The Department of Justice's Terrorism Task Forces

Evaluation and Inspections Report I-2005-007
June 2005
Office of the Inspector General


Appendix II

Terrorism Task Forces and Councils


  Anti-
Terrorism
Advisory
Councils
(ATAC)
Joint
Terrorism
Task Force
(JTTF)
National Joint
Terrorism
Task Force
(NJTTF)
Foreign
Terrorist
Tracking Task
Force (FTTTF)
National
Security
Coordination
Council
(NSCC)
Mission

"To coordinate the dissemination of information and the development of investigative strategy throughout the United States."

"To detect, prevent, and investigate individuals or groups carrying out terrorists acts directed against the United States."

"To enhance communication, coordination, and cooperation between federal, state, and local government agencies by provided a point of fusion for terrorism intelligence and supporting the JTTFs."

"To provide information the helps keep foreign terrorists and their supporters out of the United States or leads to their exclusion, removal, surveillance, or prosecution."

To promote the "seamless coordination of all [DOJ] functions relating to national security, particularly [its] efforts to combat terrorism."

History

Established by the Attorney General September 17, 2001 as Anti-Terrorism Task Forces

September 25, 2003 (renamed to Anti-Terrorism Advisory Councils)

Established in May 1980 in the FBI's New York Field Office.

Established by the FBI Director in July 2002.

Mandated by Presidential Directive-2 issued on October 29, 2001.

Started in DOJ on October 31, 2001.

Established by the Attorney General March 5, 2002.

Functions

  • Coordinates anti-terrorism initiatives
  • Initiates training programs
  • Facilitates information sharing.
  • Works with JTTF

  • Investigates actual and perceived domestic and international terrorism acts that occur in or affect the United States
  • Acts as a "force multiplier" by maintaining a multi-agency taskforce with state, federal, and local participants.
  • Shares intelligence information with task force members and agency contacts that are properly cleared and have a "need to know."
  • Declassifies intelligence and shares with law enforcement and others.
  • Detects and prevents terrorist acts
  • Apprehends terrorism suspects
  • Develops human assets,
  • Coordinates federal, state, and local law enforcement's response to a terrorist act.

  • Operates an interagency taskforce that fully utilizes expertise offered by each representative.
  • Establishes and maintains liaisons with intelligence, law enforcement and federal partners with a terrorism focus.
  • Assesses terrorism intelligence to de-conflict information and minimize the duplication of effort,
  • Promotes information sharing between participating agencies,
  • Conducts special studies on terrorism matters,
  • Coordinates with FTTTF, FBI's Counterterrorism Division's Operational Units, Terrorist Threat Integration Center, and the Strategic Intelligence Operations Center, and
  • Administrative support to the JTTFs.

  • Responds to requests received from the Counterterrorism Division's operational units, the CIA and the JTTFs to perform data runs against public, proprietary, and government data systems.
  • Maintains the Consolidated Terrorist List that combines the FBI's Violent Gang and Terrorist Organization File (VGTOF) and 22 Most Wanted with the Department of State's TIPOFF.
  • Acquires data federal agencies and private industries data sets to improve its search capabilities.
  • Conducts risk assessments on flight training candidates, and persons requesting changes to their VISA status.

  • Serves as a forum for DOJ's component/agency leaders to meet bi-weekly to discuss terrorism issues,
  • Coordinates DOJ's terrorism policy, planning, and operations,
  • Frames national security issues for the Attorney General's and Deputy Attorney General's consideration
  • Reviews DOJ's resource allocations for terrorism matters,
  • Oversees the operations of the Joint Intelligence Coordinating Council,
  • Provides input into the DOJ's position on terrorism matters and presents this position to other agencies.

Budget

FY 2002 - $9.3 million

$100,000 for each of the 93 judicial districts, no additional funding since FY 2002

FY 2004 - $286 million (total)

FY 2005 - $375 million (total)

FY 2004 - $5.1 million (total), $2.8 million (non-personnel)

FY 2004 - $61.6 million

FY 2005 - $52.3 million

FY 2003 - $2 million

Now funded out of Office of the Deputy Attorney General budget.

Total Number of Groups

93*

* One ATAC for each judicial district, except Guam and Northern Mariana Islands are combined into one.

Pre 9/11 - 35 JTTFs
As of March 2005 - 103 JTTFs

1

1

1

Field/Headquarters

Field and Headquarters

Field

Headquarters

Headquarters

Headquarters

Size/Total Number of Members

11,000 members (approximately)

5,085 members

62 total members representing 40 agencies

138 total members

10 Permanent Members, Invited Guests as needed

Types of Members

Private industry, federal, state, and local law enforcement, intelligence community, federal agencies

FBI agents and analysts, other government agencies, federal, state, and local law enforcement

Federal, state, and local law enforcement, intelligence community members, FBI agents and FBI intelligence operations support.

FBI agents and analysts, federal and military members from the intelligence community, and members from other federal agencies.

Senior DOJ leadership including the

  • Deputy Attorney General
  • Chief of Staff to the Attorney General
  • FBI, Director
  • AAG Criminal Division
  • AAG Office of Justice Programs
  • Counsel, OIPR
  • DEA, Administrator
  • USMS, Director
  • ATF, Director
  • BOP, Director
  • Senior Counsel National Security Matters

Management Structure

Headquarters
Administrative oversight provided by the Eloisa's ATAC Coordinator and six Regional ATAC Coordinator from the Criminal Division's Counterterrorism Section.

Field
Chaired by the United States Attorney in each judicial district. A senior Assistant U.S. Attorney serves as the district's ATAC Coordinator and is assigned by an Intelligence Research Specialist.

Headquarters
Administrative oversight provided by the National Joint Terrorism Task Force and the FBI's Counterterrorism Division.

Field
Divided into International Terrorism and Domestic Terrorism. Operational oversight provided by a Supervisory Special agent with the approval of the Assistant Special Agent in Charge and Special Agent in Charge.

Headquarters
Headed by an FBI Unit Chief and a DHS Deputy Unit Chief. Reports directly to the Deputy Assistant Director for the Operations Support Branch of the Counterterrorism Division. Has 4 FBI Supervisory Special Agents that assist in management the NJTTF's operations.

Headquarters
Originally, FTTTF's Director reported to the U.S. Deputy Attorney General and served as a liaison to the then Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service and a Senior Advisor to the President's Assistant for Homeland Security.

In August 6, 2002, the Attorney General mandated that FTTTF's reporting responsibility shift to the FBI's Counterterrorism Division.

Headquarters
Chaired by the United States Deputy Attorney General. Staff from the Deputy Attorney General's Office support its operations.



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