PROTECTING
AMERICA FROM TERRORIST ATTACK:
Two FBI Executives Testify on Information-Sharing
and Integration
07/14/04
Yesterday, two senior
FBI executives were up on Capitol Hill to testify before separate subcommittees
of the House Government Reform Committee on specific ways we're working
with our partners to protect the nation against terrorist attacks.
To be perfectly honest,
their statements were a bit mind-numbing in their detail.
But that's precisely
the point.
The FBI today is exhaustively
pursuing ways to get its terrorist-related intelligence and
information in the hands of the full gamut of local, state, federal,
and international agencies -- from your neighborhood police department
to foreign intelligence services across the ocean.
You will find both testimonies chock
full of information-sharing initiatives, most that didn't exist
prior to the attacks of 9/11.
Counterterrorism
Deputy Assistant Director Willie Hulon explained in depth how
FBI intelligence is being shared through a multitude of avenues, including:
- New and improved
electronic networks, both classified and unclassified;
- Targeted reports
and assessments, totaling over 3,000 in the last year alone;
- Comprehensive daily
terrorism briefings for senior leaders and policymakers;
- A slew of joint
task forces, councils, and advisory boards;
- Brand new multi-agency
initiatives like the Terrorist Threat Integration Center, the Foreign
Tracking Task Force, and the Terrorist Screening Center; and
- Exchanges of experienced
professionals with key agencies "to ensure coordination and transparency."
Terrorist Screening
Center Director Donna Bucella talked specifically about how
the TSC pools identifying information on terrorist suspects from ten
different government databases and watch lists ... and then provides
it 24/7 to screeners, agents, police, and embassy officials worldwide
working to stop terrorists from entering the U.S.
In particular, Director
Bucella detailed how the TSC works hand-in-glove with the Department of
State to revoke and deny visas to potential terrorist operatives by:
- Enabling State Department
officials at the TSC to help consular officials vet visa applications
by using the consolidated Terrorist Screening Database; and
- Alerting the Department
of State of visas that might need to be revoked as we gather new intelligence
on terrorist suspects. When a visa has been or is being revoked, the
TSC coordinates with the appropriate U.S. agency for followup (for example,
to locate the individual or to check for pending investigations).
From sharing intelligence
information to working together operationally, the FBI remains committed
to keeping America safe from the threat of terrorism.
Links: DAD
Hulon's full testimony | TSC
Director Bucella's full testimony
