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Fusion center
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A Fusion Center is a terrorism prevention and response center that was started as a joint project between the Department of Homeland Security and the US Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs between 2003 and 2007.
The fusion centers gather information not only from government sources, but also from their partners in the private sector.[1][2]
They are designed to promote information sharing at the federal level between agencies such as the CIA, FBI, Department of Justice, US Military and state and local level government. As of July 2009, the Department of Homeland Security recognizes at least seventy-two fusion centers.[3] Fusion centers may also be affiliated with an Emergency Operations Center that responds in the event of a disaster.
State and local police departments provide both space and resources for the majority of fusion centers. The analysts working there can be drawn from DHS, local police, or the private sector. A number of fusion centers operate tip hotlines and also invite relevant information from public employees, such as sanitation workers or firefighters.[4]
Contents
[hide]
* 1 Criticism
o 1.1 MIAC Report
o 1.2 2009 Virginia Terrorism Threat Assessment
* 2 Existing Fusion Centers
* 3 See also
* 4 References
* 5 External links
o 5.1 Video
[edit] Criticism
There are a number of documented criticisms of fusion centers, including relative ineffectiveness at counterterrorism activities, the potential to be used for secondary purposes unrelated to counterterrorism, and their links to violations of civil liberties of American citizens and others.[5]
[edit] MIAC Report
Missouri Information Analysis Center (MIAC) made news in 2009 for targeting supporters of third party candidates (such as Ron Paul), pro-life activists, and conspiracy theorists as potential militia members.[6] Anti-war activists and Islamic lobby groups were targeted in Texas, drawing criticism from the ACLU.[7]
According to the Department of Homeland Security:[8]
[T]he Privacy Office has identified a number of risks to privacy presented by the fusion center program:
1. Justification for fusion centers
2. Ambiguous Lines of Authority, Rules, and Oversight
3. Participation of the Military and the Private Sector
4. Data Mining
5. Excessive Secrecy
6. Inaccurate or Incomplete Information
7. Mission Creep
[edit] 2009 Virginia Terrorism Threat Assessment
In early April 2009, the Virginia Fusion Center came under criticism for publishing a terrorism threat assessment which states that certain universities are potential hubs for terror related activity.[9] The report targeted historically black colleges and identified hacktivism as a form of terrorism.[10]
Catherine interviewed at CC2009 - good overview of fusion centers
