FBI RESPONDS TO
REPORT OF THE NATIONAL COMMISSION ON TERRORIST ATTACKS UPON THE UNITED
STATES
WASHINGTON,
D.C. – The FBI responded today to the release of the report of
the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States.
Director Robert
S. Mueller, III, said, “The FBI has worked closely with the Commission
and their staff throughout their tenure and we commend them for an extraordinary
effort. Throughout this process, we have approached the Commission’s
inquiry as an opportunity to seek informed and impartial input from
outside experts. We took their critiques seriously, adapted our ongoing
reform efforts, and have already taken substantial steps to address
their remaining concerns. We are gratified and encouraged that the Commission
has embraced our vision for change, and recognizes the progress that
the men and women of the FBI have made to implement that vision. We
agree with the Commission that much work remains to be done, and their
findings and recommendations will certainly guide and help us refine
our continuing transformation efforts.”
The FBI agrees with
the recommendations related to the Bureau as detailed in Chapter 13
of the report and is actively working to build a workforce with expertise
in intelligence. While much remains to be done, we have already taken
steps to implement the Commission’s recommendations as follows:
- Recommendation:
Recognizing that cross-fertilization between the criminal justice
and national security disciplines is vital to the success of both
missions, all new agents should receive basic training in both areas.
Furthermore, new agents should begin their careers with meaningful
assignments in both areas.
Recommendation:
Agents and analysts should then specialize in one of these disciplines
and have the option to work such matters for their entire career
with the Bureau. Certain advanced training courses and assignments
to other intelligence agencies should be required to advance within
the national security discipline.
The FBI supports
this recommendation. On March 22, 2004, Director Mueller adopted
a proposal to establish a career path in which new Special Agents
are initially assigned to a small field office and exposed to a
wide range of field experiences. After approximately three years,
agents will be transferred to a large field office where they will
specialize in one of four program areas: Intelligence, Counterterrorism/
Counterintelligence, Cyber, or Criminal, and will receive advanced
training tailored to their area of specialization. We are working
to implement this new career track.
- Recommendation:
In the interest of cross-fertilization, all senior FBI managers, including
those working on law enforcement matters, should be certified intelligence
officers.
The FBI agrees
with this recommendation. Director Mueller has approved a proposal
to establish a formal Intelligence Officer Certification that can
be earned through a combination of intelligence assignments and
training. Once established, this certification will be a prerequisite
for promotion to the level of Section Chief or Assistant Special
Agent in Charge (ASAC), thus ensuring that all members of the FBI’s
highest management levels will be staffed by fully trained and experienced
intelligence officers.
- Recommendation:
The FBI should fully implement a recruiting, hiring, and selection
process for agents and analysts that enhances its ability to target
and attract individuals with educational and professional backgrounds
in intelligence, international relations, language, technology, and
other relevant skills.
The FBI agrees
with this recommendation. We have implemented a strategic plan to
recruit, hire, and retain Intelligence Analysts. The Bureau has
selected veteran analysts to attend events at colleges and universities,
as well as designated career fairs throughout the country. We executed
an aggressive marketing plan, and for the first time in FBI history,
we are offering hiring bonuses for FBI analysts.
In our Special
Agent hiring, we have changed the list of “critical skills”
we are seeking in candidates to include intelligence experience
and expertise, foreign languages, and technology.
- Recommendation:
The FBI should institute the integration of analysts, agents, linguists,
and surveillance personnel in the field so that a dedicated team approach
is brought to bear on national security intelligence operations.
The FBI agrees
with this recommendation. We continue to grow the Field Intelligence
Groups (FIGs) established in every FBI field office and are on track
to add some 300 Intelligence Analysts to the FIGs in FY 2004. The
FIGs conduct analysis, direct the collection of information to fill
identified intelligence gaps, and ensure that intelligence is disseminated
horizontally and vertically to internal and external customers,
including our state, local and tribal partners. As of June 2, 2004,
there are 1,450 FIG personnel, including 382 Special Agents and
160 employees from other government agencies.
To support information
sharing, there is now a Special Agent or Intelligence Analyst in
each Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) dedicated to producing “raw”
intelligence reports for the entire national security community,
including state, municipal, and tribal law enforcement partners
and other JTTF members. These “Reports Officers” are
trained to produce intelligence reports that both protect sources
and methods and maximize the amount of information that can be shared.
- Recommendation:
Each field office should have an official at the field office’s
deputy level for national security matters. This individual would
have management oversight and ensure that the national priorities
are carried out in the field.
Our Field Intelligence
Groups currently report directly to an ASAC. In some field offices,
these ASACs have broader responsibility for national security matters.
We will look closely at this recommendation.
- Recommendation:
The FBI should align its budget structure according to its four main
programs – intelligence, counterterrorism and counterintelligence,
criminal, and criminal justice services – to ensure better transparency
on program costs, management of resources, and protection of the intelligence
program.
The FBI supports
this recommendation. As outlined in Director Mueller’s June
3, 2004, testimony before the House Appropriations Committee, the
FBI supports restructuring its budget decision units from the current
ten to the following four: Intelligence, National Security, Criminal
Enterprises/Federal Crimes, and Criminal Justice Services. This
proposal, also proposed by the National Academy of Public Administration,
would further remove barriers and improve transparency.
- Recommendation:
The FBI should report regularly to Congress in its semiannual program
reviews designed to identify whether each field office is appropriately
addressing FBI and national program priorities.
The FBI supports
this recommendation and has already taken steps to ensure field
offices address national program priorities. The FBI today has a
clear hierarchy of national priorities with the prevention of terrorist
attacks at the top. Field offices must allocate all necessary resources
to ensuring that all terrorism-related leads are addressed before
resources can be dedicated to other priorities. The FBI’s
inspection process now evaluates field offices on how well they
are complying with the national priorities. On occasions where Headquarters
has received indications that a field office is not acting in accordance
with the national priorities, an immediate audit was conducted and
the problem was promptly corrected.
The Commission
has some lingering concerns related to performance incentives. We
agree that agents should be rewarded for “acquiring informants
and for gathering and disseminating information,” and we are
in the process of changing the criteria on which agents are evaluated
to place more emphasis on intelligence-related functions and information
sharing.
- Recommendation:
The FBI should report regularly to Congress in detail on the qualifications,
status, roles of analysts in the field and at headquarters. Congress
should ensure that analysts are afforded training and career opportunities
on a par with those offered analysts in other intelligence community
agencies.
The FBI supports
this recommendation. The FBI’s Executive Assistant Director
for Intelligence has been given personal responsibility for developing
and ensuring the health of the FBI intelligence personnel resources.
It is important to note that the FBI’s intelligence cadre
is not limited to intelligence analysts, but also includes agents,
language analysts, surveillance specialists, and others. It takes
all of these specialists to perform quality intelligence production
at the FBI. The FBI’s plan to create a cradle-to-grave career
path for intelligence professionals at the FBI that parallels the
one that has existed and functioned so well for our agents and has
been codified in our Concept of Operations (CONOP) for Human Talent
for Intelligence Production.
Director Mueller
said, “As the Commission points out, we have much work still to
do, but we have made great progress and continue to move forward in
accordance with a clear plan. With the support and understanding of
lawmakers and the American people, I am confident that we will successfully
complete our transformation and ultimately prevail against terrorists
and all adversaries who would do harm to our nation.”
The FBI looks forward
to an ongoing public discussion of ways to support further information
sharing and collaboration in the Intelligence and Law Enforcement Communities,
and thanks the Commission for their public service.
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