Audit of the Department of Justice Terrorist Watchlist Nomination Processes
Audit Report 08-16
March 2008
Office of the Inspector General
MEMORANDUM TO: | Assistant Inspector General for Audit |
FROM: | Acting Director |
SUBJECT: | Draft Audit Report – The Department of Justice’s Consolidated
Terrorist Watchlist Nominations Process |
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) appreciates the opportunity to comment on the Office of the Inspector General’s (OIG) draft audit report entitled “Audit of the Department of Justice’s Consolidated Terrorist Watchlist Nominations Processes.”
ATF has reviewed the OIG draft audit report and fully supports the effort to help improve the watchlist nomination policies, processes, and practices. ATF provides the following formal response to address the OIG’s recommendation to ATF and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to reach an agreement on sharing terrorism information for use in the consolidated terrorist watchlist, to include what activities would result in this information sharing. Further, ATF should ensure that ATF personnel are trained in how to identify such activities.
While the OIG report found no specific incidents where ATF failed to properly share terrorism- related information with the FBI, thereby resulting in an omission from the consolidated terrorist watchlist, ATF continues to support the sharing of terrorism information with the FBI and proposes the following measures be taken to eliminate the possibility of an individual with a nexus to terrorism not being placed on the watchlist:
ATF will meet with the FBI with the intention of reaching a clear and practical method of determining when criminal activity has an identifiable nexus to domestic terrorism.
ATF will continue to exchange information related to suspected acts of domestic terrorism with the FBI through ATF special agents currently assigned full time to the National Joint Terrorism Task Force and the FBI’s Domestic Terrorism Operations Unit.
Further, ATF concurs with the OIG recommendation and will take necessary steps to implement the recommendation and ensure that ATF personnel are trained in how to identify such activities.
Should you have any questions regarding this response, please contact Richard E. Chase, Assistant Director, Office of Professional Responsibility and Security Operations, at (202) 648-7500.
Michael J. Sullivan
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