Speaking of B.S.S. ops and 'Red Squads': People's Daily Online --- http://english.people.com.cn/
January 01, 2007 U.S. local authorities build own intelligence centers http://english.people.com.cn/200701/01/eng20070101_337520.html U.S. states and cities are building their own network of intelligence centers, or "fusion centers," led by police to help detect and disrupt terrorist plots, The Washington Post reported Sunday. The centers, which are now operating in 37 states, including Virginia and Maryland, and the Washington area, pool and analyze information from local, state and federal law enforcement officials, the report said, citing the Department of Homeland Security. The emerging "network of networks" marks a new era of opportunity for law enforcement, as local police are hungry for federal intelligence in an age of homegrown terrorism and more sophisticated crime, while federal law enforcement officials could benefit from a potential army of tipsters - the 700,000 local and state police officers across the country, as well as private security guards and others being courted by the centers, according to U.S. officials and homeland security experts. The fusion centers, a military coinage, range from small conference facilities to high-tech nerve centers with expensive communications networks. Some do investigations, while others focus on information-sharing - passing tips to the FBI and scanning federal intelligence for developments of interest to local departments. Some have explored the use of controversial data-mining software in keeping with their respective state laws, the report said. The centers are emerging as a key element in a sometimes chaotic new domestic intelligence infrastructure, which also includes homeland security units in local police forces and 103 FBI-led terrorism task forces, triple the number that existed before the Sept. 11 attacks. The emerging model of "intelligence-led policing," however, faces risks on all sides. The centers are popping up with little federal leadership and training, raising fears of overzealousness such as that associated with police "red squads" that spied on civil rights and peace activists decades ago. The centers also face practical obstacles that could limit their effectiveness, including a shortage of money, skilled analysts, and proven relationships with the FBI and Homeland Security, the report said. Civil liberties advocates worry that the fledgling fusion centers could stray into monitoring people engaged in lawful activities, and privacy advocates are also concerned about the vast amount of information some fusion centers collect - and the sometimes vague limits on its use and storage, the report said. Source: Xinhua
