Calling the Syrian conflict a “global crisis in need of a global solution,” Attorney General Eric Holder urged U.S. allies to use tactics employed by the FBI to root out extremists before they strike, Huffington Post reports.
Speaking to Norwegian officials in Oslo, Holder suggested that other countries adopt pre-emptive counterterrorism tactics that include enticing suspects into developing terrorist attacks.
The idea is to stop homegrown terrorists before they travel to Syria.
“If we wait for our nations’ citizens to travel to Syria, to become radicalized, and to return home, it may be too late to adequately protect our national security,” Holder said.
Holder lauded the FBI’s role in cracking down on terrorism.
“We have found undercover operations -– which the Federal Bureau of Investigation pioneered in fighting transnational organized crime -– to be essential in fighting terrorism as well,” Holder said in the speech. “In the United States, the FBI has already conducted undercover operations that have identified individuals with intentions to travel to Syria. These operations are conducted with extraordinary care and precision, ensuring that law enforcement officials are accountable for the steps they take -– and that suspects are neither entrapped nor denied legal protections.”
