Mueller.

This is coolbert:

Here is an interesting interview with Robert Mueller.

Head of the FBI since 2001. That of itself I think is a thing of good. That Mueller has been in charge since 2001. He seems to be a capable man and you now have continuity over an extended time that allows for superior leadership to make real progress.

Mueller is worried about atomic attack on American cities. This IS a real possibility. Simultaneous attacks on a number of American cities would be a terrible disaster. Almost impossible to cope with such a calamity.

"Mueller admits the nuclear threat is so real he sometimes wakes up in the middle of the night worrying about that possibility."

"I think it would be very difficult to wipe out the United States, but you'd have hundreds of thousands of casualties from a nuclear device, depending on the size of that nuclear device,"

Mueller says FBI methods are valid and give results. Especially when it comes to making suspects and those apprehended COOPERATE. The carrot and stick approach does work? So he claims.

"A critical difference I think people don't focus on between ourselves and the U.K. is the fact that the criminal justice system here disseminates intelligence by reason of its plea bargaining capability," Mueller says.

"If you look at what's happened in the U.K. over the last three or four years, it has arrested probably a hundred individuals in various terrorist operations, and of those hundred, maybe one or two have cooperated.

"And in almost every case that we've had in the United States, one or more have cooperated and given us the full picture of the cell. And that's intelligence."

MI5 in England, the British counter-intelligence, DOES NOT have arrest capability. Can investigate, but cannot arrest. The conventional English police do that. If you are counter-intelligence [FBI] and are able to offer plea bargaining to the suspect, you can get the villain to give up further intelligence in return for a more lenient sentence. We may find this unappealing in some circumstances, but it is an effective tool.

Regarding the jihadi terrorists who intended to attack Ft. Dix:

"The FBI then infiltrated the group using two paid informants."

This is interesting. The FBI not only knew about this "cell", but observed it for sixteen months. The FBI did not arrest instantly but were patient. To see where the villains led them to. And had two paid informants within the cell. This too is a sign of good work. Similar to what was done in Canada to the prospective jihadis there by Canadian intelligence. Two sources of info, infiltrating the "cell", keeping tabs on things, each informant keeping silent watch on the other, without even knowing it??

Am I correct that we do have good counter-intelligence forces in the U.S.? Toughened and skilled by decades of having to cope with Soviet intelligence officers and illegals?

I sure hope so. Atomic detonation in a U.S. city would be just disastrous. Multiple detonations, and look out for the survival of the U.S.?

coolbert.