FROM THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Thank you for that kind introduction.

Today, I am pleased to announce that the same talent pool and expertise that brought down Al Capone, will now be dedicated to investigating Usama Bin Ladin and his terrorist network.

We are here to announce the launch of "Operation Green Quest," a new multi-agency financial enforcement initiative.

This operation is made up of investigators with:
Customs,
IRS,
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network,
Office of Foreign Assets Control, and
The Secret Service.

These entities globally recognized as the best and brightest financial investors in the world.

The goal of Operation Green Quest is to augment existing counter-terrorist efforts by bringing the full scope of the government's financial expertise to bear against systems, individuals, and organizations that serve as sources of terrorist funding.

Operation Green Quest has been created to serve Treasury's broader mission:
To deny terrorist groups access to the international financial system,
To impair the ability of terrorists to fundraise, and
To expose, isolate and incapacitate the financial networks of terrorists.
Here a summary of Operation Green Quest's purpose -

The initiative will target current terrorist funding sources and identify possible future funding sources - such as underground financial systems, illicit charities, and corrupt financial institutions - which are among the entities that will be scrutinized as possible facilitators of terrorist funds.

Utilizing leads from these entities and information developed independently, Operation Green Quest will launch comprehensive investigations resulting in blocking orders, criminal prosecutions, civil and criminal forfeitures, and other actions.

With that, I am delighted to offer the podium to Undersecretary of the Treasury Jimmy Gurule...