CIA Director Discusses Terrorism and Security in NJ

By Anthony Birritteri, Editor-in-Chief On Mar 18, 2016

CIA Director and New Jersey native John Brennan spoke to more than 600 law enforcement and government officials and private-sector partners this morning, concerning terrorism and security challenges both the US and the entire world is facing.

At today’s New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness 10^th annual conference, held at the Hyatt Regency in Princeton, Brennan, who grew up in Hudson County, said that the world stage is unsettling because of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria [ISIS] threat. “This ISIS phenomenon is like something we have never seen before,” Brennan said.

While Al-Qaeda was more focused on combating the West and the United States, and was more structured and disciplined in nature, ISIS is bigger with many followers and chapters throughout the world. “The ISIS challenge is with us for many years to come,” he said.

ISIS is having a destabilizing effect on Middle Eastern countries, especially in the aftermath of the Arab Spring. On the positive side, countries that have economic interests in other nations are getting involved in the fight against the group because of their interests.

Terrorists are also leveraging and exploiting technology. “Some terrorists are very technically sophisticated in miniaturizing IEDs, for example,” Brennan said.  “We have to stay ahead of this curve.”

He also discussed the “Internet of things,” saying the world has become so interconnected and also so vulnerable to attacks. He also commented on how terrorists are recruiting and training people via the digital environment. To combat this digital/data battle, the CIA has created the Directorate of Digital Innovation.

Cyberattacks on the nation’s infrastructure and industrial controls was another concern Brennan discussed. He said that such systems are “locked down fairly well, but as long as they are connected to the Internet, there are dangers.”

Overall, he said, “We are all blessed to live in the United States, the greatest nation in the world.” He acknowledged the tremendous work of Americans, especially “law enforcement officials, who every day help keep the country safe and secure.”

New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness (NJOHSP) Director Chris Rodriguez told New Jersey Business that the presence of local, state and federal law enforcement officials at the day’s event helps ensure that relationships are strong and maintained. “I am proud to say that in New Jersey, our relationships across all levels of government are the best they have ever been,” he said.

Since becoming director of NJOHSP, Rodriguez said he has doubled the agency’s efforts on intelligence and counter-terrorism. “We are disseminating intelligence products at the unclassified level to the public. We are engaging in the training of more local-level law enforcement and first responders in our counties and municipalities, and we are disseminating grant funding in the most responsible way we can. We want to make sure our local authorities have the resources they need in order to keep the people they represent safe and secure.”

In terms of terror threat in New Jersey, Rodriguez said that in working in “close cooperation with our federal partners, particularly the FBI, there have been five ISIS related arrests in the state over the last year.”

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