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Europe |
Germans used SIGINT to bust terror duo |
2005-01-28 |
Fred is a big believer in SIGINT, IIRC ...![]() In the end, the surveillance operation offers an inside look at some of the problems and progress of those on the frontlines of the war on terror. For one thing, it shows that successes are occurring: In addition to the two suspects arrested in Germany - and the information gleaned during the surveillance operation - two other high-level terrorists were apprehended this week in Iraq. Second, it illustrates how difficult it is to tap into terrorist cells and gather enough information to stop a specific attack or round up all those involved. Third, it highlights how contentious the relationship can be between intelligence agencies and local police, which often have different mandates and goals. "My former service was in the business of letting people run in order to scoop in as many as possible," says Stella Rimington, the former head of MI5, Britain's domestic intelligence service. "But we have to work with the police, and they are of course anxious to bring things to a conclusion without taking too many risks." |
Posted by:Dan Darling |
#1 "My former service was in the business of letting people run in order to scoop in as many as possible," says Stella Rimington, the former head of MI5, Britain’s domestic intelligence service. "But we have to work with the police, and they are of course anxious to bring things to a conclusion without taking too many risks." This is what I think has been wrong with our FBI. They lost balance on this aspect of their job. They just let them run in order to collect more information - but in so doing, they allow them to grow and recruit. Both sides benefit from the time and connections. I'm beginning to think that's what went wrong with the first WTC bombing. The FBI set them up to watch them but the bad guys were sophisticated enough to take advantage of that opportunity. Maybe that's why he got his "Basit" passport so he could fly out on the day of the bombing, and the FBI wouldn't notice. |
Posted by: 2b 2005-01-28 9:33:57 AM |