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The Lawfare Podcast

Lifting the Veil on Fusion Centers

The Lawfare Podcast

The Lawfare Institute

Politics, Terrorism, National Security, News, Foreign Policy, Diplomacy, Intelligence, Rule Of Law, Military, Constitutional Law, Current Events, International Relations, History, International Law, Government, Law

4.76.4K Ratings

🗓️ 19 January 2023

⏱️ 69 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In the wake of September 11, 2001, federal law enforcement agencies were caught flatfooted when they realized that they'd had the intel to prevent the attack on the homeland, but they'd failed to connect those dots. Fusion centers were born out of an abundance of caution to share and streamline counterterrorism information between the federal level and state and local levels. Since then, the Department of Homeland Security has supported the development of a national network of 80 fusion centers across the United States. And while its principle goal initially was to disseminate counterterrorism intel from the state and local levels, it's now expanded to include the sharing of intelligence regarding crimes or hazards more broadly. 

Last month, the Brennan Center released a report entitled, “Ending Fusion Center Abuses,” explaining how fusion centers’ domestic intelligence model has undermined American's privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties. Lawfare legal fellow Saraphin Dhanani sat down with Michael German, a fellow with the Brennan Center for Justice's Liberty and National Security Program, who co-authored the report, as well as Thomas Warrick, a non-resident senior fellow at the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Forward Defense Practice at the Atlantic Council. They discussed how fusion centers were conceived, where they've excelled as intelligence centers, and where they've abused their powers.

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Transcript

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0:00.0

The following podcast contains advertising.

0:04.0

To access an ad-free version of the LawFair podcast,

0:08.0

become a material supporter of LawFair at patreon.com slash law fair.

0:14.0

That's patreon.com slash law fair.

0:18.0

Also, check out LawFair's other podcast offerings,

0:22.0

rational security, chatter, law fair no bull, and the aftermath.

0:29.0

It's really astonishing that there's not been a broader government effort

0:39.0

to get to the bottom of what threat these posts to two Americans.

0:43.0

I'm Sarah Fintonani, legal fellow of LawFair,

0:47.0

and this is the LawFair podcast January 19, 2023.

0:52.0

In the wake of September 11, 2001,

0:55.0

federal law enforcement agencies were caught flat-footed when they realized that they'd had the intel to prevent the attack on the homeland,

1:03.0

but they failed to connect those dots.

1:05.0

Fusion centers were born out of an abundance of caution to share and streamline counter-terrorism information

1:11.0

between the federal level and state and local levels.

1:14.0

Since then, the Department of Homeland Security has supported the development of a national network of 80 fusion centers across the United States.

1:22.0

And while its principle goal initially was to disseminate counter-terrorism intel from the state and local levels,

1:28.0

it's now expanded to include the sharing of intelligence regarding crimes or hazards more broadly.

1:34.0

Last month, the Brennan Center released a report entitled Ending Fusion Center Abuses,

1:39.0

explaining how fusion centers domestic intelligence model has undermined Americans' privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties.

1:47.0

I sat down with Michael German, a fellow with the Brennan Center for Justice's Liberty and National Security Program,

1:53.0

who co-authored the report, as well as Thomas Warwick, a non-resident senior fellow at the Skowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

...

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