat facing the United States into two broad categories--domestic
and international.
Domestic terrorism is the unlawful
use, or threatened use, of violence by a group or individual
based and operating entirely within the United States (or
its territories) without foreign direction committed against
persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government,
the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance
of political or social objectives.
International terrorism involves
violent acts or acts dangerous to human life that are a violation
of the criminal laws of the United States or any state, or
that would be a criminal violation if committed within the
jurisdiction of the United States or any state. Acts are intended
to intimidate or coerce a civilian population, influence the
policy of a government, or affect the conduct of a government.
These acts transcend national boundaries in terms of the means
by which they are accomplished, the persons they appear intended
to intimidate, or the locale in which perpetrators operate.
As events during the past several years demonstrate, both
domestic and international terrorist organizations represent
threats to Americans within the borders of the United States.
During the past decade we have
witnessed dramatic changes in the nature of the terrorist
threat. In the 1990s, right-wing extremism overtook left-wing
terrorism as the most dangerous domestic terrorist threat
to the country. During the past several years, special interest
extremism--as characterized by the Animal Liberation Front
(ALF) and the Earth Liberation Front (ELF)--has emerged as
a serious terrorist threat. The FBI estimates that ALF/ELF
have committed approximately 600 criminal acts in the United
States since 1996, resulting in damages in excess of 42 million
dollars.
However, as the events of September
11 demonstrated with horrible clarity, the United States also
confronts serious challenges from international terrorists.
The transnational Al-Qaeda terrorist network headed by Usama
Bin Laden has clearly emerged as the most urgent threat to
U.S. interests. The evidence linking Al-Qaeda and Bin Laden
to the attacks of September 11 is clear and irrefutable. The
law enforcement and military response mounted by the United
States has done much to weaken the organizational structure
and capabilities of Al-Qaeda. Despite the military setbacks
suffered by
Al-Qaeda, however, it must continue to be viewed as a potent
and highly capable terrorist network with cells around the
world. As we hold this hearing, Al-Qaeda is clearly wounded,
but not dead; down but not out.
The FBI has moved aggressively
during the past decade to enhance its abilities to prevent
and investigate acts of terrorism against U.S. interests wherever
they are planned. The FBI operates 44 Legal Attache offices
(Legats) in countries around the world to help ensure that
investigative resources are in place to support the FBI's
expanding focus on counterterrorism and international organized
crime. In the 20 years since President Reagan designated the
FBI as the lead agency for countering terrorism in the United
States, Congress and the Executive Branch have taken important
steps to enhance the federal government's counterterrorism
capabilities. The FBI's counterterrorism responsibilities
were expanded in 1984 and 1986, when Congress passed laws
permitting the Bureau to exercise federal jurisdiction overseas
when a U.S. national is murdered, assaulted, or taken hostage
by terrorists, or when certain U.S. interests are attacked.
Since the mid-1980s, the FBI has investigated more than 500
extraterritorial cases. In addition to the investigation into
the September 11 attack, several other ongoing extraterritorial
investigations rank among the FBI's most high profile cases,
including our investigation into the 1996 bombing of Khobar
Towers in Saudi Arabia, which killed 19 U.S. servicemen; the
bombings of the U.S. Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, which
killed 12 Americans; and the bombing of the USS Cole, which
claimed the lives of 17 U.S. sailors.
As evidenced by our enhanced
ability to conduct counterterrorism investigations overseas,
the evolution of the FBI's response to terrorism during the
past decade reflects the changing dynamics of terrorism. In
the direct aftermath of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing
the FBI began to focus investigative attention on the then-emerging
phenomenon of Sunni extremism and its operational manifestation
in the radical international jihad movement. This effort paid
almost immediate dividends when investigators uncovered and
thwarted a plot by a loosely affiliated group of international
terrorists led by Shaykh Omar Abdel Rahman to bomb landmarks
throughout New York City during the summer of 1993.
This morning, I would like to
briefly discuss the current terrorist threat in the United
States, as well as the FBI's efforts to address the threat
posed by domestic and international terrorists.
Terrorist Threat in the United
States
The threat of terrorism to the
United States remains despite proactive law enforcement efforts
and significant legislative counterterrorism initiatives.
The overall level of terrorist-related acts in the United
States declined in the early 1990s, when compared to figures
for the 1970s and 1980s, but has increased steadily during
the past five years. There were two terrorist acts recorded
in the United States in 1995, three in 1996, four in 1997,
five in 1995, 12 in 1999 and 8 in 2000 (FIGURES COMBINE TERRORIST
INCIDENTS AND SUSPECTED TERRORIST INCIDENTS). While terrorist
designations for the year 2001 are currently being finalized,
one incident, the attack of September 11, produced higher
casualty figures than all previous terrorist incidents in
the United States combined. Relatively high numbers of terrorist
plots prevented by law enforcement in recent years further
underscore the continuing terrorist threat.
Domestic Terrorism
Domestic right-wing terrorist
groups often adhere to the principles of racial supremacy
and embrace antigovernment, antiregulatory beliefs. Generally,
extremist right-wing groups engage in activity that is protected
by constitutional guarantees of free speech and assembly.
Law enforcement becomes involved when the volatile talk of
these groups transgresses into unlawful action.
On the national level, formal
right-wing hate groups, such as the National Alliance, the
World Church of the Creator (WCOTC) and the Aryan Nations,
represent a continuing terrorist threat. Although efforts
have been made by some extremist groups to reduce openly racist
rhetoric in order to appeal to a broader segment of the population
and to focus increased attention on antigovernment sentiment,
racism-based hatred remains an integral component of these
groups' core orientations.
Right-wing groups continue to
represent a serious terrorist threat. Two of the seven planned
acts of terrorism prevented in 1999 were potentially large-scale,
high-casualty attacks being planned by organized right-wing
extremist groups.
The second category of domestic terrorists, left-wing groups,
generally profess a revolutionary socialist doctrine and view
themselves as protectors of the people against the "dehumanizing
effects" of capitalism and imperialism. They aim to bring
about change in the United States and believe that this change
can be realized through revolution rather than through the
established political process. From the 1960s to the 1980s,
leftist-oriented extremist groups posed the most serious domestic
terrorist threat to the United States. In the 1980s, however,
the fortunes of the leftist movement changed dramatically
as law enforcement dismantled the infrastructure of many of
these groups, and the fall of communism in Eastern Europe
deprived the movement of its ideological foundation and patronage.
Terrorist groups seeking to
secure full Puerto Rican independence from the United States
through violent means represent one of the remaining active
vestiges of left-wing terrorism. While these groups believe
that bombings alone will not result in change, they view these
acts of terrorism as a means by which to draw attention to
their desire for independence. During the 1970s and 1980s
numerous leftist groups, including extremist Puerto Rican
separatist groups such as the armed forces for Puerto Rican
National Liberation (FALN--Fuerzas Armadas de Liberacion Nacional
Puertorriquena), carried out bombings on the U.S. mainland,
primarily in and around New York City. However, just as the
leftist threat in general declined dramatically throughout
the 1990s, the threat posed by Puerto Rican extremist groups
to mainland U.S. communities decreased during the past decade.
Acts of terrorism continue to
be perpetrated, however, by violent separatists in Puerto
Rico. As noted, three acts of terrorism and one suspected
act of terrorism have taken place in various Puerto Rican
locales during the past four years. These acts (including
the March 31, 1998 bombing of a superaquaduct project in Arecibo,
the bombings of bank offices in Rio Piedras and Santa Isabel
in June 1998, and the bombing of a highway in Hato Rey in
1999) remain under investigation. The extremist Puerto Rican
separatist group, Los Macheteros, is suspected in each of
these attacks. The FBI has not recorded any acts of terrorism
in Puerto Rico since 1999.
Anarchists and extremist socialist
groups--many of which, such as the workers' world party, reclaim
the streets, and carnival against capitalism, have an international
presence--at times also represent a potential threat in the
United States. For example, anarchists, operating individually
and in groups, caused much of the damage during the 1999 WTO
ministerial meeting in Seattle.The third category of domestic
terrorism, special interest terrorism differs from traditional
right-wing and left-wing terrorism in that extremist special
interest groups seek to resolve specific issues, rather than
effect widespread political change. Special interest extremists
continue to conduct acts of politically motivated violence
to force segments of society, including the general public,
to change attitudes about issues considered important to their
causes. These groups occupy the extreme fringes of animal
rights, pro-life, environmental, anti-nuclear, and other movements.
Some special interest extremists--most notably within the
animal rights and environmental movements--have turned increasingly
toward vandalism and terrorist activity in attempts to further
their causes.
In recent years, the Animal
Liberation Front (ALF)--an extremist animal rights movement--has
become one of the most active extremist elements in the United
States. Despite the destructive aspects of ALF's operations,
its operational philosophy discourages acts that harm "any
animal, human and nonhuman." Animal rights groups in
the United States, including ALF, have generally adhered to
this mandate. A distinct but related group, the Earth Liberation
Front (ELF), claimed responsibility for the arson fires set
at a Vail (Colorado) ski resort in October 1998, which caused
12 million dollars in damages. This incident remains under
investigation. Seven terrorist incidents occurring in the
United States during 2000 have been attributed to either ALF
or ELF. Several additional acts committed during 2001 are
currently being reviewed for possible designation as terrorist
incidents.
International Terrorism
The United States faces a formidable
challenge from international terrorists. The September 11
attack and the bombing of the USS Cole in the Yemenese port
of Aden in October 2000, as well as the prevention of an apparent
attempt by Richard Reid to destroy a Paris-to-Miami flight
in December 2001, underscore the range of threats to U.S.
interests posed by international terrorism.
In general terms, the international
terrorist threat to U.S. interests can be divided into three
categories: the radical international jihad movement, formalized
terrorist organizations, and state sponsors of international
terrorism. Each of these categories represents a threat to
U.S. interests abroad and in the United States.
The most serious international
terrorist threat to U.S. interests today stems from Sunni
Islamic extremists, such as Usama Bin Laden and individuals
affiliated with his
Al-Qaeda organization. Al-Qaeda leaders, including Usama Bin
Laden, had been harbored in Afghanistan since 1996 by the
extremist Islamic regime of the Taliban. Despite recent military
setbacks suffered by the Taliban and the apparent death of
Al-Qaeda operational commander Mohamed Atef resulting from
a U.S. bombing raid, Al-Qaeda must continue to be viewed as
a potent and highly capable terrorist network. The network's
willingness and capability to inflict large-scale violence
and destruction against U.S. persons and interests--as it
demonstrated with the September 11 attack, the bombing of
the USS Cole in October 2000, and the bombings of two U.S.
embassies in east Africa in August 1998, among other plots--makes
it a clear and imminent threat to the United States.
However, the threat from Al-Qaeda
is only a part of the overall threat from the radical international
jihad movement, which is composed of individuals of varying
nationalities, ethnicities, tribes, races, and terrorist group
memberships who work together in support of extremist Sunni
goals. One of the primary goals of Sunni extremists is the
removal of U.S. military forces from the Persian gulf area,
most notably Saudi Arabia. The single common element among
these diverse individuals is their commitment to the radical
international jihad movement, which includes a radicalized
ideology and agenda promoting the use of violence against
the "enemies of Islam" in order to overthrow all
governments which are not ruled by Sharia (conservative Islamic)
law. A primary tactical objective of this movement has been
the planning and implementation of large-scale, high-profile,
high-casualty terrorist attacks against U.S. interests and
citizens, and those of its allies, worldwide.
Richard Reid
On December 22, 2001, Richard C. Reid was arrested after a
flight attendant on American Airlines Flight 63 observed him
attempting to apparently ignite an improvised explosive in
his sneakers while onboard the Paris-to-Miami flight. Aided
by passengers, attendants overpowered and subdued Reid and
the flight was diverted to Logan International Airport in
Boston, Massachusetts.
Evidence strongly suggests that
Reid, who was traveling on a valid British passport, is affiliated
with the Al-Qaeda network. Reid has been indicted on nine
counts, including placing an explosive device on an aircraft
and attempted murder. FBI investigation has determined that
the explosives in Reid's shoes, if detonated in certain areas
of the passenger cabin, could have blown a hole in the fuselage
of the aircraft.
Zacarias Moussaoui
Investigation also has revealed that Reid and another indicted
subject, Zacarias Moussaoui, were known associates. Moussaoui
came to the attention of the FBI while taking flight training
classes in Minnesota in August 2001. Moussaoui had paid over
$8,000 in cash for flight simulator lessons on a 747-400,
which far exceeded his training level as a pilot. Moussaoui
showed unusual interest in the instructor's comment that airplane
cabin doors could not be opened during flight. In addition,
his flight instructor was concerned that Moussaoui expressed
interest only in learning how to take off and land the 747-400.
In preparation for high fidelity simulator training, he expressed
strong interest in "piloting" a simulated flight
from London's Heathrow Airport to John F. Kennedy Airport
in New York. When the instructor took his concerns to the
FBI, Moussaoui was interviewed by Special Agents from the
FBI and the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS).
He was determined to be an INS overstay and was detained by
the INS on August 16, 2001. Following his detention, Moussaoui
refused to allow a search to be conducted of his possessions,
to include a laptop computer and a computer disc. Attempts
were made to obtain authority to conduct a search of this
computer. However, due to the lack of probable cause and lack
of predication, neither a criminal nor intelligence search
could be conducted. Following the September 11 attack a criminal
search of the computer was conducted. Nothing was located
which connected Moussaoui with the events of September 11;
however, information about crop-dusting was located on the
computer. As a result, crop dusting operations in the United
States were grounded briefly on two occasions in September
2001. On December 11, 2001, the United States District Court
for the Eastern District of Virginia indicted Moussaoui on
six counts of conspiracy for his role in the events of September 11,
2001.
The second category of international
terrorist threat is made up of formal terrorist organizations.
These autonomous, generally transnational, groups have their
own personnel, infrastructures, financial arrangements, and
training facilities. They are able to plan and mount terrorist
campaigns on an international basis, and several actively
support terrorist-related activities in the United States.
Extremist groups such as Palestinian Hamas, the Irish Republican
Army, the Egyptian El-Gama Al-Islamiyya (IG), and Lebanese
Hizballah have supporters in the United States, though the
activities of these U.S.-based cells revolve primarily around
fund-raising, recruiting, and low-level intelligence gathering.
Hizballah is a formal organization
that has carried out numerous anti-U.S. attacks overseas,
including the October 1983 vehicle bombing of the U.S. Marine
Barracks in Lebanon. With the exception of the Al-Qaeda network,
Hizballah is responsible for the deaths of more Americans
than any other terrorist group in the world. On June 21, 2001,
the United States indicted 14 subjects--13 Saudis and 1 Lebanese
national--for their suspected involvement in the June 1996
bombing of Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia. Nineteen U.S. airmen
died in the blast; Saudi Hizballah is suspected of carrying
out the attack. To date, Hizballah has never carried out a
terrorist attack in the United States.
State sponsors of terrorism
make up the third category of international terrorist threat.
The primary state sponsors are Iran, Iraq, Sudan, and Libya.
These countries view terrorism as a tool of foreign policy.
Syria, which is also on the U.S. Department of State's list
of state sponsors of terrorism, has not been directly involved
in conducting terrorist activity for a number of years but
still provides a safe haven to international terrorist groups
and loosely affiliated extremists. North Korea and Cuba--also
on the Department of State's list of state sponsors--have
significantly reduced their direct involvement with terrorism
due, in part, to the rapidly diminishing capacity of their
economies to support such activity.
In perhaps the most infamous
case of state sponsored terrorism, Libya is believed to be
behind the December 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over
Lockerbie, Scotland, which killed 270 people (259 people on
the plane and 11 on the ground). On April 5, 1999, the Libyan
government turned over two former intelligence operatives,
Abd al Basit al-Megrahi and Lamin Kalifah Fhima, to be tried
in the Netherlands by a special Scottish court for the bombing.
Several years earlier, the FBI had placed al-Megrahi and Fhima
on its Top Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, marking the only
time that officers of a foreign government were placed on
the list. On January 31, 2001, the three-judge court convicted
al-Megrahi of murder for his role in the bombing. Fhima was
acquitted by the court and released.
Of the seven nations listed
by the United States as state sponsors of terrorism, Iran
represents the greatest threat to the United States. Despite
a moderation in its public anti-U.S. rhetoric since the 1997
election of Mohammed Khatemi as president, the government
of Iran, which is controlled by conservative clerics opposed
to Khatemi, continues to target dissidents and support anti-western
terrorism, both financially and logistically.
Weapons of Mass Destruction
(WMD)
The trend toward high-profile,
high-impact attacks comes at a time when interest is growing
among domestic and international extremists in weapons of
mass destruction (WMD). A series of anthrax-related cases
and threats occurring since September 2001 provide a glimpse
into emerging terrorist scenarios of the 21st century.
A series of bioterrorism incidents
using b. anthracis spores sent through the mail have resulted
in 22 anthrax cases and five deaths since October 3, 2001.
The initial anthrax cases occurred among persons with known
or suspected contact with opened letters contaminated with
b. anthracis spores. Later, investigations identified four
confirmed cases and one suspected case among postal workers
who had no known contact with contaminated opened letters.
This suggests that sealed envelopes contaminated with anthrax
passing through the postal system may be the source of these
exposures. The number of contaminated envelopes passing through
the postal system is under investigation.
Leads continue to be investigated;
however, no suspect has been identified. On November 9, 2001,
the FBI issued a behavioral/linguistic assessment of the offender
based on the known anthrax parcels. As stated in this assessment,
the offender is believed to be an adult male who has access
to a source of anthrax and possesses the knowledge and expertise
to refine it. The FBI heads a multi-agency effort to identify
the perpetrator of these deadly attacks.
Since October 2001 the FBI has
responded to over 8,000 reports of use or threatened use of
anthrax or other hazardous materials. The current rash of
anthrax threats represents a large spike in a trend of increased
WMD cases that began in the mid-1990s. During the past four
years, there has been a very limited number of cases in the
United States that actually involved use or threatened use
of ricin. There had been no criminal cases involving actual
use of anthrax in the United States prior to October 2001.
To date, no evidence definitely links Al-Qaeda or any other
terrorist organization to these cases.
Cyber / National Infrastructure
During the past several years
the FBI had identified a wide array of cyber threats, ranging
from defacement of web sites by juveniles to sophisticated
intrusions sponsored by foreign powers. Some of these incidents
pose more significant threats than others. The theft of national
security information from a government agency or the interruption
of electrical power to a major metropolitan area obviously
would have greater consequences for national security, public
safety, and the economy than the defacement of a web-site.
But even the less serious categories have real consequences
and, ultimately, can undermine public confidence in web-based
commerce (E-commerce) and violate privacy or property rights.
An attack (or "hack") on a web site that closes
down an e-commerce site can have disastrous consequences for
a web-based business. An intrusion that results in the theft
of millions of credit card numbers from an online vendor can
result in significant financial loss and, more broadly, reduce
consumers' willingness to engage in e-commerce.
Beyond criminal threats, cyber
space also faces a variety of significant national security
threats, including increasing threats from terrorists.
Terrorist groups are increasingly
using new information technology and the Internet to formulate
plans, raise funds, spread propaganda, and engage in secure
communications. Cyberterrorism-meaning the use of cyber
tools to shut down critical national infrastructures (such
as energy, transportation, or government operations) for the
purpose of coercing or intimidating a government or civilian
population-is clearly an emerging threat.
On January 16, 2002, the FBI
disseminated an advisory via the National Law Enforcement
Telecommunications System regarding possible attempts by terrorists
to use U.S. municipal and state web sites to obtain information
on local energy infrastructures, water reservoirs, dams, highly
enriched uranium storage sites, and nuclear and gas facilities.
Although the FBI possesses no specific threat information
regarding these apparent intrusions, these types of activities
on the part of terrorists pose serious challenges to our national
security.
The FBI Response to Terrorism
The FBI has developed a strong
response to the threats posed by domestic and international
terrorism. Between fiscal years 1993 and 2003, the number
of Special Agents dedicated to the FBI's counterterrorism
programs grew by approximately 224 percent (to 1,669--nearly
16 percent of all FBI special agents). In recent years, the
FBI has strengthened its counterterrorism program to enhance
its abilities to carry out these objectives.
The FBI Counterterrorism
Center
As you are aware, congressional
appropriations have helped strengthen and expand the FBI's
counterterrorism capabilities. To enhance its mission, the
FBI centralized many specialized operational and analytical
functions in the FBI Counterterrorism Center.
Established in 1996, the FBI
Counterterrorism Center combats terrorism on three fronts:
international terrorism operations both within the United
States and in support of extraterritorial investigations,
domestic terrorism operations, and countermeasures relating
to both international and domestic terrorism.
Eighteen federal agencies maintain
a regular presence in the center and participate in its daily
operations. These agencies include the Central Intelligence
Agency, the Secret Service, and the Department of State, among
others. This multi-agency arrangement provides an unprecedented
opportunity for information sharing, warning, and real-time
intelligence analysis.
Interagency Cooperation
This sense of cooperation also
has led to other important changes. During the past several
years, the FBI and CIA have developed a closer working relationship
that has strengthened the ability of each agency to respond
to terrorist threats and has improved the ability of the U.S.
government to respond to terrorist attacks that do occur.
An element of this cooperation
is an ongoing exchange of personnel between the two agencies.
Included among the CIA employees detailed to the FBI's Counterterrorism
division is a veteran CIA case officer who serves as the Deputy
Section Chief for International Terrorism. Likewise, FBI agents
are detailed to the CIA, and a veteran special agent serves
in a comparable position in the CIA's Counterterrorist center.
The National Infrastructure
Protection Center
Created in 1998, the National
Infrastructure Protection Center (NIPC) is an interagency
center housed at FBI headquarters that serves as the focal
point for the government's effort to warn of and respond to
cyber intrusions, both domestic and international. NIPC programs
have been established in each of the FBI's 56 field offices.
The FBI Laboratory
The FBI Laboratory division
has developed a robust response capability to support counterterrorism
investigations worldwide. The FBI's mobile crime laboratory
provides the capability to collect and analyze a range of
physical evidence on-scene, and has been deployed at major
crime scenes, including the World Trade Center bombing, Khobar
Towers, and the East African Embassy bombings. The mobile
crime laboratory contains analytical instrumentation for rapid
screening and triage of explosives and other trace evidence
recovered at crime scenes.
The Laboratory also provides
the capacity to rapidly respond to criminal acts involving
the use of chemical or biological agents with the mobile,
self-contained Fly Away Laboratory (FAL). The FAL consists
of twelve suites of analytical instrumentation supported by
an array of equipment which allows for safe collection of
hazardous materials, sample preparation, storage, and analysis
in a field setting. The major objectives of the mobile crime
laboratory and the FAL are to enhance the safety of deployed
personnel, generate leads through rapid analysis and screening,
and to preserve evidence for further examination at the FBI
Laboratory. In addition, the Laboratory has developed agreements
with several other federal agencies for rapid and effective
analysis of chemical, biological, and radiological materials.
One partnership, the Laboratory Response Network, is supported
by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the
Association of Public Health Laboratories for the analysis
of biological agents.
Threat Warning
Because warning is critical
to the prevention of terrorist acts, the FBI also has expanded
the terrorist threat warning system first implemented in 1989.
The system now reaches all aspects of the law enforcement
and intelligence communities. Currently, sixty federal agencies
and their subcomponents receive information via secure teletype
through this system. The messages also are transmitted to
all 56 FBI field offices and 44 Legats.
If threat information requires
nationwide unclassified dissemination to all federal, state,
and local law enforcement agencies, the FBI transmits messages
via the National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System.
In addition, the FBI disseminates threat information to security
managers of thousands of U.S. commercial interests around
the country through the Awareness of National Security Issues
and Response (ANSIR) program. If warranted, the expanded NTWS
also enables the FBI to communicate threat information directly
to the American people.
On September 11, the FBI issued
a nationwide terrorist threat advisory via the National Threat
Warning System; this advisory is in place through March 11,
2002, unless extended by the FBI. Since the terrorist attack
of September 11, the FBI has disseminated 37 warnings via
the NTWS. The FBI also has issued over 40 be on the lookout
(BOLO) alerts via the NLETS system. BOLO alerts provide the
names of individuals who are of investigative interest to
the FBI.
Through a 24-hour watch and
other initiatives, the NIPC also has developed processes to
ensure that it receives relevant information in real-time
or near-real-time from all relevant sources, including the
U.S. intelligence community, FBI criminal investigations,
other federal agencies, the private sector, emerging intrusion
detection systems, and open sources. This information is quickly
evaluated to determine if a broad-scale attack is imminent
or underway. If a chemical, biological, nuclear or radiological
material is threatened, the FBI Weapons of Mass Destruction
Operations Unit (WMDOU) conducts an interagency assessment
to determine the credibility of the threat, utilizing subject
matter experts and federal agencies with relevant authorities.
Based on the credibility of the threat, the WMDOU will coordinate
the appropriate response by federal assets. As a result of
this analysis, the FBI can issue warnings using an array of
mechanisms, and disseminate warnings to appropriate entities
in the U.S. government and the private sector so that they
can take immediate protective steps.
The Future
I would like to conclude by
talking briefly about steps we can take to further strengthen
our abilities to prevent and investigate terrorist activity.
Encryption
One of the most important of
these steps involves the FBI's encryption initiative. Communication
is central to any collaborative effort--including criminal
conspiracies. Like most criminals, terrorists are naturally
reluctant to put the details of their plots down on paper.
Thus, they generally depend on oral or electronic communication
to formulate the details of their terrorist activities.
Although the FBI, and the law
enforcement community at large, fully supports the development
and use of innovative technologies to ensure that the United
States remains competitive in today's global market, we remain
extremely concerned about the serious public safety threat
posed by the proliferation and misuse of technologies that
prevent law enforcement from gaining access to the plaintext
of terrorist and/or serious criminal-related evidence obtained
through either court-authorized electronic surveillance or
the search and seizure of digital evidence.
The use of commercially available,
non-recoverable encryption products by individuals engaged
in terrorist and other serious criminal activity can effectively
prevent law enforcement access to this critical evidence.
Law enforcement's inability to gain access to the plaintext
of encrypted communications and/or computer evidence in a
timely manner seriously impairs our ability to successfully
prevent and prosecute terrorist and/or other serious criminal
acts.
This significant challenge to
effective law enforcement poses grave and serious public safety
consequences. Unless the FBI enhances its ability for gathering
and processing computer data obtained through electronic surveillance,
search and seizure of computer evidence, and its ability to
gain access to the plain text of encrypted evidence, investigators
and prosecutors will be denied timely access to valuable evidence
that could be used to prevent and solve terrorist and other
serious criminal acts.
Joint Terrorism Task Forces
Cooperation among law enforcement
agencies at all levels represents an important component of
a comprehensive response to terrorism. This cooperation assumes
its most tangible operational form in the Joint Terrorism
Task Forces that are authorized in 44 cities across the nation.
These task forces are particularly well-suited to responding
to terrorism because they combine the national and international
investigative resources of the FBI with the street-level expertise
of local law enforcement agencies. This cop-to-cop cooperation
has proven highly successful in preventing several potential
terrorist attacks. Perhaps the most notable cases have come
from New York City, where the city's Joint Terrorism Task
Force has been instrumental in thwarting two high-profile
international terrorism plots--the series of bombings planned
by Shaykh Rahman in 1993 and the attempted bombing of the
New York City subway in 1997.
Not only were these plots prevented,
but today, the conspirators who planned them sit in federal
prisons thanks, in large part, to the comprehensive investigative
work performed by the Joint Terrorism Task Force.
Given the success of the Joint
Terrorism Task Force concept, the FBI has established 15 new
JTTFs since the end of 1999. By the end of 2002 the FBI plans
to have established or authorized JTTFs in each of its 56
field divisions. By integrating the investigative abilities
of the FBI and local law enforcement agencies these task forces
represent an effective response to the threats posed to U.S.
communities by domestic and international terrorists.
Expansion of FBI Legats
The FBI's counterterrorism capabilities
also have been enhanced by the expansion of our Legat offices
around the world. These small offices can have a significant
impact on the FBI's ability to track terrorist threats and
bring investigative resources to bear on cases where quick
response is critical. As I've mentioned, the FBI currently
operates 44 such Legat offices. Many of these have opened
within the past five years in areas of the world where identifiable
threats to our national interests exist. We cannot escape
the disquieting reality that in the 21st century, crime and
terrorism are carried out on an international scale. The law
enforcement response must match the threat. By expanding our
first line of defense, we improve the ability of the United
States to prevent attacks and respond quickly to those that
do occur. Given the nature of the evolving terrorist threat
and the destructive capabilities now available to terrorists,
the American people deserve nothing less. The expansion of
the number of FBI Legal Attache offices (Legats) around the
world has enhanced the ability of the FBI to prevent, respond
to, and investigate terrorist acts committed by international
terrorists against U.S. interests worldwide. As evidenced
by developments in the Embassy Bombing cases in East Africa,
the ability to bring investigative resources to bear quickly
in the aftermath of a terrorist act can have significant impact
on our ability to identify those responsible. I encourage
Congress to support our efforts to counter the international
terrorist threat by continuing to support expansion of our
Legat program.
Results
Improved analysis and operational
capabilities combined with increased cooperation and integration
have enhanced the FBI's ability to investigate and prevent
acts of terrorism.
Dozens of domestic extremists have been indicted and prosecuted
during the past ten years. Among these are Timothy McVeigh,
who carried out the bombing of the Murrah Federal Building
in Oklahoma City in 1995. McVeigh was executed in June 2001
for perpetrating the worst act of domestic terrorism ever
conducted in the United States. More recently, on January
25, 2002, anti-abortion extremist Clayton Lee Waagner was
given a combined sentence of over 30 years in prison for various
theft and firearms violations. Waagner is also suspected of
sending over 250 hoax anthrax letters to reproductive services
clinics in October and November 2001.
During the past ten years, more
than 60 subjects associated with international terrorism have
been prosecuted in the United States. These include Ramzi
Yousef, operational mastermind of the 1993 World Trade Center
bombing and a plot to bomb U.S. airliners transiting the far
east (convicted in May 1997); Tsutomu Shirosaki, Japanese
Red Army member who fired rockets at the U.S. Embassy compound
in Jakarta, Indonesia, in 1986 (convicted in November 1997);
and Gazi-Abu Mezer and Lafi Khalil, extremists who, in 1997,
nearly carried out a plan to bomb the New York City subway
system (convicted in July 1998). Yousef and Shirosaki were
among the 16 fugitives indicted for terrorist-related activities
that have been rendered to the United States from overseas
since 1987. The 1997 plot to bomb the New York subway was
narrowly averted by the FBI/New York City Police Department
Joint Terrorism Task Force.
On October 18, 2001, four Al-Qaeda
members received life sentences for their roles in a conspiracy
to kill Americans which resulted in the August 1998 embassy
bombings in East Africa. Mohamed Rashed Daoud al-Owhali, Khalfan
Khamis Mohamed, Wadih el-Hage, and Mohamed Sadeek Odeh were
convicted earlier in 2001 in the Southern District of New
York (SDNY) on a variety of charges related to the embassies
bombing plot. Two other subjects in this case are awaiting
trial in the SDNY.
In December 1999 the coordinated
efforts of the FBI and other law enforcement/intelligence
agencies were instrumental in responding to the millennium
threat exposed when Ahmed Ressam was apprehended attempting
to smuggle explosives across the U.S.-Canadian border near
Seattle. On April 6, 2001, after a three-week trial in Los
Angeles, Ressam was found guilty on all counts brought against
him. On March 7, 2001, Abdelghani Meskini, another individual
suspected of involvement in the plot to bomb the Los Angeles
airport, had pled guilty in the Southern District of New York
to charges of providing material support to Ressam. On July
13, 2001, a third suspect subject, Mokhtar Haouari, was convicted
of charges related to the plot. In January of this year, Haouari
was sentenced to 24 years in prison for his role in supporting
Ressam's plot to carry out terrorist activity in the United
States. One indicted subject, Abdelmajid Dahoumane, is in
Algerian custody.
In addition, numerous individuals
have been indicted for their involvement in terrorist activities
and are currently being sought by the FBI. Usama Bin Laden
and 15 other subjects stand indicted for their roles in Al-Qaeda
and the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings in East Africa. Three additional
subjects are in custody in the United Kingdom but are expected
to be extradited soon to stand trial in the SDNY.
In October 2001 the FBI established
the Most Wanted Terrorists program to focus expanded attention
on indicted terrorist suspects. Usama Bin Laden was among
the first 22 names placed on this list. In June 1998 Bin Laden
had been named to the FBI's Top Ten Most Wanted Fugitives
list.
Conclusion
Despite the current focus on
international terrorism, it is important to remain cognizant
of the full range of threats that confront the United States.
These threats continue to include domestic and international
terrorists. While the majority of attacks perpetrated by domestic
terrorists have produced low casualty figures, the 169 lives
claimed in the Oklahoma City bombing and the potential very
heavy loss of lives that could have resulted from various
thwarted plots demonstrate the interest among some domestic
extremists in inflicting mass casualties.
On September 11, 2001, the scope
and sophistication of the international radical jihad movement
was demonstrated with horrendous clarity when 19 hijackers
commandeered four commercial airliners, crashing two of them
into the World Trade Center, one into the Pentagon, and the
other into a remote field in Pennsylvania. This attack resulted
in more casualties than any other terrorist act ever recorded.
Even as the Al-Qaeda command
structure in Afghanistan is destroyed, Al-Qaeda cells in countries
around the world will continue to pose a threat to U.S. and
other western interests. The plotters who carried out the
September 11, 2001 attack maintained a low profile and appeared
to actively avoid coming to the attention of law enforcement
agencies. Such operational discipline underscores the challenge
to U.S. law enforcement agencies in uncovering and disrupting
Al-Qaeda cells in the United States. Although the public mind
often groups international terrorists into a standard stereotype,
such a view fails to accommodate subtle but important differences
in goals and tactics among different extremist movements.
For example, the low-level operational scope of 17 November
(assassinations, small-scale bombings centered primarily in
Athens) reflects the limited, ethnocentric strategic goal
of the organization (a nationalist Greek state). By contrast,
the high-impact, transnational operational focus of Al-Qaeda
and other groups associated with the international radical
jihad movement clearly underscores a strategic goal to confront
the United States and other western interests with high-casualty
attacks on a global scale. Despite the military setbacks suffered
by Al-Qaeda, extremists adhering to the international jihad
movement will continue to focus on attacks that yield significant
destruction and high casualties, thus maximizing worldwide
media attention and public anxiety. It also appears likely
that as governments "harden" (or make more secure)
official targets, such as embassies and international schools,
these terrorists will increasingly seek out more vulnerable
"softer" targets, such as high-profile offices of
multinational firms and Americans traveling and working abroad.
Terrorism represents a continuing
threat to the United States and a formidable challenge to
the FBI. In response to this threat, the FBI has developed
a broad-based counterterrorism program, based on robust investigations
to disrupt terrorist activities, interagency cooperation,
and effective warning. While this approach has yielded many
successes, the dynamic nature of the terrorist threat demands
that our capabilities continually be refined and adapted to
continue to provide the most effective response.
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