Press Room
 

June 16, 2005
JS-2499

Statement of Janice B. Gardner
Nominee to be Assistant Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis
U.S. Department of the Treasury
Before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence

Chairman Roberts, Ranking Member Rockefeller and distinguished members of this committee, it is an honor for me to appear before you today. It is a privilege to have been nominated by President Bush to be the first Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Intelligence and Analysis. I thank him, Secretary John Snow and DNI Negroponte for their confidence in recommending me for this important position. If confirmed, I look forward to working closely with this committee, the United States Senate and your colleagues in the House of Representatives to disrupt financing for terrorism and other national security threats.

I'd also like to thank my friends and colleagues who are here with me today. This work is truly a team effort, and I greatly appreciate their support. Although my parents are not here today, I'd also like to thank them for all their encouragement and support over the years.

I am a career intelligence professional with over 20 years of experience. I first came to the Department of the Treasury in November 2002 as the Secretary's intelligence briefer and senior liaison officer. When the Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence (TFI) was created last year, I became the Deputy Assistant Secretary for the new Office of Intelligence and Analysis (OIA). Over the past year, I have helped Under Secretary Levey lead the effort to stand up the new office.

I've been fortunate to have a variety of challenging analytical and managerial assignments throughout my career. I started as an intelligence analyst working on East Asia, primarily Japan and Korea. I served on a rotation to the State Department as an economic officer in the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo. My first management assignment came in 1993 as chief of the Persian Gulf Branch in the Office of Near East and South Asian Analysis. I have also served in some key staff positions, including the executive assistant in the Office of the Director of Central Intelligence, the DCI representative to the National Security Council and staff officer in the Vice President's office. Prior to being assigned to the Treasury Department, I served as Deputy Director of the Foreign Broadcast Information Service, where I oversaw roughly 1000 U.S. and foreign national staff and independent contractors.

Mr. Chairman, if confirmed, I would focus on five key strategic areas:

  • For the first time, the Department's intelligence office is producing all-source intelligence analysis on terrorist financing and other national security threats. Prior to the creation of OIA, the intelligence office served primarily as a liaison office for senior policymakers in the Department. The new office is now working to provide insightful intelligence analysis that is focused on supporting the full range of Treasury's authorities to cut off illicit financing. While the office has already developed a current intelligence process, if confirmed, I would build a capability to produce strategic intelligence analysis that supports long-term policy development directed at national security threats to the financial system.
  • The Office is also working to enhance intelligence support to the Department on the full range of political and economic issues. As a member of the National Security Council, Treasury needs timely intelligence on fast-breaking events, as well as in-depth analysis from experts from the intelligence community. Thus, if confirmed, I would work to better integrate intelligence into the policy process and improve support to all aspects of the Department's mission.
  • As a member of the Intelligence Community, the Department needs to reinvigorate its relationship with the rest of the community. The Secretary has already met with the new Director of National Intelligence, and, if confirmed, I plan to devote much of my focus and energy to reengage Treasury in IC forums. As you know, our office is the smallest component in the IC, but I believe that it can make a significant contribution to the community on both collection and production issues.
  • Under the Treasury Order that created the Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, the Office of Intelligence and Analysis was designated to coordinate and oversee all intelligence analysis within the Department. The Department houses the bulk of the financial information in the U.S. Government, as well as expertise on the global financial system. OIA will serve as the focal point that fuses financial data from the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), as well as the Intelligence Community.
  • As a new office, OIA must make a significant investment in its future, particularly in its human resources and information technology infrastructure. I've been spending a large portion of my time as the Deputy Assistant Secretary trying to ensure that we have the capability to produce the kind of sophisticated analytical products that OIA is uniquely positioned to provide. If confirmed, I will work closely with Under Secretary Levey, the Assistant Secretary for Management and the Chief Information Officer to ensure that the office has the tools necessary to get the job done.

Mr. Chairman, Senator Rockefeller, I am grateful for this opportunity to appear before you today. I would be pleased to answer any questions you and the other members of the committee may have.

-30-