- Title: U.S. established working group to stop Middle Eastern migrant smugglers
- Date: 27th September 2016
- Summary: WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES (SEPTEMBER 27, 2016) (UNRESTRICTED POOL - Broadcasters: NONE Digital: NONE) WIDE OF ROOM SENATE HEARING. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY JEH JOHNSON SAYING: "In the run-up to the November election, we've been working with state election officials, local election officials to help them with their cyber security when they ask. I'm pleased that 18 states have now come forward and requested our assistance in their cyber-security efforts." CUTAWAY OF JOHNSON, FBI DIRECTOR JAMES COMEY AND DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL COUNTERTERRORISM CENTER NICHOLASRASMUSSEN (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY JEH JOHNSON SAYING: "As I am very appreciative of the efforts of this committee to codify much of what we've done to move forward on my unity of effort initiatives, to build frankly, a better department of homeland security, fewer stovepipes, more efficient, effective hiring acquisition process. All of you, I think, are aware of our joint task forces for border security which is not only a border security mission but also a counter-narcotics mission." CUTAWAY OF JOHNSON, COMEY AND RASMUSSEN (SOUNDBITE) (English) FBI DIRECTOR JAMES COMEY SAYING: "Sitting before you is a deeply flawed and fallible human being who believes very strongly in admitting mistakes when they're made. I hope you saw the very painful moment when I admitted publicly we made a mistake in allowing Dylan Roof to get a gun. So as long as I'm Director of the FBI we will stare back very carefully at what we do, and where we make mistakes we will admit them. We will be transparent and we will get better. As I you know, I hope, I commissioned a look back at our investigation of the Orlando killer, which is just being done now, and the Inspector General is going to do another one, which is great, cause if there's learning there, we're going to squeeze it for all the learning we can." CUTAWAY OF JOHNSON, COMEY AND RASMUSSEN
- Embargoed: 12th October 2016 17:32
- Keywords: Congress Jeh Johnson FBI homeland security cFBI Director James Comey
- Location: WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES
- City: WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA00151CFYH3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson told a Senate panel on Tuesday (September 27) that his agency established a working group in recent months to crack down on smuggling groups bringing Middle Eastern migrants across the southern U.S. border.
"I am very appreciate of the efforts of this committee to codify much of what we've done to move forward on my unity of effort initiatives, to build frankly, a better Department of Homeland Security," said Johnson, speaking to the Senate Homeland Security Committee at a hearing on national security threats."
Johnson said the group is focused on the smuggling networks that are moving migrants from the Middle East, whose numbers have risen in the past year.
Asked about security threats posed by cyber hackers, Johnson told the committee that 18 U.S. states have asked his agency for help in order to secure their voting systems from hackers ahead of the Nov. 8 election.
"In the run-up to the November election, we've been working with state election officials, local election officials to help them with their cyber security when they ask. I'm pleased that 18 states have now come forward and requested our assistance in their cyber-security efforts," said Johnson.
In August, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said voter databases in two states were breached.
FBI Director James Comey and Director of the National Counterterrorism Center Nicholas Rasmussen also testified.
When pressed by the senate on if the FBI was will to admit to mistakes were made with regards to previous "credible threats", Comey said, "Sitting before you is a deeply flawed and fallible human being who believes very strongly in admitting mistakes when they're made." - Copyright Holder: POOL (CAN SELL)
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