30 April 1999
(Says weapons of mass destruction pose real threat to U.S.) (1740) Washington -- The FBI's focus in counterproliferation efforts is "the identification, penetration, and neutralization" of WMD (Weapons of Mass Destruction) proliferation activities, an agency counterterrorism official says. Testifying April 29 before the Commission to Assess the Organization of the Federal Government to Combat the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction, Deputy Assistant Director Dale Watson stated that "it is possible to reduce the susceptibility to WMD terrorist attack by taking security precautions, remaining vigilant in pursuing WMD terrorist activity, and improving preventive measures, as well as civil preparedness." Watson cautioned that "the threat of WMD use in the United States is real, however, we must not inflate or understate the actual threat." Addressing the success of the FBI's counterterrorism program, Watson said the agency has "uncovered a significant number of attempts by foreign powers to obtain U.S. technology for their own WMD development programs." Following is the text of Watson's statement as prepared for delivery: (begin text) Thank you for this opportunity to discuss the FBI's Weapons of Mass Destruction counterproliferation efforts with you today. I'd like to start by highlighting our position on WMD proliferation. The FBI views the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction as a serious threat to national security and has developed a broad-based program to counter it both from a proactive standpoint and from a response standpoint. We define WMD proliferation like the rest of the U.S. counterproliferation community as the spread of nuclear, chemical or biological weapons, and/or their means of delivery. We also recognize that because WMD proliferation often centers on the United States as a source of the technology needed for a foreign power's WMD development program, the FBI has a responsibility under its foreign counterintelligence (FCI) programs to investigate this exploitation. The mission of all the FBI's WMD-oriented programs is the prevention of the malevolent use and/or proliferation of WMD, to include chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons, through foreign counterintelligence investigations, criminal/counterterrorism investigations, international cooperation, and proactive domestic programs. Our WMD-related investigations attempt to prevent the acquisition or use of WMD devices by terrorists or others, uncover the breadth of U.S.-based proliferation activity, determine the modus operandi of proliferators, and develop operations to eliminate the activities of proliferators operating within the United States. Of course, our counterproliferation activities represent only one element of the counterproliferation activities of the U.S. government. To clarify and specify the FBI's role let me summarize it by stating that our focus is on the identification, penetration, and neutralization of WMD proliferation activities involving U.S. entities. The Bureau has several initiatives underway to identify the threat of WMD proliferation and to hamper the ability of others to obtain materials, equipment, information or technology from the U.S. for use in WMD development. In this forum, only a general discussion is possible to highlight our findings. The FBI aggressively investigates all alleged criminal activities involving nuclear, chemical or biological material, as well as all alleged attempts to obtain information or technology for WMD development by countries of proliferation concern. We have several major efforts in this area to help us facilitate the use of the large volume of information that is available concerning allegations of proliferation activity involving U.S. entities. These initiatives have allowed the FBI to develop an initial picture of the scope and breadth of proliferation activities occurring within the United States and should help facilitate a proactive program to help the law enforcement community halt those activities. We have uncovered a significant number of attempts by foreign powers to obtain U.S. technology for their WMD development programs. In some cases, the technology targeted had direct WMD device application, but by far the predominant number of cases involved dual-use, or general purpose technology that helped foreign powers develop the infrastructure required for a WMD development program. Often, U.S. firms and individuals are unwitting participants because of the use of front companies and overseas intermediaries to conceal the identities of the actual end users. However, there is limited evidence that some proliferant countries are relying on witting U.S.-based procurement agents to acquire equipment on behalf of their WMD programs. Overall, our cases demonstrate that U.S.-based WMD proliferation is widespread and highlight the need to better address the exploitation of U.S. technology that is occurring in foreign power WMD development. I'd like to point out that we could not have developed as clear an understanding of the WMD proliferation threat if not for the cooperation of our intelligence community and law enforcement partners. We routinely work with both to exchange information and ensure U.S.-based proliferation investigations are coordinated among agencies. Often, these investigations have overlapping investigative jurisdiction between the FBI, the U.S. customs service, and the Department of Commerce. Therefore, our headquarter's counterproliferation program has agents detailed from both of those agencies who work as part of our U.S. law enforcement counterproliferation team. A second proactive counterproliferation initiative I want to mention is the DOD/FBI counterproliferation assistance program. Congress mandated this program after recognizing the serious threats to U.S. national security posed by WMD proliferation. Congress provided authority, through the National Defense Authorization act of fiscal year 1995, for up to $10 million in reprogrammed Department of Defense funds. These funds were to be used in the development and implementation of a counterproliferation assistance program intended to train and equip foreign law enforcement personnel to detect, prevent, and investigate incidents involving the illegal trafficking in WMD, and to improve U.S. efforts to deter the possible proliferation and acquisition of WMD by organized criminal groups and individuals in Eastern Europe, the Baltic states and countries of the former Soviet Union. So far, we have provided basic law enforcement counterproliferation training for government officials from Kazakhstan, Krygystan, Georgia, Uzbekistan, and Moldova and are counting to plans to engage additional countries. This program is intended to assist in the establishment of a professional cadre of international law enforcement personnel who are trained to detect, deter, and investigate any aspect of crimes related to the proliferation and diversion of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons and their delivery systems, as well as illicit trade in related materials. The DOD-FBI counterproliferation program also calls for the provision of a certain amount of detection equipment, as appropriate, and the examination of the legal systems of these countries to suggest improvements to their ability to prosecute those involved in illegal proliferation activities. The final area of our WMD responsibilities I want to mention today involves the operational response to a WMD terrorist incident. Within the United States, the FBI has been assigned the lead role in responding to acts of WMD terrorism or other criminal-related incidents in which the FBI maintains jurisdiction. The FBI derives its fundamental legal jurisdiction to deter, investigate, direct, organize, and prepare for a WMD incident from an assortment of federal statutes and Presidential Decision Directive 39. Terrorist events such as the World Trade Center bombing, the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, and the pipe bomb at the Olympic Games in Atlanta revealed the United States' increased susceptibility to terrorist assaults. These attacks, coupled with the March 1995 Tokyo subway attack, where the weapon of choice was the chemical nerve agent sarin, exposed the threat of use of WMD within the United States. The threat of WMD use in the United States is real, however, we must not inflate nor understate the actual threat. The United States is experiencing an increased number of hoaxes involving the use of chemical or biological agents perpetrated by individuals wishing to instill fear and disrupt communities. Yesterday's bomb threat has been replaced with a more exotic biological or chemical threat. While the FBI continues to investigate these hoaxes, other on-going investigations reveal that domestic extremists, as well as international terrorists with open anti-U.S. sentiments, are becoming more interested in the potential use of chemical and biological agents. Examining the increased number of WMD criminal cases the FBI has opened over the past several years highlights the potential threat of use we face. WMD criminal cases are those cases primarily dealing with the use, threatened use, or procurement of chemical and biological materials with intent to harm within the United States. These criminal cases have shown a steady increase since 1995, rising from 37 in 1996 to 74 in 1997, 181 in 1998, and 114 to date for 1999, with three-quarters of these cases threatening a biological release. The biological agent most often cited in 1998 and 1999 was anthrax. Despite the increase in fabricated threats, the WMD threat remains. Since the early 199Os the FBI has investigated a number of domestic extremist groups and associated individuals interested in procuring or ready to employ chemical or biological agents against innocent civilians. In February 1999, members of a right-wing splinter group were sentenced to 292 months (over 24 years) in prison for threatening to use a weapon of mass destruction against federal officials. These individuals intended to modify a cigarette lighter in order to shoot cactus quills tainted with HIV-blood or rabies. It is impossible to eliminate all vulnerabilities in an open society without taking draconian measures that impinge on civil liberties. However, it is possible to reduce susceptibility to WMD terrorist attacks by taking security precautions, remaining vigilant in pursuing WMD terrorist activity, and improving preventive measures, as well as civil preparedness. The FBI is currently undertaking all of these steps. The United States is preparing itself for unconventional threats like WMD terrorism by coordinating federal, state, and local law enforcement and emergency responders in their ability to ferret the fabricated threats and meet the challenges posed by a potential chemical or biological terrorist attack. It is important to recognize the breadth of The Bureau's activities in the WMD counterproliferation and counterterrorism areas. The FBI works through our FCI, criminal and counterterrorism jurisdiction to uncover U.S. involvement in WMD development. We have developed proactive programs to counter the WMD proliferation threat, and we are prepared to pursue, arrest and prosecute those who use, or threaten to use WMD in the United States. (end text)