The reform of FBI intelligence operations

the long version

Acts of terrorist violence and foreign espionage may pose a serious threat to the security of the United States; yet recent disclosures demonstrate the great risk in giving an agency such as the FBI unlimited authority for gathering intelligence about terrorists and spies. Taking into account the findings and recommendations of the post-Watergate inquiries into FBI operations, the author analyzes the legal and policy questions posed by a "security police" in a nation committed to constitutional law. He also covers the standards and procedures for dealings with misconduct by FBI personnel. The book concludes that the present restrictions on FBI activities are necessary and that close supervision and control by the Attorney General will allow the Bureau to operate effectively without depriving law-abiding persons of their privacy or their freedom. -- Publisher description.