New Terrorist Screening Center Established

War on Terrorism
New Terrorist Screening Center Established

09/16/03

On September 16, a new Center in Washington, D.C., was announced that will consolidate U.S. terrorist watchlists and provide 24/7 operational support for the thousands of federal screeners, state and local law enforcement, and others across the country and around the world who protect the nation.

Its aim: To protect America's communities against terrorists entering the country to stage terrorist incidents.

How? By ensuring that all investigators, agents, and screeners who are dedicated to detecting and disrupting terrorist threats are working off the same unified and comprehensive set of anti-terrorist information...and that they can access it instantly, in time to act quickly on a suspected terrorist anywhere they are in the world.

The announcement was made in Washington by the leaders of all concerned agencies: Attorney General John Ashcroft, Secretary of State Colin Powell, Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge, CIA Director George Tenet, and FBI Director Robert Mueller.

"What's different about TSC [the Terrorist Screening Center]," noted Director Mueller, "is the ability to make the information available in real time, constantly updated, 24 hours a day and across the board."

This multi-agency center was established today, on September 16, by a Presidential Directive and it will be operational by December 1st. It will be anchored by the Departments of Justice, Homeland Security, and State and by the CIA, and will be administered by the FBI.