"TTIC offers a new and innovative approach to addressing the terrorist threats that face our nation, and it marshals resources from across the intelligence, law enforcement, and homeland security communities," said CIA Director George J. Tenet, in announcing the opening of the terror-fighting body called for by President Bush in his State of the Union Address.
TTIC will serve as a hub for dealing with terrorist threat-related information collected both within the United States and abroad. TTIC's officers are responsible for assessing, integrating, and expeditiously disseminating available threat information and analysis; maintaining an all-source database on known and suspected terrorists; and identifying collection requirements related to the terrorist threat.
"Working side by side, TTIC officers will assess, analyze and disseminate threat information collected from here and abroad to those agencies and officials working to protect our nation," stated FBI Director Robert S. Mueller.
Initially staffed by over 50 officers from the Department of State, the Department of Defense, the Department of Justice, the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Intelligence Community, TTIC will gradually grow in size over the next several months, and it will have several hundred officers by the time it moves to a separate facility in May 2004. The FBI’s Counterterrorism Division and CIA’s Counterterrorist Center (CTC) also will relocate to the facility next year.
Senior leadership of TTIC includes Chief Director John O. Brennan, Principal Deputy Director James Bernazzani from the FBI, Associate Director for Homeland Security William Parrish from DHS, Associate Director for Defense Issues Russell Travers from DIA, and other senior officials from NSA, FBI, CIA, State Department, and Department of Defense.
"TTIC is forging new ground by fusing information and the analytic capabilities of different government organizations in an integrated environment to deal with the terrorist threat," said TTIC Director Brennan.
"TTIC is absolutely crucial to the Department of Homeland Security," said Department of Homeland Security Deputy Secretary Gordon England. "We could not do our job without a center like this. Intelligence is the foundation of what we do. It is the analysis part that enables us to move forward to decide where to invest our money, to put our resources across America, and what we need to do everyday to make America more safe."
Prepare for terrorism at Ready.gov
The Department of Homeland Security has launched a new Website to educate and empower American citizens to prepare for and respond to potential future terrorist attacks.
FEMA Provides Disaster Preparedness Guide
Do you know how to build a disaster supply kit, or how to locate and evacuate to a shelter? This great new guide from FEMA helps families prepare to survive just about any manmade or natural disaster. Learn to make the U.S. 'A Nation Prepared.'
