News The FBI Reads Slog…
posted by on January 10 at 16:47 PM
…and not for the reasons you’d think.
I’d been trying to get in touch with the FBI all day about calls to members of the local Pakistani community, following Benazir Bhutto’s assassination. I hadn’t had much luck getting the feds on the phone, but minutes after my post went up, I got a call back.
FBI Spokeswoman Robbie Burroughs says it’s “generally correct,” that the FBI has been trying to contact local Pakistanis. Of course, Burroughs says the calls are no cause for alarm. “We’re going out and listening to what they have to say about the [assassination],” she says. “When something significant like this happens, we’ll go out there and ask if there are things [people are] hearing that they’d like to tell us.”
As innocuous as these calls supposedly are, it’s evident that the FBI is attempting to do some intelligence gathering. Burroughs says the FBI isn’t looking for any information in particular but, she says, “If something seems like it’s of intelligence value, we would share that with the rest of the intelligence community.” However, Burroughs adds, “We’re not out there looking for a bad guy or information to solve a crime.”
I asked Burroughs if the FBI had contacted Spanish transplants following the Madrid train bombings. She said she didn’t know.
A post so nice, you put it up twice.
No, Mr. Poe -- you aren't seeing double from your alcoholic lunch...
Dirty bomb! Dirty bomb! Dirty bomb!
Oops! I meant to say Monorail! Monorail! Monorail!
Whew, that was close, Napoleon.
Yeah, um, we were talking about the SR-520 bridge sinking ...
When will they be running the Monorail down the Viaduct, again?
So comforting to know that the Fibbies are watching. (Note: Don't call them that, they hate it.) Really, though, you have nothing to worry about until your phone goes "click click click click" every time you pick it up. Hey, who knows, maybe they've even gotten better technology in the last 30 years that doesn't do that any more.
the mainframe informed them that there was a disturbance
or that "FBI" and "Pakistan" had appeared numerous times somewhere. DataMining is real.
Oh yeah, it is much, much better now.
Or, they were just returning your call. Announcing that the FBI reads is pretty self congratulatory for a coincidence.
Better kiss those fingernails good-bye, Napoleon XIV.
Grasping at straws, in other words.
Great final line, Jonah. Loved it.
Agree with 12. Great thinking asking them about the Madrid train bombings.
Gmail data-mines my e-mails, and tells me in advertisements that I'm in the market for condo property in North Carolina.
If this is the state of the technology, we're all screwed.
Agree with @13--No one expects the Spanish Inquisition.
I am glad that the FBI are out there looking for some intelligence. I hope they find some.
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