OCTOBER 2, 1998

GOOD MORNING, THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS MEMBERS OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF

INVESTIGATION'S ROLE IN THE PREPAREDNESS OF THIS NATION TO DEAL WITH TERRORISM, INCLUDING THAT WHICH INVOLVES WEAPONS OF MASS

DESTRUCTION.

THIS MORNING I WILL FOCUS ON THREE SPECIFIC AREAS. FIRST, I WILL BRIEFLY DISCUSS THE DOMESTIC WMD THREAT AND THE THREAT POSED TO THIS COUNTRY BY INTERNATIONAL TERRORISTS HERE AT HOME.

SECOND, I WILL PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF CURRENT INTERAGENCY INITIATIVES TO ESTABLISH A NATIONAL DOMESTIC PREPAREDNESS OFFICE. FINALLY, I WILL COMMENT ON THE GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTING OFFICE REPORT CONCERNING THE VALUE OF THREAT AND RISK ASSESSMENTS.

I HAVE SUBMITTED A WRITTEN STATEMENT FOR THE RECORD WHICH FURTHER DETAILS MY TESTIMONY HERE TODAY.

DURING THE PAST THREE YEARS, WE HAVE RESPONDED, ALONG WITH OUR CRISIS AND CONSEQUENCE PARTNERS, TO A GROWING NUMBER OF DOMESTIC WMD THREATS AND INCIDENTS.

THESE INCIDENTS HAVE BEEN CARRIED OUT PRIMARILY BY TWO CATEGORIES OF VIOLATORS WHICH WE IDENTIFY AS "LONE OFFENDERS" AND "EXTREMIST ELEMENTS OF RIGHT WING GROUPS."

WHILE THE MAJORITY OF THESE WMD THREATS WERE HOAXES, THE

NUMBER OF CREDIBLE THREATS AND INCIDENTS IN 1998 HAS SIGNIFICANTLY

INCREASED OVER THOSE OF PREVIOUS YEARS.

IN 1997, WE INITIATED 68 NEW INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE USE OR THREATENED USE OF CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL, RADIOLOGICAL OR NUCLEAR MATERIALS. AS OF SEPTEMBER OF THIS YEAR, THE FBI HAS OPENED IN EXCESS OF 86 SIMILAR INVESTIGATIONS.

WE HAVE RESPONDED TO ACTUAL INCIDENTS IN BOTH URBAN AND RURAL AREAS; FROM CHARLOTTE TO LOS ANGELES, AND FROM MADISON TO DALLAS.

THE TYPICAL "LONE OFFENDERS" FIT INTO ONE OR MORE

CATEGORIES, SUCH AS:

1) THOSE SEEKING REVENGE FOR INDIVIDUAL GRIEVANCES OR VENDETTAS AGAINST OTHER CITIZENS;

2) THOSE WHO ARE MENTALLY UNSTABLE;

3) THOSE WHO BELONG TO VIOLENT EXTREMIST ELEMENTS AND BELIEVE IN THE VIOLENT OVERTHROW OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT;

4) AND FINALLY THERE ARE THOSE WHOM WE CALL "DISRUPTERS," WHOSE INTENT IS TO FORCE THE GOVERNMENT INTO AN "EMERGENCY RESPONSE MODE" WITH PRANK WMD THREATS.

ALTHOUGH MANY OF THESE THREATS ULTIMATELY PROVE NOT TO ENDANGER THE PUBLIC SAFETY, INVESTIGATIVE, EMERGENCY, AND MEDICAL PERSONNEL RESPOND SERIOUSLY TO EACH AND EVERY INCIDENT. THE

IMPACT OF THESE RESPONSES IS COSTLY AND DISRUPTIVE.

IN ADDITION TO THE GENERAL DOMESTIC WMD THREAT, YOU HAVE REQUESTED THAT I COMMENT ON THE THREAT TO THE U.S. FROM FOREIGN TERRORISTS.

THE MAJOR EXTERNAL THREAT TO U.S. INTERESTS OVERSEAS MAY COME FROM A NUMBER OF STATE SPONSORS OR NON-ALIGNED TERRORISTS WHO MAY HAVE ACCESS TO COUNTRIES WITH OFFENSIVE WMD PROGRAMS. DOMESTICALLY, WE HAVE SEEN MINIMAL ACTIVITY FROM STATE SPONSORS DIRECTED AGAINST THE CONTINENTAL U.S.

THE SOFTER TARGETS OF U.S. CITIZENS ABROAD IN EMBASSIES, BUSINESSES AND MILITARY INSTALLATIONS ARE AT GREATER RISK OF ATTACK FROM BOTH CONVENTIONAL AND NON-CONVENTIONAL WEAPONS. AS YOU ARE AWARE, AND AS THE BOMBING OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER IN FEBRUARY 1993, KHOBAR TOWERS IN 1996, AND THE RECENT TRAGEDIES IN EAST AFRICA ILLUSTRATE, THIS THREAT CONFRONTS BOTH THE UNITED STATES DOMESTICALLY AND U.S. CITIZENS AND INTERESTS

ABROAD.

THE CURRENT INTERNATIONAL TERRORIST THREAT CAN BE DIVIDED INTO THREE GENERAL CATEGORIES, EACH OF WHICH POSES A SERIOUS AND

DISTINCT THREAT:

THE FIRST CATEGORY, IS STATE-SPONSORED TERRORISM, WHICH VIOLATES EVERY CONVENTION OF INTERNATIONAL LAW. STATE SPONSORS

OF TERRORISM INCLUDE IRAN, IRAQ, SYRIA, SUDAN, LIBYA, CUBA, AND NORTH KOREA. PUT SIMPLY, THESE NATIONS VIEW TERRORISM AS A TOOL OF FOREIGN POLICY.

THE SECOND CATEGORY OF THE INTERNATIONAL TERRORIST THREAT IS MADE UP OF FORMALIZED TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS, SUCH AS THE LEBANESE HIZBALLAH, THE EGYPTIAN AL-GAMA' AL-ISLAMIYYA, AND THE PALESTINIAN HAMAS.

THESE AUTONOMOUS, GENERALLY TRANSNATIONAL, ORGANIZATIONS HAVE THEIR OWN INFRASTRUCTURES, PERSONNEL, FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS, AND TRAINING FACILITIES. THEY ARE ABLE TO PLAN AND MOUNT TERRORIST CAMPAIGNS ON AN INTERNATIONAL BASIS, AND THEY ACTIVELY SUPPORT TERRORIST ACTIVITIES IN THE UNITED STATES.

THE THIRD CATEGORY OF THE INTERNATIONAL TERRORIST THREAT STEMS FROM LOOSELY AFFILIATED EXTREMISTS - CHARACTERIZED BY ROGUE TERRORISTS SUCH AS RAMZI AHMED YOUSEF AND INTERNATIONAL TERRORIST FINANCIER USAMA BIN LADIN.

THESE LOOSELY AFFILIATED EXTREMISTS MAY POSE THE MOST URGENT THREAT TO THE UNITED STATES BECAUSE GROUPS ARE OFTEN ORGANIZED ON AN AD-HOC, TEMPORARY BASIS, MAKING THEM DIFFICULT FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT TO INFILTRATE OR TRACK. THEY ALSO CAN

EXPLOIT THE MOBILITY THAT TECHNOLOGY AND A FLUID ORGANIZATIONAL

STRUCTURE OFFER.

SUCH A GROUP WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FEBRUARY, 1993

BOMBING OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER AND ANOTHER FOR PLOTTING TO BOMB SEVERAL NEW YORK CITY LANDMARKS.

THE FBI BELIEVES THAT THE THREAT POSED BY INTERNATIONAL TERRORISTS IN EACH OF THESE CATEGORIES WILL CONTINUE FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.

AS ATTENTION FOCUSES ON USAMA BIN LADIN IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE EAST AFRICAN BOMBINGS, I BELIEVE IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT ROGUE TERRORISTS SUCH AS BIN LADIN REPRESENT JUST ONE TYPE OF THREAT THAT WE FACE. IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE MAINTAIN OUR ABILITIES TO COUNTER THE BROAD RANGE OF THREATS THAT CONFRONT

US.

IN THE FACE OF THESE THREATS, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THROUGH THE NUNN-LUGAR-DOMENICI DOMESTIC PREPAREDNESS PROGRAM, HAS ELEVATED THE AWARENESS OF THE NATION'S FIRST RESPONDERS TO THE POSSIBILITY OF WMD TERRORISM.

FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL RESPONDERS NOW PARTICIPATE IN A COOPERATIVE DIALOGUE AND HAVE COME TO REALIZE THAT AN EFFECTIVE RESPONSE TO TERRORISM REQUIRES A UNIFIED APPROACH BY ALL

RELEVANT AUTHORITIES.