As the United States faces possible retaliatory attacks from Iran, a “brain drain” in top Justice Department and FBI national security and counterterrorism units could reduce their ability to prevent potential terror and cyber attacks from Tehran, according to six former senior DOJ and FBI officials.

Staff levels in the DOJ National SecurityDivision’s Law and Policy section have dropped by as much as two-thirds, two former DOJ officials said. Its counterintelligence and export control section — which tracks foreign espionage in the U.S. by Iran and other foreign rival — has lost about a third of its workforce, two former DOJ official said.

A former senior FBI official said he was aware of at least 20 national security personnel who had left the bureau in the last 3 months.

  • psychadlligoat@piefed.social
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    23 hours ago

    Bobby was solicited at 16 by an army recruiter that said he’d have a desk job and free college.

    Bobby is an idiot not paying attention and made his choice, stop pretending these people aren’t able to make decisions on their own

    • AlexanderTheDead@lemmy.world
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      22 hours ago

      Reminder that we are talking about teenagers being groomed and targeted by adult military recruiters.

      Reminder that we are talking about teenagers that are almost completely politically unaware because they can’t vote yet and have no reason to know what’s going on.

      Reminder that we are talking about teenagers who can’t vote, can’t smoke, can’t drink, at 16 maybe can’t drive yet, but are old enough to be recruited by adults who are introduced to them as trusted government officials, usually through our own education system.

    • Olhonestjim@lemmy.world
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      55 minutes ago

      Yes, Bobby is an idiot, by definition. He is 16, indoctrinated, poorly educated, and pumped to the gills with testosterone. He is easily manipulated by a propaganda mill that has been systematically brainwashing almost everyone since long before he got his first toy soldier, before he saw the flyover at the big ball game, since the first war movie where his countrymen were the heroes. And this same system that fucks with his head is the same system that fucks him into a life of poverty, then promises him prosperity if he signs up. Bobby has almost no defenses against this war machine.

      Stop pretending that ordinary people have the skill to reject decades of government and social propaganda from childhood. Stop pretending that regular citizens are able make decisions independently of the influence from professional psychological manipulators.

      • Mirshe@lemmy.world
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        2 hours ago

        Also, they specifically learned during Iraq 2 to target poor kids. Turns out it’s easy to get them to sign on if you tell them “hey, you don’t need to have finished HS, and when you get out, you’ll have your college paid for and job prospects lining up for you if you don’t wanna do college” - something a lot of these kids wouldn’t have otherwise.

        • Olhonestjim@lemmy.world
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          1 hour ago

          It wasn’t even a lie. I never would have gotten my life in order without signing up. My life was falling apart. Fortunately, my ship during deployment only saved lives. Nobody died on our account. But that wasn’t guaranteed.