John Ashcroft's Exit Interview

WASHINGTON, Jan. 19, 2005 — -- On the eve of President Bush's inauguration, outgoing Attorney General John Ashcroft spoke exclusively to Peter Jennings about his tenure at the helm of the U.S. Justice Department.

Ashcroft -- who has developed a colorful public service record over the last 30 years -- talked about his decision to resign, America's response to terrorism, the controversial Patriot Act, and his faith and legacy.

Following is an excerpt from the interview:

PETER JENNINGS: May I just first ask about your departure? This is a job that is draining, both physically and emotionally. Did that have an impact on your decision to leave?

JOHN ASHCROFT: I wrote a letter to the president, in which I said it was both an inspiring and challenging, and both a fulfilling and draining job. It's a job which requires significant attention, especially in the context of international terror, which we've been dealing with.

JENNINGS: You get up every day, and you look at the threat assessment every day, and you say to yourself, "They may beat me today?"

ASHCROFT: Well, I think you have to. If you don't think they might beat you today, then you're not going to be as careful in that day as you ought to be. And as the president has said, they only have to win once. We have to win all the time.

JENNINGS: Do you think you know whether or not al Qaeda is ensconced in the United States today?

ASHCROFT: We know that there are individuals who are sympathetic to the radical extremist values, if you want to call them values -- or plans of al Qaeda -- that are in the United States.

JENNINGS: Are you confident that as you leave this building, the country is safer, as you put it, because you have done something, or because the potential terrorists may have a different timeline?

ASHCROFT: Well, I think there are a combination of factors that make America safer right now. Not only have we sort of strengthened our capacity to defend, we know a lot more than we used to know. We've improved our intelligence capacity and that's very important. We have been more aggressive in prosecuting individuals who have violated the law. Now, on the other hand, I think it's clear that terrorist organizations are not static organizations.