Abdullah Al-Arian

Prior to the September 11 attacks, the FBI employed 10,500 agents, about 2,500 of whom were dedicated to national security investigations. After 9/11, however, the overall number of agents expanded to 13,600, half of whom became devoted to national security.
The annual budget of the FBI has risen dramatically from $3.1bn in 2001 to $8.4bn in the current fiscal year. Together, expanded budgets, the availability of advanced technological capabilities, and a permissive political climate combined to create an environment where federal law enforcement agencies enjoyed vastly expanded powers but were also expected to demonstrate immediate results.
In the course of investigating American Muslims for possible terrorist threats, the government cast a wide net. It placed tens of thousands of Muslims under constant surveillance, infiltrated community spaces, including mosques, dug through private records, interrogated many Muslims because of their political views and probed for any links to violent activities. These investigations largely turned up nothing, and that was a problem.
In order to continue to justify the robust expenditure of resources and the expansive investigative powers, officials needed results in the form of thwarted terrorist plots that demonstrated to American citizens that unless the FBI acted, the next attack was right around the corner. That climate of fear helped rationalise many of the country’s worst civil liberties violations committed under the Bush Administration and consolidated as standard practice during Obama’s presidency. To sustain the perception of the threat, one had to be created where it did not exist.

2 thoughts on “Abdullah Al-Arian

  1. shinichi Post author

    (sk)

    これは、なにも FBI に限ったことではない。

    予算が膨らめば、次には萎む。萎むのは嫌だから、成果が示される。成果は多くの場合、作文であり、辻褄合わせでもある。

    実際に成果を出そうとすれば、ありもしないことをでっち上げるしかなくなる。

    ある国で、成果のために映画館で火災を起こしたら、その火災が引き金となって革命が起きてしまった。

    他の国では、成果のためにありもしない噂話を流したら、その噂が引き金となって大統領が国外に逃げてしまった。

    公務員は、戦争や紛争に関係していようがいまいが、予算を使い切る。そして次の年も同じ額の予算が、あわよくばより多くの予算が獲得できることを願う。

    大きくしてしまった組織は、なかなか小さくできない。

    ビュロクラシーは、しぶとい。

    Reply

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