FBI warns colleges to watch for spies
Tue Jun 12, 8:48 AM ET
The head of the FBI's Boston office is warning the region's top universities to be on the lookout for foreign spies or potential terrorists who might be trying to steal unclassified, yet sensitive, research.
FBI agents met recently with officials at Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Massachusetts and other schools to train professors, students and security staff on how to recognize anyone who might be trying to exploit research, Special Agent in Charge Warren Bamford said.
More visits are scheduled as part of a larger nationwide program, he said.
Bamford stressed that the FBI is not seeking to censor information or stop the free flow of information, just raise awareness.
"The academic community is designed to be open, and we just have to make the community aware," he said.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute President Dennis Berkey said the FBI told researchers to protect laptops, especially in foreign countries, and to be wary about who contacts them about their work.
"The general point was, if there is unnatural or unexplained interest in your research and you're nervous about it, here's how to be in touch with us," Berkey said. He said WPI already takes precautions to protect research.
Boston College will probably follow some of the FBI's advice, spokesman Kevin Shea said.
"Boston College was very appreciative of their outreach," Shea said.
John Reinstein, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, expressed reservations about the program, warning that there could be a chilling effect on students or researchers.
"Are you going to ask all the questions you want to ask if someone is out there taking notes and reporting to the FBI that you asked the question which they perceived as suspicious?" Reinstein said.
Copyright © 2007 The Associated Press.
While doing IDF (Israel Defence Forces) reserve duty on a mountain overlooking the 
Why does the FBI get the hint long after we do?
ReplyDeleteThe feds are like Rip Van Winkle, they just woke up after a decade. Maybe they’ll finally see that our communities have been infiltrated as well.
As an FBI agent wipes the sleep from his eyes on his way to work, he stops off at a convenience store for a cup of coffee. He notices that the clerk is an Arab. He walks across the street to his favorite tobacco store for a pack of smokes and notice again that the guy behind the counter is an Arab. He walks over to a taxi stand where the Somali Muslim drivers are congregated facing Mecca and praying on their mats. He waits respectively for one of the drivers to finish. One of the drivers asks the agent if he’s carrying an alcoholic beverage in his briefcase. The agent scratches his head and says “no”. As the cab pulls away, the agent notices a line of blind people with seeing-eye dogs waiting for taxis that will never arrive. When the taxi arrives at the airport, the agent pays the driver and gives him a tip. The driver follows the agent into the airport where the agent immediately walked to the restroom to relieve himself from his coffee. As the agent enters the restroom he sees there is a foot-wash where the Muslims driver entertained himself (wudu). Again, the agent scratches his head. He looked at his watch and saw that he had enough time to call his daughter who attends a major university. The proud FBI agent and father takes his cell phone out of his pocket and calls his loving daughter. When she answered, she told her father she had very little time to talk to him. She was helping set up a seminar for the Palestinian Solidarity Movement. She also told her dad that she changed her name to Aroob and had converted to Islam. He said “that’s nice sweetheart, what does Aroob mean?” His loving daughter responded “woman loving to her husband”. The agent responded “WHAT!” “Yes my infidel father”, said his daughter, “I’m the proud wife of my new husband Qasim”. He drops his agency issued Motorola Razr cell phone and for five minutes continues to scratch his balding head. He picks up the pieces of the broken phone and proceeds to the ramp to board his plane. When he arrives at his office he tells his fellow agents, “I think there may be a problem but I just can’t get my finger on it. Well, whatever it is we need to get on schedule. We need to get to our sensitivity training at CAIR. I think I overslept”.
I go to UCI and I know that's not possible.
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