Good, this is a great step to counter the spread of terrorist cells. If they don't feel as comfortable spreading their hate, it will become more difficult to recruit.

The American Stasi.

Like Bin Laden said, Bush will lead the west into the choking hell of tyranny.

It's about time we establish an American Stasi. We will also need quasi-deputized roving bands of volunteers to physically discourage treasonous rabble rousing whenever it gets out of hand. They'll know it when they see it. They'll need some sort of visible ID so we know they are officially authorized peace and safety maintainers. How about red, white and blue shirts?

WOW. Talk about Big Brother. Sounds like the principles of this country keep getting further and further eroded away. Everytime Bush and his cronies heighten the "terror alert" something like this follows. Is there anyone out there paying attention, anymore?

Where do I sign up?

"U.S. intelligence officers abroad can use bribery, extortion, and other patently illegal acts to corral sources into working for them, Aftergood noted. 'You're not supposed to do that in the United States,' he said."

Um, recruiting a network of undercover informants to spy on "terrorist cells" -- which is really just anyone we don't like -- is ALSO not supposed to be done in the United States. Does anyone really believe this will be limited "terrorism"? When the military in Iraq is defining any attack on coalition forces as "terrorism"?

This sounds like the state of fear that the East German Stasi inspired, or Saddam's mukhabarat. Informants informing on informants.

Great. Now the FBI can spy more effectively on the ACLU, PETA, Greenpeace and various anti-war groups. See the NY Times Dec 20, 2005 if you don't think the FBI could possibly be spying on Americans for partisan polical reasons.

Why don't we just address the real culprit of terror -- ISLAM, instead of imprisoning ourselves.

Good idea, anyone that opposes such an idea is a coward.

What has happened to this country.Where is our true freedom.We need a revolution now.This country scares me more and more every day.

The only way your scenario plays true is if the three letter boys target actual terrorists 100% of the time.

The remainder are fourth amendment violations according to their victims. Given the past, one cannot, nor should not, expect the government to always excercise its' intrusive powers in accordance with the law or Constitution.

The canard of those with nothing to hide having nothing to fear would better be served on members of the Executive branch refusing to answer questions from Congress, no matter what the motivations of those questions are, same as the black bag jobs you apparently support.

sad sad sad

This is a GREAT idea! These FBI heroes should also be given the power to execute anyone they suspect of terrorism. I am soooo scared. Please protect me Director Mueller.

Sure, it's a Stasi until the next terrorist attack kills a few thousand people, then "we should have done more to stop them."

It's a pretty simple view of a democracy to think that its essence and its ends are the absolute protection of liberty and rights for its citizens.

Rather, it is about the balance of liberty and security, in regard to both the lives of the individuals and the state.

When there are as many bad people willing to kill themselves just to kill Americans as there are today, it is only logical that the balance tilts more and more toward security. THAT is how Democracy works.

Typically a CI means that a criminal is left on the streets to practice their trade. It will be interesting to see how crime trends track with a mass recruitment effort.

The last time I spent any time with law enforcement speaking about the use of CI's, I was a bit surprised to find that at least half of the CI's were deemed completely unreliable since their main goal seemed to be elimination of their bosses competition.

In the end, it will be just one more hole in the dam of Democracy as the floodwaters of fascism continue to swell.

We are at war. Are you going to wait until they set off nukes in 7 cities at the same time, before taking "extreme" measures? Of course, it would be much easier to put cameras in the Mosques, and play it back on the evening news every night with English subtitles. You see,,,if we heard their message of "brotherly love" and "peace" more often,,,,maybe our distrust of Islam would dissipate some. (don't think that's what you will hear though)
***As we speak/type though,,,our heroic airforce fight/bomber pilots are having their planes fitted with super bunker buster bombs,,,Goodbye Nantanz a-bomb plant,,,,goodbye AKMANUTBAG presidential palace,,,goodbye ASSAD presidential palace. My guess is this will happen in September. God bless Israel and the USA, peace out!

Bravo! It's long overdue. It's about time we did something about poten tial terrorists and the left-wing apologists who want to "make-nice" with people who want to kill us.

Is the FBI going to indemnify these informants and cover any legal expense/civil liabilities when the informants are sued by CAIR?

Remember, if you report a suspicious Muslim CAIR and the ACLU will sue you.

The republic is lost. We are doing almost everything the Germans did before WW II. Everything the Romans did before the Roman Democratic Republic became the Roman Empire.

Dont fear for us. Fear for our children.

Dollars to donuts...this is being pushed by the ADL.

WHERE IS THE SIGN UP SHEET? AND WHEN DO I REPORT FOR TRAINING?.............

Does anyone really believe that if a Democrat gets elected in 2008 that they will shut down this program? If so, then you are naive beyond measure. Hillary would love to have this at her disposal.

It's about time! Like Phil, where do I and my city sign up?

I think I might get sick to my stomach.

The FBI, historically, is the group that routinely ignores information from the "common folk."

Why is anything different now?

I don't want to experience another 9/11. And most of all, I don't want my children to ever experience another 9/11. Let's not forget these people will stop at nothing to kill innocent Americans. The world has changed since 9/11. It will never be the same in the US. Do you think when we have a new president it's just going to go away back to pre-9/11. Don't be fools. Be smart, think safety for you and your family. Even if that means having informants among us. Folks, be happy, we won the OVARIAN lottery. We live in the greatest country on the Earth.

Whats the big dillio... if ya aint doin nothin wrong you aint got nothin to worry about... pedal to medal dudes.

What a bunch of weenies...there already ARE FBI informants; this report indicates there will now be more on hand to fight crime...that's all...thousands new law enforcement positions to combat crime and terrorism in a country of 300 million...

Of course, people here read out of context and cry, "omg, we live in a police state now". lol

Phil & Chris, calm down (or spazz out, whatever). Don't you want somebody on the inside ratting out individuals or organizations who want to kill your Mom, extort your business, or sell heroin to your 6 year old sister? No? Yes?

BTW, do any of you know how the democratic members of congress reacted to the FBI briefing?

About time. Those that talk about "Big Brother" are also the ones who whine about where law enforcement is after these terrorist acts. I would guess alot of this stuff is already done behind the sceens. Its time to make it legal and give Law Enforment the tools they need to keep us safe.

Sounds like what the KGB did!!

Read the comments. It didn't take the Uber Libs long to Whine about our efforts to stop Terrorism in this country.

Great! The lefties and the cowards are sure going to raise hell over this but every law-abiding citizen in this country should applaud this idea. There are too many goodie-twoshoes living in this country who do not full appreciate what this country stands for..Freedom and security for all its citizens. May God always protect our President, Mr. Bush..The democrats sure as hell do not want to protect us.

In our fear and paranoia... our generation has proven to be traitors to the fundamental principles of America.... No ideal or concept is so sacred that we will not allow the fear-mongers to trample it underfoot as we squeal to be kept safe from the great unknown.... James Madison muct have had us in mind when he predicted..."“If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy."

I can hear the cry of the American Socialist Party (Dems) now - "Bush is listening to your party talk".

It's about time.

This was done before: COINTELPRO. Americans are walking to the gates of oblivion with eyes wide open. Orwell and the rest couldn't be more correct. The downfall of an empire.

i'm so glad to read that the United States is planning to abandon the old 18th century beliefs in liberty and pursue a 21st century strategy of security.
We can learn a lot from the last century's two great informant-societies that did a lot to root out terrorists and keep their nations secure:

National Socialist Germany, and Bolshevik Socialist Russia. We need more subjects (oops, I mean citizens) 'informing' on their neighbors -- and anyone who looks or acts funny.

The German national socialist party moved to secure the nation after terrorists blew up the Reichstag in 1933.
The Bolsheviks moved to secure Russia after the Czar and his ministers were assassinated by terrorists in 1917.

Does SS mean anything to you Americans that dont know history? Closer and closer to Nazi Germany!

No matter how one tries to justify this, this is wrong. It won't acheive the stated ends, nor justify it's means.

This is a good start. Another simple solution is to militarize the borders and end visas from select countries. By implementing these policies, we will be able to avoid the inevitable internment camps.

Not only is there a current book out about how badly the CIA failed over the years, now the FBI wants to become more of a problem.
Paid informants? If you pay me to keep the purple elephants off your property and a month later you ask me about them, what will I say? Do I say there are no purple elephants and lose the $$ and the job? Of course not. Paid informants are no good. And worse, they get people killed. Check on the botched raids listings from Cato. They want to fight the War on Terror like they fought the War on Drugs and the WOD is a failure that keeps getting people killed.
And as memory serves me, this is the same FBI that was all paranoid about "right wing militias" while the 0911 hijackers trained in Florida. Policies like this will create more resistance, and then they will use that as the excuse for more police state.
Many a poor sap who decides to go on the payroll as an informant might end up adorning an overpass when all this is done.

Shouldnt they have done this already? It took a 2004 presidential directive for them to decide HUMINT was crucial?

this is their job--investigation is in their name--they have no other purpose, task, role.

I'm less worried about the civil liberties aspect of this than others. We're talking about tips here, not full blown investigations and (covert)surveillance, which require a more formal oversight and authorization centering around probable cause.

I had some friends that were willing to translate arabic (Huessein's records, etc) after 9-11 and the regional FBI office never acted on my introduction of those who would help.
I'm a little stunned there isn't a network of informants in place.
Having been an informant many years ago, I can tell you one really has to pay attention to being fair and accurate. Problem is, with no informants (IE Circuit City Employee, etc) a ton of people can die. The terrorists have a great line... Protect my Constituional Rights (until I blow myself and half the neighborhood up)

Why not just have them wear red-white-blue armbands, and salute their FBI leaders? Are our leaders THAT ignorant of history? What is this - Soviet America? Nazi Germany? Make no mistake - this mentality is tyranny in embryonic form. I probably won't live to see it, but someday my descendants will see a US government that either collapses or is overthrown, peacefully or not.

Be Afraid.......Be Very Afraid

Ron Paul is our only hope.

CA--its not a question of "who we dont like." Its more like ferreting out "Those who want to kill us (civilians) here in large numbers, with some frequency."

this is the primary task of the FBI, now more than ever.
getting a bead on who these people might be, which is all tips provide, on an informal basis, appears to be no big deal.

it's odd how easily personal liberties can be swept away by well meaning bureaucrats. there are always small steps taken, if in slightly different contexts; with temporary retrenchments if there is the slightest objection raised. but there is never a move to permanently prohibit a particular bureaucratic act; thus, the same infringements are tried again and again under color of "changed circumstances", etc. i can see how a country becomes a totalitarian state and how good people help put others into ovens so long as most of those in the chain are not directly seeing the consequences of their acts. maybe there's nothing to be done.

Why don't we just start deporting people who aren't suppossed to be here?

Then we don't have to cry in our beer about Mohammed Ali Mohammed's or Juan Valdez's constitutional rights. If they belong here they stay, if not let's round them up and get them the hell out of our country!!!!!!

I say this sounds ok for the short term. When/if Hillary gets into office, the FBI will be doing even worse things than this. She and Bill have already demonstrated that and this will be worse.

Sweet, we get a Ministry of State Security full of pseudo-law enforcement, no accountability and free to abuse innocent citizens. Shield and Sword of the Party! Let's have a Stasi block party!! If the ice cream man sits outside my house too long playing annoying music...BAM! Call him in and have him taken away for terrorism. Neighbor sprays too much grassing clippings on my driveway...BAM!! Take him away for terrorism. Where can I sign up! But seriously, this is a sick, deranged idea.

it's odd how easily personal liberties can be swept away by well meaning bureaucrats. there are always small steps taken, if in slightly different contexts; with temporary retrenchments if there is the slightest objection raised. but there is never a move to permanently prohibit a particular bureaucratic act; thus, the same infringements are tried again and again under color of "changed circumstances", etc. i can see how a country becomes a totalitarian state and how good people help put others into ovens so long as most of those in the chain are not directly seeing the consequences of their acts. maybe there's nothing to be done.

Typical liberal blather...you don't see the good in the program unless it saves your ass.

The funny thing is that liberals in the government want everything controlled by the government, it's borderline Communism. But THEY aren't big brother are they? Strange how hypocritcal you sound.

Finally
Israel already does that.
Every Israeli is a member of their security and intelligence business.
Finally we are getting a clue: but I bet it isnt coming from anyone we elected

There is a definition for the word 'progressive', and this write up can be viewed as one of the definitions.

I think this is another PR move. With a
Dept of Justice, that only prosecute
Border Patrol Agents and sheriff dept.
deputies, nothing will be served. Congress doesn't want the terrorist or illegal aliens prosecuted so it will be all for naught. Some more spending of the taxpayers money.

Like Phil Sign me up too!!

Sounds like a great idea to fight terror, but like others I see a tremendous potential for abuse.
Would they have a children's program called Bush's Youth?

Thanks to Jimmy Carter, the gathering of human intelligence was minimize in the 1970's and we have paid dearly for it. Gathering this information is nothing new but we do need to ensure that the agents are well trained and understand abuse will not be tolerated.

You guys act as this is the first time the US government has set up a domestic spy organization. There is no government on the planet that doesn’t spy on its citizens by various means. So calm down, no one is going to break down your door just because… Here is a clue on how to stay out of any government surveillance program - Don't engage in illegal activities or associate with terrorist organizations.

What about having dignity battalions?
Lets get Cuba to train us.

Sign me up!! Hopefully this attempt to protect America will be the last straw for the elite Libs, forcing them to move to a country with greater liberties than they already have here. Oh, but where? Get with the program people.

If anyone finds out where we can sign up, I'll do it for free.

I think this is another PR move. With a
Dept of Justice, that only prosecute
Border Patrol Agents and sheriff dept.
deputies, nothing will be served. Congress doesn't want the terrorist or illegal aliens prosecuted so it will be all for naught. Some more spending of the taxpayers money.

how creatve. this should have been done
years ago. what a bunch of incompetents

Networks of government snitches are a hallmark of totalitarian states, whether fascist or communist.

Apparently a lot of Americans don't comprehend the bitter irony of adopting totalitarian tactics in order to, somehow, preserve freedom.

And no, the snitches will not limit themselves to suspected al qaeda or muslim terrorists. You could get your neighbor, romantic rival or old high school principal in a world of hurt with a well-placed call to the Department of Fatherland Security.

The southern border has been undefended since before 9/11. Anyone could have come in during the last six years. No acts of terror occurred. The FBI has been illequiped to spot terrorists. Still no terror acts occurred. What is the evidence that the US is under a terror threat? If spy capabilities are to be increased, it must be to spy on us, not them. Apparently, there IS no "them". Why should I pay for an agency to spy on me? Lets disband this soon to be internal terror organization.

I couldn't disagree with BigD more. Remember what one of our famous forefathers said, "Those who are willing to give up their freedoms for perceived safety lose both." Our great country is being led down the wrong road by an ignorant war mongering drone.

Sign me up!

ah. this must be a subsection to the Executive Order GWB signed on the 17th of this month.

This is a good idea. Informants brought down the White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan in Mississippi after the Chanery-Goodman-Schwerner murders, and succesfully aided in the investigations into other heinous acts.
Of course, pro-terrorists and other cretins DO have something to fear. Patriots do not.

Great, maybe the FBI can also start a program where children can identify their parents as terrorist sympathizers or foreign spies. There is also a lot more the FBI can learn from the CIA now that they are working together to combat terrorism. These are great ideas. Why hasn't anyone thought of this before...?

Can you smell the facism yet Amerika?

And why isn't any attack on coalition forces terrorism? It is an act of terror to deter the coalition from proceding with any more efforts to remove extremists. And so what if it seems "Big Brother!" What do you have to hide? Nobody cares, none the less is going to turn somebody in because they heard you cheated on your wife. I don't understand why people are so paranoid over all of this counter-terrorism stuff! If it's just because of principal, than it's very petty.

Freedom isn't free. One of my favorite actors was a spy in Hollywood on subversive communist and socialist activities (now known as the democratic party). The key for the use of informants in America is to use conscientious people of good moral fiber, and outline exactly what they are to report on. Big Brother was around long before Bush ever got here.

Hopefully, it won't take too many more of these frontal assaults on the Constitution for the American people to finally get clear on who the true enemies of the Republic are, and for mad King George to finally understand that the Bill of Rights is more than "just a goddamn piece of paper".

Welcome to the "Rat Squad." As a former employee of DIA and NSA, I have a bit of a problem with this.

Sign me up! I have no qualms about ratting on some one is plotting to kill Americans. No problem at all.

Wow! What a bunch of overreaction! There's no pleasing some people. If they don't find people willing to cooperate to stop another terrorist event, you'll be blaiming the FBI for inaction. Stop being partisan and start being American! The lives saved could be your family!

It is about time someone realized that in order to win, you have to level the playing field. The "...we're the USA, we're better than that" crap has to stop.

That's like thinking the Colts would have won the Super Bowl with only 8 players.

OK - so lets ask a simple question to anyone against trying to build more informants? How do you get intelligent on activities across the word? Informants? or getting Lucky? How do you get informants? I do not think many come to the door of the CIA and or FBI - they have to be solicited....

No matter what steps the US takes to improve its ability to fight Terrorism you all will always find a reason why not to do it. Maybe when you lose a friend and family member to it you might change you mind. Or maybe you will continue to blame the US for their actions. I am sure you blame a child a victim instead of the person who raped them.

Let's start with the Democrats a terrorists favorite politician

>

I do. Our government has not lied to us - at least it has not for many years. The media have been trying hard to catch it at lying - and have failed consistently. Any such lie would leak at once because leaking official secrets
brings only rewards and no penalties.

>

The military are right. It is not as if the attackers were uniformed troops observing rules of war. And the very same people attack Iraqi civilians as well, bomb mosqyes, weddings, UN missions. Of course they are terrorists, and should be treated as such.

Duh? 6 years later they're finally getting around to building an intelligence network? Here's some tips, try looking in your local Saudi financed terrorist front mosque or "charity" group.Try acting interested and grateful when concerned citizens call you with tips and you start investigating and questioning THEM. Oh, and the next time there's a terror hit, maybe you should keep the family members of the terrorists HERE for questioning instead of flying them out of the country. Loose the PC crap and start acting like investigators.Oh, and you might want to talk to the State Dept. about them allowing 30,000 Saudis in here on visas-makes your job a little harder.

This will never be tolerated by the Democrats. How dare Bush and the CIA want to trick the terrorists by covert operations! And of course, its eroding away at our freedoms. Nonsensical thinking is the problem with the country. I'd be happy to know the govt. watches me, or listens to what I have to say. My tax dollars are finally being used on me!!

great, more innocent protesters rights will be trampled by this corrupt administration.

This is the United States. This is not East Germany or Iraq. In the US a program like this is made public and people like us have the opportunity to comment on it publicly. That should tell detractors all they need to know.

Feel free to express your comments, but don't put my family at risk by handcuffing those who are trying to keep us safe. And if you're worried about being caught, stop breaking the law.