Today's indictment proves
once again that the FBI is committed to aggressively
pursuing terrorists and disrupting terrorist networks
across the United States.
The investigation out
of Dallas relied upon an array of intelligence and law
enforcement initiatives and tools that have characterized
our post 9-11 prevention efforts.
The North Texas Joint
Terrorism Task Force - one of 66 such task forces that
now operate nationwide as local linchpins in the war
on terror - was a driving force in the investigation.
That task force is one of the largest in the nation,
with approximately 60 full and part-time federal, state,
and local officers.
Outstanding teamwork -
another cornerstone of the counterterrorism successes
of the past 15 months and a hallmark in Dallas since
the JTTF was established in 1995 - was a critical factor
in bringing this case to a successful conclusion. Intelligence
and information was fully shared by all the players,
a sign of the new connectivity that exists at every
level of government.
Dallas investigators and
experts from our new Terrorist Financing Operations
Section at FBI Headquarters contributed their expertise
in tracking down the financial activities of the defendants
in this case. The FBI also supported the investigation
with sophisticated information-gathering techniques
and with a cadre of translators from Dallas and here
in Washington. In addition, our network of 45 overseas
offices - an important front line of defense against
terrorism - worked with our international counterparts
in several nations to run down many important leads
in this case.
Preventing acts of terror
remains the FBI's top priority and overriding focus.
That means identifying cells and disrupting their operations
long before plans get off the ground, as we have accomplished
in several successful investigations in recent months.
And it means crippling and dismantling terrorist networks
country-by-country, operative-by-operative, dollar-by-dollar
so that they no longer pose a threat to the U.S. Today's
indictments send a message that those who support terrorists
- whether by developing plans of attack or funneling
dollars overseas -- are not safe from the reach of the
law.