Laramine Boomerang, WY
Feb 26 2005
Keeping the country secure
By Micah Sturr
Boomerang Staff Writer
William Webster has a more intimate understand than most of how the
government can keep the country secure. The former federal judge, FBI
and CIA director spoke to an assembly at the University of Wyoming on
Friday about `protecting our homeland.’
Webster spoke as a part of the Milward Simpson Distinguished Lecture
Series in UW’s Department of Political Science and focused on the
lessons he learned professionally and his ideas about future
challenges for the intelligence community in curbing terrorism.
`It was my view that the way to attack the problem was to get there
before the bomb went off rather than simply follow through and arrest
the people responsible. Well, how do you do that? It’s a very simple
answer, not necessarily easy to do, but have better intelligence –
know what is being planned so you are in a better position to
interdict it,’ Webster said.
In 1984 as the director of the FBI, Webster added terrorism to
foreign counter intelligence, white-collar crime and organized crime
as major threats to the country. Webster served as FBI director from
1978-1987.
By getting to terrorists before the bomb went off, the FBI was able
to eliminate Armenian terrorism against Turks in the United States,
Webster said. (Armenian action against Turks stems from the attempted
genocide of Armenians by Turkey in 1915.)
`That is still an issue in the United States but it is no longer a
terrorist issue. By getting in ahead of the curve we were able to
head off a number of planned events to the extent that those who
planned them gave up the idea, considered that they were penetrated
and we had no more trouble with them for 20 years,’ Webster said.
Despite this victory and successes in suppressing terrorism of
American Serbs and Croats directed at one another and potential
terrorism by anti-government militia groups, the Sept. 11th attacks
forced the intelligence community to change the way anti-terrorism
operations are conducted, Webster said.
`We had to live with that atmosphere of `need to know’ and not `need
to share.’ The Patriot Act changed that,’ Webster said. `Most of the
changes that occurred with the Patriot Act were much needed.’
Sharing information between agencies is essential, Webster said, as
was updating the way warrants can be issued. Issuing a warrant for a
terrorist’s cell phone is inefficient when the terrorist can simply
get a new cell phone. The Patriot Act allows a surveillance warrant
to be issued for the person.
When he was director of the CIA, 1987-1991, Webster said the former
model for old Europe, specifically France, Italy and Greece, was to
act as sanctuary countries to protect their own citizens. Internal as
well as international terrorism has forced a shift in that approach.
`The principle was – you leave us alone and we’ll leave you alone. It
doesn’t work that way,’ Webster said.
`The advantage that the terrorist has, it is a victory on the cheap
over larger institutions and organizations, because he can pick his
method, he can pick his place, he can pick his time, and many of them
have demonstrated extraordinary patience in carrying out their
activities,’ Webster said.
More than the natural advantages terrorists have, technology and
globalization have redefined the way terrorism can operate and
changed the parameters of security, Webster said.
`Your part of the solution is cooperation with the authorities and
making sure that everybody does what their supposed to do without
unnecessary complaints,’ Webster said.
Webster said he is proud of the American people in the wake of the
9/11 attacks given their willingness to preserve shared values.
`We do not want to turn ourselves into the people we are
confronting,’ Webster said. `We have to preserve our values, but we
must also preserve our order.’
After the hour-long speech before a crowd of more than 100 in the
Wyoming Union’s Yellowstone Ballroom, Webster joined former Wyoming
Sen. Alan Simpson and Professor Emeritus and former UW Vice President
Peter Simpson for questions from the audience.