Ashcroft Senate testimony on terrorism May 9, 2001

[IkeWarnedUs]

Attorney General John Ashcroft's testimony to the Senate Hearing on U.S. Federal Efforts to Combat Terrorism, May 9, 2001

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It is clear that American citizens are the target of choice of international terrorists. Americans comprise only about 5 percent of the world's population. However, according to State Department statistics, during the decade of the 1990's, 36 percent of all worldwide terrorist acts were directed against U.S. interests.

Although most of these attacks occurred overseas, international terrorists have shown themselves willing to reach within our borders to carry out their cowardly acts. Further, the risk of terrorism within our borders does not result solely from persons of foreign origin. The bombing of the Murrah Building is a tragic example of the fact that we must also be alert to acts of terrorism perpetrated by disaffected citizens.

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Federal and International Coordination

Let me state at the outset that a fully effective program to combat terrorism requires integration of the capabilities of a wide array of government agencies. As relates to terrorist acts directed against U.S. interests overseas, the Department of Justice works closely with a number of other federal agencies, including the Departments of State, Defense, and the CIA. Within our borders, the Department's counterterrorism efforts require close coordination not only with other federal agencies but also with state and local agencies. Simply put, no one agency can effectively address terrorism on its own. Pulling together, however, we can make great strides at protecting our nation and its citizens from terrorists.

Coordination of U.S. efforts to address international terrorism is handled through the Counter-Terrorism and Security Group of the NSC's Policy Coordinating Committee on Counter-Terrorism and National Preparedness - Although this Group has undergone some refinements and changes in composition over the years, it has, in substance, been in place since the mid-1980's. It is a highly effective instrument in facilitating coordination among the pertinent federal agencies with counterterrorism responsibilities. Interagency efforts to combat terrorism both within the U.S. and abroad are outlined in the Five-Year Interagency Counterrorism and Technology Crime Plan (Five-Year Plan). The Five-Year Plan represents our coordinated and comprehensive national strategy for our continuing fight against terrorism.

The FBI operates a Counterterrorism Center at FBI Headquarters designed to enhance the capabilities of U.S. law enforcement and the intelligence community to combat terrorism in the United States. Further, in discharging its responsibilities relating to terrorist activity within the United States, the FBI operates 29 Joint Terrorism Task Forces strategically located throughout the United States, which bring together representatives of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to address terrorism issues.

Link: http://www.usdoj.gov/ag/testimony/2001/ag_statement_05_09_01.htm


Ashcroft goes on to talk about the DOJ's list of success stories in preventing terrorist attacks. He lists about a dozen, all but one from during the Clinton administration.

What do we know about this DOJ Five-year plan? All I was able to find is that is was issued December 1998 and is classified.