Lone Wolf Terrorists, Cyber Threats Put New Pressure on FBI
(Bloomberg) -- The FBI urgently needs to accelerate intelligence-gathering capabilities at home and abroad to confront evolving terrorist threats, a panel reviewing the bureau’s response since the Sept. 11 attacks said.
Returning foreign fighters, extremists acting alone, and a new breed of criminals in cyberspace mean the agency needs to build up its domestic intelligence operation, the yearlong review of the Federal Bureau of Investigation found.
“The FBI has not yet met its potential -— or its mandate from the president and Congress -— to develop a ‘specialized and integrated national security workforce’ that can serve as the hub of America’s domestic intelligence agency,” according to the report, which was presented to FBI Director James Comey.
The review was undertaken at the request of Congress, which sought an update on how the FBI is fulfilling its mission since the 2001 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. It was led by Edwin Meese, attorney general under President Ronald Reagan, former Representative Tim Roemer, an Indiana Democrat, and Georgetown University counterterrorism expert Bruce Hoffman.
The report was released during a press conference with Comey and members of the panel Wednesday at FBI headquarters in Washington.
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http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-03-25/fbi-must-evolve-to-tackle-lone-wolf-online-threats-report-says
