Anti-Terror Centers Losing Focus--- Looking at Street Crime

[tekisui]

WASHINGTON - Local intelligence-sharing centers set up after the Sept. 11 attacks have had their anti-terrorism mission diluted by a focus on run-of-the-mill street crime and hazards like hurricanes, a government report concludes.

Of the 43 "fusion centers" already established, only two focus exclusively on preventing terrorism, the Government Accountability Office found in a national survey obtained by The Associated Press. Center directors complain that they were hampered by lack of guidance from Washington and they were flooded by often redundant information from multiple computer systems.

The original concept behind fusion centers was to coordinate resources, expertise and information of intelligence agencies so the country could detect and prevent terrorist acts. The concept has been widely embraced, particularly by the Sept. 11 commission, and the federal government has provided $130 million to help get them off the ground. But until recently, there were no guidelines for setting up the centers and as a result, the information shared and how it is used varies.

Centers in Kansas and Rhode Island are the only two focused solely on counter-terrorism. Other centers focus on all crimes, including drugs and gangs, GAO found. Washington state's fusion center, for instance, has an all-hazards mission so it can focus on natural disasters and public health epidemics in addition to terrorism.

"States are at different levels because there wasn't the preconceived game-plan on how to do this," said George Foresman, a former undersecretary at the Department of Homeland Security who oversaw the awarding of startup money for many of the centers.


more at link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071128/ap_on_go_co/intel_c... ;_ylt=Av68He79H4Uclsbn26Mw0yOyFz4D

Does it surprise anyone that centers set-up in the name of anti-terrorism use their resources for other means.

[ThomCat]

1. We all knew this would happen.

They push through extreme stuff supposedly because it's only aimed at "terrorists" but then we find it aimed at everyone. It's an incredibly obvious way to erode civil liberties.

[USA_1]

2. HR 1955

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:HR01955:@@...


It strengthens Bush's repressive power and undermines your Constitutional rights.

WHEN ARE THE DEMOCRATS GOING TO STOP BUSH'S POWER DRIVE???

[tom_paine]

3. "Who could have forseen this would happen?"