A Comparative Analysis: CIA and FBI's Role in Combating Terrorism

This essay provides a comprehensive overview of the roles of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in combating terrorism, particularly in the context of the post-9/11 era. It begins by outlining the missions and visions of both agencies, highlighting their responsibilities in intelligence gathering, analysis, and law enforcement. The essay delves into the CIA's historical involvement in counter-terrorism, including its use of human intelligence and its successes and failures, such as the failure to prevent the 9/11 attacks and the subsequent killing of Osama Bin Laden. It then explores the FBI's role as the leading federal law enforcement agency, its collaboration with other intelligence agencies, and its restructuring after the 9/11 attacks to prioritize counter-terrorism efforts. The essay examines the Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTFs) and the FBI's commitment to adapting to evolving terrorist threats. The essay concludes by emphasizing the crucial roles of both agencies in protecting the nation and enhancing security, while acknowledging the scrutiny they faced after the 9/11 attacks and their subsequent restructuring to improve their effectiveness in preventing future attacks.

Running head: CIA AND FBI AND THEIR ROLE IN COMBATING TERRORISM
CIA AND FBI AND THEIR ROLE IN COMBATING TERRORISM
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CIA AND FBI AND THEIR ROLE IN COMBATING TERRORISM
Introduction
The aim of the essay is to describe the two United States intelligence agencies and their
role in the war on terrorism. The two agencies chosen for the task include the Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The CIA was formed
on 26 July 1947 after Harry S. Truman, the then US President signed the National Security Act
into a law. The FBI on the other hand, was created in 1908 also on 26 July and it was formerly
known as The Bureau of Investigation (BOI). The essay argues that CIA and FBI have become
more effective post the 9/11 attacks.
Discussion
The CIA has the vision to provide strategic and tactical advantages to the US through its
insights, information and actions. As per the agency’s mission, it aims to anticipate threats and
enhance the national security objectives of the US through the collection of intelligence reports
that matter. furthermore, the CIA also aims to produce objective analysis of all-source, conduct
efficient covert action from the President’s directions and protect the secrets of the nation that
keep it safe (Cia.gov, 2019). The role of CIA in the war on terrorism had begun years ago in
1986 after it set up the Counter-Terrorist Center to deal particularly with the issue. The agency
had recruited spies from within the Islamic terror organizations, most notable being Al-Fadi. Al-
Fadi defected to the agency in 1996 and provided crucial information on terrorists especially
Usama Bin Laden (Newyorker.com, 2019).
The agency however, came under heavy criticism after it failed to avert the biggest
terrorist attack that shook not only America but the entire world on 11 September 2001. The CIA
had prior information about a certain terrorist attack and it had been on high alert but it failed to

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CIA AND FBI AND THEIR ROLE IN COMBATING TERRORISM
act. As Lewis (2004) also argues, the failure of CIA to was the direct result of its “lack of Human
Intelligence (HUMINT)”. After this massive failure, the agency strengthened its position with
respect to war on terrorism. On May 2, 2011, with the help of the CIA, the US strike team was
able to kill Usama Bin Laden, the most wanted terrorist and the man behind the September 11
attacks. Leon E. Panetta, Director, CIA, released a statement after Bin Laden’s assassination in
which he stated that although Usama’s death could never compensate the lives lost and the pain
but it would surely comfort the families who had lost their loved ones ("CIA & the War on
Terrorism — Central Intelligence Agency", 2019). With a view to enhance the public
understanding of terrorism particularly al-Qaida, Usama Bin Laden’s organization, the CIA
released around 470,000 additional files in November 2017 that were recovered from the May 2,
2011 raid on Bin Laden’s compound at Abbottabad, Pakistan. The agency continues to search for
and investigate clues and incidences related to terrorism. However, its main priority is evidently
to make the general people aware about the terrorist organizations. Releasing the materials
retrieved from Abbottabad is an evidence of the agency’s current role in the war on terrorism.
The FBI is the leading federal law enforcement agency in the country but earlier it was
known with a different name. In the year 1935, it was renamed as the Federal Bureau of
Investigation after it became an independent service under the Department of Justice
(Web.archive.org, 2019). The FBI’s mission is to protect the people of America and uphold the
US Constitution. It is the leading agency to investigate and prevent acts of terrorism on both
domestic and international contexts (Fbi.gov, 2019). The role of the FBI in the war on terrorism
is vital because it investigates matters that are internal to the country thus providing crucial
breakthroughs. The FBI collaborates with the Director of National Intelligence and other
intelligence agencies in the country to collect and examine intelligence on terrorism. The attacks

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CIA AND FBI AND THEIR ROLE IN COMBATING TERRORISM
of September 11 also put the FBI under scrutiny along with the CIA and it was even blamed for
failing to avert the attacks. In fact, one of the top FBI agents, Robert Hanssen, was found to be
an espionage of Russia from 1979 and some even claimed that he might have played a role in the
9/11 attacks (Shively, 2015). Post the attacks, Robert Mueller, the FBI Director made it a priority
that the FBI structure be re-engineered to consider every federal crime to be the top priority. The
agency now employs various disciplines and works in close proximity with different partners to
counteract terrorist cells and operatives. It also helps in dismantling the extremist networks
across the globe and cut off financial facilities and other types of support given to terrorist
organizations. It also leads the Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTFs) throughout the country to
combat terrorism successfully ("Terrorism | Federal Bureau of Investigation", 2019). Under the
JTTF, intelligence officials from different agencies come together to form a team and prevent
terrorist attacks throughout the country. In addition to that, the JTTFs also form relationships
amongst the community and the law enforcement that is the most important thing to do in
combating terrorism. Further, the FBI has also committed to remain supple in its advancements
towards threats of terrorism because terrorism has continued to be a threat since the 9/11 attacks.
One of the prime responsibilities of the agency, which makes it different from the CIA as well, is
to combat domestic terrorism and avert its threats.
Conclusion
Therefore, it is evident from the discussion that the two US intelligence agencies namely
CIA and FBI have a stern stance on terrorism and war against it. The essay found in its analysis
that the two agencies’ mission is protect the citizens of the nation and enhancing the security of
the country. However, both the agencies came under fire after the September 11 attacks. The two
agencies failed to act upon the intelligence inputs received prior to the attacks. This failure led to

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a restructuring of the two agencies and since then, both have been able to avert terrorist attacks
of any kind.

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CIA AND FBI AND THEIR ROLE IN COMBATING TERRORISM
References:
Cia.gov. (2019). CIA Vision, Mission, Ethos & Challenges — Central Intelligence Agency.
Retrieved 18 August 2019, from https://www.cia.gov/about-cia/cia-vision-mission-values
Lewis, R. C. (2004). Espionage and the war on terrorism: Investigating US efforts. The Brown
Journal of World Affairs, 11(1), 175-182.
Fbi.gov. (2019). Mission & Priorities | Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved 18
August 2019, from https://www.fbi.gov/about/mission
Web.archive.org. (2019). FBI Intelligence Timeline. Retrieved 18 August 2019, from
https://web.archive.org/web/20150316145041/http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/intelligence/
timeline/
Terrorism | Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2019). Retrieved 18 August 2019, from
https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/terrorism
Shively, J. S. (2015). An Analysis of Soviet Spy Networks in the United States Throughout the
Twentieth Century.
CIA & the War on Terrorism — Central Intelligence Agency. (2019). Retrieved 18 August 2019,
from https://www.cia.gov/news-information/cia-the-war-on-terrorism
Newyorker.com. (2019). Junior. Retrieved 18 August 2019, from
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2006/09/11/junior