National Counterterrorism Center

Last updated
National Counterterrorism Center
Seal of the United States National Counterterrorism Center.svg
Agency overview
Formed2004
Preceding agency
  • Terrorist Threat Integration Center (establ. 2004)
Headquarters McLean, Virginia, U.S.
Agency executives
Parent agency Office of the Director of National Intelligence
Website NCTC.gov

The National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) is a United States government organization responsible for national and international counterterrorism efforts. [4] It is based in Liberty Crossing in McLean, Virginia. [5] NCTC advises the United States on terrorism.

Contents

Part of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the center brings together specialists from other federal agencies, including the CIA, the FBI, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Homeland Security. [6]

History

The idea of a center to merge intelligence on terror threats was proposed by the 9/11 Commission following the completion of its investigation into the September 11 attacks, the deadliest attack in world history. [7] Plans to create such a center were announced by President George W. Bush in his January 2003 State of the Union address. On May 1, 2003, Executive Order 13354 established the Terrorist Threat Integration Center (TTIC). [8] [9]

In 2004, the center was renamed NCTC and placed under the United States Director of National Intelligence by the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act.

After the Christmas 2009 terrorist attempt on Northwest Airlines Flight 253, the NCTC was tasked with creating a process to "thoroughly and exhaustively" prioritize terrorism threat threads; identify follow-up action by intelligence, law enforcement, and homeland security; and enhance the "Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment" database, to add names to watchlists. [10]

In 2012, United States Attorney General Eric Holder granted NCTC the authority to collect, store, and analyze extensive data collections on U.S. citizens compiled from governmental and non-governmental sources for suspicious behavior through pattern analysis and to share the databases with foreign states. The effort has drawn controversy for its pre-crime effort, which has been likened to the Information Awareness Office and its proposed mass surveillance. [11] [12] [13] [14]

In August 2019, The Daily Beast reported that the NCTC had begun to work on counterintelligence to combat domestic terrorism. [15]

Activities

The center analyzes terrorism intelligence including potential domestic threat intelligence; monitors communications internationally and domestically for potential threats; generates actionable information to potentially prevent criminal acts domestically; stores terrorism information; supports U.S. counterterrorism activities using information technology (IT); and plans counter-terrorism activities as directed by the President of the United States, the National Security Council, and the Homeland Security Council.

It provides terrorism information to the intelligence community; makes detailed lists of terrorists, terrorist groups, and worldwide terrorist incidents; supports the response to terrorist incidents in the United States and worldwide; and writes assessments and briefings for policymakers.

The NCTC has access to various databases, including those from the NSA and the CIA, and is in charge of the Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment (TIDE) database. [16] It also operates the publicly accessible Worldwide Incidents Tracking System database.

The NCTC's Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment (TIDE) database contains more than 1.2 million identities of people who are known to be terrorists, suspected of it, or linked to people who are. [11]

Leaders

Directors

Source: [17]

Deputy Directors

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Director of National Intelligence</span> US Cabinet-level government official

The director of national intelligence (DNI) is a senior cabinet-level United States government official, required by the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 to serve as executive head of the United States Intelligence Community (IC) and to direct and oversee the National Intelligence Program (NIP). All 18 IC agencies, including the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and the National Security Agency (NSA), report directly to the DNI.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FBI Counterterrorism Division</span> Division of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation

The Counterterrorism Division (CTD) is a division of the National Security Branch of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. CTD investigates terrorist threats inside the United States, provides information on terrorists outside the country, and tracks known terrorists worldwide. In the wake of the September 11 attacks in 2001, CTD's funding and manpower have significantly increased.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joint Terrorism Task Force</span> Multi-agency law enforcement partnerships in the United States

A Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) is an American locally-based multi-agency partnership between various federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies tasked with investigating terrorism and terrorism-related crimes, led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Department of Justice. The first JTTFs were established before the September 11 attacks, with their numbers increasing dramatically in the years after.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act</span> Act of Congress

The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (IRTPA) is a 235-page Act of Congress, signed by President George W. Bush, that broadly affects United States federal terrorism laws. The act comprises several separate titles with varying subject issues. It was enacted in response to the terror attacks of September 11, 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FBI National Security Branch</span> US FBI national security unit

The National Security Branch (NSB) is a service within the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The NSB is responsible for protecting the United States from weapons of mass destruction, acts of terrorism, and foreign intelligence operations and espionage. The NSB accomplishes its mission by investigating national security threats, providing information and analysis to other law enforcement agencies, and developing capabilities to keep the US nation secure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joseph Maguire</span> American government official and Navy admiral (born 1951)

Joseph Maguire is an American officer who served as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center and Acting Director of National Intelligence under President Donald Trump. He retired from the United States Navy as a vice admiral in 2010 after 36 years of military service. Prior to retiring from active duty, he was the deputy director for strategic operational planning at National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Counterintelligence and Security Center</span> US federal agency

The National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC) leads national counterintelligence (CI) for the United States government. It is part of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI).

The Terrorist Screening Database (TSDB) is the central terrorist watchlist consolidated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Terrorist Screening Center and used by multiple agencies to compile their specific watchlists and for screening. The list was created after the September 11 attacks.

The Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment (TIDE) is the U.S. government's central database on known or suspected international terrorists, and contains highly classified information provided by members of the Intelligence Community such as CIA, DIA, FBI, NSA, and many others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Leiter</span> Director of the US National Counterterrorism Center (2007–2011)

Michael E. Leiter is the former director of the United States National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), having served in the Bush administration and been retained in the Obama administration. A statement released by the White House announced his resignation, effective July 8, 2011. His successor, Matthew G. Olsen, was sworn in on August 16, 2011. In September 2017, Leiter joined international law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom in Washington, D.C. as a partner in its national security practice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Counterterrorism Mission Center</span> Central Intelligence Agency unit founded 1986

The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency's Mission Center forCounterterrorism is a division of the CIA's Directorate of Operations, established in 1986. It was renamed during an agency restructuring in 2015 and is distinct from the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), which is a separate entity. The most recent publicly known Assistant Director for Counterterrorism Mission Center was Chris Wood who led the organization from 2015 to 2017.

The Analysis Corporation (TAC) was the Intelligence Solutions business of Global Defense Technology & Systems, Inc. (GTEC), now Sotera Defense Solutions, a defense contracting company. Based in McLean, Virginia, it is a wholly owned subsidiary of Global Strategies Group Inc., the operating company of GTEC. From its inception in 1990 to its dissolution in 2012, TAC worked on projects in the counterterrorism and national security realm by supporting national watchlisting activities as well as other counterterrorism requirements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matthew G. Olsen</span> American prosecutor (born 1962)

Matthew Glen Olsen is an American attorney who has served as the Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division since 2021. He is the former director of the National Counterterrorism Center.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the past and present terrorism in the United States:

The National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) was a proposed federal anti-terror agency to be created in India, modelled on the National Counterterrorism Center of the US. The proposal arose after the 2008 Mumbai attacks a.k.a. 26/11 attacks where several intelligence and operational failures revealed the need for a federal agency with real time intelligence inputs of actionable value specifically to counter terrorist acts against India. The proposal has however met with much criticism from the Chief Ministers of various states who saw it as a means of weakening India's federalism, So finally the proposal was discarded saying already exists coordinating mechanisms in the system and government denied the need of NCTC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicholas Rasmussen</span> Director of the National Counterterrorism Center

Nicholas J. Rasmussen is the former director of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), a United States government organization. He was sworn in on December 18, 2014 and was replaced by Russell Travers on December 24, 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russell Travers</span> American government official

Russell E. Travers is an American national security official who served as the deputy director of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC). Travers first took the role on November 13, 2017, and later became acting director. He resumed his duties as deputy on December 28, 2018, following Joseph Maguire's swearing in as NCTC director. Travers again became acting director on August 16, 2019, after Maguire became Acting Director of National Intelligence. He was dismissed on March 18, 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lora Shiao</span> American intelligence officer

Lora Shiao is an American intelligence officer serving as the Chief Operating Officer of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. She served as the acting Director of National Intelligence for one day, from January 20, 2021, to January 21, 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brett M. Holmgren</span> American lawyer & intelligence official

Brett Michael Holmgren is an American intelligence official who served as assistant secretary of state for intelligence and research in the Biden administration. He currently serves as the acting director for the National Counterterrorism Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christine Abizaid</span> American intelligence officer (born 1979)

Christine Sandra Abizaid is an American intelligence officer who was the director of the National Counterterrorism Center in the Biden administration.

References

  1. ↑ "Christy Abizaid to Step Down as NCTC Director, Brett Holmgren Named Acting Director". sofx.com. SOFX Inc. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  2. ↑ "Deputy Director NCTC".
  3. ↑ "Executive Director NCTC".
  4. ↑ Bloy, Natalie; Peters, Heidi M. (August 18, 2017). National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) (PDF). Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
  5. ↑ Priest, Dana; William M. Arkin. "A hidden world, growing beyond control". The Washington Post .
  6. ↑ Elliot, Phillip (January 2, 2010). "Obama says al-Qaida affiliate in Yemen apparently responsible for airliner bombing plot" [ permanent dead link ]. 680 News. Associated Press. Accessed January 2, 1010. [ dead link ]
  7. ↑ "Public Statement Release of 9/11 Commission Report The Hon. Thomas H. Kean and the Hon. Lee H. Hamilton" (PDF). July 22, 2004. Retrieved 22 Feb 2010.
  8. ↑ "The Terrorist Threat Integration Center: One Year Later". FBI.gov. FBI. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
  9. ↑ "Terrorist Threat Integration Center". Archived from the original on 2016-04-12. Retrieved 2016-01-01.
  10. ↑ Pelofsky, Jeremy (January 7, 2010). "Factbox: Actions Obama ordered after December 25 bomb plot". Reuters. Retrieved 2010-02-22.
  11. 1 2 Angwin, Julia (December 12, 2012). "U.S. Terrorism Agency to Tap a Vast Database of Citizens". WSJ.
  12. ↑ Zetter, Kim (December 13, 2012). "Attorney General Secretly Granted Gov. Ability to Develop and Store Dossiers on Innocent Americans". WIRED.
  13. ↑ Kelley, Michael (Dec 13, 2012). "CONFIRMED: US Counterterrorism Agency Can Amass Data On Any Citizen". Business Insider.
  14. ↑ Hill, Kashmir (December 14, 2012). "The Little Known Spy Agency That Knows Your Flight Plans And Much More". Forbes.
  15. ↑ Woodruff, Betsy (2019-08-07). "Post-9/11 Intel Center Goes After Domestic Terror" . Retrieved 2019-08-07.
  16. ↑ DeYoung Karen (January 7, 2010). "After attempted airline bombing, effectiveness of intelligence reforms questioned". The Washington Post .
  17. ↑ "Acting Director NCTC". National Counterterrorism Center. Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  18. ↑ "Acting Director of NCTC Nicholas J. Rasmussen". National Counterterrorism Center. Archived from the original on 20 January 2017. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
  19. ↑ "Acting DNI Grenell Names New NCTC Leadership" (Press release). Office of the Director of National Intelligence. March 23, 2020. Archived from the original on January 18, 2022. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
  20. ↑ "DNI Ratcliffe Welcomes Chris Miller as NCTC Director". Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Archived from the original on August 10, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  21. ↑ "Director NCTC". National Counterterrorism Center. Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Retrieved August 17, 2020.

38°55′59″N77°12′18″W / 38.933°N 77.205°W / 38.933; -77.205

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.