When the FBI Guys Come Knocking...

[Declan McCullagh]

On Tue, Sep 25, 2001 at 11:03:03PM -0500, Aimee Farr wrote:
> 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.

The FBI is responsible for counterterrorism efforts in the U.S. They
have received billions in this area, one of the most rapidly-growing
in their budgets. They have failed miserably. It makese sense, as I said
in a BBC interview last week, not to hold them in "disdain," but not to 
whitewash their failure either.

That said, it's hardly unreasonable for Americans to help the FBI
(a flight school instructor who recognizes the names of some of his
former students in the media might well want to phone the FBI). But
cypherpunks can't be blamed for being critical of the FBI's counterrorist 
efforts so far.

-Declan