Chicago Man Charged with Providing Material Support to al Qaeda by Attempting to Send Funds Overseas

March 26, 2010 - CHICAGO—A Chicago man who claims to be acquainted with an alleged terrorist leader in Pakistan was arrested today on federal charges of providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization for allegedly attempting to provide funds overseas to al Qaeda, federal law enforcement officials announced. Although the defendant, Raja Lahrasib Khan, a Chicago taxi driver and native of Pakistan who became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1988, allegedly discussed attacking a stadium in the United States this summer, there was no imminent domestic danger, officials said.

The investigation leading to Khan’s arrest is unrelated to a separate investigation that resulted in federal terrorism charges against Chicagoans Tahawwur Hussain Rana and David Coleman Headley in connection with the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai and a plot to attack targets in Denmark, the officials added.

Khan, 56, of the city’s north side, was charged with two counts of providing material support to terrorism in a criminal complaint that was filed yesterday in U.S. District Court in Chicago and unsealed today following his arrest, announced Patrick J. Fitzgerald, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert D. Grant, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The investigation is continuing, they said.

Khan was arrested this morning while working in downtown Chicago without incident by the Chicago FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. He was scheduled to appear at 3:30 p.m. today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Geraldine Soat Brown in Federal Court in Chicago.

“While there was no imminent danger in the Chicago area or elsewhere, these charges, once again, affirm that law enforcement must remain constantly vigilant to guard against domestic support of foreign terrorist organizations. I am deeply grateful to the FBI agents and other members of the Joint Terrorism Task Force for their extremely hard work on this matter,” said Mr. Fitzgerald.

Mr. Grant said: “Over the past six months, FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Forces across the country have disrupted plots, charged and apprehended a number of individuals and secured significant intelligence, which has been of benefit here and to our allies overseas. Notable as most of these successes have been, it also illustrates the reality of the environment we face today, along with the critical responsibility domestic law enforcement agencies and intelligence services have in protecting the public from the violent designs of others. It is a complex threat that we face and we are pleased with the results today,” he added.

“Today’s arrest and charges are the result of an outstanding cooperative law enforcement and intelligence effort and underscore the domestic and international aspects of the terror threat we face,” said David Kris, Assistant Attorney General for National Security.

According to a 35-page complaint affidavit, by at least 2008, Khan, who claims to have known Ilyas Kashmiri for approximately 15 years, learned that Kashmiri was working with al Qaeda, and that Kashmiri was purportedly receiving orders from al Qaeda’s leader, Osama bin Laden. According to Khan, during his meeting or meetings with Kashmiri, among other things, Khan learned that Kashmiri wanted to train operatives to conduct attacks in the United States; Kashmiri showed Khan a video depicting the detonation of an improvised explosive device; and Kashmiri told Khan that he needed money, in any amount, to be able to purchase materials from the “black market.”

The complaint identifies Kashmiri as the leader in Kashmir of Harakat ul-Jihad-I-Islami (HUJI), a Sunni extremist group located in Pakistan and Kashmir with links to al Qaeda. In a reported interview last October, Kashmiri purportedly said that he had joined forces with al Qaeda. In January 2010, Kashmiri, together with a former Pakistani military officer, Rana, and Headley, were indicted in Chicago for their alleged roles in a conspiracy to murder and maim persons in a planned attack against the facilities and employees of the Danish newspaper Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten, in Denmark, as retribution for the publication of cartoons that depicted the Prophet Mohammed.

The charges against Khan allege that on Nov. 23, 2009, he sent a money transfer of approximately $950 from a currency exchange located on North LaSalle Street in Chicago to Individual A, who was in either Mirpur or Bhimber, in Pakistan. Khan later spoke with Individual A by telephone and instructed him to give “Lala” 25,000 Pakistani rupees (approximately $300) of the money he had sent. According to the affidavit, Khan told an undercover agent that “Lala,” which means “older brother” in Urdu, is a nickname Khan uses to refer to Kashmiri, who he told the agent he had met most recently in 2008 in Miran Shah in northwest Pakistan. Khan also told the agent that Khan believed that his telephones were being monitored, and if Khan or the undercover agent were ever questioned about their discussions regarding “Lala,” they should claim to have been referring to Khan’s actual older brother.

Just two weeks ago, on March 11, Khan and an associate, identified as “Individual B,” allegedly had a discussion during which they appeared to talk about attacking a stadium in the United States in “August.” Among other things, Khan described that bags containing remote controlled bombs could be placed in several different locations, and then “boom, boom, boom, boom.” Khan further said that he would ask “Lala” [Kashmiri] to teach him how to conduct such an attack, the complaint alleges. However, there are no allegations that Khan either knew Kashmiri’s current whereabouts or had yet discussed his stadium plan with him. On March 17, after agreeing to personally deliver to Kashmiri any funds that the undercover agent wanted to provide, Khan allegedly accepted $1,000 (ten $100 bills) from the agent. The complaint states that Khan accepted these funds after having had prior conversations with the undercover agent in which: Khan confirmed that Kashmiri was working with al Qaeda; Khan assured that Kashmiri would use the undercover agent’s funds to purchase weapons and, possibly, other supplies; Khan assured that he had provided Kashmiri with money in the past, including in approximately December 2009; and Khan discussed the possibility of having his son transport the money from the United States to England, where Khan would rendezvous with his son, retrieve the money, and deliver it to Kashmiri in Pakistan.

On March 23, government agents at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport came into contact with Khan’s son, who was traveling to England. During this contact, agents discovered that Khan’s son possessed seven of the ten $100 bills that the undercover agent had given to Khan, according to the affidavit.

Each count of providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. If convicted, the court is required to impose a reasonable sentence under the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.

The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Chicago FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, with particular assistance from the Chicago Police Department, the Illinois State Police, and the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Veatch and Steven Dollear, of the Northern District of Illinois, with assistance from the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.

The public is reminded that a criminal complaint contains mere allegations that are not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Guard unit's return from Afghanistan a priceless moment for families

March 26, 2010 - As members of the Wisconsin Army National Guard's Embedded Training Team arrived in La Crosse Friday (March 26) following a deployment to Afghanistan, some family members let their T-shirts do the talking.

"Phone Cards: $400," the T-shirt front read. "Care Packages: $1,000. New Furnace: $5,000. Getting our Soldier back home ... PRICELESS!"

The back of those T-shirts read "Team Miller" in honor of Lt. Col. Russell Miller, one of 16 Wisconsin Guard Soldiers who mobilized a year ago to mentor Afghan officials in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Col. Tim Lawson, ETT commander, thanked the families and friends gathered at the La Crosse Municipal Airport for their support of the unit he refers to as "Iron Badgers" over the past year.

"We were in a war zone, but I am sure that most of the battles were being fought over here by you," he said.

Members of the Miller family members acknowledged the deployment was stressful.

"Our family is so close and this made us stronger," said daughter Jen Miller. "We got through it together."

"He's home just in time for sports," added son Ryan Miller.

The Miller family explained that they make themed T-shirts for various celebrations, and spent months on this version.

Lawson shared how the ETT had trained to support the Coalition Task Force Phoenix by mentoring the Afghan National Police in the western province of Herat, which it did through the presidential elections last August. Lt. Col. Brad Anderson and Master Sgt. Matthew Kronschnabel were sent north almost immediately after the ETT arrived in country, which would prove to pay dividends later.

Following the elections, the scope of the ETT's mission changed, and Lawson said he ultimately decided that "it was better to have a good job and separate some members than to have a bad job and stay together."

Miller and Sgt. 1st Class Noel Severson remained in Herat to fill critical positions with the Regional Support Team West, while Lt. Col. Richard Borkowski and Sgt. 1st Class Timothy Hass headed to Kabul. The remainder of the team rejoined Anderson and Kronschnabel in the Regional Support Team North, a region administered by German forces. Lawson called it "the ultimate test in versatility."

"I know that most of us ended up doing something different than what we wanted or ever thought that we would be doing," he said. "Most of you became [forward operating base] builders, building contractors, site managers, equipment distribution centers and mentors to the Afghan Police and Army personnel."

Additional challenges came with the territory - rampant corruption among Afghan officials, and a dangerous enemy waging a determined insurgency campaign. Lawson said there were some close calls, and that fortune and timing favored his team.

"You are all warriors," he said. "I am extremely proud of how you all handled the mission changes and continued to give everything that you had to a country that is in great need. Take some solace in the fact that what you have done today will change tomorrow."

The members of the ETT spent about an hour with loved ones before heading by bus to Fort McCoy to begin the demobilization process. Jen Miller already had plans for when her father was home for good.

"We have a whole year of stories to catch up on," she said.

The ETT mobilized in March 2009, and after several weeks of training at Fort Riley, Kan. deployed to Afghanistan. This was the Wisconsin Army National Guard's fourth such embedded training team to be sent to Afghanistan.

Marine Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of two Marines who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

The following Marines died March 24 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan:

Sgt. Maj. Robert J. Cottle, 45, of Whittier, Calif.


Lance Cpl. Rick J. Centanni, 19, of Yorba Linda, Calif.

Cottle and Centanni were assigned to 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 4thMarine Division, Marine Forces Reserve, based out of Camp Pendleton, Calif.

For additional background information on these Marines, news media representatives may contact the Marine Forces Reserve public affairs office at 504-678-0052 or the after hours contact number 504-235-6128.

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Flags lowered to half-staff in Wisconsin Monday for Army Spc. Robert Rieckhoff

March 26, 2010 - Flags at Wisconsin National Guard armories, air bases and other facilities across the state will fly at half-staff Monday, March 29 in honor of U.S. Army Spc. Robert Rieckhoff, 26, of Kenosha, who was killed in action in Baghdad, Iraq on Thursday, March 18. The Guard will render these honors in accordance with an executive order issued by Gov. Jim Doyle.

EXECUTIVE ORDER # 311 reads:

Relating to a Proclamation that the Flag of the United States and the Flag of the State of Wisconsin be Flown at Half-Staff as a Mark of Respect for Specialist Robert Rieckhoff of the United States Army Who Lost His Life While Serving His Country in Operation Iraqi Freedom

WHEREAS, on March 18, 2010, Specialist Robert Rieckhoff, who was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, New York, died while serving his country in Iraq; and

WHEREAS, Specialist Robert Rieckhoff provided faithful and honorable service to the people of the State of Wisconsin and the people of the United States; and

WHEREAS, the people of Wisconsin mourn the death of Specialist Robert Rieckhoff; and

WHEREAS, Specialist Robert Rieckhoff will be laid to rest on Monday, March 29, 2010;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JIM DOYLE, Governor of the State of Wisconsin, by the authority vested in me by Federal and State law, do hereby order that the flag of the United States and the flag of the State of Wisconsin shall be flown at half-staff at all buildings, grounds and military installations of the State of Wisconsin equipped with such flags beginning at sunrise on Monday, March 29, 2010, and ending at sundown on that date.

All Wisconsin state government facilities are covered by the governor's order and a 2007 amendment to the U.S. Flag Code now requires all federal facilities in Wisconsin to comply. Other government agencies, businesses and private residences with flagpoles may also honor Spc. Robert Rieckhoff by lowering their U.S. and Wisconsin state flags to half-staff during the daylight hours on March 29.

Key al-Qaida Leader Killed in Baghdad

American Forces Press Service

March 26, 2010 - The suspected Baghdad "sharia emir" for al-Qaida in Iraq was killed today during a combined security operation in the northern part of the Iraqi capital, military officials reported. A sharia emir is responsible for enforcing radical religious rules imposed by groups such as al-Qaida and the Taliban.

Acting on a warrant issued by an Iraqi judge, Iraqi forces and U.S. advisors searched for Sinan, also known as Mohannad Rahman Salim Muhaymid al-Ani, who is believed to be one of the primary approval authorities for al-Qaida in Iraq attacks and assassinations in the Baghdad region.

Before beginning their search, security team members directed those inside a targeted building to come out in an orderly fashion. One man instead fled to the rooftop and jumped to an adjacent building, eventually making his way to the ground and hiding in a stairwell.

Realizing he was surrounded, he first approached the security team as if to surrender. But as he got near, he lunged at a security team member and tried to wrestle away his firearm. Other security team members shot the man, who died at the scene. He later was identified as the wanted man.

No one else was killed or wounded during the operation, officials said.

After preliminary questioning and an initial examination of evidence at the scene, Iraqi forces arrested three of the man's suspected criminal accomplices.

In other news from Iraq, Iraqi forces captured a suspected regional al-Qaida in Iraq leader during a combined operation today in Abu Ghraib, west of Baghdad.

Iraqi forces and U.S. advisors arrested a suspected al-Qaida in Iraq leader, who is believed to have been involved in planning multiple coordinated vehicle-borne bombing attacks against the Iraqi government, several of which have taken place in Baghdad.

(Compiled from U.S. Forces Iraq news releases.)

Forces in Afghanistan Detain Suspects, Seize Weapons

American Forces Press Service

March 26, 2010 - Afghan and international forces detained several suspected insurgents in Marja, Afghanistan, yesterday and found numerous weapons caches in recent operations, military officials reported. Officials also provided details on two incidents involving civilian casualties.

In the Marja operation, a combined Afghan-international force searched a compound in the southeastern part of the town in the Nad-e Ali district of Helmand province after intelligence information indicated militant activity. During the search, the combined force detained several suspected insurgents for further questioning.

In Ghazni province last night, an International Security Assistance Force patrol recovered a weapons cache after it was reported by an Afghan civilian. The cache contained a hand grenade, 62 mortar fuses and shotgun ammunition.

An ISAF patrol in the Maidan Shahr district of Wardak province last night found a weapons cache containing a 107 mm rocket, four rocket fuses, two 82 mm mortar rounds, two mortar fuses and nine Russian-made projectile fuses.

In the Bala Boluk district of Farah province yesterday, a combined Afghan-international patrol found a cache containing more than a half ton of suspected ammonium nitrate, a banned fertilizer often used in making homemade bombs.

An Afghan-international patrol in Helmand's Nad-e Ali district found a cache containing seven assault rifles, two shotguns, a rifle, two 9 mm pistols, various machine-gun ammunition, pressure-plate initiation devices and various bomb-making materials.

Another Afghan-international patrol in Nad-e Ali found a cache containing 15 82 mm mortar rounds, a rocket-propelled grenade and two fragmentation charges, each containing 25 pounds of homemade explosives.

In other news from Afghanistan, three injured children were brought to an ISAF forward operating base near Tarin Kowt today after ISAF soldiers had completed a training exercise involving live ammunition. They received immediate medical attention and were evacuated for further treatment, although none of the injuries initially appear to be life-threatening, officials said.

An investigation is under way, officials said, and compensation for injuries or property damage caused by ISAF activities will be offered according to local customs.

Meanwhile, preliminary investigation results of a March 24 incident in the Bak district of Khost province indicate that a combined ISAF-Afghan force accidentally caused the deaths of two civilians and injuries to four others when the force was returning indirect fire against an insurgent attack nearby.

The injured civilians initially were brought to a nearby military compound by villagers. Afghan commandos and coalition medics provided immediate medical treatment, and the injured people subsequently were taken to an ISAF military hospital for further treatment.

A boy later was taken to Bagram Airfield for more treatment, and three other injured civilians were treated at the hospital and released.

After the incident, Afghan and coalition leaders immediately met with village elders and relatives to help determine the cause of the incident. The governor and subgovernor also were notified.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims of this terrible accident and their families," said Navy Capt. Jane Campbell, ISAF Joint Command spokeswoman. "We take accidents such as this very seriously, and we incorporate investigative findings into our operations to improve our procedures. We remain fully committed to the people of Afghanistan, and we take every precaution to prevent civilian casualties."

(Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command news releases.)

Afghan Air Corps Vital to Country's Security

By Ian Graham
Emerging Media, Defense Media Activity

March 25, 2010 - The Afghan National Army's air corps is critical to NATO's mission to grow and empower security forces in Afghanistan to fight the Taliban and other insurgents, a top U.S. officer posted in Kabul said today.

Air Force Brig. Gen. Michael R. Boera discussed how NATO forces are helping the Afghan government to expand and refine the country's air power capabilities during a "DoDLive" bloggers roundtable. Boera commands the Combined Air Power Transition Force for NATO Training Mission Afghanistan and Combined Security Transition Command Afghanistan, as well as the 438th Air Expeditionary Wing in Kabul.

The overarching theme in the air power transition force's operations is developing institutions and a culture of training within the Afghan air corps, thereby creating enduring processes that will make air power organizations self-sustaining, the general said. The issue of command and control is central to creating that culture and having a flexible, capable air force for Afghanistan, he added.

"We must make [command] structures appropriate for Afghanistan and sustainable by the Afghans as they will inherit sole responsibility for any devised structure when the coalition departs," Boera said. "It's no good to create a [command and control] structure that they cannot or will not sustain."

Having a well-trained, capable aerial wing of the Afghan army will help to provide a better blanket of coverage for the country, Boera said, noting that the road system in Afghanistan is limited, leaving a lot of open, wilderness areas.

"Air power provides capabilities that enable all of Afghanistan security forces to operate with greater efficiency," he said. "For this reason, the air corps will see a corresponding increase in size and [the NATO allies] will be called to facilitate this growth."

The general added that because of Afghanistan's rugged terrain, the condition of its roads and the constant threat of roadside-bomb attacks, it rarely makes sense to send ground forces into the mountains to root out insurgents.

"There are many areas you simply cannot go without a Mi-17 helicopter -- or a donkey," he said.

Boera said developing the Afghan air corps has been a learning process, largely because of differing cultures. The patience of the Afghan people, he said, is "staggering" compared to an American standard. While Americans generally want a quick, high-tech solution to a problem, he explained, the Afghan reaction would err on the side of moderation and endurance. A simple, long-term solution will work better than something that seems satisfactory in the short-term, he said.

"A modest capability, built with patience, is the most effective way to leave Afghanistan with an enduring capability," Boera said.

The Afghan air corps uses fixed-wing AN-32 Airlifters and C-27 Spartans, as well as Mi-17 and Mi-35 helicopters. The C-27 is a new addition -- the first sortie with that aircraft was flown today – but Boera said it will become the "backbone" of Afghan air operations.

The C-27s are similar in operation to the AN-32, so Afghan pilots are comfortable flying them, Boera said. They're built strong and have recently been fully refurbished, he added, making them set to last a while, even under harsh conditions.

"In building up capability to employ these airframes, [we] are pursuing ends that will be sustainable well after we leave," Boera said.

Expanding the corps' inventory of aircraft, recruiting pilots and technicians to staff the air corps, building airfields and other air corps infrastructure across Afghanistan, and establishment and execution of operations to support and further its mission are the four areas of focus, the general said.

As NATO works to build the air corps, its airmen are flying alongside Afghan pilots, training them for future autonomous operations. As new equipment is brought in, new training is given, and as new circumstances arise, the training adapts.

"I like to say we are literally flying the airplane while we build it," Boera said.

Treasury Targets Al Qai'da In Iraq

March 25, 2010 - WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Treasury today targeted the support network of al-Qai'da in Iraq (AQI) by designating Muthanna Harith al-Dari for providing financial, material, or technological support and financial or other services to or in support of AQI under Executive Order 13224. Executive Order 13224 freezes any assets the designated individuals have under U.S. jurisdiction, and U.S. persons are prohibited from engaging in any transactions with those individuals.

Also today, the UN 1267 Committee, which targets al-Qai'da and the Taliban, is adding al-Dari to the Consolidated List of individuals and entities associated with Usama bin Laden, al-Qai'da and the Taliban at the request of the Governments of Iraq and the United States.

"In addition to our designation, Treasury is pleased to have partnered with the Government of Iraq to list al-Dari at the UN's 1267 Committee today, and we will continue our aggressive efforts to isolate those terrorist actors and networks that seek to threaten the stability of Iraq," said Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Stuart Levey.

Based in Jordan and Iraq, Muthanna Harith al-Dari provides financial, material, or technological support and financial or other services to or in support of AQI including operational guidance for attacks against Iraqi Forces and Coalition Forces in Iraq. As of August 2008, al-Dari intended to reinvigorate the insurgency in Iraq by providing training to any insurgent organization fighting Coalition Forces. In one instance, al-Dari attended training meetings conducted by AQI in Syria in mid-August 2008, during which he explained AQI's future intentions to the trainees and stated that all available support from AQI would be offered across Iraq for operations against Coalition Forces. Al-Dari also advised the trainees that he and two other individuals would soon be traveling to Baghdad to begin resupplying insurgent leaders with equipment.

As of October 2008, al-Dari provided $1 million to an AQI member who actively recruits Iraqis in Syria and al-Anbar province to support AQI, instructing the recruiter to tell new AQI recruits that they would be paid up to $10,000 upon completion of their training in Syria. Additionally, as of 2008, al-Dari financed an AQI cell that called for fighting against the Iraqi Army and Multinational Forces – Iraq.

In addition to the reasons for which he is being designated today, al-Dari provides money to his own Sunni insurgent group, the 1920s Revolutionary Brigade, and other insurgent cells. As of early July 2008, al-Dari provided money to a 1920s Revolutionary Brigade faction leader to fund the faction's operations, to include targeting Coalition Forces, the Iraqi Army and Police, and Government of Iraq officials. Additionally, al-Dari provided funding to an improvised explosive device (IED) cell leader in order to conduct IED operations targeting Coalition Forces along a highway between Zaidan and Nassir Wa Salaam, Iraq.

Gates, Mullen Address Need for Trainers in Afghanistan

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

March 25, 2010 - Though the number of trainers for Afghan security forces has increased significantly, the process is a work in progress and the American people must have patience, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today.

Gates and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also addressed the effects of the Palestinian-Israeli peace process and the progress of United Nations sanctions on Iran.

The United States, NATO allies and international partners have added significant numbers of trainers for Afghan security forces, but more are needed, the secretary said. After Afghan units undergo basic training, trainers embed with them, with the units then partnering with coalition forces to continue training in the field. The coalition units also provide support and logistics that the Afghan government does not yet possess.

Gates said he will defer to Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the NATO and U.S. commander in Afghanistan, on training questions, and that he will take the advice of McChrystal and his staff.

Recruiting for the Afghan forces appears to be going well, the secretary said. "Retention and attrition levels within the army seem to be good and pretty close to goals -- not so with the police," he told reporters. "Those are still issues that need to be addressed."

Mullen blamed a lack of trainers for the lack of progress in police training. Training the police is crucial to a peaceful, secure Afghanistan, the chairman said, noting that police, not soldiers, provide neighborhood and town security.

NATO Training Mission Afghanistan is putting in place the structure to recruit and train the police, Mullen said. One problem is illiteracy, and programs are in place to teach police recruits to read and write. But the training "is going to take a long time," Mullen said.

President Barack Obama's strategy calls for the coalition to begin turning over security responsibility to Afghan security forces in July 2011, depending on conditions on the ground.

"I think this is a several-year process," Gates said. "The president wanted to send a clear signal ... to the Afghans that they also need to step up into this fight. And I think that the increase in recruitment for both the army and the police is testimony to the fact that they are stepping up, and to the fact that the Afghans in significant numbers, in both the police and in the army, are paying the price with their lives."

Gates urged patience on Afghanistan and asked the American people to take the time to let the strategy work.

"We've now been ... in the president's campaign for four months," he said. "We have a third of the surge forces that are going into Afghanistan that are there. This is going to take a little time. Let's not pull everybody up by their roots every week to see if they're growing."

The secretary said adversaries are using a lack of progress toward a Middle East peace against the United States. "There is no question that the absence of Middle East peace does affect U.S. national security interests in the region, in my view," he said.

Gates said the U.S.-Israeli military-to-military relationship is as strong as it has ever been, and that the United States has considered progress toward peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors as a national priority for decades.

Iran remains a problem, Gates said. The United Nations, he said, is working toward a resolution to impose sanctions on Iran if its government doesn't come clean about its nuclear program. Iran is suspected of secretly trying to develop nuclear weapons, a charge the Iranian government denies.

"It is important to have a U.N. Security Council resolution to re-emphasize Iran's isolation [and the fact] that virtually all of the significant powers have real problems with ... Iranian behavior and with Iranian policies," he said. Such a resolution also would provide a legal platform for other organizations such as the European Union and individual countries to take "significantly more stringent sanctions," he added.

Forces in Afghanistan Capture Suspected Militants

American Forces Press Service

March 25, 2010 - Afghan and international security forces captured several suspected militants in various recent operations in Afghanistan, military officials reported.

-- A combined force in the Qarah Bagh district of Ghazni province today captured a Taliban commander connected with foreign-fighter facilitation, buying and moving weapons and directing attacks against coalition troops. Another militant also was captured in the operation.

-- In Khost province last night, a combined force in the Terezayi district captured two Taliban subcommanders believed to be closely involved with intelligence gathering, kidnappings, attacks on coalition forces, and arranging for the construction of vehicle-borne bombs. The force also captured several other insurgents and recovered a large amount of money during the operation.

-- An Afghan-international force in the Arghandab district of Kandahar province last night captured a Taliban facilitator believed to be responsible for the delivery, storage and distribution of weapons and to be involved in delivering explosive materials and bomb components to various Taliban networks. The targeted facilitator identified himself, and several other insurgents also were captured.

-- In Kandahar province yesterday, a combined force in the Arghandab district stopped two motorcycles and detained two suspected militants for further questioning.

—A combined patrol found two improvised explosive devices in Ghazni's Muqer district. The first device consisted of a directional mine with 15 pounds of homemade explosives, and the second consisted of three mortar grenades with more than 40 pounds of homemade explosives. An explosive ordnance disposal team disabled the devices.

-- In the Nad-e Ali district of Helmand province, an International Security Assistance Force patrol found an IED consisting of six 82 mm mortar rounds yesterday. An explosive ordnance disposal team destroyed it.

-- An ISAF patrol in the Nawah-ye Barakzai district of Helmand province yesterday found five rocket-propelled grenades, a mortar round and 24 cases of small-arms ammunition. An explosive ordnance disposal team destroyed the cache.

-- A joint Afghan Border Police and ISAF operational base in the Bak district of Khost province came under attack by insurgents yesterday, and the unit returned fire. Initial reports indicate that after the engagement six Afghan civilians with shrapnel wounds, two of whom died, received medical treatment at a nearby ISAF facility. The cause of the civilian casualties is under investigation.

-- Afghan forces and ISAF partners captured an IED facilitator and several other suspected insurgents March 22 southwest of Lashkar Gah in Helmand province.

(Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command news releases.)

Health Care Provider Saves Lives

By Air Force 2nd Lt. Mark Lazane
Paktika Provincial Reconstruction Team

March 25, 2010 - A U.S. military health care provider now serving with a reconstruction team in Afghanistan's Paktika province said the austere conditions that exist there fail to deter his commitment to help the Afghan people. "There are definitely obstacles to overcome," said Navy Lt. j.g. Vincent "Doc" Lopez, a physician assistant from Phoenix, the team's medical officer. "But with help from the dedicated Afghan people, little by little, we can provide them with stability and improve their quality of life."

The provincial reconstruction team's mission is to assist in the stabilization and security of this large province on Afghan's border with Pakistan. The collection of military and interagency partners focuses on helping the province's residents in areas such as health care, development, governance and agriculture.

Lopez takes care of the roughly 100 military and civilian members of the team and ensures they are mission-capable every day. His secondary role is to assist the Afghan government in improving the quality and quantity of health care for the people of Paktika. He provides mentorship and guidance to the medical directors in the young provincial government to help them become public health directors.

Prior to becoming a physician assistant, Lopez spent several years as an enlisted sailor, serving first with the Navy's presidential honor guard, and then training as a corpsman. Five years later, he accepted an honorable discharge and attended Stanford University, earning a physician assistant degree and a degree in business administration. Following graduation, he moved back to Phoenix and started working in an orthopedic surgery clinic.

Life seemed to be good for Lopez, his wife, Regin, and their three sons. The money was good, he said, and job satisfaction was high, but he knew his skills could be put to even better use. He decided to become a Navy officer, beginning a new career 10 years after leaving the military.

Less than two years later, Lopez arrived here.

"I wanted to be a Navy officer," Lopez said. "I wanted to come to Afghanistan. I knew I'd deploy. That's why I signed up. I knew there were people I'd be able to help, and I wanted to help them."

With medical facilities and equipment often in short supply, basic medical care for the people of Paktika can be problematic, an Afghan health care provider said.

"We have good health care for the facilities and equipment that we have," said Dr. Ahmad Baseer, surgeon and public health advisor for the province. "The problem is we lack a lot of the specialty services that hospitals in Kabul and other places have. With the limited facilities and equipment, as well as the lower wages, it's difficult to recruit doctors, especially specialists, to come practice here."

It's the sort of situation that can frustrate even the most optimistic volunteer, but Lopez is undeterred.

"The medical situation in this province is coming along quite nicely, actually," Lopez says. "If we can increase the amount of health care workers in the province, provide increased medical facilities and increase the amount medical providers are paid, we can significantly help the health care system of this province."

Still, Lopez acknowledged, measuring success can be difficult to do here.

"I measure my success directly from comments from my troops as well as comments from medical providers around the province," he said. "If they feel more capable of performing their job, then I know I am doing mine.

Iraqi Forces Arrest 15 Suspected Terrorists

American Forces Press Service

March 25, 2010 - Iraqi forces arrested 15 terrorism suspects in various security operations yesterday and today, military officials reported.

A man who brandished a handgun at security forces in one of the operations was killed.

-- In a rural area northeast of Baghdad yesterday, an Iraqi emergency response unit and U.S. advisors searched several buildings for a suspect believed to work closely with al-Qaida in Iraq leaders in Diyala province to supply weapons and explosives to fellow terrorist-group members. Police arrested a suspected criminal associate of the wanted man.

-- In eastern Mosul yesterday, Iraqi soldiers and U.S. advisors searched several buildings for a suspected al-Qaida in Iraq member who allegedly is involved in oil-company extortion. The Iraqi soldiers arrested 12 suspected criminal associates of the wanted man.

-- In an operation today in a rural area southwest of Kirkuk, Iraqi police and U.S. advisors captured a suspected al-Qaida in Iraq leader who is believed to be involved with coordinating assassinations and vehicle-borne bombing attacks.

-- In northeastern Mosul yesterday, Iraqi soldiers and U.S. advisors conducted an operation yesterday targeting a suspected al-Qaida in Iraq member believed to be involved in managing financial affairs for the terrorist organization. While securing a building to be searched, the security team was fired upon by an individual with a handgun. The team fired back and killed him. The gunman later was identified as the wanted man. Iraqi soldiers also arrested a suspected criminal associate of the man targeted in the operation.

(Compiled from U.S. Forces Iraq news releases.)

Afghanistan Troop Level to Eclipse Iraq by Midyear

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

March 24, 2010 - This summer will mark the first time since 2003 that the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan will overshadow the American presence in Iraq, the top U.S. military officer told Congress today.

Driving the eclipse is the 30,000-troop surge President Barack Obama announced for Afghanistan in December, roughly a third of which is in place, and with 18,000 of the additional forces expected to be in Afghanistan by late spring as troop levels in Iraq continue to drop.

"Indeed, by the middle of this year, Afghanistan will surpass Iraq, for the first time since 2003, as the location with the most deployed American forces," said Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Mullen told members of the House Appropriations Committee the remainder of the 30,000 will arrive as rapidly as possible over the summer and early fall, making a major contribution to reversing Taliban momentum in 2010.

Meanwhile, the number of U.S. forces in Iraq is set to fall to 50,000 by Sept. 1, in accordance with an agreement between Washington and Baghdad. Some 97,000 U.S. troops are in Iraq now, compared to 83,000 American and 45,000 allied forces in Afghanistan, defense officials said.

In Afghanistan, the battle last month that routed the Taliban from its former stronghold in Marja was cast as an early test of the strategy that includes increasing the number of American and allied troops in NATO's International Security Assistance Force and ramping up operations against militants in the southern and eastern parts of Afghanistan.

For months before the operation in the central region of Helmand province, U.S. and NATO military officials noted the strategic importance of the southern Afghanistan area and the goal to clear the area of Taliban fighters. The rationale for such a declaration of intent before the Marja offensive was to allow low-level Taliban fighters the chance to flee and to warn civilians of the impending attack, officials said. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of U.S. Central Command, called Marja the "initial salvo" in a campaign that could last 12 to 18 months.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, appearing alongside Mullen at today's hearing, said "shaping" that took place ahead of the battle was a key to helping troops move beyond the initial phase of the operation.

"A big part of the focus was on both our own civilian capacity and that of the Afghan government, to come in behind our troops in the hold and build phases of the operation," he said.

Mullen, who earlier this month said the focus would shift to Kandahar after Marja, told Congress the "hold" phase in Marja still is nascent, but that the plan to implement governance following the battle has been successful.

"I know [Afghan President Hamid Karzai] has visited that area and has certainly heard the local people from Marja and what they need from their government," the chairman said. "And we know that that's a very critical part of the long-term success here."

In Iraq, meanwhile, officials continue tallying the results of a parliamentary election that took place earlier this month. Despite a relatively mild incidence of violence, no polling stations were forced to close.

An estimated 12 million Iraqis, about 62 percent of the electorate, cast votes in the March 7 election that will appoint parliamentary seats and possibly a new prime minister, pending results. Gates told Congress today that the turnout was a cause for optimism, noting a video teleconference he had with Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, before the election. "He said if we get 50 to 55 percent turnout, that will be great," the secretary said. "If we get 55 to 60 percent -- that would be exceptional.

"We ended up with 62 percent turnout," Gates continued. "The Iraqis are trying to solve their problems politically instead of shooting at each other. And frankly, I think we're modestly optimistic that this thing is going to go forward without any need for changing the plans."

Forces Capture Insurgents, Seize Weapons

American Forces Press Service

March 24, 2010 - Afghan and international forces captured a Taliban subcommander and several other militants last night in operations in Afghanistan's Nangarhar and Helmand provinces, military officials said.

In Nangarhar, the combined force searched a compound in a rural area of the Khogyani district after intelligence information indicated militant activity there, and captured a Taliban subcommander involved in kidnappings, weapons purchases and reconnaissance of coalition forces.

The security force also detained another insurgent after he and another man approached the force. One of the armed men was killed after he rushed the force, ignoring demands to surrender, and pointed a weapon at them. The other insurgent surrendered.

Also last night:

-- A combined force captured several suspected insurgents in Marja, Helmand province, after searching a compound where intelligence indicated militant activity.

-- An international patrol found a weapons cache in Helmand's Nad-e Ali district. The cache contained six 66 mm rockets, seven 40 mm rounds and an unidentified warhead. An explosive ordnance disposal team destroyed the cache.

-- An international patrol in the Qalat district of Zabul province found two Chinese-made 107 mm rockets. An EOD team rendered the rockets safe and transported them to a base for destruction.

-- A combined force in the Sayyidabad district of Wardak province found and destroyed a cache containing a mortar round, six recoilless rifle rounds and two armor-piercing rounds.

No Afghan civilians were harmed in the operations, officials said.

(Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command news releases.)

Mullen, Gates Press Congress for Afghanistan Funding

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

March 24, 2010 - The stakes in Afghanistan are "too high for failure," the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told Congress today as he urged quick passage of funding legislation that supports operations there.

Navy Adm. Mike Mullen and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates testified before the House Appropriations Committee in support of the $549 billion fiscal 2011 base budget proposal and funding requests for overseas contingency operations during 2011 and the rest of fiscal 2010.

The latter two requests, for $159 billion and $33 billion, respectively, primarily fund operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

With almost 10,000 additional troops already in Afghanistan and the rest of the 30,000 surge troops to arrive by early fall, Mullen said the proper force will be in place to help in reversing the Taliban's momentum.

"Right now, the Taliban still believe they're winning," he told the committee. "Eighteen months from now, if we've executed our strategy, ... we'll know they aren't, and they will know that they can't."

That turnaround will take discipline, hard work and more cooperation with Pakistan, Mullen said. "And it will most assuredly demand more sacrifice and more bloodshed."

U.S. forces making these sacrifices and taking on these challenges require proper funding to ensure they have what they need to succeed, the chairman added.

"All they want right now is guidance on the mission before them and the tools to accomplish it," he said. "That's why we're asking you to fully fund our fiscal year '10 supplemental and the fiscal year '11 overseas contingency operations request."

The mission in Afghanistan is "no mission of mercy," Mullen reminded the panel. "This is the place from which we were attacked in 2001, the place from which al-Qaida still plots and plans."

Troops carrying out the mission there aren't asking for a lot, he said.

"All they want right now is guidance on the mission before them and the tools to accomplish it," he said. "Without your continued support, we will not be able to show the meaningful progress in Afghanistan that the commander in chief has ordered, the American people expect and the Afghan people so desperately need."

The budget requests support warfighters with more funding to support U.S. Special Operations Command, develop and field a next-generation ground combat vehicle, grow two more Army combat aviation brigades and continue rotary-wing production, Mullen noted.

The requests also provide more intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets – an initiative Gates has championed to better support troops on the ground.

"We are asking for more capability in unmanned aircraft and ground-based collection systems," Mullen said, "including nearly $3 billion to double the procurement rate of the MQ-9 Reaper by fiscal year '12."

Gates emphasized in his opening statement that the budget requests provide a critical balance between what the military will need to face future threats, and what today's warfighters need to succeed.

"The commitments made and the programs funded in the [overseas contingency operations] and supplemental request demonstrate the administration's determination to support our troops and commanders in combat, so that they can accomplish their critical missions and come home safely," he said.

"I believe the choices made and priorities set in these budget requests reflect America's commitment to see that our forces have the tools they need to prevail in the wars we are in," the secretary added, "while making the investments necessary to prepare for threats on or beyond the horizon."

Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Sgt. 1st Class Carlos M. Santos-Silva, 32, of Clarksville, Tenn., died March 22 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

For more information the media may contact the 82nd Airborne Division public affairs office at 910-432-0661 or 910-384-4550.

Delivering Value for Leaders

Editor’s Note: Richard Botkin is a former USMC Major.

By Richard Botkin

March 24, 2010 - Andrew Harvey and Raymond Foster have crafted an exceptionally outstanding learning resource--it is far more than a 'book' if the reader accesses all that is available through their generous and dynamic leadership website--for leaders of every experience level. "Leadership Texas Hold'em Style" is a great read for the young leader starting out with its wealth of ideas and thought-provoking real-world situations. For the very same reason the book has as much or more significance for seasoned folks in positions of responsibility who simply need to continue to improve their level of expertise and excellence.

As I read the book and was underlining idea after idea, I was struck by how critical the information contained in it is for young people. I immediately thought of my oldest son who is set to graduate from college and how valuable the knowledge included herein is. Clearly he will receive a copy from his dad--his own copy since I will continue to refer to the gems identified as I go back to it again and again. Similarly I can think of any number of friends operating at all levels of business who would benefit by the dozens of ideas and practical issues covered.

"Leadership Texas Hold'em Style" is, as mentioned above, the kind of resource, very much like the Bible, something to return to again and again. Be prepared to read it through once highlighting as you go. Then go back and drill down into those portions most germain to your own situation. Check out the incredibly dynamic supplemental website the authors have created and continue to update. This 'book' truly is a superior investment for everyone who is interested in improving his or her impact/positive contribution to any organization--be it family or business or governmental. Harvey and Foster deliver incredible value. Well done!

United States Transfers Two Uighur Detainees from Guantanamo Bay to Switzerland

March 24, 2010 - The Justice Department today announced that two detainees have been transferred from the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay to the control of the Government of Switzerland. The Swiss Government, with the support of the Canton of Jura, accepted the two Chinese nationals of Uighur ethnicity for resettlement in Switzerland.

These detainees, who were subject to release from Guantanamo Bay as a result of court orders, had been approved for release by the prior Administration, which determined that it would no longer treat them as enemy combatants. As directed by the President’s Jan. 22, 2009 Executive Order, the interagency Guantanamo Review Task Force subsequently conducted a comprehensive review of each of the detainees. As a result of that review, these detainees were approved for transfer or release from Guantanamo Bay.

In accordance with Congressionally-mandated reporting requirements, the Administration informed Congress of its intent to transfer each of these detainees at least 15 days in advance of their transfer.

The United States is grateful to the Government of Switzerland and the Canton of Jura for their willingness to support U.S. efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility. This transfer was carried out under an arrangement between the United States and the Government of Switzerland. The United States and the Government of Switzerland will continue consultations regarding these individuals.

Since 2002, more than 580 detainees have departed Guantanamo Bay for other destinations, including Albania, Algeria, Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Belgium, Bermuda, Chad, Denmark, Egypt, France, Georgia, Hungary, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Maldives, Mauritania, Morocco, Pakistan, Palau, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Somalia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Sudan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Uganda, United Kingdom and Yemen. Today, 183 detainees remain at Guantanamo Bay.

Terrorist Screening Center

Timothy J. Healy

Director, Terrorist Screening Center
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Statement Before the House Judiciary Committee

March 24, 2010- Good morning Chairman Conyers, Ranking Member Smith, and members of the Committee. Thank you for the opportunity to discuss the Terrorist Screening Center (TSC) and its role in the interagency watchlisting process.

The attempted terrorist attack on Northwest Flight 253 on December 25, 2009, highlights the ever-present terrorist threat to our homeland. Over the past seven years, the TSC has played a vital role in the fight against terrorism by integrating terrorist information from the law enforcement and intelligence communities into a single database known as the Terrorist Screening Database (TSDB), which populates the various terrorist screening systems used by the Government. Following the Christmas Day attempted attack, intense scrutiny has been placed on the requirements to nominate individuals to the watchlist and particularly to the No Fly and Selectee lists, which are subsets of the TSDB. These requirements, or standards, have evolved over time based on the experience of the watchlisting community and the issuance of additional Presidential Directives.

Throughout this process, the TSC has remained committed to protecting the American public from terrorist threats while simultaneously protecting privacy and safeguarding civil liberties. As our efforts continue to evolve in response to new threats and intelligence, your support provides us with the tools necessary to continue our mission. Let me begin by telling you about the Terrorist Watchlisting process and how this process related to Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab.

Terrorist Nomination Process

The TSDB, commonly referred to as the Terrorist Watchlist, contains both international and domestic terrorist information. The procedure for submitting information on individuals for inclusion on the Terrorist Watchlist is referred to as the nomination process. The nomination process is the most fundamental and singularly important step in the watchlisting process. It is through this process that individuals are added to the Terrorist Watchlist. Nominations originate from credible information developed by our intelligence and law enforcement partners. These intelligence and law enforcement agencies are referred to as Originators in the watchlisting community because it is through their work that nominations are developed. Federal departments and agencies submit nominations of known or suspected international terrorists to the NCTC for inclusion in NCTC’s Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment (TIDE) database, which is the source of all international terrorist identifier information in the TSDB. NCTC reviews TIDE entries and nominates entries to TSC that include sufficient biographical or biometric identifiers and supporting derogatory information that meet the watchlisting standard described below. Similarly, the FBI collects, stores, and forwards to the TSC information relating to domestic terrorists that may not have connections to international terrorism.

When submitting a nomination to NCTC, an Originator may, but is under no obligation to, submit recommendations regarding specific screening systems the nomination should be exported to (e.g., inclusion on either No Fly or Selectee list). If an Originator submits a nomination without a recommendation, NCTC may make an appropriate recommendation based on the totality of associated information. Recommendations made by NCTC will be passed to the TSC for final disposition.

TSC accepts nominations when they satisfy two requirements. First, the biographic information associated with a nomination must contain sufficient identifying data so that a person being screened can be matched to or disassociated from a watchlisted terrorist. Second, the facts and circumstances pertaining to the nomination must meet the reasonable suspicion standard of review established by terrorist screening Presidential Directives. Reasonable suspicion requires articulable facts which, taken together with rational inferences, reasonably warrant the determination that an individual “is known or suspected to be or has been engaged in conduct constituting, in preparation for, in aid of or related to terrorism and terrorist activities.” The reasonable suspicion standard is based on the totality of the circumstances in order to account for the sometimes fragmentary nature of terrorist information. Due weight must be given to the reasonable inferences that a person can draw from the available facts. Mere guesses or inarticulate “hunches” are not enough to constitute reasonable suspicion. A TSC interagency group composed of members from the intelligence and law enforcement communities issued clarifying guidance to the watchlisting community in February 2009.

TSC makes the final decision on whether a person meets the minimum requirements for inclusion into TSDB as a known or suspected terrorist and which screening systems will receive the information about that known or suspected terrorist. It is not uncommon for a nomination to have multiple recommendations throughout the watchlisting process. In the end, however, TSC works with NCTC and the Originators to ensure a nomination is exported to as many screening systems as the nomination information supports.

The watchlisting and nomination process can best be described as a watchlisting enterprise because it requires constant collaboration between the Originators, NCTC, and TSC. NCTC relies upon the information provided by the intelligence and law enforcement community, TSC relies upon NCTC to analyze and provide accurate and credible information, and the screening community relies upon TSC to manage that information and to efficiently export it to their screening systems.

Export to Supported Systems

Once a known or suspected terrorist is identified and included in the TSDB, TSC ensures the timely dissemination of the terrorist identity data to our screening partners. The utility of the watchlisting process is greatest when the information is efficiently disseminated to those who need it the most. The TSC’s subject matter experts, who are composed of experienced analysts and designated agency representatives, review nominations to determine whether they meet the criteria for inclusion in the screening systems supported by the TSDB. The four major U.S. Government systems supported by the TSDB are: Department of State’s Consular Lookout and Support System (CLASS) for passport and visa screening; Department of Homeland Security’s TECS system for border and port of entry screening; the No Fly and Selectee lists used by the Transportation Security Administration for air passenger screening; and the FBI’s National Crime and Information Center’s Known or Suspected Terrorist File (formerly known as the Violent Gang/Terrorist Organization File (VGTOF)) for domestic law enforcement screening. The criteria for inclusion in each of these systems are tailored to the mission, legal authorities, and information technology requirements of the department or agency that maintains the system. Accordingly, each of these systems contains a different subset of data from TSDB.

The TSDB exports most pertinent to Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab–LASS, TECS, and the No Fly and Selectee lists–are discussed below.

CLASS

CLASS is a database administered by the Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs and is used by consular officers abroad to screen visa applicants for travel to the United States. CLASS accepts nearly all records from the TSDB because minimal biographic information is necessary for visa screening. In other words, given where (overseas) and when (well in advance of travel to the U.S.), the Government has time to work through what can sometimes be less than complete biographical information–time that might not otherwise be feasible in other screening situations like a routine traffic stop or a busy overseas airport where the presence of U.S. officials is often minimal. The Department of State also uses a screening system known as CLASS-PASSPORT to screen applications for U.S. passports.

The TSC aids the Department of State in identifying known or suspected terrorists through two different processes. The first is the Security Advisory Opinion (SAO) process, whereby individuals that are watchlisted could be identified at the time of their visa application to visit the United States. When consular officers process visa applications, checks are run in CLASS to determine whether any derogatory information exists to warrant a visa denial. If it is determined that the visa applicant is a possible match to an individual on the Terrorist Watchlist, the consular officer requests an SAO. The SAO request is forwarded to the TSC, where the Department of State’s subject matter experts at the TSC review the associated TSDB and TIDE records to determine whether the visa applicant is in fact the same watchlisted individual. The TSC’s only role in this process is to determine if the individual applying for the visa is the same individual on the Terrorist Watchlist. In the case of a positive match, the TSC forwards the information to the Department of State’s Visa Office, in the Bureau of Consular Affairs, to prepare an SAO in response to the request. The SAO is then forwarded to the consular officer adjudicating the visa, who has the authority to issue or deny visa applications. Individuals that are watchlisted at the time of their visa application could be identified through this process.

The second State Department process supported by the TSC is the Visa Revocation Program. The Visa Revocation Program was initiated after 9/11 and is designed to identify individuals who may have received visas prior to that person being identified as a known or suspected terrorist. Every day, the Department of State automatically generates a report that identifies all individuals with a valid visa that could potentially match a person in the TSDB. State officers compare information in CLASS (exported from TSDB), to existing records of visa holders in the Department of State’s Consular Consolidated Database (CCD). This report is then evaluated by the State Department experts at the TSC who determine whether there is a positive match to a watchlisted individual. If there is a positive match, then the TIDE record and related derogatory information is made available to the Department of State for review. The Secretary of State holds broad discretionary authority to revoke a visa. Therefore, TSC forwards the information to the Department of State’s Visa Office to determine whether to revoke the visa. Individuals that are watchlisted in TSDB after receiving their visas can be identified through this process.

TECS

TECS serves as the Department of Homeland Security’s primary lookout system and receives daily exports of TSDB records from the TSC. Additionally, TECS receives non-terrorist related subject records from more than twenty federal agencies, including a wide spectrum of data, and provides alerts for a variety of law enforcement needs. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is the principal owner and primary user of TECS and uses the system to screen individuals at air ports, land, and sea ports of entry. Through TECS, CBP screens against the Terrorist Watchlist at all 327 ports of entry and by all of the 15 pre-clearance offices located in Canada, the Caribbean, and Ireland. They also use the Terrorist Watchlist to conduct screening operations at international mail and cargo facilities. Similar to CLASS, TECS accepts nearly all records from the TSDB. For subjects in TSDB, CBP is alerted to their travel when a commercial airline forwards the passenger manifest to CBP using the Advanced Passenger Information System (APIS). APIS enhances border security by providing officers with pre-arrival and departure manifest data on all passengers and crew members

No Fly and Selectee List

The No Fly and Selectee lists are unique among TSDB subsets in that they are the only subsets within the Terrorist Watchlist that have their own substantive minimum derogatory criteria requirements, which are considerably more stringent than the reasonable suspicion standard required for inclusion in TSDB itself. Following the creation of the TSC in 2003, the Homeland Security Council Deputies Committee established the initial terrorist screening nomination criteria for the No Fly and Selectee lists in October 2004. At that time, the No Fly list consisted of substantive derogatory criteria that focused attention on individuals intending to commit acts of terrorism against civil aviation or the domestic homeland. Over time, that initial criteria proved to be too restrictive. Consequently, in February 2008, the Homeland Security Council Deputies Committee approved additional criteria that served to broaden the scope of terrorists eligible for the No Fly list. In other words, the criteria to place individuals on the No Fly list has broadened to make the No Fly list more inclusive to respond to additional terrorism threats. The Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General recognized the significance of the additional criteria when, in a May 2009 report, it stated, “Major security gaps have been addressed by adding No Fly criteria.”

For international terrorists, the process to be included on the No Fly list begins, as it does with every nomination, with a federal agency nominating an individual to NCTC for inclusion in TIDE. NCTC analysts review the nomination to ensure it meets nomination criteria and then forward the nomination to the TSC. Analysts at the TSC perform a comprehensive review of the nomination, which includes a review of the derogatory information contained in TIDE and the FBI’s Automated Case System. During this process, if there is a reasonable suspicion that the individual is engaging in terrorism or terrorist activity, the terrorist would be added to the TSDB. Placement on the No Fly list requires two components, sufficient biographical information and sufficient derogatory information. If additional information existed to satisfy any of the substantive derogatory criteria and the minimum biographic criteria for the No Fly list, the terrorist’s name would be exported to the No Fly list as well. If the analyst reviewing the No Fly nomination determines that there is insufficient information to warrant inclusion on the No Fly list, the nomination is forwarded to the TSA (Office of Intelligence and/or the Federal Air Marshal Service (FAMS)) subject matter experts at the TSC for further analysis and a final recommendation. The TSA subject matter expert will review the nomination and all accessible derogatory information associated with the individual and apply the No Fly and Selectee list criteria to that information. Based upon that review and analysis, the TSA/FAMS subject matter expert will then decide based upon that criteria whether the individual will be included on either the No Fly or Selectee list.

Inclusion on the No Fly list prohibits a potential terrorist from boarding a commercial aircraft that departs or arrives in the United States. It also prohibits an airplane carrying an individual on the No Fly list from transiting United States airspace. The Selectee list is used to provide the individual with a secondary screening. Currently, TSA provides the No Fly and Selectee list to commercial air carriers who are then responsible for passenger prescreening against the No Fly and Selectee lists. With the implementation of the Department of Homeland Security’s Secure Flight Program, the U.S. Government will assume the responsibility of passenger prescreening against the No Fly and Selectee lists, which will improve the overall effectiveness of this process.

Actions Since December 25, 2009

Before December 25, 2009, TSC did not receive a nomination to watchlist Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab and, as a result, he was not watchlisted in TSDB. Following the attempted terrorist attack, the President of the United States initiated a review of the facts that permitted Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab to board Northwest Airlines Flight 253. In his January 7, 2010 memorandum, the President concluded that immediate actions must be taken to enhance the security of the American people. These corrective actions were also required to ensure that the standards, practices, and business processes that have been in place since the aftermath of 9/11 are appropriately robust to address the evolving terrorist threat facing our Nation in the coming years. As a result, the TSC was given two instructions. The first was to conduct a thorough review of the TSDB and ascertain the current visa status of all known and suspected terrorists, beginning with the No Fly list. That process has now been completed. The second was to develop recommendations on whether adjustments are needed to the watchlisting Nominations Guidance, including biographic and derogatory criteria for inclusion in TIDE and TSDB, as well as the No Fly and Selectee lists. To do so, TSC convened its Policy Board Working Group with representation from NCTC, DHS, CIA, NSA, DOD, DOJ, DOS, and NSC to achieve interagency consensus. That process is underway and TSC is working with its interagency partners to develop appropriate recommendations for consideration by the President.

As of yet, however, there have been no formal changes to watchlisting criteria, including the criteria for inclusion on the No Fly list, since February 2008 when those criteria were last expanded. At the direction of the White House and in conjunction with NCTC, the TSC has made some temporary and limited additions to the watchlist to counter the specific terrorist threat observed on December 25, 2009. As a result, a threat-related target group was identified and individuals from specific high-threat countries already residing in TIDE or TSDB were added to the No Fly and Selectee lists, or upgraded to TSDB if necessary, to prevent future attacks.

Conclusion

As the investigation into the events that allowed Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab to board Flight 253 continues, the TSC remains focused on fulfilling its Presidential and interagency mandates to share terrorist screening information with our domestic and foreign partners. We have a standing commitment to improve our operational processes, to enhance our human capital and technological capabilities, and to continue to protect Americans from terrorist threats while protecting privacy and safeguarding their civil liberties. Terrorist Watchlisting has been a vital tool in the counterterrorism efforts of the United States Government and will continue to be so in the future. Chairman Conyers, Ranking Member Smith and members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to address this Committee. I look forward to answering your questions.