FBI Responds to Inspector General's Report

Washington, D.C. - The FBI responded today to the release of the Inspector General's Report entitled "A Review of the FBI's Handling of Intelligence Information Related to the September 11 Attacks."

Since 9/11, the FBI has undergone a transformation aimed at strengthening our ability to predict and prevent acts of terrorism. Throughout this process, we have incorporated feedback and recommendations from outside experts into our reform plans, and this has contributed a great deal to our success. That is why we asked the Inspector General to conduct this review shortly after the 9/11 tragedy.

As noted in our response to the Inspector General, appended to his report, the FBI has taken substantial steps to address the issues presented in the report. The Inspector General's recommendations are well reasoned and consistent with similar recommendations made by others. Most have been incorporated into our reform plans in some form and have either been completed or are well underway. In the months since the report was completed, we have continued to make substantial improvements.

Today, preventing terrorist attacks is the top priority in every FBI office and division, and no terrorism lead goes unaddressed. Stronger centralized management has strengthened accountability, improved information sharing, facilitated coordination with outside partners, and guided a national counterterrorism strategy.

The FBI has built a national intelligence program that leverages the organization=s investigative capabilities to identify and resolve intelligence needs, to analyze intelligence, and to share it as widely as possible. We established a Directorate of Intelligence to coordinate and manage intelligence functions throughout the Bureau and stood up dedicated intelligence groups in every field office. We enhanced our cadre of intelligence analysts with hundreds of new hires, new training, and a clear career path. We changed the criteria by which Special Agents, field offices, and investigative programs are evaluated to emphasize intelligence-related functions, such as the production and dissemination of intelligence reports.

With enhanced connectivity and new policies to facilitate information sharing, we are working more closely with our partners than ever before. FBI agents and analysts now work side-by-side with CIA, Department of Defense, and Homeland Security personnel at the new National Counterterrorism Center, with state, local, and tribal law enforcement on task forces around the country, and in joint operations overseas. We are doing more than just sharing information; we are integrating intelligence gathered at home and overseas to provide a coordinated strategic and tactical response to threats. We look forward to working with the new Director of National Intelligence to further integrate the FBI into the Intelligence Community.

More remains to be done, and further improvements are underway. We are grateful to the Office of the Inspector General for their many contributions to our reform efforts.