*EPF405 11/07/2002
Text: Ridge Says Al Qaeda Still Retains Ability to Conduct Attacks
(U.S. has three key objectives to protect homeland, he says) (2890)

Al Qaeda, despite all that has been done to its network in Afghanistan and elsewhere, remains the most immediate and serious threat to the United States and to those in the coalition in the global war on terrorism, says U.S. Homeland Security Advisor Tom Ridge.

"We have captured or killed hundreds of its operatives, disrupted numerous cells, and denied access to substantial financing. However, the recent bombing in Bali, the attack on the French oil tanker, the murders of Europeans in Pakistan, and the killing of a Marine in Kuwait suggest that this organization retains the capability to orchestrate attacks and to inspire sympathizers," Ridge said at King's College in London November 7.

He said the international terrorist group that is responsible for the September 11th attacks on the United States is an organization that emphasizes careful planning, tight operational security, and exhaustive field preparations -- the prerequisites for spectacular operations.

The United States is following a strategy against terrorism that is both offensive and defensive, he said. "The former includes the actions taken to attack and disrupt terrorist organizations; the latter comprises the steps we are taking to protect our homeland, our population, and our links to the rest of the world," Ridge said.

President Bush's recent National Strategy for Homeland Security has three objectives: prevent terrorist attacks on the United States, reduce America's vulnerability to terrorism, and minimize the damage and recover from attacks that do occur, he said.

To help implement the homeland security strategy, Ridge said the president has proposed a new cabinet-level federal agency whose essential mission to protect the homeland. The U.S. House of Representatives has already approved legislation to create the Department of Homeland Security, and it is under consideration in the Senate.

A key role for this new agency, he said, is the coordination of efforts and responsibilities.

Following are terms and abbreviations used in the text:

-- Billion: 1,000 million.
-- CIA: Central Intelligence Agency.
-- FBI: Federal Bureau of Investigation.
-- G-8: Group of Eight industrialized nations that includes: Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, and the United States.
-- APEC: Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.
-- NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
-- EU: European Union.
-- CBRN: chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear weapons

Following is the text of Ridge's remarks, as prepared:

(begin text)

As prepared for delivery

Remarks of
Governor Tom Ridge
Assistant to the President for Homeland Security

Protecting Against the Global Threat: Strategies from American Homeland Security

King's College London, Centre for Defence Studies November 7, 2002 London, England

Thank you. It is a privilege to be with you at this distinguished university. I hope that our discussions today will in some modest way deepen the special relationship between the United States and Great Britain -- a relationship forged through common beliefs, shared struggle and ultimate triumph in other world conflicts.

Prime Minister Blair captured the depth of our historic bond in the immediate days after the tragic events of September 11 last year. America will not forget the Prime Minister's words: "During the dark days of the Blitz, there was one nation and one people that stood side by side with us at that time, and that nation was America. And we stand side by side with you now."

We thank the Prime Minister and the citizens of the United Kingdom for their support. We agree that global threats require a global response. No nation can secure itself against a global threat by acting alone. Our economies depend upon one another. Our societies are deeply interconnected. We cannot hope to build impregnable walls between countries. Nor should we try.

The threat of terrorism will be with us for the foreseeable future. As we confront it, we must present a unified front to this unconventional enemy. To succeed we must stand shoulder to shoulder with all committed nations, for in unity there is strength.

THREAT & VULNERABILITY

In the war on terrorism, as in all wars, the more we know about our enemy, the better able we are to defeat him. Similarly, the more we know about our vulnerabilities, the better able we are to protect ourselves. We need to perform what strategists call "net assessment." We must compare the capabilities and intentions of our enemy to our own strengths and vulnerabilities, only then can [we] develop the most effective strategic response.

Modern democratic societies are particularly vulnerable to terrorism. The diversity and high mobility of our populations allow terrorists to hide in our midst. We live in large cities and congregate in large numbers in public spaces. We are linked by vulnerable production systems and supply chains to the essentials of life -- food, water, energy. Our transportation networks, power generating plants, and industries can be attacked with potentially catastrophic consequences. Our public-safety and health infrastructures can be quickly overwhelmed, producing casualties in the thousands or tens of thousands. This is the inescapable reality of the 21st century.

A common inquiry is: How do we assess the terrorist threat today?

I believe the most important assessment involves one single observation: Terrorists are strategic actors. They select the time, place, and method of their attacks based on the vulnerabilities they perceive in us. They do not confront us where we are strong. They attack us where we are weak or unprepared. They are patient and cunning.

Some Europeans believe that America is overreacting to the current threat; Great Britain and other European nations have been terrorized before, and have survived. It is true, they have survived the terrorist attacks of recent decades. However, this new terrorist [threat] is unlike any other we have faced.

Today, we are confronted by sophisticated, decentralized terrorist networks spread across many countries, linked by information technology, and enabled by far-flung financial networks and ideological supporters. We must defend ourselves against a wide range of means and methods of attack. Our enemies are working to obtain chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons. Terrorists continue to employ conventional means of attack, such as bombs, guns, hijackings, and hostage taking. At the same time, they are gaining expertise in new techniques. They have included cyber attacks in their arsenal. They will constantly seek unexpected ways to carry out their destructive mission.

Al-Qaeda remains our most immediate and serious threat despite the damage we have done to their network in Afghanistan and elsewhere. We have captured or killed hundreds of its operatives, disrupted numerous cells, and denied access to substantial financing. However, the recent bombing in Bali, the attack on the French oil tanker, the murders of Europeans in Pakistan, and the killing of a Marine in Kuwait suggest that this organization retains the capability to orchestrate attacks and to inspire sympathizers. The modus operandi of this organization emphasizes careful planning, tight operational security, and exhaustive field preparations ���� the prerequisites for spectacular operations.

THE U.S. RESPONSE

The U.S. strategy to confront the terrorist threat involves both offense and defense. The former includes the actions taken to attack and disrupt terrorist organizations; the latter comprises the steps we are taking to protect our homeland, our population, and our links to the rest of the world.

As the president's principal adviser for homeland security, I thought it might be useful to share with you some insights from America's strategies to secure our nation.

National Strategy for Homeland Security

President Bush created the Office of Homeland Security within the White House on October 8, 2001. Our mission is to coordinate the national response to terrorism and to develop a National Strategy for Homeland Security. The Strategy, released this past summer, is the first of a kind for our country. It provides an important road map for government at all levels, as well as the private sector, to take the actions that will better protect America from harm. Key to the national strategy is the principle of risk management. We must assess risk, probability and consequence. We can then direct our resources toward securing against the greatest vulnerability.

Our Strategy has three objectives: to prevent terrorist attacks within the United States; reduce America's vulnerability to terrorism, and minimize the damage and recover from attacks that do occur. Easily expressed. Difficult to achieve.

The Strategy aligns and focuses homeland security into six critical mission areas.

The first mission area is Intelligence and Warning. Information sharing between our intelligence and law enforcement agencies has been constrained by culture, mission and the barriers we've erected between them. We must ensure that information is shared between the CIA, FBI, and domestic law enforcement agencies. We must reorient the FBI so that its top priority is counterterrorism. We must integrate analysis about evolving terrorist strategies and plans with an assessment of our vulnerabilities.

Our new Homeland Security Advisory System is used to communicate threat warnings to the nation. This advisory system has five color-coded levels that correspond to specific protective measures. All federal agencies have developed response plans. They have a clear course of action depending on the level of threat of terrorist attack. Many states, cities, and businesses also have responded by developing their own protective measures. Our vision over time is a truly national language for threat communications that results in the most effective protective response.

Second is Border and Transportation Security. The challenge of keeping terrorists and the instruments of terror out of our country and out of the transport infrastructure is enormous. More than 500 million people and 16 million shipping containers enter the United States every year. Our ultimate goal is "smart borders" that strengthen security [while] at the same time facilitating the flow of legitimate people and goods.

Our third critical mission area is Domestic Counterterrorism. We will reorient our domestic law enforcement organizations to focus on counterterrorism. We will pursue individuals engaged in terrorism and their sources of financial and logistical support. We will augment the information available to law enforcement and build integrated and accessible watch lists. We will use every tool in our nation's legal arsenal to stop those who wish to do us harm. The Patriot Act passed by Congress last year enhanced our abilities to do so. The Act increases our ability to track and intercept communications, combat foreign money laundering, and increase border security.

Key to reducing our vulnerability is the fourth area: Critical Infrastructure Protection. We must protect assets and systems that could be attacked with catastrophic consequences. We will formulate a national infrastructure protection plan to organize the efforts of the public and private sectors. We must and will establish protection priorities.

Defense Against Catastrophic Terrorism is the fifth critical mission area. We must prepare for, prevent, and respond to CBRN threats. International anti-proliferation activities are essential to this domestic effort. We will spend nearly six billion dollars this fiscal year to help hospitals become better able to respond to bioterror emergencies; boost research and development of new vaccines, medicines and diagnostic tests; and build up our National Pharmaceutical Stockpile against the threat of biological weapons.
And, finally the sixth mission area is Emergency Preparedness and Response. We will spend $3.5 billion [$3,500 million] this year ���� a 1,000-percent increase ���� to assist our "first responders." These are the police officers, firefighters and medical personnel who risk their lives every day defending our homeland and have the greatest chance of saving lives. The funding will help pay for new equipment, and training and overtime costs.

Department of Homeland Security

To drive implementation of the National Strategy, President Bush proposed the creation of a new Department whose primary mission is to secure the homeland. A major challenge over the past year has been the coordination of the efforts of more than one hundred federal agencies with homeland security responsibilities ����none of which has homeland security as a principal mission.

The Department will control our borders. It will work with state and local authorities to respond to emergencies. It will coordinate research and development of technologies to detect biological, chemical, and nuclear weapons, and of drugs and treatments to protect our citizens. It will also review intelligence and law enforcement information from all agencies and produce integrated threat assessments.

President Bush's proposal represents the most extensive reorganization of the federal government since President Harry Truman proposed uniting our military forces under a single Department of Defense and creating the National Security Council. As many of you understand, only our Congress can create a new department of government. We are optimistic -- even more so in light of the results of this week's elections -- that Congress will send the president a bill that establishes the new Department before the end of the year.

INTERNATIONAL DIMENSIONS OF HOMELAND SECURITY

For all the progress that we believe is being made at home, our efforts to secure America cannot succeed without international collaboration. No one nation can confront the terrorist threat alone, or protect itself through its own actions. Our nations are interconnected by financial, transportation, information, and trade systems that transcend borders. We can all better protect our own soil and citizens by working together.

The United States is proud to be part of one of the greatest global coalitions in history. Just about every nation has offered political support for the global campaign against terror; 122 countries offered military forces. Coalition forces destroyed al-Qaeda's bases, killed or captured many of its operatives, and put the rest on the run. At the same time, we helped liberate the Afghan people from the oppressive rule of the Taliban. This broad coalition must now rebuild Afghanistan so that it never again becomes a terrorist safe haven. However, for many phases of this long conflict, military power alone will be insufficient to achieve victory.

Terror must be confronted with every economic, law enforcement, diplomatic, and intelligence weapon available. Thanks to the substantial growth in law enforcement and intelligence exchanges among 90 countries, we have detained approximately 2,700 al-Qaeda suspects. Information provided by these detainees has yielded useful intelligence that has allowed the United States and our allies to break-up cells, prevent additional attacks, and save lives.

Organizations such as NATO and the U.N. also have been critical to creating and sustaining this international coalition against terrorism. For the first time in its history, the U.N. Security Council has passed a very broad counterterrorism resolution. Compliance for members is mandatory. This resolution provides the legal, political and moral foundation for the international community to organize itself against terror. The Counter Terrorism Committee chaired by Sir Jeremy Greenstock will facilitate productive relationships among nations and the regional and multilateral organizations that are our essential partners.

Coalitions and cooperation to share intelligence, freeze assets and catch suspected terrorists are ways that the international community is playing offense. We're also working together to take some important defensive actions. For both people and cargo, there are new protective measures in place with more being developed.

In the past year, we have been implementing bilateral border accords with Canada and Mexico to increase mutual security without impeding the flow of legitimate people and goods. The G-8 and APEC have taken actions to secure and protect the international supply chain from terrorism while facilitating legitimate trade. The World Customs Organization is considering how to enhance import, export and in-transit controls, improve technology and automation, and use risk-management techniques to select goods and conveyances for examination.

The U.S. Customs Service is working at major ports with its counterparts in other countries to implement the Container Security Initiative. This program will enhance the security of the world's maritime trading system by detecting security concerns at the earliest possible opportunity. The Container Security Initiative is quickly being adopted by mega-seaports in Asia and Europe. At Rotterdam, the first European port to adopt the new security measures, U.S. inspectors work side-by-side with Dutch inspectors to target and pre-screen containers for terrorist weapons, before they leave for the country of destination.

Some of the actions we must take to strengthen security for people and commerce will have global implications. Advanced passenger and crew lists from planes and ships, and the use of biometric identification tools are among the current issues that we need to work through together. Through consultation, coordination, and cooperation we will eventually develop global security measures to confront our global security challenge.

CONCLUSION

Our shared principles and our collective security are challenged today by organizations that accept no law or morality and have no limit to their violent ambitions. In the attacks on America, we saw our enemies' destructive intentions. This threat still hides within many nations, including the United States.

No organization has a monopoly on homeland security or counterterror efforts. In fact, the opposite is true. Only by combining the efforts of NATO, the EU, the United Nations, the G-8 and other bodies can we ensure that we provide our countries and our people with the best defenses against and responses to potential terrorist actions.

We've just started a long journey. It will require patience and diligence.

It will require a sustained response and adequate resources to deter terrorists, protect our people and way of life, and develop the capabilities to respond to catastrophic attacks. And, it will require a shared effort. Neither the United States, nor any other single nation, can do this alone. Through international cooperation -- the kind of cooperation that has been so essential to America and Great Britain in defeating past evil -- we will not only thwart, but triumph over global terrorism.

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(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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