...represents a united center engaged in the global war on terrorism.
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The National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) was created to be a central clearinghouse
for integrating and analyzing terrorism information. NCTC comprises people from
its many partner agencies and is a center based on cooperation, collaboration, and
partnership. The NCTC seal symbolizes this and, like the design of the great seal of
the United States, represents a united center engaged in the global war on terrorism.
As in the Great Seal, in which the red and white stripes of the shield "represent the
several states," the stripes of the NCTC seal represent the partner agencies that make
up NCTC. In the Great Seal, the stripes "…support a blue field (chief), which unites
the whole and represents Congress." In the same manner, the partner agencies in NCTC
are joined. The colors are adopted from the American flag: "White signifies purity and
innocence, red, hardiness and valor, and blue, the color of the Chief, vigilance,
perseverance, and justice." The shield, or escutcheon, is "borne on the breast of
an American Eagle, without any other supporters, to denote that the United States of
America ought to rely on their own Virtue." The 15 stars encircling the globe
represent the current members of the Intelligence Community. The constellation of
stars symbolizes an integrated Center for Counterterrorism, working to protect US
interests. The motto E Pluribus Unum (Out of many, One) emblazoned across the scroll
and clenched in the eagle's beak, expresses the union of the Intelligence Community in
the new NCTC. The olive branch and the arrows denote both peace and war. These dual
purposes are symbolic of NCTC as well, which provides intelligence to support the global
war on terrorism, yet has as its goal the peace and security of the citizens of the United States.
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