ATTORNEY GENERAL JOHN ASHCROFT ANNOUNCES
CHANGES TO ANTI-TERRORISM TASK FORCES

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Attorney General John Ashcroft today announced that the nation’s 93 Anti-Terrorism Task Forces will be reconstituted as Anti-Terrorism Advisory Councils. The primary responsibilities of the Anti-Terrorism Advisory Councils will be to coordinate anti-terrorism initiatives, initiate training programs and facilitate information sharing. The Anti-Terrorism Advisory Councils are comprised of approximately 5,300 state and local law enforcement agencies that have joined with federal law enforcement organizations in the war on terrorism. U.S. Attorneys will continue to serve in leadership as the head of each Anti-Terrorism Advisory Council.

The Anti-Terrorism Advisory Councils will ensure that federal, state, and local law enforcement efforts are focused and coordinated as they pursue targets who may be connected to terrorism. The Anti-Terrorism Advisory Councils will work more closely in partnership with the nation’s 66 Joint Terrorism Task Forces, who will retain primary operational responsibility for terrorism investigations, while Anti-Terrorism Advisory Councils will continue to take the lead where they are better equipped to manage particular projects. The Anti-Terrorism Advisory Councils will mobilize and coordinate federal, state, and local officials for national prevention-based initiatives that involve significant prospects of imminent prosecution. They will also provide a central forum for agencies to congregate and identify potential terrorism links among their investigations. In addition, the Anti-Terrorism Advisory Councils will be responsible for initiating training programs and facilitating information sharing.

“Since the terrorist attacks of September 11th, the Justice Department has worked closely with our state and local partners to coordinate our efforts to prevent terrorism,” said Attorney General John Ashcroft. “Over the past two years, over 5,300 state and local law enforcement organizations have stood shoulder to shoulder with the Justice Department in supporting our combined work to prevent terrorists from launching additional attacks on U.S. soil. The assistance and cooperation the Anti-Terrorism Task Forces have provided has been extremely valuable. As the fight against terrorism continues, it is important to formalize the important mission our state and local partners play as our partners in the war on terror.”

In September 2001, the Attorney General issued an anti-terrorism directive that established Anti-Terrorism Task Forces (ATTFs) in each of the 93 U.S. Attorney districts in order to facilitate the Justice Department’s top priority - protecting the American people against the threat of terrorism. The Anti-Terrorism Task Forces have made great strides in furthering the war on terror, and in forging relationships with state and local law enforcement. Maintaining the existence and work of these cooperative, integrated teams across America is critical to the Justice Department’s mission.

In conjunction with the reconstitution of the ATTFs as Anti-Terrorism Advisory Councils, the Attorney General has also called on our U.S. Attorneys to renew their efforts to reach out to state and local law enforcement, asking that U.S. Attorneys invite all law enforcement entities that have previously not participated in the Anti-Terrorism Task Forces to join this anti-terrorism effort.

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