Mukasey discusses the global threat posed by international organized crime

Attorney General Michael Mukasey spoke before the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) about the challenges the US faces in combating the growing threat of international organized crime.

Mukasey’s speech focused on examining the many different types of threats the US faces, and what our government is doing to combat such threats. Mukasey noted that the enemy we face is constantly becoming more advanced, often using the internet and cyber technology to do things such as launder money and communicate with other criminal groups. He described international criminal organizations as “alive and well,” noting that organized crime groups deal with everything from smuggled cigarettes to manufacturing drugs.

The Attorney General emphasized that the government has been successful in foiling criminal plots in places such as New Jersey and Los Angeles, and talked about how our leaders have communicated with law enforcement agencies abroad to stop more crime from emerging around the world.

Mukasey said that by prioritizing the threats of criminal groups facing our nation (he suggested we worry about the greatest risks facing us first), and by having our governmental agencies share information about crime amongst one another, we can continue to succeed in keeping America safe.

Attorney General Michael Mukasey praised for dedication, grilled on money allocation

This morning, the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies under the Committee on Appropriations, heard Mukasey’s testimony on the U.S. Department of Justice’s budget. The 2009 budget request of 22.7 billion dollars “will allow us to accomplish our mission and to focus on several of the priorities I’ve discussed in other settings. These are national security, violent crime, immigration and border security, and public corruption.”

A large portion of the proposed budget is allocated toward the FBI. Mukasey says that there is a “relatively new mission” within the FBI, which is that of intelligence gathering. When asked more specifically about how the money will be used, approximately 280 agents will be hired along with 271 intelligence analysts.

While providing detailed information, at times Mukasey didn’t comment on questions saying he needed to look into them. He was urged greatly by committee members to find the answers they sought, including looking into the allocation of additional funding for border security, especially in Tucson. When challenged that when drug smugglers are arrested and then released for having anything less than 500 pounds of drugs, Mukasey’s defense skirted away from the issue.