When the FBI Guys Come Knocking...

Aimee Farr aimee.farr at pobox.com
Tue Sep 25 21:03:03 PDT 2001


(a) There just aren't enough good interviewers to go around. The cooperation
of the American-Arab community is not something the FBI wants to place at
risk.

(b) As the interviewee was a frequent writer on Arab-American issues, the
story could have been predicted (with great accuracy) following an
interrogation-style interview. Maybe the FBI is beating the grass to see
what moves, or runs. If you can get the cells and their associates to focus
on freedom and security, rather than an attack -- you've gained time, if
nothing else.

Most of you would probably pick (a).

It is discouraging to see the disdain in which many of you hold the FBI
during a time when we need cooperation and insight from nontraditional
sources.

In some cases, maybe FBI agents are an inappropriate vehicle for
elicitation. An NGO might be able to garner trust and serve as a trusted
liaison with dissident groups, and even more so if it used "snitch-crypto."
*she says, just wondering....as she covers herself with flame-retardant
materials*

~Aimee





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