The CIA and FBI need to cooperate
By Doug Hutton
Student Columnist

Let’s face it – somebody’s intelligence system screwed up along the way. Though right now I place my full faith in our government, I cannot in my right mind believe that the CIA or the FBI or the NSA or, for that matter, the Scotland Yard, didn’t miss something along the way. Honestly, four planes don’t normally get hijacked in one day without advance warning. That’s just my humble opinion.

Rumors have been flying, so let me continue their flight. Supposedly, the NSA’s budget has seen sizable cuts over the past few years, which doesn’t exactly enhance national security. Who knows how much money the CIA wastes on bureaucracy over in Langley? I doubt if there will ever be a day when this nation knows the full scope of CIA operations. And aren’t we getting just a little tired of the FBI showing up in all the wrong places? Timothy McVeigh evidence magically appears a week before his execution and then FBI inventories reveal thousands of lost computers.

The problem lies in accountability. The actions of each of these agencies are shrouded in the guise of another bureaucratic department, or are so far removed from the people that they are not democratic. The Justice Department takes the fall for any FBI action, protecting it from serious repercussions. One need only look at the tenure of J. Edgar Hoover to find rampant corruption in the FBI, only to be glossed over by “classified” stickers on the top of important documents.

The CIA is perhaps the most undemocratic agency this country has. Its existence is crucial to national security and no one will deny its helpfulness in gathering worldwide data.

However, it often acts as an extra-governmental body, functioning at its own will. Though legally barred from killing foreign leaders, the CIA supports rebel movements and assassination plots with the frequency of Barry Bonds’ home runs. Again, the mere existence of the CIA is only mentioned when its missions fail, as in the Bay of Pigs invasion or hostage rescue mission during the Carter administration.

Typical of any bureaucracy, there is great overlap between the NSA and CIA, which calls into question the validity of spending huge amounts on both agencies. Though I am not knowledgeable on the precise activities of the NSA, there must be enough money flowing into it to sustain its activities that do not overlap with the CIA.
I am very willing to admit that often our national interest and security begets secrecy in some government activities. I am also willing to release some of my civil liberties to guarantee my full security under the American flag. However, I want to know to whom I am giving those liberties, and how many tax dollars they are spending on them. If an FBI agent is going to be a sky marshal on my flight home, that’s well and good as long as I can find it in a budget somewhere. No national agency should be exempt from limited public inquiry. When the public stops asking questions, it gives the government complete control over its constituency.

With the advancement of technology and terrorism, intelligence and crime prevention take on new significance. Cooperation and data sharing among government agencies and international bodies can contribute to better terrorism prevention.

However, this cannot be accomplished if the FBI and CIA continue to be rivals. Fiction writers have picked up on this problem with astonishing ease. Both David Baldacci and John Grisham have written novels that pit these two agencies against each other leading to prolonged and convoluted investigations. Though I do not believe these novels present reality perfectly, they raise legitimate questions that have been asked inside the Beltway.

In the wake of Sept. 11, it is time to reevaluate the role of intelligence in a democracy. In theory, intelligence is preventative and shared among equals. The people would hold the agencies responsible and not every document would be stamped “classified.” That would be a welcome change from the bickering, reactionary and befuddled system we now have.

Wouldn’t it be a pleasant surprise to see everyone cooperate and catch Osama bin Laden together? Maybe then we could get a CIA vs. FBI softball game going.
We’ll invite the NSA to be the umpires.