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Retired FBI Agent Discusses Focus on Terror

Aired November 21, 2002 - 14:13   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: FBI agents around the nation are being put on notice that the War on Terrorism is their number one priority. The second highest official at the FBI sent that message across the Bureau. But the FBI is downplaying its importance.
For analysis, we're joined by Don Clark, a retired FBI special agent. He's live from Houston.

Thank you, sir, for being with us.

DON CLARK, RETIRED FBI SPECIAL AGENT: Good to be with you, Martin.

SAVIDGE: What do you make of this memo or this message going out?

CLARK: Martin, what I really see right off the bat is some frustration by the deputy director there that obviously there are some policies, procedures have not put into place as rapidly as they would like to see them.

The one thing that I am a little bit concerned about is that I would not like to see, certainly from an outsider looking back in, that there is some type of competition, FBI headquarters versus the field. And I think when we reviewed back a few months ago with agents testifying about what headquarters didn't do and now we have got headquarters coming out saying that the field is not doing something, that picture, I'm afraid, is what's being painted.

SAVIDGE: Call me naive, but I always looked at the FBI as this monolithic crime fighting force. Now it appears that there's politics at the top, there's problems in the field. What am I supposed to think as a taxpayer?

CLARK: Well, you know, as a taxpayer, I think right now when you look at the totality of what's going on in the FBI that you still have an organization that's really been at the forefront of solving a lot of crime problems in this country, to include terrorist activities. And yes, there has been some dissension in the ranks, and there will continue to be some.

Politics, Martin, has always there, but it's how you deal with those. And when it gets down to the agents that really do the job, I think that's less and less. But when that politics starts to reflect on resources and policies and procedures, then it makes it a very difficult job. SAVIDGE: If we say that terrorism is the number one crime to go after here, what does that mean about all the other crimes that are out there that the FBI used to be involved with?

CLARK: We talked about this a year ago, when we started to hear that, Look, terrorism is going to be the number one priority and we're going to put all the resources necessary there. We must keep in mind -- and it's certainly a strong opinion of mine -- that the FBI has to be a part of the crime problems of this nation. Terrorism, clearly, I don't think anyone would argue with it being a top priority or the top priority. But just because it's the top priority you do not forego all of the other investigative areas, particular in the areas where you have local field divisions which do in fact have different sets of crime problems.

SAVIDGE: Wasn't it only a little over a year ago -- after September 11 -- that the field was saying to the top management, Hey, you're not paying attention to these terrorism issues like we are. And now we have gone full circle, it appears, or at least a 180, I suppose.

CLARK: It does look that way, Martin. But that's my point, too. I don't want to see us get into thinking from a society that it's a battle between the field agents and the headquarters agents. There's always been some contention between field and headquarters, and I think that's sort of normal. But by and large, it's a centralized organization with the authority coming from the top. But the field agents in charge -- and I was an agent in charge of three major field divisions in the FBI -- need that ability to be able to look at their crime problems and be consistent with it. But if the director says that terrorism is the number one, then that's the number one.

SAVIDGE: Well, as a field agent, what do you need from the top to help you best do your job?

CLARK: You need policies that are appropriate for you to address the crime problem and you need the headquarters to fight for appropriate resources. Now, headquarters just can't do that on its own, because I think the field has to support that necessity for the resources, whether it's personnel resources technology or what. But those are the things you need headquarters to do. And in the case of a centralized organization, it has to be a collection reservoir of information so that it can be disseminated to appropriate entities. If headquarters performs that function, then I think -- in general speaking; it's obviously more detailed, but in general speaking -- it's doing its job.

SAVIDGE: What do you think makes the FBI so suitable for the war on terrorism domestically?

CLARK: Well, I think the FBI's a proven track record. Yes, there have been some issues that followed the FBI about on some of the cases that they have worked, but this organization has had a proven track record of being able to solve crime. And it still solves crime. I do not agree that there should be some separate entity someplace to do nothing but address terrorism exclusive of the FBI. They have the quality of personnel there, and with the right leadership and good leadership in there and trying to minimize the amount of political involvement, it will still be able to do that job.

SAVIDGE: Don Clark, thanks for your service, and thanks for being with us today. We really appreciate it.

CLARK: Thank you, Martin.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired November 21, 2002 - 14:13   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: FBI agents around the nation are being put on notice that the War on Terrorism is their number one priority. The second highest official at the FBI sent that message across the Bureau. But the FBI is downplaying its importance.
For analysis, we're joined by Don Clark, a retired FBI special agent. He's live from Houston.

Thank you, sir, for being with us.

DON CLARK, RETIRED FBI SPECIAL AGENT: Good to be with you, Martin.

SAVIDGE: What do you make of this memo or this message going out?

CLARK: Martin, what I really see right off the bat is some frustration by the deputy director there that obviously there are some policies, procedures have not put into place as rapidly as they would like to see them.

The one thing that I am a little bit concerned about is that I would not like to see, certainly from an outsider looking back in, that there is some type of competition, FBI headquarters versus the field. And I think when we reviewed back a few months ago with agents testifying about what headquarters didn't do and now we have got headquarters coming out saying that the field is not doing something, that picture, I'm afraid, is what's being painted.

SAVIDGE: Call me naive, but I always looked at the FBI as this monolithic crime fighting force. Now it appears that there's politics at the top, there's problems in the field. What am I supposed to think as a taxpayer?

CLARK: Well, you know, as a taxpayer, I think right now when you look at the totality of what's going on in the FBI that you still have an organization that's really been at the forefront of solving a lot of crime problems in this country, to include terrorist activities. And yes, there has been some dissension in the ranks, and there will continue to be some.

Politics, Martin, has always there, but it's how you deal with those. And when it gets down to the agents that really do the job, I think that's less and less. But when that politics starts to reflect on resources and policies and procedures, then it makes it a very difficult job. SAVIDGE: If we say that terrorism is the number one crime to go after here, what does that mean about all the other crimes that are out there that the FBI used to be involved with?

CLARK: We talked about this a year ago, when we started to hear that, Look, terrorism is going to be the number one priority and we're going to put all the resources necessary there. We must keep in mind -- and it's certainly a strong opinion of mine -- that the FBI has to be a part of the crime problems of this nation. Terrorism, clearly, I don't think anyone would argue with it being a top priority or the top priority. But just because it's the top priority you do not forego all of the other investigative areas, particular in the areas where you have local field divisions which do in fact have different sets of crime problems.

SAVIDGE: Wasn't it only a little over a year ago -- after September 11 -- that the field was saying to the top management, Hey, you're not paying attention to these terrorism issues like we are. And now we have gone full circle, it appears, or at least a 180, I suppose.

CLARK: It does look that way, Martin. But that's my point, too. I don't want to see us get into thinking from a society that it's a battle between the field agents and the headquarters agents. There's always been some contention between field and headquarters, and I think that's sort of normal. But by and large, it's a centralized organization with the authority coming from the top. But the field agents in charge -- and I was an agent in charge of three major field divisions in the FBI -- need that ability to be able to look at their crime problems and be consistent with it. But if the director says that terrorism is the number one, then that's the number one.

SAVIDGE: Well, as a field agent, what do you need from the top to help you best do your job?

CLARK: You need policies that are appropriate for you to address the crime problem and you need the headquarters to fight for appropriate resources. Now, headquarters just can't do that on its own, because I think the field has to support that necessity for the resources, whether it's personnel resources technology or what. But those are the things you need headquarters to do. And in the case of a centralized organization, it has to be a collection reservoir of information so that it can be disseminated to appropriate entities. If headquarters performs that function, then I think -- in general speaking; it's obviously more detailed, but in general speaking -- it's doing its job.

SAVIDGE: What do you think makes the FBI so suitable for the war on terrorism domestically?

CLARK: Well, I think the FBI's a proven track record. Yes, there have been some issues that followed the FBI about on some of the cases that they have worked, but this organization has had a proven track record of being able to solve crime. And it still solves crime. I do not agree that there should be some separate entity someplace to do nothing but address terrorism exclusive of the FBI. They have the quality of personnel there, and with the right leadership and good leadership in there and trying to minimize the amount of political involvement, it will still be able to do that job.

SAVIDGE: Don Clark, thanks for your service, and thanks for being with us today. We really appreciate it.

CLARK: Thank you, Martin.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com