Remarks on improving counterterrorism intelligence

Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, Feb 17, 2003

February 14, 2003

Thanks for the warm welcome. It's nice to be back to the FBI again. The last time I was here was 14 months ago, and our country had just realized we were at war. We had just learned that America was a battlefield, Since the morning this country was attacked on September the 11th, folks in law enforcement all around the country have been working under urgent and difficult circumstances. And the first thing I want to tell you all is that this Nation is grateful for your hard work.

Across the world we are tracking and confronting and defeating international terror. Within our own country, we're taking unprecedented measures to protect the American people against a serious and continuing danger. There is no such thing as perfect security against a hidden network of cold-blooded killers. Yet, abroad and at home, we're not going to wait until the worst dangers are upon us. We continue to be in a state of war, but we're making progress. And today I want to talk about the 'Terrorist Threat Integration Center, which will help us meet the challenges of war, will help us do everything we can to say clearly to the American people, "We're working overtime to protect you. We're doing everything in our power to make sure the homeland is secure."

The officials who are present here represent thousands of patriotic Americans who know that we've been called into action, that this is a new era. One of the reasons I express such confidence in the country is because I understand the character of the people who have been called into action. And there's no doubt in my mind we will prevail.

I want to thank Attorney General John Ashcroft for doing such a fabulous job at the Department of Justice. He's assembled a fantastic team which is representing our country with distinction. I want to thank Tom Ridge for becoming the first Cabinet Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. I want to thank Wolfowitz and Armitage, who are up here with us--two of the prettiest members of my administration. [Laughter] They're doing a fabulous job. Paul works with the Secretary of Defense, Don Rumsfeld. Dick works with the Secretary of State, Colin Powell. Both these men are incredibly important members of a team that is doing everything in our power to protect freedom and secure the peace. I appreciate their hard work. I want to thank Bob Mueller for transforming the FBI. He's got all my confidence. And so does the Director of the CIA, George Tenet. Both these men had incredibly important agencies in our war against terror. Both of them have responded to the call. America is better off for their service to our country.

I want to thank the Members of Congress who are here. I see Senator George Allen is here, Chris Cox, Frank Wolf, Jim Turner, and Jane Harman, Members of the Congress, the House, the last four representing both political parties. I want to thank you for your dedication to the country. It's been a joy to work with you all to better secure our homeland, to join together to do everything we can to protect America.

I also want to thank Chief Ramsey, who is here, and Chief Moose and Jim Pasco. I appreciate you all and all the other local law enforcement officials who have come today. You play an integral role in the defense of our country. You're on the frontline, and for that the American people are grateful. When you get back home, I hope you tell the troops how much I respect them and what they do, how much America counts on them and how grateful we are for their sacrifices on behalf of the safety and security of the American people.

Before September the 11th--if you can remember that far back--we all thought oceans could protect us from attack. The Nation thought we were secure from any gathering danger that might be occurring somewhere else. After all, our history pretty well predicted that we would be safe.

But everything changed on that morning, and it's important for our fellow citizens to understand that everything did change, that we must do everything in our power to stop an enemy from coming here to hurt us--that's our first task. Last week's decision to raise our national terrorist threat is a stark reminder of the new era we're in, that we're at war and the war goes on.

We've got agencies at every level meeting threats. We've got people standing watch 24 hours a day. Perseverance is power in this war. Determination is essential in this war. We will persevere, and it doesn't matter how long it takes. See, that's the nature of the country that we live in. We owe it to our citizens to protect us within the Constitution that we're all sworn to uphold, and we will do that.

We're not only doing everything here at home, but we're doing everything we can abroad. Let me first tell you this: We're winning the war on terror. We've hauled in thousands of terrorists. They're captured. They're off the street. They're not a problem. Like number were not as lucky, and they're not a problem, either. We're dismantling Al Qaida one person at time. There used to be a kind of a brain trust of these people. And slowly but surely, we're bringing them to justice. We're at war in a different kind of war. It's a war that requires us to be on an international manhunt. We're on the hunt. It's a war that causes us to need to get the enemy on the run. We got them on the run. And it's just a matter of time before we bring them to justice.