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Former FBI CT manager comments--this has been coming since before 2006

Submitted by Harlen Bell, Nov 12, 2009 22:04

Steve, I stepped down from manging a JTTF and retired in March of 2009 because, when I was a supervisor, I tired of telling my agents to be aggressive, curious, and diligent when I knew that the Bureau itself was set to persecute and, maybe, prosecute them if they did as I told them. The investigative techniques we had properly used, in accordance with Attorney General Guidelines, were being increasing questioned by DOJ, FBIHQ Legal, and others as the political winds changed from about 2006 onward. I could no longer justify putting these agents and taskforce officers in jeopardy from their organization as the Bureau hastened to cater to the new Congress and its antipathy to a "War On Terror". What was done in good faith in accordance with the guidelines would get you a team of lawyers from DOJ/FBIHQ to review your files and threaten you with OPR investigations or worse. Chilling to one's curiousity about jihad minded Muslims. This seems to have started with the attacks on the use of National Security Letters and expanded to every aspect of our operations. The risk averse attitude prevailed. I am only surprised that this hasn't happend before now. I don't think that the killing of the Army recruiter in Little Rock in June 2009 by Bledsoe and Major Hassan's jihad in Texas are unrelated.

 

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