Director’s Message to FBI Employees on Anniversary of 9/11

Director Robert S. Mueller, III released the following statement to the Bureau’s workforce Friday morning:

Today, we mark the anniversary of the tragic events of September 11, 2001. While some memories may fade with the passage of time, the terrorist attacks of that day remain strongly with us. They serve as continual reminders to stay focused on our primary mission of keeping Americans safe from all those who would do us harm.

In April, President Obama came to the FBI. Speaking to all employees, he acknowledged that purpose, saying, “…with the attacks of 9/11, your mission became focused more than ever before on prevention—so that we have the capacity to uncover terrorist plots before they take hold. With the spread of new technologies, you increasingly confront adversaries in unconventional areas—from transnational networks to cyber crimes and espionage. And through it all, you must continue to stay one step ahead of all who step outside of the law.”

Though we pause today to remember the tragic and heroic losses of 9/11—in New York, at the Pentagon, and in a Shanksville, Pennsylvania field—we pledge to renew our commitment to protecting this great nation from terrorism and other criminal threats.

With great appreciation and respect for all that each of you contributes to that worthy effort,

Robert S. Mueller, III
Director