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1-Page Summary of The Threat
Overview
After the 9/11 attack, there was a huge change in the world. The FBI had to adapt and refine its techniques to protect Americans from acts of terrorism. Nowadays, it’s mainly focused on protecting people from terrorist attacks by terrorists who live in other countries (mostly Middle Eastern countries). However, this is not their only threat anymore—the president distrusts his intelligence agencies and influences investigations about Russian meddling with American elections.
“Fidelity, Bravery, and Integrity” is the motto of America’s Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). These words are important to the FBI even today. In 1908 when it was founded, threats facing America were different from today’s threats. The 1920s saw mob violence; in 1970s there was a war on drugs; after September 11, 2001, we entered a new era: that of “war on terror.”
Former deputy director of the FBI Andrew McCabe argues that, since 9/11, the FBI has changed. The war on terror necessitated new approaches and tactics to fight terrorism, and old methods had to be updated. To do this, the FBI was reorganized and revamped in order to combat terrorism as well as a new threat: President Donald Trump. His attempts at influencing the FBI are unprecedented in American history because they threaten democracy.
In this passage, you will learn how terrorism and organized crime investigations are similar; how people suspected of being involved in terrorism were interrogated in the past; and why President Trump is making it harder for FBI investigators to do their job.
Big Idea #1: The FBI has changed after 9/11
Although it’s been almost two decades, most people remember the September 11 attacks. On that day, terrorists hijacked airplanes and flew them into buildings in New York City. The attack was one of the biggest events in history and changed many aspects of American society. One organization that changed drastically after 9/11 is the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation). The agency investigated terrorist threats before 2001, but it mainly focused on other types of crime like organized crime or drug trafficking.
The FBI still protects the country from criminals, but after 9/11, their primary focus shifted to preventing acts of terrorism.
The budget for the counterterrorism division increased overnight.
This meant that the FBI needed to expand in order to deal with terrorism. They created dozens of units, including ones dedicated to financing and weapons of mass destruction. However, this wasn’t just about resourcing or restructuring; it was also a change in culture.
Before 9/11, the FBI was divided. There were rivalries between different departments and divisions, as well as interpersonal conflicts among its employees. The FBI employs over 30,000 people with many varying skillsets. Those who are strong in one area often aren’t good at others.
9/11 was a watershed moment for the FBI. The day after the attacks, there was a new sense of unity among all employees and everyone worked together as one big team. This change in attitude spurred a transformation in the way they do things.
Big Idea #2: The FBI uses the Enterprise Theory to investigate crimes.
The FBI has a big job: to keep the peace, protect the US Constitution and ensure that all citizens are safe. They do this by identifying threats from both individuals and groups of people. Thankfully, they have many ways to identify these threats, including one called enterprise theory.
Enterprise theory was developed after the passage of the Organized Crime Control Act in 1970. Before this, agents could only focus on a single person and his crimes, but they were unable to go further up the chain and prosecute entire organizations. This law allowed them to do that by focusing on an entire organization instead of just one or two members.
