Jeh Johnson Quotes

The anguish in London is a vivid reminder of why we cannot relent in taking the steps necessary to defend our homeland from the present terrorist threat.

Look, we constantly live looking at the issue of the threat of terrorism.

The bottom line is we are pursuing every single possible action to keep our country safe from terrorism.

We know that Seattle is mentioned frequently ... a computer was found in Afghanistan showing pictures of Seattle-area landmarks. So we are in constant contact with the FBI and with other federal authorities.

I think a lot of programs, policies have been put in place since 9/11, have prevented a 9/11-style attack. On the other hand, I think the threat has become greater, not lesser.

Since September 11, the U.S. has significantly improved its security to prevent another attack.

The fact that we haven't faced another major terrorist attack on American soil since Sept. 11 is a very significant achievement, and one that's easy to forget - it's the dog that doesn't bark.

The prompt assimilation of that intelligence will be essential if we are to avoid another September 11th.

We are in a war on terrorism. We need to conduct that war and take it to the terrorists, not here at home.

Intelligence is our first line of defense against terrorism, and we must improve the collection capabilities and analysis of intelligence to protect the security of the United States and its allies.

When it comes to terrorism, the only path to safety is the path to action.

The counterterrorism strategy known as CONTEST aimed to reduce the risk to the UK and its interests overseas from terrorism, so that people can go about their lives freely and with confidence.

National security, both internal and external, is a challenge.

We protect the American people from a staggering range of threats. But make no mistake, securing the homeland against terrorism remains our top priority.

We need to be diligent in our neighborhoods, in America to keep an eye out for wherever there might be some kind of a terrorist cell that is festering that could potentially blow up.

I am not opposed to government efforts to stop terrorist plots. We are still seared by the memory of 9/11, and we should be.

For the vast majority of places in America, there is no way you can build a security system such as we have here because of the high priority this rates in terms of terrorist interests.

Once the attacks occur, as we learned on Sept. 11, it is too late. It makes little sense to deprive ourselves of an important, and legal, means to detect and prevent terrorist attacks while we are still in the middle of a fight to the death with al Qaeda.

I did not want to provide a blueprint or roadmap for the terrorists, saying 'Here are our new security procedures'.

Significant steps have been taken since 9-11 to protect out country here at home, but much remains to be done, Americans from across the political spectrum must come together to develop the next phase of our efforts to counter global terror.

Because of the terrorist threat, the FBI and CIA have become as important as the military in preserving our freedom. Yet while thanking our military is standard practice in American life, no one thinks of thanking the FBI, the CIA, or the rest of the intelligence community for keeping us safe since 9/11.

Well, our position, and our chairman has talked about this extensively, is that we had a lot of intelligence prior to 9/11. We knew that two al Qaeda operatives who ultimately participated in the 9/11 disaster were in the United States. We didn't find them.

And so every one of us in the FBI, I don't care if it's a file clerk someplace or an agent there or a computer specialist, understands that our main mission is to protect the public from another September 11, another terrorist attack.

As a former career intelligence professional, I have a profound appreciation for the value of intelligence. Intelligence disrupts terrorist plots and thwarts attacks. Intelligence saves lives.

We have gutted our ability to detect the next attack. And I would not stand for that as president of the United States.