Posted on: Tuesday, April 8, 2003

EDITORIAL
FBI's overseas role should be limited

In Iraq, the United States and its allies are using military might to directly unseat a dangerous regime. But the war on terrorism, globally, cannot and never will be strictly a military operation.

Rather, it is — in the words of one high-ranking American official — the use of "all elements of national power" on a global scale. This means that in addition to the military, the war on terrorism uses the services of the CIA, diplomatic pressure, financial pressure, sophisticated use of information technology and law enforcement both American and indigenous.

It even includes aid programs that offer education and other services that give potential terrorists in poor countries an alternative to what the radicals offer.

While this approach makes great sense, it also offers unknown problems.

Consider the proposal by the FBI to substantially boost its activities overseas. Do we really want a major overseas expansion of our domestic national police force?

Turn this around and ask yourself if you would support the idea of, say, Israeli or Indonesian national police operating within the United States.

Yes, the war on terrorism is an international effort. But as we pursue it, it is important that we not lose sight of the proper role of the institutions we put to the task.