WASHINGTON -- State and local law enforcement officials will get access to classified Defense Department information relating to terrorism, the Obama administration announced Monday (see GSN, Nov. 29, 2007).
The Homeland Security Department will facilitate the ability of certain state and local officials at intelligence fusion centers to access the Defense Department's Secret Internet Protocol Router Network, which is used to send classified data. The access will be given to select fusion center personnel with appropriate security clearances.
Fusion centers have been created across the country since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. But they have operated amid controversy. Some privacy and civil liberties groups question whether they are spying on U.S. citizens, while others -- including lawmakers -- say they have been hobbled by a lack of resources, especially with regard to information sharing.
"Increasing the breadth of law enforcement that have access to terrorism-related data will further improve the ability of fusion centers to prevent, detect, deter, and respond to terrorist attacks, and advance the combined missions of DHS and DOD to protect the nation's security," the departments said in a joint statement.