FBI using elite surveillance teams to track at least 48 high risk ISIS suspects

[Zarvan]

By Catherine Herridge

Published November 26, 2015

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With as many as 1000 active cases, Fox News has learned at least 48 ISIS suspects are considered so high risk that the FBI is using its elite tracking squads known as the mobile surveillance teams or MST to track them domestically.

“There is a very significant number of people that are on suspicious watch lists, under surveillance," Republican Senator Dan Coats said.

Coats, who sits on the Select Committee on Intelligence, would not comment on specifics, but said the around the clock surveillance is a major commitment for the bureau. "The FBI together with law enforcement agencies across the country are engaged in this. It takes enormous amount of manpower to do this on a 24-7 basis. It takes enormous amount of money to do this," Coats explained.

These elite FBI teams are reserved for espionage, mob violence and high priority terrorism cases, like a joint terrorism task force case last June, where a 26 year old suspect Usaama Rahim, was killed outside a Massachusetts CVS. When a police officer and FBI agent tried to question him, the Boston Police Commissioner said Rahim threatened them with a knife, and was shot dead.

With at least a dozen agents assigned to each case, providing 24/7 coverage, this high level of surveillance reflects the severe risk associated with suspects most likely to attempt copycat attacks after Paris.

"It is a big resource drain. Yes it is. Almost overwhelming," Coats said when asked about the demand placed on the FBI. "There will be a lot of people over the Thanksgiving weekend that will not be enjoying turkey with their family. They'll be out there providing security for the American people and the threat is particularly high during this holiday period."

One of the lessons of Paris is that the radicalization process can be swift. According to published reports, friends of the female suspect who was killed in the siege of Saint Denis, Hasna Ait Boulahcen, abandoned her party life only a month before joining her cousin, Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the plot's on the ground commander. He was also killed in the siege.

The FBI Director James Comey has consistently drawn attention to this phenomenon, calling it the "flash to bang," that the time between radicalization and crossing the threshold to violent action can be very short. Last week, in a rare public appearance with Attorney General Loretta Lynch, Comey would only say that "dozens" of suspected radicals have been under "tight surveillance."

"Together we are watching people of concern using all of our lawful tools. We will keep watching them and if we see something we will work to disrupt it," Comey said.



Contacted by Fox News, an FBI spokesman had no comment on the high risk cases, nor the use of elite surveillance teams.

Catherine Herridge is an award-winning Chief Intelligence correspondent for FOX News Channel (FNC) based in Washington, D.C. She covers intelligence, the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security. Herridge joined FNC in 1996 as a London-based correspondent.

FBI using elite surveillance teams to track at least 48 high risk ISIS suspects | Fox News

 

[Viper0011.]

With as many as 1000 active cases, Fox News has learned at least 48 ISIS suspects are considered so high risk that the FBI is using its elite tracking squads known as the mobile surveillance teams or MST to track them domestically.

“There is a very significant number of people that are on suspicious watch lists, under surveillance," Republican Senator Dan Coats said.

I don't know why they are tracking these bast*ards. I'd say go get these fukkers and take them offline. Why wait till a threat exposes itself. We should take the known ones out ASAP. I think its legal to capture any imminent threat in any country. I wouldn't want to take any chances.

 

[Zarvan]

I don't know why they are tracking these bast*ards. I'd say go get these fukkers and take them offline. Why wait till a threat exposes itself. We should take the known ones out ASAP. I think its legal to capture any imminent threat in any country. I wouldn't want to take any chances.

Well they are tracking them because they think they are terrorists or could become one until than they can do nothing.

 

[Solomon2]

I don't know why they are tracking these bast*ards. I'd say go get these fukkers and take them offline. Why wait till a threat exposes itself. We should take the known ones out ASAP. I think its legal to capture any imminent threat in any country. I wouldn't want to take any chances.

Why not take them out? To keep "collecting intelligence", of course!

I keep thinking of an old Get Smart episode: Maxwell Smart is assigned to penetrate Kaos' "Council of Evil", the masterminds who run the terrorist organization. He's told one of Council is actually a U.S. government employee working undercover. But Maxwell discovers it's more than that: ALL of the Council are intelligence agents, each working for a different agency - CIA, FBI, Naval Intelligence, and so on - but without any clue as to the function of the others. So they were each individually doing their best to be the most evil terrorists they could be so they could continue reporting to their government bosses what Kaos was up to.

 

[Viper0011.]

Why not take them out? To keep "collecting intelligence", of course!

I keep thinking of an old Get Smart episode: Maxwell Smart is assigned to penetrate Kaos' "Council of Evil", the masterminds who run the terrorist organization. He's told one of Council is actually a U.S. government employee working undercover. But Maxwell discovers it's more than that: ALL of the Council are intelligence agents, each working for a different agency - CIA, FBI, Naval Intelligence, and so on - but without any clue as to the function of the others. So they were each individually doing their best to be the most evil terrorists they could be so they could continue reporting to their government bosses what Kaos was up to.

LOL, I've seen that episode. It's funny you mentioned that . And yes, I am aware of how they operate. But my point is, per the article, if there are a few bast*ards that are super serious or have some credentials to believe they are a threat, I think they should be taken out.

Just my concerned side's coming out I guess. But I trust our law enforcement boys and gals, they are hired and trained by the best of the best and they deliver, like always. So its all good

 

[Solomon2]

Just my concerned side's coming out I guess. But I trust our law enforcement boys and gals, they are hired and trained by the best of the best and they deliver, like always. So its all good

In today's era in the U.S. yes there might be an FBI plant in a terror organization. And maybe there's one each from, say, four intelligence agencies of our foreign allies. But if the organization or cell has only five people total then it's these intel organizations working together at cross-purposes who are creating the problem...

 

[UniverseWatcher]

FOX news and FBI using elite surveillance teams to track at least 48 high risk ISIS suspects

 

[jhungary]

LOL, I've seen that episode. It's funny you mentioned that . And yes, I am aware of how they operate. But my point is, per the article, if there are a few bast*ards that are super serious or have some credentials to believe they are a threat, I think they should be taken out.

Just my concerned side's coming out I guess. But I trust our law enforcement boys and gals, they are hired and trained by the best of the best and they deliver, like always. So its all good

That's not how you conduct Intel or Counter-Intel ops

In this case, if you start taking down HVT, the organisation would simply go underground and have their no 2 replacing them. While it's a lot better to keep those unwilling asset in place and you know where to find that asset on a moment notice than have the whole group suspect anything and gone underground.

Also, to more you know reveal the more of your enemy, and by not disturbing the hierarchy, you will know how deep that organisation is and how much they know about you as well as it also hold counter-intelligence value. Say for example, if you have a leak, but you don't know where that was, you can filter thru disinformation and see how your target react.

That would be a lot better than just take them down and let the organisation replace them

 

[Viper0011.]

That's not how you conduct Intel or Counter-Intel ops

In this case, if you start taking down HVT, the organisation would simply go underground and have their no 2 replacing them. While it's a lot better to keep those unwilling asset in place and you know where to find that asset on a moment notice than have the whole group suspect anything and gone underground.

Thank you. I know how it works . My comment was to see how others react, and second, if there are imminent dangers, than the best course is to take out the problem before it strikes. Its a part of SOP (standard operating procedures). But like I said, our boys and gals in the law enforcement know what they are doing and they'll protect the nation no matter what.

 

[jhungary]

Thank you. I know how it works . My comment was to see how others react, and second, if there are imminent dangers, than the best course is to take out the problem before it strikes. Its a part of SOP (standard operating procedures). But like I said, our boys and gals in the law enforcement know what they are doing and they'll protect the nation no matter what.

lol, I know

The best course of action during an imminent threat in intelligence world is to actually hijack the cell in question, that is if times and resources is allowed. This is the best way to deal with imminent threat, that way, you ought to prevent the attack from happening itself, but you also know the connection from the cell you are monitored to the others (While usually kept radio silence until they are to involve in an operation)

Taking down the cell is also a course of action, but if the time is indeed imminent, then it probably won't do you any good by taking down the cell you are monitoring.