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On Dec. 4-5, several UGA units joined with several federal and state agencies to sponsor a conference on “Biochemical Terrorism: First Strike--First Response”
at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education. John Watson, an agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and a member of the Joint Terrorism Task Force for Atlanta, spoke about the current situation. Some highlights:
On the significance of the World Trade Center bombing: “For 200 years we have lived in a free and open society, relatively immune from terrorism. This was the day we lost our innocence.”
On the significance of the April 1995 bombing of the Murrah Federal Building: “Only--only--168 people died.”
On the lessons of that attack: “Not all terrorists are foreigners. And if you can’t be safe in Oklahoma City, where can you run and hide?”
On the current threat: “You cannot combat the terrorist--you cannot combat his methods--until you understand his motivation. Today there are more acts of terrorism committed in the name of God than ever before.”
On the FBI’s role: “The priority of the FBI for the next 10 years is going to be counterterrorism. . . . This is ground zero for the FBI. . . . The public expects us to prevent terrorism, not to investigate it. . . . We cannot protect the entire country unless we go into martial law. . . . The American people are relying on the system, they believe that there is a system in place to take care of them--but if we’re honest we’ll admit there isn’t much of a system, because up to now we haven’t needed it. But after you have been called upon is no time to go into the preparation stage.”
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