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Date: Tue, 13 Nov 2001 19:58:45 -0500
To: Matthew Gaylor <<a href="mailto:freematt@coil.com">freematt@coil.com</a>>
From: Matthew Gaylor <<a href="mailto:freematt@coil.com">freematt@coil.com</a>>
Subject: Ashcroft's speech on opening NSA, CIA databases to police
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<p>
Date: Tue, 13 Nov 2001 17:41:28 -0500
From: Declan McCullagh <<a href="mailto:declan@well.com">declan@well.com</a>>
Subject: FC: Ashcroft's speech on opening NSA, CIA databases to police
<p>
Attorney General John Ashcroft spoke today to an "Anti-Terrorism
Coordinators Conference" organized by the Executive Office for United
States Attorneys (<a href="http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/eousa/).">http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/eousa/).</a>
<p>
An excerpt from Ashcroft's prepared remarks:
>Today I am issuing a second directive to provide training to <br>
>federal, state and local law enforcement in the use of all available <br>
>resources in the war on terrorism, including training on foreign <br>
>intelligence, how to identify it and with whom to share it... In <br>
>addition to these fundamental changes, I am establishing a National <br>
>Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee on Counter-Terrorism.<br>
<p>
I obtained this transcript and the earlier Politech message from the
Justice Department:
<p>
"USA PATRIOT opens CIA, NSA, intelligence databases to police"
<a href="http://www.politechbot.com/p-02787.html">http://www.politechbot.com/p-02787.html</a>
<p>
Also see:
<p>
"Three DOJ documents: Wiretapping, searches, computer seizures"
<a href="http://www.politechbot.com/p-02782.html">http://www.politechbot.com/p-02782.html</a>
<p>
-Declan
<p>
---
<p>
Prepared Remarks of Attorney General John Ashcroft
(NOTE: The Attorney General often deviates from Prepared Remarks)
Anti-Terrorism Conference
November 13, 2001
<p>
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.
<p>
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.
<p>
For two months we have endured the video-taped tauntings of
Osama Bin Laden.
<p>
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.
<p>
Americans have made difficult adjustments, and so too have
the men and women of justice and law enforcement.
<p>
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.
<p>
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.
<p>
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.
<p>
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.
<p>
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.
<p>
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.
<p>
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.
<p>
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.
<p>
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:
<p>
- first, to gather information from and disseminate
information to federal, state, and local agencies;
<p>
- second, to use swiftly and intelligently such
information to prevent future attacks from occurring;
<p>
- and, third, to ensure an efficient, effective, and
coordinated response to any future terrorist incident in a particular
district.
<p>
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.
<p>
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.
<p>
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.
<p>
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.
<p>
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.
<p>
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.
<p>
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.
<p>
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.
<p>
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.
<p>
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.
<p>
"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."
<p>
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.
<p>
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.
<p>
###
<p>
<p>
<p>
<p>
<hr>
POLITECH -- Declan McCullagh's politics and technology mailing list
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