STATEMENT
OF
MAUREEN
A. BAGINSKI
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
INTELLIGENCE
FEDERAL
BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
BEFORE
THE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
SELECT COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY
August
17, 2004
Introduction
Good
afternoon, Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee.
It is my pleasure to come before you today to discuss
the recommendations of the 9-11 Commission, specifically
information sharing issues that face the Federal
Bureau of Investigation and other members of the
Intelligence and Law Enforcement communities. As
Director Mueller has said, the FBI has worked closely
with the Commission and their staff throughout their
tenure and we commend them for an extraordinary effort.
Throughout this process, we have approached the Commission's
inquiry as an opportunity to gain further input from
outside experts. We took their critiques seriously,
adapted our ongoing reform efforts, and have already
taken substantial steps to address their remaining
concerns. We are gratified and encouraged that the
Commission has embraced our vision for change and
has recognized the progress that the men and women
of the FBI have made to implement that vision. Our
work to date has been on strengthening FBI capabilities
so that we can be a strong node on the information
network of those who defend the nation. Vital information
about those who would do us harm is not produced
by the federal government alone. We are proud to
also be part of an 800,000 strong state, local, and
tribal law enforcement community who are the first
to encounter and defend against threats.
On
August 2nd, the President announced his intention
to establish a National Intelligence Director (NID)
and a National Counter Terrorism Center (NCTC). We
look forward to working with you on these vital reforms.
Our
core guiding principle at the FBI is that intelligence
and law enforcement operations must be integrated.
Under the direction of Director Mueller, the FBI
has moved aggressively forward in this regard by
implementing a comprehensive plan that has fundamentally
transformed the FBI. Director Mueller has overhauled
our counterterrorism operations, expanded our intelligence
capabilities, modernized our business practices and
technology, and improved coordination with our partners.
A
prerequisite for any operational coordination is
the full and free exchange of information. Without
procedures and mechanisms that allow information
sharing on a regular and timely basis, we and our
partners cannot expect to align our operational efforts
to best accomplish our shared mission. Accordingly,
we have taken steps to establish unified FBI-wide
policies for sharing information and intelligence
both within the FBI and outside it. This has occurred
under the umbrella of the FBI's Intelligence Program,
and is my personal responsibility as the FBI executive
for information sharing. We have made great progress
and we have much work ahead of us.
Intelligence
Program
The
mission of the FBI's Intelligence Program is to optimally
position the FBI to meet current and emerging national
security and criminal threats by (1) aiming core
investigative work proactively against threats to
US interests, (2) building and sustaining enterprise-wide
intelligence policies and human and technical capabilities,
and (3) providing useful, appropriate, and timely
information and analysis to the national security,
homeland security, and law enforcement communities.
Building on already strong FBI intelligence capabilities,
Director Mueller created in January 2003 the position
of Executive Assistant Director (EAD) of Intelligence
and an Office of Intelligence. I was honored to join
the FBI in May 2003 as the first EAD Intelligence.
Core
Principles
We
built the FBI Intelligence Program on the following
core principles:
Independent
Requirements and Collection Management: While intelligence
collection, operations, analysis, and reporting are
integrated at headquarters divisions and in the field,
the Office of Intelligence manages the requirements
and collection management process. This ensures that
we focus intelligence collection and production on
priority intelligence requirements and on filling key
gaps in our knowledge.
Centralized
Management and Distributed Execution: The power
of the FBI intelligence capability is in its 56
field
offices, 400 resident agencies and 56 legal attaché offices
around the world. The Office of Intelligence must
provide those entities with sufficient guidance
to drive intelligence
production effectively and efficiently, but not
micro-manage field intelligence operations.
Focused
Strategic Analysis: The Office of Intelligence sets
strategic analysis priorities and ensures they are
carried out both at headquarters and in the field.
This is accomplished through a daily production meeting
that I chair.
Integration
of Analysis with Operations: Intelligence analysis
is best when collectors and analysts work side-by-side
in integrated operations.
Concept
of Operations
Concepts
of Operations (CONOPs) guide FBI intelligence processes
and detailed implementation plans drive specific
actions to implement them. Our CONOPs cover the following
core functions: Intelligence Requirements and Collection
Management; Intelligence Assessment Process; Human
Talent for Intelligence Production; Field Office
Intelligence Operation; Intelligence Production and
Use; Information Sharing; Community Support; Threat
Forecasting and Operational Requirements; and Budget
Formulation for Intelligence.
Accomplishments
What
follows are some of our key accomplishments:
-
We
have issued the first-ever FBI requirements and collection
tasking documents. These documents are fully aligned
with the DCI's National Intelligence Priorities Framework
and we have published unclassified versions for our
partners in state, local, and tribal law enforcement. We
are full members of the National Intelligence Collection
Board and the National Intelligence Analysis and Production
Board, and soon will be participating in the drafting
of National Intelligence Estimates and the National
Foreign Intelligence Board.
-
We
have created a collection capabilities database that
tells us what sources we can bring to bear on intelligence
issues across the FBI.We
have created FBI homepages on INTELINK, SIPRNET,
and Law Enforcement Online (LEO) for dissemination
and evaluation of our intelligence product.
-
We
have established a daily Intelligence Production Board
to ensure that timely decisions are made regarding
the production and dissemination of all analytical
products. The Board reviews the significant threats,
developments, and issues emerging in each investigative
priority area, and identifies topics for intelligence
products.
- We
have completed the first-ever FBI intelligence dissemination
manual.
- We
have proposed and are building an Intelligence Officer
certification program for Agents, Analysts, Surveillance
Specialists and Language Analysts. Once established this
certification will be a pre-requisite for advancement
to Section Chief or Assistant Special Agent in Charge,
thus ensuring that all FBI senior managers will be fully
trained and experienced intelligence officers.
- We
have completed and begun to implement the CONOPs
for Intelligence Analysts. We have set unified standards,
policies, and training for intelligence analysts.
In
a new recruiting program veteran analysts are attending
events at colleges and universities throughout the
country and we are offering hiring bonuses to analysts
for the
first time in FBI history.
- We
are in the process of changing the criteria on which
Agents are evaluated to place more emphasis on intelligence-related
function.
- We
are on course to triple our intelligence production this
year.
- We
have placed reports officers in our Joint Terrorism
Task Forces (JTTFs) to ensure vital information
is flowing to those who need it.
We
have developed detailed metrics to judge the results
of our intelligence initiatives and are prepared to
regularly report performance and progress to Congress
and other stakeholders, partners, and customers.
- We
have established Field Intelligence Groups (FIGs) to
integrate analysts, Agents, linguists, and surveillance
personnel in the field to bring a dedicated team focus
to intelligence operations. As of June 2004, there
are 1,450 FIG personnel, including 382 Special Agents
and 160 employees from other Government agencies. Each
FIG is under the direct supervision of an Assistant
Special Agent in Charge.
From
October 2003 to April 2004, the FBI participated in more
than 10 recruitment events and plans to add at least
five additional events through September 2004. A marketing
plan also was implemented to attract potential candidates.
In February 2004, an advertisement specific to the Intelligence
Analyst position at the FBI was placed in The Washington
Post, The Washington Times, and the New York Times, and
has since been run several more times. Our National Press
Office issued a press release that kicked off an aggressive
hiring campaign.
The
College of Analytic Studies (CAS), established in
October 2001, is based at the FBI Academy in Quantico,
Virginia.
Since FY 2002, 264 analysts have graduated from the
College's six-week Basic Intelligence Analyst Course.
655 field
and headquarters analysts have attended specialty
courses on a variety of analytical topics. 1,389 field
and headquarters
employees have attended specialized counterterrorism
courses offered in conjunction with CIA University,
and 1,010 New Agent Trainees have received a two-hour
instructional
block on intelligence.
The
Basic Intelligence Course currently offered by the CAS
is being revised and updated to incorporate key elements
of our intelligence program. Upon completion of this
effort, the course will be retitled: Analytical Cadre
Education Strategy I (ACES I) as outlined in the Human
Talent CONOPS. An intermediate course entitled ACES II
is anticipated in the future that would target more experienced
analysts. Practical exercises and advanced writing skills
will be emphasized, as well as advanced analytical techniques.
The
ACES I course will incorporate seven core elements
of intelligence relevant for new agents and new analysts.
Additionally ACES I will focus on assimilation, analytic
tradecraft and practice, thinking and writing skills,
resources, and field skills.
Complementing
ACES I and ACES II, the Office of Intelligence, in coordination
with the FBI Training and Development Division, will
identify, facilitate, and exploit training partnerships
with other government agencies, academia, and the private
sector to fully develop the career choices of FBI analysts.
Whether an analyst chooses the specialized, interdisciplinary,
or managerial career path, s/he will have the opportunity
to attend courses offered through the Joint Military
Intelligence Training Center, other government training
centers, and private companies.
The
Office of Intelligence is also establishing education
cooperative programs where college students will be able
to work at the FBI while earning a four-year degree.
Students may alternate semesters of work with full-time
study or may work in the summers in exchange for tuition
assistance. In addition to financial assistance, students
would benefit by obtaining significant work experience,
and the FBI would benefit through an agreement requiring
the student to continue working for the FBI for a specific
period of time after graduation. This program will be
implemented in FY 2005.
An
Analyst Advisory Group has also been created specifically
to address analytical concerns. I established and chair
the advisory group B composed of Headquarters and field
analysts. The group affords analysts the opportunity
to provide a working-level view of analytic issues
and to participate in policy and procedure formation.
They
are involved in developing promotional criteria, providing
input for training initiatives, and establishing the
mentoring program for new FBI analysts.
The
Career Mentoring Working Group of the Analyst Advisory
Group is creating a career mentoring program to provide
guidance and advice to new analysts. Once implemented,
all new Intelligence Analysts will have a mentor to assist
them. The career mentor will have scheduled contact with
the new analyst on a monthly basis throughout the analyst's
first year of employment.
As
of this year, the Director's Awards will feature a
new category: the Director's Award for Excellence in
Intelligence
Analysis. Nominees for this award must display a unique
ability to apply skills in intelligence analysis in
furtherance of the FBI's mission, resulting in significant
improvements
or innovations in methods of analysis that contribute
to many investigations or activities, and/or overcoming
serious obstacles through exceptional perseverance
or dedication leading to an extraordinary contribution
to
a significant case, program, threat, or issue.
Turning
to intelligence training for our agents, we are now
working to incorporate elements of our basic intelligence
training course into the New Agents Class curriculum.
We expect that work to be completed by September. A
key element of this concept is that agents in New Agents
Training and analysts in the College of Analytic Studies
will conduct joint training exercises in intelligence
tradecraft. The first offerings to contain these joint
exercises are expected in December of this year. In
addition to this, we are in the process of changing
the criteria on which agents are evaluated to place
more emphasis on intelligence-related functions and
information sharing.
On
March 22, 2004, Director Mueller also adopted a proposal
to establish a career path in which new Special Agents
are initially assigned to a small field office and
exposed to a wide range of field experiences. After
approximately three years, agents will be transferred
to a large field office where they will specialize
in one of four program areas: Intelligence, Counterterrorism/
Counterintelligence, Cyber, or Criminal, and will
receive advanced training tailored to their area of specialization.
In our Special Agent hiring, we have changed the
list
of "critical skills" we are seeking in
candidates to include intelligence experience and
expertise, foreign
languages, and technology.
Our
language specialists are critical to our intelligence
cadre as well. The FBI's approximately 1,200 language
specialists are stationed across 52 field offices and
headquarters, and are now connected via secure networks
that allow language specialists in one FBI office to
work on projects for any other office. Since the beginning
of FY 2001, the FBI has recruited and processed more
than 30,000 linguist applicants. These efforts have
resulted in the addition of nearly 700 new linguists
with a Top Secret security clearance. In addition,
the FBI formed a Language Services Translation Center
to act as a command and control center to coordinate
translator assignments and maximize its capacity to
render immediate translation assistance.
Information
Sharing - Our Relationship with the Intelligence
and Law Enforcement Communities
The
FBI shares intelligence with other members of
the Intelligence Community, to include the intelligence
components of the Department of Homeland Security
(DHS), through direct classified and unclassified
dissemination and through websites on classified
Intelligence Community networks. The FBI also
shares
intelligence with representatives of other elements
of the Intelligence Community who participate
in Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTFs) in the United
States or with whom the FBI collaborates in activities
abroad. FBI intelligence products shared with
the
Intelligence Community include both raw and finished
intelligence reports. FBI intelligence products
shared with the Intelligence Community include
Intelligence Information Reports (IIRs), Intelligence
Assessments, and Intelligence Bulletins. To support
information sharing, there is now a Special Agent
or Intelligence Analyst in the JTTFs dedicated
to producing "raw" intelligence reports
for the entire national security community, including
state, municipal, and tribal law enforcement
partners and other JTTF members. These reports
officers
are trained to produce intelligence reports that
both protect sources and methods and maximize
the amount of information that can be shared.
It is
the responsibility of the FIGS to manage, execute
and maintain the FBI's intelligence functions
within the FBI field office. FIG personnel have
access
to TS and SCI information so they will be able
to receive, analyze, review and recommend sharing
this information with entities within the FBI
as well as our customers and partners within
the Intelligence
and law enforcement communities.
In
addition, classified intelligence and other sensitive FBI
data are shared with cleared federal, state, and local
law enforcement officials who participate in the JTTFs.
The JTTFs partner FBI personnel with hundreds of investigators
from various federal, state, and local agencies, and are
important force multipliers in the fight against terrorism.
Since September 11, 2001, the FBI has increased the number
of JTTFs from 34 to 100 nationwide. We also established
the National Joint Terrorism Task Force (NJTTF) at FBI
Headquarters, staffed by representatives from 38 federal,
state, and local agencies. The mission of the NJTTF is
to enhance communication, coordination, and cooperation
by acting as the hub of support for the JTTFs throughout
the United States, providing a point of fusion for intelligence
acquired in support of counterterrorism operations. The
FBI will continue to create new avenues of communication
between law enforcement agencies to better fight the terrorist
threat.
The FBI has also established a robust channel for sharing information with
the Terrorist Threat Integration Center (TTIC) by providing direct electronic
access to classified and unclassified internal FBI investigative and operational
databases, with narrow exceptions for certain types of sensitive domestic
criminal cases unrelated to terrorism. TTIC also has direct electronic access
to internal FBI headquarters division websites and e-mail capabilities on
the FBI's classified intranet system. Both FBI and non-FBI personnel assigned
to TTIC have access to this information.
The FBI has agreed to provide a substantial permanent staff to TTIC. TTIC's
mission is to enable full integration of terrorist threat-related information
and analysis. It creates a structure to institutionalize sharing across appropriate
federal agency lines of terrorist threat-related information in order to
form the most comprehensive threat picture.
Although the FBI retains authority to approve dissemination of raw FBI information
by TTIC to other agencies, the FBI authorizes the TTIC to share FBI intelligence
products by posting them on the TTIC Online website on Intelink-TS. The TTIC
Online website provides additional security safeguards, and access is granted
to Intelligence Community users who have a need-to-know for more sensitive
classified intelligence on international terrorism from the FBI and other
agencies. The FBI also authorizes the National Counterintelligence Executive
(NCIX) to share FBI counterintelligence products on the Intelink-CI(iCI)
website with similar safeguards and access by users who have a need-to-know
for more sensitive classified counterintelligence products.
In
addition to this, the Bureau also fully contributes intelligence
analysis to the President's Terrorist Threat Report (PTTR).
These products are coordinated with the Central Intelligence
Agency (CIA), DHS, and other federal agencies. In addition
to the PTTR, the FBI provides Presidential Intelligence
Assessments directly to the President and the White House
Executive Staff.
The FBI is also committed to providing those tools which assist law enforcement
in intelligence-led policing -- from the National Crime Information Center,
the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System, and the Interstate
Identification Index, to Law Enforcement Online (LEO), a virtual private
network that reaches federal, state, and law enforcement agencies at the
Sensitive but Unclassified (SBU) level. LEO user's total nearly 30,000 and
that number is increasing. That total includes more than 14,000 state and
local law enforcement members. LEO makes finished FBI intelligence products
available, including Intelligence Assessments resulting from analysis of
criminal, cyber, and terrorism intelligence. Our LEO Intelligence Bulletins
are used to disseminate finished intelligence on significant developments
or trends. Intelligence Information Reports also are available on LEO at
the Law Enforcement Sensitive classification level. The FBI also recently
posted the requirements document on LEO, which provided state and local law
enforcement a shared view of the terrorist threat and the information needed
in every priority area.
LEO
also has secure connectivity to the Regional Information
Sharing Systems network (riss.net). The FBI Intelligence
products are disseminated weekly via LEO to over 17,000
law enforcement agencies and to 60 federal agencies,
providing information about terrorism, criminal, and
cyber threats to patrol officers and other local law
enforcement personnel who have direct daily contacts
with the general public. The FBI will use an enhanced
LEO as the primary channel for sensitive but unclassified
communications with other federal, state and local
agencies. LEO and the DHS Joint Regional Information
Exchange System (JRIES) will also be interoperable.
In
the spring of 2002, the International Association of
Chiefs of Police (IACP) met and agreed that a collaborative
intelligence sharing plan must be created to address
the inadequacies of the intelligence process that,
in part, led to the failure to prevent the events of
September 11. In response, the Global Justice Information
Sharing Initiative (Global), which is a Federal Advisory
Committee to the U.S. Attorney General, formed the
Global Intelligence Working Group (GIWG). The GIWG
is comprised of experts and leaders from local, state,
and federal law enforcement, including members from
the FBI. Their efforts resulted in the creation of
the National Criminal Intelligence Sharing Plan (NCISP).
On February 11, 2004 the Attorney General announced the creation of the Justice
Intelligence Coordinating Council (JICC). I currently chair this Council,
which is comprised of the heads of Department of Justice (DOJ) agencies with
intelligence responsibilities. The Council works to improve information sharing
within DOJ, and ensures that DOJ meets the intelligence needs of outside
customers and acts in accordance with intelligence priorities. The Council
will also identify common challenges (such as electronic connectivity, collaborative
analytic tools, and intelligence skills training) and establish policies
and programs to address them.
On February 20, 2004 the FBI formed the Information Sharing Policy Group,
comprised of Executive Assistant Directors, Assistant Directors, and other
senior executive managers. I serve as the co-chair. This group is establishing
the FBI's information and intelligence sharing policies.
At the same time, we have intelligence analysts from other agencies working
in key positions throughout the Bureau. The Associate Deputy Assistant Director
for Operations in the Counterterrorism Division is a CIA detailee. This exchange
of personnel is taking place in our field offices as well.
We have also worked closely with DHS to ensure that we have the integration
and comprehensive information sharing between our agencies that are vital
to the success of our missions. The FBI and DHS share database access at
TTIC, in the National JTTF at FBI Headquarters, in the Foreign Terrorist
Tracking Task Force (FTTTF) and the Terrorist Screening Center (TSC), and
in local JTTFs in our field offices around the country. We worked closely
together to get the new Terrorist Screening Center up and running. We hold
weekly briefings in which our Counterterrorism analysts brief their DHS counterparts
on current terrorism developments. The FBI and DHS now coordinate joint warning
products to address our customers' concerns about multiple and duplicative
warnings. We designated an experienced executive from the Transportation
Security Administration to run the TSC, a DHS executive to serve as Deputy
Director of the TSC, and a senior DHS executive was detailed to the FBI to
ensure coordination and transparency between the agencies.
In
order to improve the compatibility of information technology
systems throughout the Intelligence Community and increase
the speed and ease of information sharing and collaboration,
the FBI's information technology team has worked closely
with the Chief Information Officers of DHS and other
Intelligence Community agencies, to develop our recent
and ongoing technology upgrades to ensure the interoperability
of the various information systems. To facilitate further
coordination, the FBI Chief Information Officer (CIO)
sits on the Intelligence Community CIO Executive Council.
The Council develops and recommends technical requirements,
policies and procedures, and coordinates initiatives
to improve the interoperability of information technology
systems within the Intelligence Community.
The CIO is also working with DOJ on interfaces between the Intelligence Community
System for Information Sharing (ICSIS) and the Law Enforcement Information
Sharing (LEIS) initiative, with the FBI's Criminal Justice Information Services
(CJIS) Division, to increase the sharing of intelligence-related information
to and from state and local officials.
In conclusion, the FBI has a responsibility to the nation, Intelligence Community,
and federal, state, and local law enforcement to disseminate information,
and to do so is an inherent part of our mission. Sharing FBI information
will be the rule, unless sharing is legally or procedurally unacceptable.
Next Steps
We have made great progress, but we have much work to do. Our plan is solid
and we believe we are heading in the right direction. We have enjoyed much
support from your committee and we are very appreciative of the time your
staff has spent in learning about our initiatives and giving us advice. What
we need more than anything else is your continued support and understanding
that a change of this magnitude will require time to implement. With your
help, we will have that. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to testify
before you today and I will be happy to entertain any questions you may have.
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