Former FBI Counterterrorism Expert Warns if National Security Given to CIA, U.S. Will Have Crossed Line of No Return

Counterterrorism expert warns that law of the land is being abandoned for secrecy in war against terrorists. If this continues, it will be a victory for the terrorists.

Palisades, NY (PRWEB) September 14, 2007 -- Counterterrorism expert warns that law of the land is being abandoned for secrecy in war against terrorists. If this continues, it will be a victory for the terrorists.

"The way the government is set up today to fight terrorism indicates that we as a nation have learned nothing," said former FBI Counterterrorism expert Terry Turchie in an address at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City, Monday evening, Sept. 10th. "Terrorism is intimidation and coercion designed to strike fear in people in order to change the political, economic or social fabric of the country. The terrorists are very clear and they know what they are doing. Unlike the terrorists, our focus on terrorism is driven by politicians and emotion and what comes in the morning mail."

Turchie, now retired from the FBI, was the former FBI Counterterrorism Unit Director who, along with FBI Director Louis Freeh, pursued Osama Bin Laden into Pakistan before 9/11, was also responsible for the pursuit and capture of Ted Kaczynski the notorious Unabomber and the multi-force pursuit and containment of Eric Robert Rudolph that resulted in his capture by a local police officer.

"The best long term strategy to fight terrorism is adhering to the law of the land," Turchie stressed in his address, ".If we go to secrecy and torture, that is the response the terrorists seek. Ironically, the most outspoken opponents of terrorism are giving in to the terrorists by resorting to secrecy."

Then turning from the present to the future, Terchie said, "When the next act of terror occurs, the politicians will blame the FBI or each other. As a response they will remove from the FBI its national security function and will rest it in the hands of the CIA and then we will have crossed the line of no return. We will be replacing credibility and transparency with secrecy and torture and we will turn our back on the law of the land and the terrorists will have won." Then pausing, he added." This must not happen"

Terry Turchie is now an author. He co-authored "Hunting The American Terrorist "(History Publishing Company) with retired FBI Special Agent and clinical psychologist, Dr. Kathleen Puckett, one of the founders of the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Program. Their forthcoming book "Homeland Insecurity" (History Publishing Company) focuses on the seventeen Washington politicians who have sacrificed national security for political advantage.