Testimony
of Larry A. Mefford, Assistant Director, Counterterrorism
Division, FBI
Before
the United States Senate
Terrorism, Technology and Homeland Security Subcommittee
June 27, 2003
"The State of the Terrorist Threat Facing the United
States"
Good
afternoon, Senator Kyl and other members of the Subcommittee.
Thank you for inviting me here today to testify regarding
the state of the terrorist threat to the United States.
The Subcommittee's work in this area is an important part
of improving the security of our Nation. The Federal Bureau
of Investigation greatly appreciates your leadership, and
that of your colleagues in other committees dealing with
the security of our country. I would like to briefly discuss
for the Subcommittee the FBI's assessment of the current
threats facing the United States.
First,
let me emphasize the commitment of the FBI to investigating
and disrupting terrorist activity both in this country and
against U.S. interests overseas. There is no more important
mission within the FBI. We are dedicating tremendous resources
to this effort and will continue to do so as long as the threat
exists.
Since
September 11, 2001, the FBI has investigated more than 4,000
terrorist threats to the U.S. and the number of active FBI
investigations into potential terrorist activity has quadrupled
since 9/11. Working with our partners in local and state law
enforcement and with the U.S. Intelligence community, we have
also disrupted terrorist activities in over 35 instances inside
the United States since September 11, 2001. These include
both domestic and international terrorism matters and consist
of a variety of preventive actions, including arrests, seizure
of funds, and disruption of terrorist recruiting and training
efforts. No threat or investigative lead goes unanswered today.
At headquarters, in our field offices, and through our offices
overseas, we run every lead to ground until we either find
evidence of terrorist activity, which we pursue, or determine
that the information is not substantiated. While we have disrupted
terrorist plots since 9/11, we remain constantly vigilant
as a result of the ongoing nature of the threat. The greatest
danger to our safety and security comes not from what we know
and can prevent, but from what we do not know.
We know
this: The Al Qaeda terrorist network remains the most serious
threat to U.S. interests both here and overseas. That network
includes groups committed to the "international jihad
movement," and it has demonstrated the ability to survive
setbacks. Since September 11, 2001, we believe that Al Qaeda
has been involved in at least twelve terrorist attacks against
the United States and our allies around the world. This fact
requires that we continue to work closely with our partners
to fight Al-Qaeda in all its forms both here and overseas.
On March
1, 2003, counterterrorism forces in Pakistan captured Al Qaeda
operational commander Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and financier
Mustafa Ahmed al-Hawsawi. In early 2002, another high ranking
Al Qaeda operational commander, Mohamed Atef, was killed in
a U.S. bombing raid. Many more suspected Al Qaeda operatives
have been arrested in the United States and abroad.
Despite
these strikes against the leadership of Al Qaeda, it remains
a potent, highly capable and extremely dangerous terrorist
network -- the number one terrorist threat to the U.S. today.
The very recent attacks in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and in Casablanca,
Morocco -- for which we believe to be either sponsored or
inspired by Al Qaeda -- clearly demonstrate that network's
continued ability to kill and injure innocent, unsuspecting
victims.
In Riyadh
on May 12, 2003, the simultaneous strikes on three foreign
compounds were carried out by 12 to 15 individuals, nine of
whom were suicide bombers. The overall death toll rose to
34, including at least seven Americans and the nine attackers.
Nearly 200 people were wounded. Forty of those were Americans.
In Casablanca
on May 16, 2003, as many as 12 suicide bombers orchestrated
the simultaneous bombing of 5 targets. A targeted Jewish center
was closed and unoccupied when one of the bombs was detonated.
The deadliest attack occurred inside a Spanish restaurant
where 19 were killed. Outside one targeted hotel, a security
guard and a bellboy scuffled with bombers intent on entering
the hotel. They prevented them from entering but lost their
lives, along with those of their terrorist attackers, when
the bombs were detonated outside. The terrorists even targeted
a Jewish cemetery.
We know
that the Al Qaeda network maintains a presence in dozens of
countries around the world, including the United States. Audiotaped
messages released in early October 2002 from Usama bin Laden
and his senior deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, urged renewed attacks
on U.S. and Western interests. Intelligence analysis indicates
that subsequent attacks against Western targets may have been
carried out in response to these audiotaped appeals that were
broadcast on the al-Jazeera network beginning on October 6,
2002.
Two subsequent
audiotapes attributed to bin Laden, released on February 11
and February 14, 2003, linked a call for terrorist attacks
against Western targets with the pending war in Iraq. In the
latter of these audiotaped messages, bin Laden appeared to
express his desire to die in an attack against the United
States. The most recent audio tape attributed to bin Laden,
released on April 9, 2003, urged jihadists to carry out suicide
attacks against those countries supporting the war in Iraq.
And while individual suicide attacks have the potential to
cause significant destruction and loss of life, we remain
concerned about Al Qaeda's ability to mount simultaneous and
large-scale terrorist attacks.
While
large-scale, coordinated attacks remain an Al Qaeda objective,
disruptions to the network's command and logistics structures
during the past 20 months increase the possibility that operatives
will attempt to carry out smaller scale, random attacks, as
evidenced by Richard Reid's failed attempt to detonate a shoe-bomb
on board a trans-Atlantic flight in December 2001. Such attacks,
particularly against softer or lightly secured targets, may
be easier to execute and less likely to require centralized
control. We remain vigilant to the ability and willingness
of individual terrorists, acting on their own in the name
of "jihad", to carry out random acts of terror wherever
and whenever they can.
We also
know that jihadists tend to focus on returning to "unfinished
projects," such as the destruction of the World Trade
Center and attacks on U.S. Navy vessels. Consequently, a continuing
threat exists to high profile targets previously selected
by Al Qaeda. These include high profile government buildings,
and encompass the possibility of more terrorist attacks on
major U.S. cities and infrastructures. While we know that
Al Qaeda has focused on attacks that have economic impact,
we believe that its goals still include the infliction of
mass casualties.
As I
mentioned earlier, we have made significant progress in disrupting
terrorist activities and planning; and this includes Islamic
extremists activities within the United States. For example:
*On October
3, 2002, five men and one woman were indicted in Portland,
Oregon, for conspiracy to levy war against the United States,
conspiracy to provide material support and resources to a
terrorist organization, and conspiracy to contribute services
to Al Qaeda and the Taliban. Five of the individuals were
arrested. The sixth remains at large.
On September 13, 2002, five members of a suspected Al Qaeda
cell were arrested in Lackawanna, New York. They were charged
with "providing, attempting to provide, and conspiring
to provide material support and resources to a designated
foreign terrorist organization." In addition, a sixth
member was rendered to the United States from Bahrain in mid-September
2002, pursuant to an arrest warrant, and was charged with
providing material support to Al-Qaeda.
*FBI
information indicates that in the spring and summer of 2001,
these subjects attended religious Jamaat Tablighi training
in Pakistan. They also attended an Al Qaeda training camp
in Afghanistan where they received training in mountain climbing,
and were instructed in the use of firearms, including assault
rifles, handguns, and long range rifles. During their training,
Usama bin Laden visited the camp and gave a speech to all
of the trainees. At the guest houses where members stayed,
some received lectures on jihad, prayers, and justification
for using suicide as an operational tactic.
*All
six defendants have pled guilty to providing material support
to Al Qaeda.
On December 22, 2001, Richard C. Reid was arrested after flight
attendants on American Airlines Flight 63 observed him attempting
to ignite an improvised explosive in his sneakers while onboard
the Paris-to-Miami flight. Aided by passengers, the attendants
overpowered and subdued Reid. The flight was diverted to Logan
International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts. Reid, who
was traveling on a valid British passport, was indicted on
eight 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.
*Reid's
indictment charged that he, too, trained in camps operated
by Al-Qaeda. Investigators continue to work to determine the
extent of Reid's possible links to others in this plot.
*On October
4, 2002, Reid pled guilty to all of the counts against him.
On January 30, 2003, he was sentenced to life in prison.
On December 11, 2001, Zacarias Moussaoui was indicted in the
Eastern District of Virginia for his alleged role in the September
11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. Moussaoui
is charged with six counts, including conspiracy to commit
an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries and conspiracy
to use a weapon of mass destruction. He is awaiting trial.
*Last
week, the Attorney General announced the guilty plea of Iyman
Faris, an Ohio truck driver, who -- as a key operative for
Al Qaeda -- conspired to provide, and did in fact provide,
material support to a terrorist organization. We believe he
was tasked by Al Qaeda to assist in the identification of
possible terrorist targets inside the United States and provided
other logistical support to that organization.
*On Monday
of this week, Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri, was designated an
enemy combatant and transferred to the control of the Department
of Defense. Al-Marri is a Qatari national who was initially
arrested on a material witness warrant following the September
11 attacks. He was subsequently indicted for credit card fraud
and making false statements. Recent information from an Al
Qaeda detainee identified Al-Marri as an Al Qaeda "sleeper"
operative who was tasked with providing support to newly arriving
Al Qaeda operatives inside the U.S. Two separate Al Qaeda
detainees have confirmed that Al-Marri has been to Al Qaeda's
Farook camp in Afghanistan where he pledged his service to
bin Laden. The decision to designate Al-Marri as an enemy
combatant has disrupted his involvement in terrorist planning
and taken another Al Qaeda operative out of action.
* The
FBI is also actively looking for suspected Al Qaeda operative
Adnan G. El Shukrijumah. El Shukrijumah has been identified
by numerous detainees as a key Al Qaeda operative who could
possibly be used to plan and carry out acts of terrorism against
the U.S. El Shukrijumah was in the United States prior to
September 11th and his current whereabouts are unknown. The
FBI has put out a "be on the look out" alert to
law enforcement both inside the U.S. and overseas to locate
and interview him regarding these reports .
Additionally,
the FBI has aggressively pursued the individuals and networks
that provide financing for terrorism worldwide. Since September
11, 2001, our Terrorist Financing Operations Section (TFOS)
has been involved in the financial investigations of over
3,195 individuals and groups suspected in financially supporting
terrorist organizations. The FBI has also worked closely with
the Treasury Department in developing targets for designation
and blocking orders. This has resulted in the terrorist designation
of some 250 individuals or entities by Executive Order, and
the blocking or freezing of approximately $124.5 million in
assets since September 11, 2001.
As I
said at the outset, finding and rooting out Al Qaeda members
and adherents once they have entered the U.S., is our most
serious intelligence and law enforcement challenge. In addition
to our focus on identifying individuals directly involved
in launching terrorist attacks, we are also very concerned
with identifying and locating persons engaged in terrorist
support activities, such as fund raising, recruiting, training
and other logistical responsibilities. This is very important
since these individuals are vital to the operation of terrorist
networks. We also remain deeply concerned about Al Qaeda's
efforts to recruit U.S. citizens to support its terrorist
goals and, perhaps, to carry out attacks on American soil.
Al Qaeda
is not our only concern. We know that many Islamic extremists
are tied to terrorist activities. Islamic Shiite extremists,
represented by such groups as Hizballah, have been launching
terrorist attacks against the U.S. and its allies for more
than twenty years. Islamic Sunni extremism, spearheaded by
Al Qaeda, but which also includes Hamas and other groups,
continue to inflict casualties on innocent people worldwide.
Hizballah and HAMAS in particular, also maintain a sizable
presence in the U.S. While the activities of these U.S. cells
have not involved actual attacks within the United States,
we know that Hizballah and HAMAS have been involved in activities
that support terrorism, such as fund-raising, recruiting,
and spreading propaganda inside our country. Since they have
been responsible for the deaths of Americans and our allies
overseas, we continue to be concerned about their activities.
In conclusion,
the United States faces threats from a wide range of international
terrorist groups, although we assess Al Qaeda to be the greatest
threat today. Their potential attacks could be large-scale,
or smaller and more isolated. Since our understanding of terrorist
groups and the underlying philosophy behind these movements
continue to develop, the FBI's assessment of the overall threat
continues to evolve. We remain, however, concerned about Al
Qaeda's efforts to launch another major attack inside the
U.S.. Consequently, we continually work with the U.S. intelligence
community and our foreign partners to assess Al Qaeda's intentions
and capabilities, including their use of weapons of mass destruction
in future attack scenarios.
That
is why we remain as focused as we are on detecting and preventing
terrorism. We will not stray from this purpose and intend
to work closely with State and Local law enforcement and other
federal agencies to improve our preventive capabilities. We
sincerely appreciate your guidance and support as we carry
out our mission.
I would
be happy to answer any questions you may have to the extent
I am able.
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