On March 9, 2006 President George W. Bush announced the new position of Assistant Attorney General for National Security in the Department of Justice. By combining the Counterterrorism and Counterespionage Sections of the Criminal Division and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act experts from the Office of Intelligence Policy and Review (OIPR), this reorganization will enable a more vigorous effort to combat terrorism and other threats to national security. The National Security Division will further improve coordination against terrorism within the Department of Justice and with the Central Intelligence Agency, the Department of Defense, and other intelligence community agencies. We are committed to preventing acts of terror and protecting the security of the American people at home and abroad.

Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTFs) are small cells of highly trained, locally based, passionately committed investigators, analysts, linguists, SWAT experts, and other specialists from dozens of U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies. It is a multi-agency effort led by the Justice Department and FBI designed to combine the resources of federal, state, and local law enforcement.

Tips and Public Leads/Most Wanted Terrorists

The FBI encourages citizens to report suspected criminal activity or information related to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks by calling an FBI Field Office or by using this form.

The FBI posts pictures and descriptions of the most wanted terrorists on its site. The FBI also seeks information on certain individuals in connection with possible terrorist threats to the United States.

Resources

Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, the highest priority of the Justice Department has been to protect America against acts of terrorism. During this time, the Justice Department has significantly improved its ability to identify, penetrate, and dismantle terrorist plots as a result of a series of structural reforms, the development of new intelligence and law enforcement tools, and a new mindset that values information sharing, communication and prevention. See the Fact Sheet: Justice Department Counter-Terrorism Efforts Since 9/11.

The FBI’s Counterintelligence Section is responsible for exposing, preventing, and investigating intelligence activities on U.S. soil. The Bureau is dedicated to its role in counterterrorism and its mission to protect the United States from further acts of terrorism. The FBI is the lead law enforcement agency for investigating cyber-based attacks by foreign adversaries and terrorists. Terrorism 2002-2005, published by the FBI provides an overview of the terrorist incidents and prevention that have taken place in the U.S. and its territories during those years.

The National Security Division, which consolidates the Department’s primary national security elements within a single Division, currently consists of the Counterterrorism and Counterespionage Sections, and the Office of Justice for Victims of Overseas Terrorism (OVT), all three formerly part of the Criminal Division; the Office of Intelligence consisting of three new sections: Operations Section, Oversight Section, and Litigation Section; and a new Law and Policy Office and Executive Office. This organizational structure ensures greater coordination and unity of purpose between prosecutors and law enforcement agencies, on the one hand, and intelligence attorneys and the Intelligence Community, on the other, thus strengthening the effectiveness of the Department’s national security efforts.

The Drug Enforcement Administration actively works to dismantle narco-terrorist organizations by using specially trained law enforcement organizations to find and eliminate drug related terrorist groups.

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is committed to working with all levels of government to help prevent, disrupt, and defeat terrorist acts before they occur. BJA supports several initiatives to train law enforcement officers in counter-terrorism efforts.

The Office for Victims of Crime offers various services to victims of terrorism and criminal mass violence, including contacts for information and incident-specific phone numbers and Web sites for victims only. The Terrorism and International Victim Assistance Services Division provides awareness and responsiveness to the needs of terrorism victims and individuals who are victimized outside their own country, and informational resources for international victims.

Law Enforcement National Data Exchange (N-DEx)
N-DEx will provide law enforcement agencies with a powerful new investigative tool to search, link, analyze, and share criminal justice information such as incident/case reports, incarceration data, and parole/probation data on a national basis to a degree never before possible.