Thank you for that very kind introduction, Chief Estey, and congratulations, Deputy Sheriff Fulford, for earning the prestigious Police Officer of the Year Award.
Secretary Chertoff, members of the IACP, distinguished guests: it's a distinct privilege to be here with you this morning. I appreciate the opportunity to talk about the value of international cooperation, law enforcement and intelligence to an audience that will, I believe, immediately recognize the relationship of all three factors in the interdependent world in which we live.
If anything, Hurricane Katrina's disastrous wake has shown us the necessity of preparing in advance for threats. Those of us in intelligence and law enforcement face enemies, like Katrina, that at times can be merciless. Terrorists, too, seek to wreak havoc upon our country in ways that attack suddenly and surprisingly. Therefore, the calls for better preparation and organization in the face of natural disasters apply just as well to our government's need to be prepared and organized in the face of a terrorist threat.
Four years ago this month I assumed my post as the US ambassador to the United Nations. The United States had just suffered the worst act of terrorism in our history, with the most damaging attack striking New York, my home town, where the UN is headquartered. 9/11 cast a pall over the city and the nation, but it also brought forth expressions of solidarity from across the international community. These expressions have stood us in good stead to this very day. We are not and never have been alone in confronting terrorism. I think that's important to remember.
In fact, no nation has a monopoly on the threats of the 21st century or a sure-fire way to counter them. It's therefore a very good thing to benefit from one another's experience, wisdom, and friendship. I applaud all of you for your initiative in gathering here in Miami, and for working together to make the world in which we live a safer place. Please be assured that we in the Intelligence Community are committed to this same goal.
Speaking strictly from the position I occupy, we have to make maximum use of intelligence to penetrate, pre-empt and pursue terrorists, denying them safe haven, methods of travel, and means of support. This is what I push the Intelligence Community to do every day. And, working with law enforcement partners, we have had some great successes. Last month the Terrorist Screening Center (TSC) received a call from the New York City Police Department. A routine search on a parking violation through the National Crime Information Center had alerted dispatch that the individual in question might be a terrorist suspect. Sure enough, TSC database searches identified the subject as an alleged alien smuggler possibly associated with Al-Qa'ida. In another instance, local police executing a vehicle search as a result of an arrest for speeding violation turned over note cards with references to explosives and codes. Police alerted the TSC and the local Joint Terrorism Task Force, who used the information to further an ongoing terrorism investigation. Identifying terrorists who wish to do us harm, intercepting them when necessary, and preventing attacks before they occur is a tall order, but it is the right order. And you are among the officers who will carry it out.
As a result of the events of 9/11, the Executive Branch of the United States government has experienced enormous change. To cite a few examples, we have:
This is a lot of change in a short period of time, and this is why it
is important to come here to talk to you.
My role as Director of National Intelligence, simply put, is to follow
through on the President's commitment that "our vast intelligence
enterprise will become more unified, coordinated, and effective."
To that end, the Administration is implementing the Intelligence Reform
and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 and seventy recommendations made
by the Commission on Weapons of Mass Destruction. This reform process
represents a major undertaking within the Intelligence Community to improve
its collection, analysis, and cost-effectiveness. My message to you is
that this reform must reach beyond the Intelligence Community to ensure
that you, the law enforcement community on the front lines on the War
on Terror, are served by intelligence in new and creative ways. No longer
can we afford to rigidly separate foreign intelligence and domestic security.
In today's world, intelligence that is collected abroad must be seamlessly
integrated with that which is collected within our borders. I am committed
to this goal and in fact, have chosen a law enforcement professional to
be a senior leader in my organization to ensure that law enforcement equities-and
law enforcement customers--are always considered.
For this reason, in the National Intelligence Strategy I will release later this fall, our number one enterprise objective is building an integrated intelligence capability to address threats at home. Consistent with applicable laws and the protection of civil liberties, we must ensure that:
Information sharing is a critical part of my mandate. The Program Manager for the Information Sharing Environment John Russack has already spoken to you on this subject, but I want to highlight its importance to me and the Intelligence Community as a whole. Is his new capacity, John reports to me and I am staying abreast of progress towards the President's ambitious- but necessary-goals. One of our models for information sharing will be the National Counterterrorism Center- the NCTC. The NCTC brings together in a single place all the databases relating to terrorism from across the Intelligence Community so that our analysts can synthesize information and provide a single, integrated picture of terrorist activities to our customers and we feel that you are one of our most important customers.
Yes, there are significant issues affecting privacy, civil liberties and the equities of state and local governments, all of which need to be addressed, but I cannot overemphasize the fact that it is essential that information flow continually.
Before something happens-to prevent something from happening-we must build a continuum of international, national and local cooperation that connects the dots. Some of the dots may be concealed in a remote valley in a distant land; others may be right under our nose in a nearby apartment building, a prison, a warehouse, or a chat room. Law enforcement and intelligence clearly have discrete jobs to do, but to do those jobs in the critical area of terrorism and to minimize our vulnerabilities, law enforcement and intelligence require a common understanding of how interdependent they are and how important it is to share information, insight, and expertise.
After something happens, as it most recently did in London and before that, Madrid, the continuum of law enforcement and intelligence cooperation is just as important. A loss of confidence in government is the second wave of every terrorist attack. Mitigating the impact of that second blow is essential. It can only be done if we have a strategy for integrating our resources and have built up a sense of teamwork that holds us together. There will always be rumors, scares, and false leads in the wake of (and indeed before) an attack, but we can retain the confidence of the public if we have confidence in each other.
My call to you, then, and not only to the American chiefs of police, but to police chiefs everywhere, is to keep looking hard at ways in which you think intelligence can or ought to be strengthening your hand in preserving the safety of your citizens and the laws of your lands.
I will be actively seeking your ideas and encouraging my counterparts around the world to do the same.
Thank you very much.