AN
INTELLIGENCE-DRIVEN FBI
Staying One Step Ahead of Criminals, Spies, and Terrorists
11/15/04
On Monday,
November 15, Director Mueller delivered the first of two major addresses
this week in Los Angeles. The remarks—at Town Hall Los
Angeles—were his first to focus exclusively on the topic of intelligence.
We urge you
to read the full
text. But we'll tell you straight up that it covered the
waterfront on the subject. Such as:
· The
origins of intelligence in America. Hint: the "father
of intelligence gathering" is another famous "father" in
our country.
·· The
increasingly tangled web of criminal and terrorist networks (including
an investigation into the theft and resale of baby formula that turned
up a connection to terrorists) ... and why that's driving us to integrate
intelligence across the FBI.
· The
challenge of intelligence: Taking a "river of unrelated,
often indecipherable data" ... which "may be fragments of
phone conversations, scraps of paper, e-mails, random sightings, or
rumors" ... and then analyzing it to find out "what is factual,
meaningful, relevant, and most importantly, threatening."
· The
end-game of our intelligence efforts: "To provide information
to decision-makers, both inside and outside the FBI, so they are prepared
for any situation." And who are these decision-makers? Everyone
from "the President of the United States to the patrolman on the
street."
·How
we are improving our intelligence capabilities. 1) By reshaping
our operations with a standalone, comprehensive intelligence program;
2) By creating a cadre of intelligence professionals through vigorous
recruitment and stronger training; and, 3) By building partnerships
locally, nationally, and internationally.
· New "fusion
centers" for intelligence like the Terrorist Threat Integration
Center ("This is the place where we 'connect the dots.' Think
of it as our camera aimed at the universe of threats against America,
able to give us a snapshot of the threat at any given time.")
·· The
special skills that the FBI brings to the intelligence table. They
include an ability to separate fact from fiction, honed through years
of experience. "Our historical need for evidence and witnesses
to withstand the scrutiny of court review means the FBI brings judgment
and rigor to source development and analytic work that is exceptional."
What's the
bottom line? Improved FBI intelligence is helping to solve
cases, better inform decision-makers, and prevent and predict attacks
by criminals, spies, and terrorists.
Links: Full
speech | Intelligence Program
