Attorney General John Ashcroft spoke today to an "Anti-Terrorism Coordinators Conference" organized by the Executive Office for United States Attorneys (http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/eousa/).
An excerpt from Ashcroft's prepared remarks: >Today I am issuing a second directive to provide training to federal, >state and local law enforcement in the use of all available resources in >the war on terrorism, including training on foreign intelligence, how to >identify it and with whom to share it... In addition to these fundamental >changes, I am establishing a National Law Enforcement Coordinating >Committee on Counter-Terrorism. I obtained this transcript and the earlier Politech message from the Justice Department: "USA PATRIOT opens CIA, NSA, intelligence databases to police" http://www.politechbot.com/p-02787.html Also see: "Three DOJ documents: Wiretapping, searches, computer seizures" http://www.politechbot.com/p-02782.html -Declan --- Prepared Remarks of Attorney General John Ashcroft (NOTE: The Attorney General often deviates from Prepared Remarks) Anti-Terrorism Conference November 13, 2001 It is a pleasure to have this opportunity to address you today. I want to begin by doing something that doesn't get done often enough and that is to thank you for your hard work, particularly in these past weeks. I thank not just you but your families as well. Some of the greatest burdens of public service are bourne by the husbands, wives, children and parents we leave behind each day. Our family members too have sacrificed, and they, too are deserving of our thanks and gratitude. This has been a difficult time for our nation, a time that has dramatically tested the strength, spirit and resolve of all Americans. For two months America has been keenly aware of the new and continuing threat of terrorism. For two months we have endured the video-taped tauntings of Osama Bin Laden. For two months, Americans have had their lives disrupted. Law enforcement has had to work overtime. But throughout dozens of warnings, a deliberate campaign of terrorist disruption, and tighter security around potential targets, America has only grown stronger. Americans have made difficult adjustments, and so too have the men and women of justice and law enforcement. The attacks of September 11 have redefined the mission of the Department of Justice. Defending our nation and its citizens against terrorist attacks is now our first and overriding priority. We are engaged in an aggressive arrest and detention campaign of law breakers with a single objective: to get terrorists off the street before they can harm more Americans. We have modeled our tactics after a previous Justice Department, fighting a different threat to the nation. The Justice Department of Robert F. Kennedy, it was said, would arrest a mobster for "spitting on the sidewalk" if it would help in the fight against organized crime. In the war on terror, it is the policy of this Department of Justice to be equally aggressive in protecting Americans. We will arrest and detain any suspected terrorist who has violated the law. Our efforts, in all cases, will be conducted with full respect for the rights and freedoms of all Americans. But make no mistake: terrorists who are in violation of the law will be convicted, in some cases deported, and in all cases prevented from doing further harm to Americans. Last week I announced a sweeping wartime reorganization of the Department of Justice that places a high priority on cooperation and coordination between Washington and state and local prosecutors and law enforcement. Our plan calls for re-focusing on our core mission and responsibilities with the understanding that the Department will not be all things to all people. We cannot do everything we once did because lives now depend on us doing a few things very well. We will re-focus our resources on front-line positions. The war on terrorism will be fought not in Washington but in the field, by agents, prosecutors, investigators and analysts. Our long-term goal is to transfer 10 percent of current headquarters-based positions to the field offices where citizens are served and protected. Our new mission requires not just a new structure but a new approach to our jobs. In evaluating the merits of a prosecution, Assistant United States Attorneys must consider more than the scale of the case but the likelihood that the prosecution may disrupt and dismantle terrorist networks. In the changed world in which we now live, a seemingly routine prosecution of an immigration violation may be much more important than a million-dollar fraud case, because the immigration prosecution or minor identity theft case may remove a terrorist operative from our community. It is critical that we begin to view our responsibilities as justice officials in the fight against terrorism from the standpoint of the culture as a whole, not just the individual case at hand. Individuals who perpetrate anthrax hoaxes, for instance, have committed serious violations of the law and must be charged and prosecuted accordingly. Perpetrators of these crimes often claim that they are meant to be "just between friends." But the fact is, anthrax hoaxes do not long remain "just between friends." They involve serious diversions of resources from already taxed police, FBI and emergency response systems. The cost to the taxpayers from this waste of time and energy runs into the tens of thousands of dollars per incident. As prosecutors, you wouldn't view the theft of thirty thousand dollars from the U.S. Treasury as a harmless joke. Terrorist hoaxes aren't harmless jokes either. They're costly, serious offenses that demand a serious response. As you know, on September 17th, I directed each United States Attorney's Office to establish Anti-Terrorism Task Forces that bring together federal and state and local anti-terrorism officials. These Anti-Terrorism Task Forces serve three distinct purposes: - first, to gather information from and disseminate information to federal, state, and local agencies; - second, to use swiftly and intelligently such information to prevent future attacks from occurring; - and, third, to ensure an efficient, effective, and coordinated response to any future terrorist incident in a particular district. To those of you who have been selected as Anti-Terrorism Coordinators for your Districts, I congratulate you. You have been entrusted with a great responsibility. Remember that the experience, determination, and professionalism you bring to this job are lessons and examples for those who work with you and look to you for leadership. Task Force Coordinators will be responsible for ensuring that federal, state, and local law enforcement are communicating regularly regarding potential terrorist activity. You will be responsible, as well, for insuring that the information highway is not a one-way street. Just as federal officials must have access to information collected at the state and local level, Task Force members from state and local police must have access to appropriate information available to federal agencies. The battle against terrorism will require an unprecedented level of cooperation among all members of the law enforcement community and beyond. As I have said before, I want to emphasize again today how crucial it is that we share with the necessary federal or state agencies, as soon as possible, any information that exposes a credible threat to the public or national security - even though this may hinder a criminal investigation. Prevention of terrorist attacks - even at the expense of prosecution - must be our priority. To facilitate this communication, today I am issuing a directive to all United States Attorneys mandating that they begin immediately to develop communications protocols for sharing information with state and local leaders. Each district is to designate a Chief Information Officer to serve on its Anti-Terrorism Task Force. This officer will consult with state and local officials on how best to disseminate information within the district. Based on these suggestions, and by December 1 of this year, each district will develop communications protocols for sharing information with state and local leaders on the Anti-terrorism Task Forces, as well as chiefs of police and elected officials who may not be members of the Task Force in their district. Effective communication is vital because the Task Forces will be one of the primary vehicles through which we call upon the assistance of our state and local partners. As you know, I have just directed the Task Forces to coordinate the interviews of individuals who we believe may have information helpful to our investigative or prevention efforts. By necessity, many, if not most, of these interviews will be conducted by members of state and local law enforcement. Task Force Coordinators will be responsible for collecting interview reports so that the information they contain may be thoroughly analyzed. We recognize that this will be a time-consuming and complicated task, but it is critical that we expand our knowledge of terrorist networks operating within the United States. This intelligence gathering initiative only serves to underscore the obvious: September 11th changed us and changed the way we do our jobs. The Department has worked and will continue to work with Congress to obtain the additional tools we need to fight effectively against terrorism. The recently passed anti-terrorism legislation-the USA Patriot Act of 2001-- accomplished much to improve the effectiveness of law enforcement's efforts to intercept and stop terrorists. In particular, the new law gives us an expanded ability to share information between and within the law enforcement and intelligence communities. Our ability to share information is only as good as our capacity to identify useful intelligence. Therefore, today I am issuing a second directive to provide training to federal, state and local law enforcement in the use of all available resources in the war on terrorism, including training on foreign intelligence, how to identify it and with whom to share it. No later than January 31, 2001, a training session shall be convened for Anti-Terrorism Coordinators and Task Force members, including state and local members. Another training session will be conducted for chiefs of police and state and local trainers, regardless of whether or not they are members of the district's Anti-terrorism Task Force. In addition to these fundamental changes, I am establishing a National Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee on Counter-Terrorism. The purpose of the coordinating committee will be to provide the Attorney General with recommendations on how to facilitate better cooperation and communication between all levels of law enforcement in the war on terrorism. This enhanced coordination will center around three key areas: organization, information and equipment and training. I am asking for an action plan to be developed by this committee to provide me with recommendations on how the Department can better facilitate and promote cooperation between federal, state and local law enforcement. Due to the high priority the Department places on disrupting terrorist activity, I am requesting that this report be submitted within six months of the committee's inception. I also am directing that 9.3 million dollars be made available to support state and local participation in the Anti-Terrorism Task Forces. This approximately $100,000 per Task Force should be used as seed money to help our state and local partners meet the emerging communication and information sharing demands placed upon them. This money could be used, for example, to pay for an intelligence analyst or communications equipment. Additional state and local funding is also available through existing Department of Justice grants-and you should encourage members of your Task Forces to apply for that funding where needed. I've asked Deborah Daniels, Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs, to make these requests by U.S. Attorneys a priority. I know how valuable your time is during this challenging and turbulent period, and I thank you for taking the time to be here today. I hope you will return to your districts with the additional guidance and direction that you need to continue your extraordinary efforts to combat terrorism. I recognize that the work we are asking you to do, when added to the duties that already burden U. S. Attorney's Offices, has required great sacrifices from you, your families and the members of your staff. At the conclusion of World War II came the reckoning at Nuremberg. Former Attorney General and Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson led the prosecution of 21 Nazi defendants for crimes against their countrymen, against their neighbors, and indeed crimes against humanity. All pleaded not guilty. Some claimed that they were merely following orders. Others disputed the jurisdiction of the court. But Jackson successfully argued their guilt with a sense of urgency borne of a civilization threatened by a new force for evil. "The wrongs which we seek to condemn and punish have been so calculated, so malignant and so devastating," said Jackson, "that civilization cannot tolerate their being ignored because it cannot survive their being repeated." It is now as it was then. A calculated, malignant and devastating evil has arisen in our world. Civilization cannot ignore the wrongs that have been done. America will not tolerate their being repeated. Justice has a new mission, a new calling against an old evil. Thank you for your hard work. Thank you for your leadership. God bless the United States of America. ### ------------------------------------------------------------------------- POLITECH -- Declan McCullagh's politics and technology mailing list You may redistribute this message freely if you include this notice. 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