A new report exposes the shortfalls with the FBI's surveillance capabilities when it comes to keeping tabs on potential terrorism suspects in the United States.
According to
Politico Magazine, the bureau doesn't have the necessary resources to watch, or even properly investigate, all of the names on the suspect list. This has left gaping cracks in the system through which people have fallen and committed terrorist acts.
In the case of the terrorist who killed 49 people and wounded more than 50 others last weekend in Orlando, he was
investigated on two previous occasions by the FBI. He was cleared both times, and he was never placed under surveillance.
In other cases, the shooters of the Fort Hood and Little Rock military attacks, along with one of the Boston Marathon bombers, were all investigated at one point before they committed their acts of terror.
Politico reports that of the more than 1,000 investigations of people with suspected ties to radical Islam, the FBI can realistically conduct surveillance on a handful of them — the figure is likely in the dozens.
A
Fox News report last year cited by Politico, for example, claimed the FBI's surveillance capabilities were stretched thin with 48 people being watching 24/7.
Further, Politico reports there are between 300 and 500 people on the terrorist watch list and roughly 16,000 on the no-fly list. Of the latter, about 500 Americans are on that list — and it would be impossible for the bureau to keep tabs on them all.
The situation means the bureau's 13,000 agents must often rely on their gut when investigating a potential terror suspect.
Retired Gen. Michael Hayden, who served as director of both the National Security Agency and the CIA, said Wednesday the
FBI needs more manpower as it faces the growing threat of terrorism on U.S. soil.
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