7 March 2002
Source:
http://www.usdoj.gov/ag/speeches/2002/030502newsconferencenationalsecuritycoordinationcouncil.htm
Attorney General Transcript
News Conference - National Security Coordination Council
Tuesday, March 5, 2002
DOJ Conference Center
ATTY GEN. JOHN ASHCROFT: Good afternoon. Next Monday will mark
six months since terrorists awakened America to the defense of
freedom. For six months, the men and women of the Department of
Justice have joined with their colleagues in state and local law
enforcement in a campaign to mobilize the vast resources of our
justice system and the awesome moral force of to defeat
terrorism.
The president has charged us with a critical mission: to protect
our nation and its citizens from serious, immediate, ongoing
threats. To fulfill this mission, the Department of Justice has
launched the most comprehensive criminal investigation in world
history. We've embarked on a wartime reorganization of the
Department of Justice, putting the prevention of terrorist
attacks at the center of our law enforcement mission.
Outside Washington, we have forged new relationships of
cooperation with state and local law enforcement. We have
organized federal, state and local law enforcement into regional
anti-terrorism teams. Hundreds of thousands of leads, many from
concerned and responsible citizens, have been investigated by the
Federal Bureau of Investigation. Over 100 individuals have been
charged.
Among the most important lessons we have learned is the lesson
that countering a threat as vast and as complex as international
terrorism requires unprecedented cooperation and coordination. No
single individual, agency, department or government can succeed
alone. We have instead sought to weave a seamless web of
prevention, involving not just government but businesses and
communities, state and local governmental operations, citizens in
a united effort to identify, disrupt and dismantle terrorist
networks.
Within the Department of Justice, we recognize the concomitant
need to marshal our formidable resources to fight terrorism in
the most effective manner possible. Accordingly, today I
amannouncing the creation of the National Security Coordination
Council of the Department of Justice. The principle mission of
the National Security Coordination Council will be ensure a more
seamless coordination of all functions of the department relating
to national security, particularly our efforts tocombat
terrorism.
The National Security Coordination Council will complement and
build on the Department of Justice efforts to protect the nation
from terrorism and other national security threats. It will also
be the department's voice on these issues to other federal
agencies. Chairing the National Security Coordination Council
will be an undertaking that requires leadership, principled
commitment to justice, and an expert understanding of the threats
facing our nation, and the large tools at our disposal to defeat
those threats.
I can think of no better nor more qualified public servant than
Deputy Attorney General Larry Thompson to fill this role. Since
September the 11th, he has worked tirelessly both within the
Department of Justice and in cooperation with other government
agencies to pursue every avenue within the law to identify and
prevent terrorist attacks on Americans. He is and has been a
courageous leader in the Department of Justice. He is a very
valuable, faithful servant to the president of the United States
and a dogged advocate of justice.
Personally, I have learned to rely on Larry Thompson to the
highest level possible. Each morning we receive the reports
together about information developed in the previous day's work
by intelligence and law enforcement agencies. He shepherds the
responsibilities related to the Justice Department's role in
national security in relationships with other agencies of the
federal government. He has been an active leader among deputies
of various departments in coordinating the responses of these
departments to make sure that we offer the American people the
most secure effort that we could possibly offer from the federal
level. He has worked aggressively to build relationships with
state and local authorities so that we have the kind of vertical
integration of law enforcement and information, including
intelligence that can be gained from those at the local level and
sent to us at the federal level.
And it's with a sense of great confidence that I call upon him to
fulfill this responsibility. I know of no person anywhere inside
government or out who could undertake this responsibility with a
greater likelihood of success than Larry. And I am grateful that
he has accepted the responsibility of chairman of the National
Security Coordination Council of the Department of Justice.
Now, before I turn this even over to the deputy attorney general,
I would like to mention and discuss the DNA samples being taken
from detainees at Guantanamo Bay.
Currently, the United States government is collecting and using
the collection of DNA samples as a standard identification tool
of these detainees. And as we discussed yesterday, the FBI
oversees the combined DNA index system, or what is called CODIS.
That's the national DNA index. While the law does not currently
allow law enforcement to collect DNA samples and use them, the
law --pardon me, let me just start that again -- the law does
allow law enforcement to use DNA samples.The law does not allow
these samples to be entered into the DNA database because the
samples do not fit categories currently housed in CODIS. What I'm
saying is that the samples collected from detainees in the war
effort are not among the categories that would currently fit in
the CODIS system. We believe that this law should be changed.
The Department of Justice is currently reviewing a legislative
proposal that would allow these samples to be entered into the
CODIS system, and that would assist law enforcement officials in
the identification of those who might seek to harm the United
States and U.S. interests through terrorism, either now or in the
future.
Let me just go over that one more time. Law enforcement uses DNA
to identify those who have been convicted or charged with various
law enforcement offenses, and there are categories for those
kinds of collections to be included in the CODIS system. There is
no category in the CODIS system for inclusion of detainees in a
war or conflict, and we believe that that would be an appropriate
amendment in the interests of the public safety of the United
States and we will seek that.
We are also obtaining fingerprints from detainees. Those
fingerprints will be added to the criminal law enforcement
database for the United States and the database used to screen
entrants into the United States.
Now, back to the major reason for this opportunity to speak with
you, and that's the introduction of Larry Thompson, whose
responsibility it will be to chair that national security council
for the Department of Justice. And I'm delighted that he's agreed
to be involved in getting that job done and doing it well. Doing
it well and getting it done will not be strange enterprises to
Larry. He's been acting in that role with great skill and with a
tremendous degree of success over the last several months, and
I'm delighted to be able to introduce him to you at this time.
Larry, thank you.
MR. THOMPSON: He left me alone. (Laughter.) I want to thank
Attorney General Ashcroft. Iespecially want to thank him for the
confidence that he has in me and in the men and women of my
office.
The first priority of the Department of Justice, bar none, is
combating the threat of terrorist attacks. The attorney general's
creation of the National Security Coordination Council adds a
significant weapon to our arsenal in that battle. The council
dedicates the leadership of the department to ensure the
participation of all elements within and outside the department
that can enhance our counter-terrorism efforts. The council will
assemble knowledge, intelligence, and expertise from every corner
of the department. We will better coordinate policy, planning and
operations, and more efficiently allocate resources in our
paramount mission to prevent, defeat and disrupt terrorist
attacks before they occur.
The council will frame national security issues for resolution by
the attorney general or me,ensuring that we make decisions with
the benefit of the wealth and breadth of counter-terrorism
experience in the department and throughout government.
Joining me on the council will be the director of the FBI with
the participation of the executive assistant director for
counter-terrorism and counter-intelligence; the commissioner of
the INS; the chief of staff of the attorney general; the
assistant attorney general of the Criminal Division, with
appropriate participation of the Terrorism and Violent Crimes
Section and the Office of International Affairs, as well as other
components of that division; the assistant attorney general for
the Office of Justice programs; and the counsel of the Office of
Intelligence and Policy Review.
Other department officials as well as representatives from other
agencies, such as the CIA and Department of Defense, will be
invited to attend council meetings and participate in council
deliberations and discussions as necessary and appropriate. For
example, the interconnection of the war on terrorism and our
anti-drug efforts may occasionally require the participation of
DEA Administrator Asa Hutchinson. The council will convene at
least biweekly and more frequently asevents dictate.
This new structure will help us marshal our wide ranging
resources to develop, direct andexecute our counter-terrorism
strategy to eliminate terrorist threats before they develop into
terroristacts. While counter-terrorism coordination and emphasis
have been a way of life for us sinceSeptember 11th, today's
creation of this council marks a significant advance, in my
opinion, in thedepartment's fight against terrorism. No other
enforcement priority of the department has garneredthis intensity
of focus. No other enforcement priority of the department has
ensured this degree ofseamless leadership coordination. And no
other enforcement priority of the department hascombined this
breadth of multi-disciplinary participation, reflecting our
counter -- excuse me,reflecting our comprehensive and united
counter-terrorism effort.
The department's unity in this important effort mirrors our own
nation's unity. Ours is one people dedicated to one goal -- to
protect our country against the threat of terrorism. Through this
new structure, we firmly declare our purpose, to draw on every
legal weapon at our disposal to accomplish our common aim.
Thank you. And I'll be happy to try to answer any questions you
may have.
Q Larry, when you create a council to coordinate things
seamlessly, it kind of implies that things have been coordinated
seamlessly before. Was there a situation that drove the creation
of this council?
MR. THOMPSON: Quite the contrary. Since September 11th, and
especially September 11th,we have been working very hard to do
everything that we possibly can to be as efficient, as effective,
and to react in as a rapid response as we can to the terrorist
threats that we face. We've considered some things that make a
lot of sense to us, and, quite frankly, we've considered
somethings that didn't work out. This council effort, today's
announcement, marks the creation of what we believe, after the
experience that we've had since September 11th, what we believe
works, and what we believe we need to have to move forward as a
department in our important counter-terrorism efforts.
Q There have been some questions as to whether you can handle the
counter-terrorism and the Enron investigation. Do you think that
at this point you're going to have to step down?
MR. THOMPSON: No, I don't think so. As I mentioned, I have
confidence in the attorney general and the fine men and women in
my office -- and, quite frankly, the fine men and women in this
department. I am one of the leaders of the department, but I'm
confident that with the effort, the expertise, and the hard work
of the other men and women of this department that we can handle
diligently and responsibly all the things that are on our plate.
Yes sir.
Q Two quick questions. One is, what will happen now that this
council is in effect that is not happening before this? I mean,
obviously coordination, and communication, and officials are
meeting. What exactly will be done that won't -- that hasn't been
done before? And on the DNA, some critics have said that it's not
fair, these people have not been convicted. It's not -- it's a
violation of civil rights to use the DNA. What's your response?
MR. THOMPSON: Let me respond to the first -- your first question.
The council has some budgetary implications, and so hopefully
when this new council is reviewed and approved by Congress we
will have more resources -- seven additional positions to help us
in our fight against terrorism. And secondly, it provides more of
a structure and more of a formal -- formal focus on how we are
going to coordinate our counter-terrorism efforts. And I think
it's something that we have done, but not in a formal way. And I
think it's appropriate and good to do it -- to establish amore
formal mechanism at this time.
Q There are some reports recirculating today that the U.S. has
supposedly broken an Israeli spyring. These are reports that have
come up and been denied in the past. I'm wondering if you could
put this to rest finally, or tell us if there anything to it.
MR. THOMPSON: I'm not going to comment on that.
Q Does this replace EONS (ph)?
MR. THOMPSON: The function of EONS (ph) will be incorporated into
the new council, Deborah.
Q How much of a budget are you requesting?
MR. THOMPSON: It's seven new positions. I'm not certain as to how
much that amount would-- Okay.
Q Can you address the DNA question? Can you reply to the
question?
MR. THOMPSON: I'm sorry, I have to go to another meeting.
END.