Transcript of today's Ashcroft press conf

[Declan McCullagh]

Attorney General Remarks
Press Briefing
FBI headquarters
September 17, 2001

ATTY GEN. ASHCROFT: While the investigation is ongoing and still moving 
forward vigorously, we are beginning to learn
more about the attack last Tuesday and the plot to make it happen.

      As we have said before, we do believe that there are associates of 
the hijackers that have connections to terrorist
organizations that may still be in the United States. The tips we have 
received and the leads developed in the FBI field offices
have been extremely helpful in helping us assemble a list of individuals 
that might have information about these associates, or, in
fact, be among the associates. We are looking at the possibility that there 
may have been more than four planes targeted for
hijacking. But we are not able at this time to confirm that.

      To date the FBI has received more than 96,000 tips and potential 
leads: more than 54,000 on the website, nearly 9,000 on
the hot line, the toll_free WATTS line, and more than 33,000 leads that 
were generated in the FBI field offices. Obviously there
is still a great deal of information to be collected in order to understand 
the full picture of how last Tuesday's attack was
planned and the full extent of damage that the terrorists intended to cause 
is understood.

      Our effort includes talking to the numbers of people that may have 
information related to the case. That's why we have
forwarded a list of more than 190 people to national, state and local law 
enforcement agencies across the country and other
organizations that could be helpful in this effort, organizations like the 
airlines. We also have a responsibility to use every legal
means at our disposal to prevent further terrorist activity by taking 
people into custody who have violated the law and who may
pose a threat to America.

      The details that we have learned in the enormous destruction and 
devastation that was caused by last Tuesday's attack have
brought us to a turning point in our country's fight against terrorism and 
the preservation of the safety and security of our
society. On that morning last Tuesday the forces of terrorism attacked the 
citizens of our country with a ferocity that was
nothing short of a declaration of war against the people of America. The 
President of the United States has announced that we
will meet that declaration with a full commitment of resources and with a 
firm resolve to rid the world of terrorism.

      The fight against terrorism must be an overriding priority of the 
Department of Justice. I have talked this week about
possible legislative changes that we would need in order to be able to 
fight effectively against terrorism. And I'm pleased with
the cooperation from members of Congress and their ideas, their comments, 
their suggestions and their support for a package
which we would hope to have ready in the next few days. But this new effort 
requires more than just legislation.

      There are actions the Department of Justice can take now on its own 
to make sure the prevention of terrorism is a high
priority. That's why last night at my direction Immigration and 
Naturalization Service Commissioner Jim Ziglar signed an
administrative revision to the current INS regulations regarding the 
detention of aliens. The regulation previously allowed the
Immigration and Naturalization Service only 24 hours in which to decide 
whether to charge an alien that had been taken into
custody because of a violation. The revision announced last night expands 
the 24_hour time period to 48 hours, or to an
additional reasonable time if necessary under an emergency or in other 
extraordinary circumstances. This rule change will apply
to the 75 individuals who are currently detained by the INS on immigration 
violations that may also have information related to
this investigation.

      In addition, every United States attorney's office has reviewed the 
office's resources and structure in light of the growing
threat of terrorism. As a part of the new counterterrorism strategy, every 
United States attorney and every district of such an
attorney that hasn't already done so has been asked to establish an 
antiterrorism task force. At my direction last week, each
U.S. attorney's office identified an experienced prosecutor who will serve 
as the antiterrorism coordinator for that district. That
coordinator is to convene a meeting of representatives from the federal law 
enforcement agencies, and that would be the FBI,
the INS, the DEA, the Marshals Service, Customs, Secret Service, the ATF, 
or Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms.

      Together with those federal officials there would be the invitation 
to primary state and local police forces in that district. That
group, headed by the U.S. attorney, would be the antiterrorism task force 
in that U.S. attorney's district. These task forces will
be a part of a national network that will coordinate the dissemination of 
information and the development of a strategy to
disrupt, dismantle and punish terrorist organizations throughout the country.

      First, the task forces will serve as a conduit for information about 
suspected terrorists between federal and local agencies,
so that local police forces can be part and parcel of an effort to prevent 
terrorist attacks by having access to the information
available to federal agencies. Intelligence about terrorist networks 
obtained by federal agencies will be disseminated through
these task forces to the local police officials who can help monitor any 
terrorist network in their locality. Also, intelligence
developed by local police will be conveyed through this collaboration to 
the federal agencies. This information highway will not
be a one_way street.

      Second, the antiterrorism task force in each district will serve as a 
coordinating body for implementing the operational plan
for the prevention of terrorism. Once substantial credible information is 
received indicating that individuals or groups in a
particular district may be terrorists or abetting terrorism or aiding 
terrorism, the members of the antiterrorism task force in
conjunction with the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice will 
determine and implement the most effective strategy for
incapacitating any terrorist activity on their part.

      Third, the antiterrorism task force in each district will serve as a 
standing organizational structure for a coordinated response
to any terrorist incident in that district.

      In sum, the implementation of the task force coordinated by the U.S. 
attorney in each district, working with the FBI, will
provide the operational foundation for a concerted national assault against 
terrorism. This system will provide law enforcement
with a comprehensive, seamless approach to attack terrorism within our 
borders.

      Now, I understand that this is an aggressive and an ambitious agenda, 
that it represents a more preventative approach to
doing business in the U.S. attorney's offices together with the FBI than 
perhaps has been the case in the past. We must all
recognize that our mission has changed. It has been changed by the events 
of this last week.

      The threat that seemed fairly remote to most Americans seven days ago 
is now felt in every heart and every home in the
United States. And if we are to dispel this threat, we must meet it with 
ingenuity and with determination. I want to thank all of
the hard_working individuals in the Federal Bureau of Investigation and all 
of the United States attorneys across the country,
and state and local law enforcement officials who have joined together with 
us for their quick action in this important mission.
Let me just address you on another matter that I think may be of concern to 
you.

      As you all may be aware, a new Internet infection designed NIMDA __ 
some people say that's "ADMIN" backwards __ it
is, but I'm not sure if that's consequential __ was noted this morning. It 
may have started as early as yesterday, and it infects
computers on the Internet worldwide. The computers that are infected then 
scan the Internet in search of other computers. And
this very substantially expands the traffic load on the Internet. The 
scanning activity thus far indicates that this could be heavier
than the July activity with Code Red. Our government together with the 
private sector __ which is, incidentally, a very strong
and powerful partnership when we work together __ is assessing the problem. 
And we'll try and provide more information from
the FBI to you about this later today.

      In the meantime, I'm pleased to say that I understand that most of 
the antivirus companies have posted the files needed to
protect unprotected computers, and those files obviously are available at 
this time.

      There is no evidence at this time which links this infection to the 
terrorist attacks of last week.

      Thank you very much.

      Q What evidence is there, Mr. Attorney General, at this point that 
might connect this case to the Iraq government? And
secondly, has the FBI scuttled any other planned attacks that you're aware of?

      ATTY GEN. ASHCROFT: Let me take those in inverse order, if you will. 
Obviously, as the FBI and other law
enforcement agencies elevate their security, we would hope if there were 
other attacks in the making, that those would be
deterred. And that's the reason we are asking people around the country to 
not only work, but to watch, and law enforcement
and security agencies to elevate their concerns.

      I wouldn't be in a position to discuss evidence in regard to 
questions about other responsible parties.

      Q Two weeks ago __ a few weeks ago, I should say, the FBI questioned 
flight schools in Minnesota and in Oklahoma about
a man who we now know is in custody because of suspicions about his flight 
training requests. Did the FBI or any federal
officials warn airlines or FAA to be on the watch for this individual? And 
if not, why not?

      ATTY GEN. ASHCROFT: I'm not able to make a comment on that.

      Yes, ma'am.

      Q Mr. Ashcroft, earlier this year, you had a series of meeting with a 
bipartisan group from Congress in an effort to try and
repeal the use of secret evidence, evidence that is not shared with the 
defendants, so_called classified information. Courts have
repeatedly struck down the use of secret evidence against possible criminal 
aliens. You also had assured Congress a while
back that to the best of your knowledge, secret evidence is not being used 
by this administration against possible criminal aliens,
including alleged terrorists, and that you would not use secret evidence 
until Congress decided what to do. Given the situation,
will that change you opinion and also Congress' move, which I thought was 
imminent this month, to try and repeal the use of
secret evidence?

      ATTY GEN. ASHCROFT: Well, your question brings us really to a point 
about the extent to which we will respect the
constitutional rights of individuals. And we will not yield in our 
determination to protect the constitutional rights of individuals.
Very frankly, those who attack the United States would attack the 
constitutional rights as well as the safety of individuals.

      We're going to do everything we can to harmonize the constitutional 
rights of individuals with every legal capacity we can
muster to also protect the safety and security of individuals.

      It's with that in mind that we would evaluate any potential changes 
in the law.

      Yes?

      Q Are any of the 71 being held __

      Q (Inaudible) __ system to track visa over_stays? No one even knows 
how many people are in the U.S. now without a visa.


      ATTY GEN. ASHCROFT: Would you want to repeat that question?

      Q No one would ever have found these people if there hadn't been a 
catastrophe, because there's no way to track people
who are out of status or whatever way you want to call it.

      ATTY GEN. ASHCROFT: The president of the United States recognized a 
very broad set of deficiencies in our
Immigration and Naturalization services that related to very many people 
out of status, and suggested and has called for a
reformation in INS. Plans to make the Immigration and Naturalization 
Service a better service agency and a better enforcement
agency are under way. And I can only hope that when we do that, it will 
result in an elevated capacity to secure the safety of
the American people.

      Yes, sir?

      Q General Ashcroft __ (off mike) __ information that there were more 
than five planes or six planes? You said you're unable
to confirm it.

      ATTY GEN. ASHCROFT: We are unable to confirm that there are 
additional planes, but we have not ruled that out in our
evaluation. And we are pursuing an examination and investigative potentials 
that might help us be more certain about that
particular matter.

      Yes?

      Q Are you assuming wartime powers?

      Q (Inaudible) __ possible tips, how is it possible to check all of 
them? And how many are actually proving to be helpful?

      ATTY GEN. ASHCROFT: (Chuckles.) Well, that's a very good question. 
Obviously, many of them are redundant and
many of them are mutually exclusive. And so we sort through them as best we 
can. We try to prioritize them. And pursuing an
investigation like this is a little bit like selling insurance; it doesn't 
matter how many bad ones you get, it's a matter of how many
times you finally find a situation where the answer is yes, and you pursue 
it. When we get to a good lead, then we follow it.

      Q Are any of (these suspects ?) considered prisoners of war? Are you 
assuming wartime powers in any way?

      ATTY GEN. ASHCROFT: No.

      Thank you.

END.