A new senate committee is probing why the CIA and FBI don't work very well together. I'll start by saying that even the word 'committee' is full of reduncancy. Half the letters are doubled for no good reason. Comiti would be just as good. It turns out that one of my customers was part of the advisory force that put them together in the same room some 20 years ago. It worked for a few years, and then infighting eventually made a circus of the program. This guy has stories to tell. Got shot a few times in Nam. Joined the intelligence services. He was *in* Tienamen Square when the tanks rolled in. Now he does telecom ventures in the far east. Wink, wink.

Remember this is a war against terrorism, not against Islam. Nevertheless if you are from a predominantly Moslem nation and here on a student, tourist, or work visa - we're gonna' register and track you. Gee, that covers about 25-50% of everybody I worked with in high tech. No matter how it works out as a percentage of the general population, it's a lot of people to track.

We could go ask the Russians. They know how to solve these problems. You need one security force for everything. Internal hoodlums, spies, criminals, terrorists, whatever. One police force. Down to the neighborhood level where they can monitor everybody who comes and goes anywhere. Oh, and you also have to train generations of citizens to be the eyes and ears of the state. You ready for that? Anything less and we can't succeed in this new war. It's only a matter of time before somebody proposes it. Merge the CIA and FBI completely. Then give them fat pipes to all the local law enforcement agencies. Federalize them. Throw in the ATF and Secret Service and Border Patrol and agricultural and baggage checkers. Oh heck, throw in the IRS and the NSA and the INS and DEA as well. Give 'em all guns and the same badge. Now you've got a police force.

Uhm, honey ... there's a man at the door with a machine gun that wants to ask you about line 72 of your tax form...

Rudi's back and she didn't lose the sparkle. I'll eat crow. Yummy.