FBI director forecasts ‘victory’ over terrorists

7 April 2008

Robert Mueller, Director of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, told an audience at Chatham House today that terrorism as a tactic would be defeated during his tenure as the head of the organisation.

When asked how long he felt the United States would be fighting terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda, Director Mueller replied: 'I don't think it will be millennia or even generations. I think we'll see victory on my watch.'

When pressed on his statement Director Mueller explained that he thought the current use of indiscriminate IEDs (improvised explosive devices) would wane as a tactic unless it was linked to some sort of comprehensive ideology.

Director Mueller also praised the effective cooperation between the intelligence and law enforcement services of the US and the UK:

'I am particularly grateful for the relationship between the FBI and our British counterparts. It remains a model of international intelligence and law enforcement cooperation.

'Our information-sharing is getting faster, easier, and more detailed every day. As recently as a year ago, we had to hand-carry hard copies of classified files to each other's offices. Today the process is automated.

'I can tell you that the vast majority of the FBI's terrorism cases originate from information developed by our partners overseas - even those cases in which the suspected terrorists and the potential targets are all on American soil.'

Click here to view a transcript of 'From 9/11 to 7/7: Global Terrorism Today and the Challenges of Tomorrow'

For further information please contact:
Sean Armstrong
Press Officer
Direct: +44 (0) 20 7957 5739
Mobile: +44 (0) 78 4985 3757

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