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FBI vs.The Public's Need

I'm not defending the FBI for their conduct of the Boston Marathon bombing.  But, you must admit they did a marvelous job of tracking, identifying and harnessing the Boston Marathon bombers.  This is wonderful.   But the pundits are hard at work - what else are they to do?  They want to blame somebody.  For every tragedy there must be blame assigned.  It does not matter that the bombers were rapidly identified; it does not matter they were caught in a matter of days; it does not matter they (the FBI) minimized the subsequent lost of life.  We are at the stage of the classic "blame game"

 The FBI is now blamed for everything.   Why was there not a follow-up on the Tamerlan Tsarnaev visit to Russia, including the alert offered by Russia?  Why were we not alerted to this single cell plotting their nefarious deeds? Why was he not watched continuously?  Naturally, this case could have been overlooked or discounted by a ineffectual investigator.  That is an internal matter for the FBI, just as it would be for any humongous organization. 

How about a couple of questions for you?  Do you know just how many Tsarnaev-types require attention?  Do you know now many require very close scrutiny?  Do you know the extent of FBI personnal resources?  Do you know their case-load?  Can they simply watch everyone?  And if so, at what costs?

Already, massive FBI resources have been redirected to this case, meaning countless ongoing investigations sit idle.  Already massive FBI resources are tracing leads to the ends of the earth uncovering anything, anything to feed our rapacious press.  Our security is compromised by the possibility of subsequent attacks. Yes.   It is also compromised by even other and possibly more dangerous situations, of which we will never know, that have been shunted by the requirements of the public's voracious appetite for any new-worthy item.

I do feel for the FBI.  It seems no good deed goes unpunished.  I have heard recently that another government agency was privy to Tsarnaev information and did not reveal it.  This is exactly what the DHS (Department of Homeland Security) was created to avert.  To coordinate; to share; to facilitate.  Oh, well. Some agency needs heat.  

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