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For Immediate Release
October
1, 2002
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Washington D.C.
FBI National Press Office
(202) 324-3691
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RESPONSE
TO THE DOJ-OIG REPORT TITLED:
"A REVIEW OF THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION'S
COUNTERTERRORISM PROGRAM: THREAT ASSESSMENT,
STRATEGIC PLANNING, AND RESOURCES MANAGEMENT"
Director Mueller,
III, and FBI senior managers have reviewed the DOJ-OIG
audit report which examined certain aspects of the FBI's
management of its counterterrorism resources, primarily
the areas of risk assessment and resource management.
Director Mueller welcomes the report's findings and concurs
with the recommendations as constructive guidance. While
the audit did not assess all aspects of the Counterterrorism
program, many of the recommendations are part of the larger,
ongoing reengineering of the program. The goal is improved
analysis and operational capabilities combined with increased
cooperation and integration to strengthen the FBI's ability
to investigate and prevent acts of terrorism. Along with,
and as a part of this ongoing effort, the FBI will specifically
initiate the following programs and actions in response
to the threat assessment, strategic planning, and resource
management recommendations specified in the report.
THREAT ASSESSMENT
- The Counterrorism Division
(CTD) has prepared a draft of a comprehensive national-level
assessment of the terrorist threat to the United States.
This draft is currently under review by CTD Senior
Management.
- Included in this assessment
will be an evaluation of the of the chemical and biological
weapons most likely to be used by terrorists. Also
included in the assessment will be a comprehensive
analysis of the potential of the use, by terrorists,
of other weapons of mass destruction.
- The CTD will share
this assessment with appropriate law enforcement and
intelligence agencies.
- The CTD is currently
developing criteria for the the initial evaluation
and prioritization of incoming threat information.
The resulting system will substantially improve the
CTD's ability to process, assimilate, and prioritize
threat information. The system will also ensure that
new threat information is properly routed to all analysts,
FBIHQ investigative units, FBI Executive Management,
FBI Field Offices, and the appropriate law enforcement/intelligence
agencies tracking a particular threat.
- Currently, the CTD's
Threat Monitoring Unit, in concert with the Intelligence
Community, tracks all incoming threat information
24 hours per day.
STRATEGIC
PLANNING
- The FBI is currently
updating its 1998 Strategic Plan to conform to the
existing Department of Justice (DOJ) Strategic Plan.
- As part of the FBI's
2003 strategic planning process, all programs will
be required to develop performance measures for assessing
national program performance and for evaluating individual
field office performance. The FBI is developing these
performance measures in cooperation with DOJ and the
Office of Management and Budget.
- The FBI's inspection
process is currently being revised to focus on outcome/results
based performance measures and to track with a reengineered,
prevention-driven Counterterrorism program.
- The FBI will initiate
a system of major case review for the purpose of gaining
administrative, organizational, and substantive information
from the handling of past investigations.
- A working group will
be established to implement this system that will
identify, review and analyze "lessons learned"
from past major investigations.
- This working group
will include appropriate representatives from the
FBI operational divisions, the Records Management
Division, and will be chaired by the Deputy Assistant
Director from the Criminal Investigative Division.
The working group will report directly to the Deputy
Director.
RESOURCE
MANAGEMENT
- The CTD will design
a core training curriculum and minimum competencies
for FBI Special Agents assigned to counterterrorism
investigations.
- Training related proficiency
standards will become part of the FBI Strategic Plan
and the FBIHQ Counterterrorism Program Management
Plan.
- The CTD will establish
proficiency criteria for counterterrorism squads in
FBI field offices and for CTD units at FBIHQ.
Initiation
of these programs and actions will further enhance the
FBI's revised mission that places investigative priority
on the thorough and aggressive investigation of international
and domestic terrorism matters. Some important aspects
of the FBI's investigative mission against terrorism include:
- Establishment of the
National Intel Share Project which serves to address
the complex legal, legislative, and technological
issues related to sharing intelligence and information
with other appropriate law enforcement and Intelligence
Community agencies.
- Creation of a national,
multi-agency joint terrorism task force to insure
that every appropriate law enforcement and Intelligence
Community agency receives "real time" terrorism
related information.
- Establishment of the
Office of Intelligence staffed by FBI and CIA analysts
and headed by a senior CIA analyst. This office has
improved the FBI's ability to analyze and share critical
terrorism information throughout the FBI and with
appropriate law enforcement and Intelligence Community
agencies.
- An increase in the
number of CIA officials detailed to the FBI, along
with an equal increase of FBI officials to the CIA,
which insures consistent and uniform information sharing
between the agencies.
- The shift of 480 FBI
Special Agents to counterterrorism investigations
and another 38 Special Agents to the Training and
Security Divisions.
- The hiring of a former
IBM executive to oversee the restructuring of the
FBI's technological systems used to support investigations
and to protect information.
A
Review of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Counterterrorism
Program: Threat Assessment, Strategic Planning, and Resource
Management, Executive Summary
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