It is an honor
to be here. I thank all of you for coming today. There are several
individuals I would like to acknowledge. We have already heard
from Scott Army of the General Services Administration. Thank
you for helping us get the funding for construction of this spacious
new office building. Also, I would like to thank developer John
Harvey, President and CEO of the Cowperwood Company.
We are
pleased to have U.S. Attorneys Jane Boyle and Matthew Orwig
here, as well as Chief Judge Joe Fish. There are a number of
former FBI employees joining us today, including Edwin Dorris
-- one of the oldest former Agents in the country. He is here
with one some of his former colleagues. And there are many more
of you from across the law enforcement community.
I also
welcome the family of the man to whom we dedicate this building
his wife Emily Shanklin and granddaughter Lisa Shanklin.
Thank you for joining us.
As we dedicate
this new structure, it is worth remembering a little of the
unique and sometimes colorful history of the Dallas Field Office.
In the 1930s, Dallas Agents from what was then the Bureau of
Investigation, assisted in the most elaborate manhunt the country
had ever seen. It began after outlaws Clyde Barrow and Bonnie
Parker went on a nationwide crime spree that is believed to
have resulted in 13 murders. Through a prescription bottle found
in a car they had stolen in Oklahoma and abandoned in Michigan,
Special Agents linked the medicine to Clyde Barrow's aunt. This
helped track the killers to end Bonnie and Clyde's deadly rampage.
Many years later, Dallas was again at the center of one of our
country's most traumatic national events. The shooting of President
John F. Kennedy stunned all America. Amidst a nationwide outpouring
of emotion, the Dallas FBI office led the investigation under
the direction of Special Agent in Charge J. Gordon Shanklin.
He, and all those who worked with him, labored under tremendous
pressure, and they performed admirably. His outstanding leadership
continues to serve as an example for all of us.
Today,
the Dallas office continues to compile an impressive list of
accomplishments. It is the tenth largest field office, but consistently
one of the most productive. Most of the FBI employees here today
had an integral role in responding to the 9/11 attacks, especially
in identifying the hijackers and establishing their contacts.
Later, they gathered computer evidence as well as communication
and travel information that helped identify many terrorist associates.
This dedication was initially scheduled for February. But when
the space shuttle Columbia exploded and the entire team of astronauts
lost their lives, employees of this office went to work, assisting
with the recovery and identification of those individuals who
gave their lives so that America and the world might benefit
from their mission into space.
Another area in which this office stands out is its work on
crimes committed against children. Many of you assisted the
Arlington Police Department on the Amber Hageman kidnapping.
Tragically, she did not survive, but the case has resulted in
the nationwide public notification system known as "Amber
Alert." It allows information about the victim and possible
suspects to be broadcast immediately. To date the alerts have
been directly responsible for the safe return of 53 missing
children.
It is important to remember history because of the lessons we
can learn in meeting new challenges. The challenge before us
today is terrorism. In two years, we have made substantial progress
against al Qaeda by removing the sanctuary of Afghanistan and
apprehending many of its senior leaders, including, Wadih al
Hage, about whom the Dallas office helped gather evidence that
led to his receiving a life sentence, and most recently, Hambali,
head of al Qaeda's operations in Southeast Asia. But in spite
of this progress, Al Qaeda still seeks to attack us, and they
have the capacity to do so.
Recent terrorist attacks in Bali, Riyadh, Morocco and Jakarta
have been stark reminders of the deadly threat posed by groups
and individuals with the desire and the ability to kill. And
the threat will likely remain for some time. Future world trends
indicate that the economic and displacement factors which breed
terrorists will continue. To succeed against a shadowy and resilient
global enemy, the FBI must also be ready to pursue the enemy
across the globe.
In the last year, the FBI has changed to focus more on its international
role, and the Dallas office has been at the forefront of much
of that change.
We are working more closely with our international law enforcement
partners. We now produce a better intelligence product, and
this intelligence information is shared, not only with law enforcement
in the United States, but throughout the world.
This office has established the Dallas Intelligence Service
Center, or DISC. Its mission is to provide analysis, disseminate
intelligence information to our partners and support terrorism
investigations.
Cyber security is another global challenge. A year ago, cyber
investigations were conducted on an ad hoc basis. Now efforts
are coordinated, and we are working more closely with government
and the private sector to protect against viruses, privacy invasions,
child pornography and fraudulent e-commerce. The Dallas office
has been a leader in Cyber Security. Its local chapter of InfraGard
-- in which the FBI works with corporations to prevent cyber
intrusions -- is the largest in the United States with 700 members.
InfraGard is an outgrowth of the most important change in the
FBI since 9/11 -- partnerships. The FBI has worked to strengthen
our partnerships at all levels, including internationally. Where
Bonnie and Clyde once roamed from state to state, terrorists
now travel from country to country. As a result of our presence
in communities across the U.S. and in our 45 international or
"Legal Attache" offices, the FBI has established relations
with our partners in law enforcement. These alliances have improved
our effectiveness in cases around the world.
We have also set up local and national task forces in communities
across the country. They are the eyes and ears in the war against
terrorism. Here, the North Texas Joint Terrorism Task Force
has grown to include over 90 different law enforcement agencies.
And this office has found other ways to strengthen national
and international partnerships. The Dallas Emergency Response
Network pools people, skills and equipment to increase public
safety in the event of an emergency. It serves as a model for
similar programs throughout the nation and throughout the world.
The reason the Dallas office and the entire FBI have been able
to meet new global challenges, is because of our people. It
is the dedication, integrity and hard work of our employees
that make the FBI a very special place in which to work.
As we change to address global challenges, expectations will
be high. But the history of the Dallas office tells us that
the FBI responds in whatever way needed to protect the citizens
of this country. With time and effort, the FBI will be like
this new building. It will be better, stronger, and more modern
able to meet whatever challenges lay ahead.
And it is to that effort which I dedicate this building and
to which I ask that we in the FBI dedicate ourselves.
Thank you and God Bless you all.