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Reaction Of Sen. Patrick
Leahy,
Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee,
To Further Progress On FBI Reorganization
Dec. 3, 2001
"Director Mueller is taking firm command of the
Bureau at a critical time in its history. He deserves both praise and
support for the FBI management reorganization plan he publicly
announced today, after consultation with Senator Hatch and me and
formal approval by the Appropriations Committees. Less than three
months after taking office and in the midst of the greatest terrorist
challenge the FBI has ever faced, Director Mueller has devised a
dynamic plan to put the Bureau back on the right track.
"Director Mueller's actions respond directly to
the security, technology, data management, counterintelligence and
local law enforcement cooperation problems that we explored during the
Senate Judiciary Committee's initial FBI oversight hearings in June
and July."
Reorganization Summary –
- The four new Executive Assistant Directors
will focus accountability and leadership within the Bureau.
Director Mueller told the Senate Judiciary Committee in a
recent response to questions: "Strong management coupled
with accountability throughout the chain of command inevitably
will instill a higher sense of responsibility and
professionalism in the agents."
- The new Assistant Director for Security will
fill a serious gap brought to light by the Hanssen espionage
case. For the first time in its history the FBI will have the
structure for a career security officer program.
- A new Chief Technology Officer who reports to
the Director will have the broad mandate needed to lead the
Bureau out of the computer dark ages. Director Mueller's
emphasis on better data management is essential to prevent
another failure to produce documents as happened in the
Oklahoma City bombing case.
- The new Executive Assistant Director for
International Terrorism and Counterintelligence will give the
FBI a more powerful voice in the U.S. intelligence community.
The creation of an Office of Intelligence reporting to the
Executive Assistant Director establishes an new organization
to build a stronger FBI intelligence analysis capability. The
prior structure established two years ago with intelligence
analysis in an Investigative Services Division clearly did not
work.
- A new Assistant Director for Law Enforcement
Coordination will represent state and local police interests
at the highest levels of the organization. This responds
directly to concerns about the need for better FBI cooperation
with local law enforcement.
The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold hearings
early next year on phase two of the Director's reorganization that
will address the FBI's future missions and priorities over the next
5-10 years.
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Contact: David Carle, 202-224-3693 |
