FBI NAA 7th Asia Pacific Chapter Retraining Session, 18-22 May 2003

The Impact of Global Terrorism on Law Enforcement Agencies

Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington DC, 205535 USA

For the FBI and the United States, the war on terrorism is a complex and perplexing issue. It is as complex and perplexing as any threat this country has ever faced. Whether the threat comes in the form of anthrax-laced letters or the deadly sniper attacks in the neighbourhoods around the nation's capital or in the form of a devastating bomb blast in faraway Bali, it is imperative that we use the full weight of the law, every arrow in our quiver, to bring these terrorists to justice. We are once again counting on your leadership. The time you spent at the FBI National Academy helped you build lasting partnerships and bought you into a larger community of professionals. We look forward to participating in the seventh FBI National Academy retraining conference in Queensland and I would like to thank Commissioner Bob Atkinson for giving us this opportunity.

Robert S. Mueller III
FBI Director

The Premier of Queensland, The Honourable Peter Beattie MP, the Minister for Police and Corrective Services and Minister Assisting the Premier on the Carpentaria Minerals Province, The Honourable Tony McGrady MP and the Commissioner of the Queensland Police Service, Mr Bob Atkinson will host the 7th Retraining Session of the FBI National Academy Associates Asia Pacific Chapter in Queensland from 18–22 May 2003.

The FBI developed the theme as “The Impact of Global Terrorism on Law Enforcement Agencies” for the Retraining Session in order that law enforcement agencies in the Asia Pacific Region could benefit from the experiences of the FBI in relation to global terrorism incidents, particularly the 11 September, 2001 attacks in the United States.

The horrific events in Bali on 12 October 2002, as well as the subsequent Australasian Policing response, have highlighted the need for law enforcement agencies in the Asia Pacific Region to be sufficiently informed of regional terrorism issues to adequately respond to acts of terrorism in a highly efficient and professional manner. To this end, the focus of the conference is prevention, immediate reaction to acts of terrorism and consequence management.

FBI National Academy Retraining Sessions are normally restricted to graduates of the Academy. However, in view of the current global escalation of acts of terrorism, the FBI considers the information provided at the FBI Retraining Session should also be available to senior executive officers of the Australian defence forces, security intelligence organisations, law enforcement agencies and other associated organisations in the Asia Pacific Region.

Commissioners or their delegates from these organisations are invited to attend the 7th FBI NAA Retraining Session, along with key personnel who would benefit from the current information and intelligence delivered at the conference which would place their organisation in a position to professionally and strategically respond to terrorism incidents in the future.

Guest speakers from the United States, Asia Pacific Region and Australia, who are experts in their fields, have been assembled to address the Retraining Session.

About the FBI National Academy

Since its establishment in 1935, the FBI National Academy in the United States has trained more than 34,000 FBI agents, police officers and other law enforcement officials from the United States and 130 foreign countries.

The FBI has divided the foreign countries into various chapters. Australia forms part of the Asia Pacific Regional Chapter. Of the 2,200 foreign graduates, some 550 have come from the Asia Pacific region.

The FBI National Academy is committed to providing a global retraining program to their graduates and law enforcement professionals which focuses on current law enforcement issues, the professional and forensic services of the FBI and international trends in policing. A retraining session is held every two years, with Queensland last hosting a retraining session in 1996.