The Justice Department’s newest plans for fighting terrorism were recently declared legal in a secretive appeals court on Monday, November eighteenth. Until then, very little spying on citizens was allowed in the United States. The court granted the Department of Justice power to intensify their spying efforts on American citizens and foreign nationals in the United States. Under the new act, which is known as the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA, Department of Justice lawyers will now have a much easier time applying for warrants to spy on suspecte

Numerous attempts at investigation into terrorist activities were blocked by higher level officials in both the CIA and FBI. Former CIA agent Robert Baer revealed the CIA’s reluctance to investigate terrorist organizations existing in Saudi Arabia in his book See No Evil. Others go on to say that “the US allowed its strategic interests in a relationship with Saudi Arabia to blunt its inquiries into groups with suspected terrorist connections.” (Impediments To Investigating al Qaeda Prior to 9/11) The FBI experienced such problems as well. FBI investigators suspected that a charity called the World Assembly of Muslim Youth had strong Taliban connections, but they were not allowed to investigate the matter. The decision not to investigate the suspected charity was enforced despite the fact that two of Osama Bin Laden’s brothers were highly involved in the charity. Joe Trento, a national security expert, explained that “The FBI wanted to investigate these guys. This is not something that they didn’t want to do – they wanted to, they weren’t permitted to.” (Impediments To Investigating al Qaeda Prior to 9/11) Apparently the investigators on the case were pulled away for unspecified reasons. These actions seem almost foolish when the actions of other countries against the World Assembly of Muslim Youth charity are considered. Pakistan expelled the charity from their country. India accused them of terrorist acts in Kashmir. The Philippines accused them of funding Muslim insurgent groups. (Impediments To Investigating al Qaeda Prior to 9/11) Why the FBI agents were not allowed to investigate the charity’s possible involvement with terrorism is unclear.

If America created an agency similar to the MI5, it would not replace the FBI. Instead, this new agency would assume the primary role in gathering counterterrorism intelligence on citizens and foreign nationals in the United States. An agency like MI5 is just one option being considered. FBI director Robert S. Mueller believes that the FBI can handle the task of counterterrorism. He believes that the FBI is especially well positioned to serve as the United States’ primary domestic intelligence agency, and that the changes made after September eleventh have made counterterrorism the FBI’s primary goal.( Bush Aides Consider Domestic Spy Agency) An alternate option to creating a new agency would be to create a new department within the FBI. A former FBI counterintelligence official also said that there is no need for the creation of a new agency. He points out that “The FBI worked counterintelligence for decades and did it very, very well overall. It was able to bridge that gap between criminal investigations and intelligence operations.” He went on to say that “The problem is not the structure; it’s the failure of management to implement the resources they have.” Although the creation of a new agency would be a lot of work, several senators have already expressed interest in the idea. It is likely that proposals to create a new, separate, domestic homeland security agency will be presented during the next session of congress.( Bush Aides Consider Domestic Spy Agency) Some advocates of the idea have already begun to create a basis for the new agency. Former Virginia Governor James Gilmore has endorsed a center designed to integrate foreign and domestic intelligence collected by the FBI, CIA and other agencies. The House of Representatives recently approved the newest Homeland Security Development. If it is approved by the Senate, a new analysis division will be created to receive and analyze terrorism intelligence gathered by the CIA, FBI, NSA and other agencies.( Bush Aides Consider Domestic Spy Agency)

Opponents to the new act believe that the ruling by the secretive appeals court is unconstitutional, because it gives the government the power to aggressively spy on citizens of the country

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