FBI Agent Stresses Citizen Involvement (war on terror, homeland security)

The Pilot ^ | June 22, 2003 | MATTHEW MORIARTY

[FairOpinion]

The FBI wants to hear from you.

That’s what Tim Flynn, supervisory special agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s field office in Wilmington, said Tuesday at the Pinehurst Community Watch block captain’s meeting held in the village hall.

Citizen involvement is ultimately integral to homeland security, in these days: post-Sept. 11, 2001, he said.

“You are the ones that are going to give us the information that’s going to prevent the next terrorist attack,” Flynn said.

There’s probably not going to be an attack here, in Moore County or the rest of North Carolina, he said. But terrorists can plan and finance an attack here. And he said Fort Bragg is the top terrorist target in North Carolina.

He commended the Pinehurst Community Watch for its efforts to keep the area safe.

A lot has changed in the FBI since the events of Sept. 11, 2001, he said. The FBI still has weaknesses though.

“At the time, we had about three Arabic speakers,” he said. “That’s still a weakness of ours.”

Also, the FBI is not as diverse as it needs to be, he said. It’s made up primarily of white men. Twenty-three percent of the agents are women, and about 15 percent are black or Hispanic.

“The Asian-Middle Eastern [contingent] is miniscule,” he said.

Through his work in different parts of the world, Flynn said, one of the things that he came to realize about terrorists was that they are extremely efficient.

He told the story of a terror attack in Kenya that happened while he was working there. The terrorists set up a business to fund the attack two years in advance. The attack was to be on the U.S. Embassy. The terrorist knew exactly where to place the bomb for optimal damage.

Plus, they planned to make a distraction, to draw people to the windows, he said.

“A lot of times, in these attacks, it’s the glass that ends up killing people,” he said.

The plan was to drive a truck full of explosives into the embassy parking area and then have the two drivers blow it up, with themselves in it.

In this case, the terrorists didn’t get to execute their plan, because the Kenyan guards stopped them (which Flynn said is rare in Kenya — security there is usually very easy to bypass). Plus, the two in the truck couldn’t defuse the situation.

“They have a hard time finding intelligent people willing to blow themselves up,” Flynn said.

The passenger fled and the driver detonated the truck. The explosion killed about 200 Kenyans, Flynn said. Agents later caught the passenger. They knew it was him, because he still had shards of glass embedded in his back.

The terrorists nearly accomplished their plan and destroyed the embassy, Flynn said.

“It was a tragedy,” he said, “but it could have been worse.”

Today, the priorities of the FBI have changed, Flynn said. It spends most its time now on terrorism, counter intelligence and cyber-crime. Prior to Sept. 11, 2001, the top three priorities of the Fayetteville office were violent crime, drugs and white-collar crime, Flynn said.

One of the members of the audience was upset that the FBI was “neglecting” drug crimes, but Flynn said it just didn’t have the resources.

The FBI relishes citizen tips now, he said. In the past, someone could have called the FBI and given a tip, and it would get filed away and never looked at again.

“Now, we run it down,” Flynn said.

It’s important that people provide the FBI with information, he said. That’s why he supports the Pinehurst Community Watch. It can prevent terrorist attacks. Terrorists operate everywhere, he said.

“Are there terrorist cells in the United States?” he said. “I’m sure that there are. As a matter of fact, I know that there are.”

http://www.fbi.gov

[FairOpinion]

It's a reminder to all of us, that it's up to all of us, because the intelligence agents can't be everywhere, and many citizen-tips lead to capture of terrorists and prevention of attacks. Also a wake up call, about how long terrorists plan in advance and how meticulously.

http://www.fbi.gov

[PatrioticAmerican]

Sure, just don't think the FBI wants you armed or anything, Just tell them what you know. They want a nation of snitches, not an armed nation capable of defending itself.

[ladyinred]

Oh for Heaven sakes. We must all be viligant and be responsible citizens. The FBI can't be everywhere at once and you have no idea whether an agent believes in the 2nd amendment, in fact, I would think most of them do. If you are patriotic as your name implies, then perhaps a little responsibility on your part is in order? Why not blame those who are guilty? Liberals are the ones wanting your guns!

[ladyinred]

Vigilant is what I meant of course! Note to self, calm down before posting! :-)

[PatrioticAmerican]

The FBI has testified to Congress in support of every law that has come down the pike in favor of banning firearms.

Sorry, they are no friend of mine, and they are next to useless at catching terrorists.

You can drink their Kool-aid, but not me.

[The Magical Mischief Tour]

And just who will they order to take those guns once they outlaw them?

[wcbtinman]

First the govt tries to emasculate the ability of citizens to enforce the law and to disarm us, and then it asks for our help.

If terrorism wasn't such a non-descriminate crime, I would tell the FBI to kiss my a$$.

[Poohbah]

Sorry, they are no friend of mine, and they are next to useless at catching terrorists

Especially when everyone takes your attitude and refuses to talk to them.

[AdamSelene235]

You are the ones that are going to give us the information that’s going to prevent the next terrorist attack,”

We already did. The plot to fly airplanes into skyscrapers has been known since the Bojinka case in the Phillipines.

Flight instructors called you and warned you of Arab men who didn't want to learn how to land or take off.

The only these sorry folks are good at is incinerating toddlers for suspected nonpayment of a $200 tax stamp.

The Fibbies can take a flying leap.

[NMC EXP]

Have you formed a local chapter of "The American Protective League"? Should be easy to recreate....the blueprint was drawn in 1917. Just do a search.

Regards

J.R.

[Joe Hadenuf]

Also, the FBI is not as diverse as it needs to be, he said. It’s made up primarily of white men. Twenty-three percent of the agents are women, and about 15 percent are black or Hispanic.

LOL! They are worried about this when hundreds of thousands of illegals, from gawd knows where, are breaking through our borders, at will, routinely, as the government winks and nods at this destruction of our sovereignty and security. Pathetic.....

[FairOpinion]

Note to everyone: the article said NOTHING, absolutely NOTHING about guns, now all of a sudden everyone is bashing the FBI for "wanting to take our guns". HELLOOOO!

It had to do with reporting suspicious people and activities, we all need to "hang together" or else we will all be blown up together.

Suppose you have your guns, what do you want to do, start shooting suspicious people dead, just because? This is worse than irrational. You just gave the gun grabbers loads of ammunition: "see, people can't be trusted with guns, because they would want to become prosecutor, judge, jury and executioner".

The rational thing is to tell the FBI about it, so they can investigate and find out whether or not those suspicious people have anything to do with terrorism.

I read somewhere that two senior agents read every tip submitted via the FBI's internet tip site (http://www.fbi.gov click on top left bar "submit a tip"), they do take it seriously.

[joesnuffy]

Can you get whistleblower insurance?

[Sparta]

I've got a novel idea. We have thousands and thousands of surplus US Army and Marine rifles (M-1s, M-14s, M-16s) and submachine guns (M-3s, Thompsons, Carl Gustavs). Maybe we can use those weapons to arm the American people with. Turn the whole nation into an armed camp that will make any terrorist who is idiotic enough to try an attack regret it.

[plusone]

There was an interesting program about the Gestapo. It was always assumed that there were hundreds of agents in every city, watching everybody all the time. But once recent researchers got a hold of the nazi archives, they discovered that most cities had only a minimal staff. It was the German people who watched their neighbors and snitched on suspicious behaviour. The Gestapo staffers then just went out and checked on the reports sent in. A nation of snitches.

[Poohbah]

I've got a novel idea. We have thousands and thousands of surplus US Army and Marine rifles (M-1s, M-14s, M-16s) and submachine guns (M-3s, Thompsons, Carl Gustavs). Maybe we can use those weapons to arm the American people with. Turn the whole nation into an armed camp that will make any terrorist who is idiotic enough to try an attack regret it.

If the terrorist wishes to commit suicide, preferably by setting off a bomb concealed on his person...how would everyone having a gun stop him? How would he "regret it" because of the guns?

[ahadams2]

I'm always amused when people with no direct knowledge of the threat (locally or abroad) attempt to make statements concerning the relative merits of those who are in fact charged with protecting the nation. It would help your case if you posted less and thus failed to confirm others' opinion of the validity of your opinions.

[ahadams2]

and you've seen how many suicide vests used in the Continental United States?

[wcbtinman]

"...what do you want to do, start shooting suspicious people dead..."

No, but we want to ability to defend ourselves and our loved ones against a terrorist or a terroist act...like the poor bastards on those 9-11 aircraft who couldn't fight off some lowlifes with boxcutters.

The point is that our govt doesn't trust us, makes an overt effort to diminish our safety and ability to defend ourselves and then has the gall to ask for our help.

[Poohbah]

and you've seen how many suicide vests used in the Continental United States?

None, to date.

Just as we saw zero airliners used as cruise missiles PRIOR to 9/11.

Good grief, talk about fighting the last frickin' war...