ABA Journal - Law News Now

Terrorism

‘Profile’ Investigations By FBI Being Considered at DOJ

Posted Jul 3, 2008, 02:04 pm CDT
By Martha Neil

The Department of Justice is considering a policy change that would allow the FBI to investigate individuals within the U.S. without any basis other than that they fall within a "profile" considered to be suspicious.

The change, which is being considered as part of a planned revision of investigative guidelines by Attorney General Michael Mukasey, would permit FBI agents to open preliminary terrorism investigations based on such profiling, reports the Associated Press.

"Among the factors that could make someone the subject of an investigation is travel to regions of the world known for terrorist activity, access to weapons or military training, along with the person's race or ethnicity," the news agency writes.

However, FOX News quotes a Justice Department spokesman as saying that individuals will not be investigated solely based on their ethnic background or religion.

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