I want to extend a special thank you to Vice Admiral Sharp. I think this is your last GEOINT Symposium as NGA Director, and the National Counterterrorism Center and NGA have enjoyed a really strong partnership over the years, ever since our founding nearly 18 years ago, and you’ve always been a great champion of the CT community. So thank you for all that you do, we appreciate it. Thank you also to the GEOINT community for inviting me to this great event. I’ve had some time to wander the booths and see what is out there and it’s mind blowing, even as somebody that hasn’t been a government employee my entire life, for a short stint, it’s really remarkable to see where the technology is going and how much value it’s going to add to us as policymakers, as intelligence professionals – it’s incredible.
What a pleasure to be here amongst so many old friends to share some thoughts on Counterterrorism in an Era of Competing priorities.
We are almost two decades removed from 9/11, and fortunately, we have been successful in preventing major attacks against the homeland. This success raises the important question of how counterterrorism should stack up against competing priorities, an increasingly relevant issue.
NCTC Deputy Director Russ Travers delivered an opening address at the annual World Counter Terror Congress convened March 5-6 on the outskirts of London.
Thank you, Chairman Thompson, Ranking Member Rogers, and members of the committee, for the opportunity to be with you today. I will begin with a brief overview of the terrorism threat before discussing homeland and overseas threats in more detail. I will close my opening remarks with a discussion of global trends impacting counterterrorism efforts, along with comments on the way forward, from NCTC’s perspective.
Click here to download Acting Director of the National Counterterrorism Center Russ Travers testimony "Combatting the Terrorist Threat Through Agility, Persistence, and Resilience"