COUNTERTERRORISM
UPDATE
FBI Exec Talks About the Latest Initiatives and Partnerships
03/21/05
What animal rights
extremist who recently bombed two U.S. businesses has ties around the
world and is likely hiding overseas?
Why was
John Lewis—one of our highest-ranking counterterrorism executives—in
Siberia earlier this month?
How many
fingerprints of terrorist suspects and detainees has the FBI now
gathered from across the globe into a searchable database?
You find the answers
to these questions—along with many more details on new and improved
ways we're working to turn back terrorist attacks—in last week's speech by
John Lewis, a Deputy Assistant Director in our Counterterrorism Division.
The venue? The
Fourth Annual International Conference on Public Safety: Technology and
Counterterrorism in San Francisco, which brings together leaders from
four continents every year to talk about cutting edge security strategies
and solutions.
John had plenty
to say, in particular, about partnerships—and why they're
key to tracking and defeating today's increasingly global yet decentralized
terrorist groups.
A few examples
of how these partnerships are paying off, including some you might
not expect:
- We're
now collaborating closely with Russian authorities to share
information, discuss strategy, cross-train, and above all, prevent
terrorist attacks—a
far cry from the days of the Cold War. Case in point: In Moscow,
undercover FBI agents recently teamed up with the Russian Security
Service to track down and arrest an alleged terrorist suspect
dealing with a weapon of mass destruction. Last month, two Russian
agents
testified in U.S. federal court against this alleged terrorist.
- We've
created an investigative data warehouse with billions of terrorism-related
documents and records—most of it supplied by our international
partners. It provides our agents and analysts "instant
access to photographs, biographical information, physical location
information,
and financial data for thousands of known and suspected terrorists."
- Today,
we're even working closely with our international partners to fight domestic terrorists.
For example, we've joined with Canadian and British authorities to
monitor the activities of the U.S.-based Animal Liberation Front
and an affiliated group based in England that has bombed targets,
vandalized personal and corporate property, and harassed owners,
employees, and their family members.
As John makes
clear in his remarks: "These partnerships are not a fad;
they are a new way of doing business." And clearly making a difference
when it comes to preventing global crime and terrorism.
Links: Read
the full speech | FBI
Counterterrorism website