FBI Director Christopher Wray said Tuesday he has never seen a time during his decades-long career when so many threats against the US were all as elevated as they are now, warning senators he sees “blinking lights everywhere.”

During a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, ranking Republican member of the committee, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, asked Wray if he saw “blinking red lights” — referring to warning signs the US missed before the attack of 9/11.

“I see blinking lights everywhere I turn,” Wray said.

Wray also said that the bureau is working “around the clock” to “identify and disrupt” potential attacks by individuals inspired by the Hamas attacks on October 7.

  • @ImTryingLemmy
    link
    English
    561 year ago

    We recommend you use a different browser or disable the “EasyList Cookie” filter from your “Content Filtering” settings (found under “Settings” -> “Shields” in the Brave Browser).

    Fuck off, CNN

    • @Boddhisatva
      link
      341 year ago

      I didn’t get that. Ditch Brave and use Firefox with unlock Origin.

          • @ImTryingLemmy
            link
            English
            21 year ago

            bruh, I’m just kickin’ it on my linux-on-mac lapotp here, I really don’t give a shit about the browser wars. I just want to surf some news.

      • @chitak166
        link
        01 year ago

        Or Firefox with Adnauseam if you want to click ads in addition to hiding them.

  • @xenomor
    link
    521 year ago

    I 100% expect that such warnings will motivate the US to further reign in freedoms and discriminate against specific ethnic groups rather that spark any meaningful introspection about the policies that are the fundamental cause of such threats.

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    English
    211 year ago

    “What are we going to say to the family whose loved one’s care was sabotaged when a hospital was taken offline by a foreign adversary and the FBI wasn’t able to stop the cyber attack,” Wray said.

    I abhor when individuals, who should know fucking better, start pulling shit like this.

    If he has proof, show it. But don’t use fear-mongering or start pulling at America’s heart strings to justify monitoring America.

    • @shalafi
      link
      English
      8
      edit-2
      1 year ago

      Did you even read the preceding paragraph?

      The FBI director is pushing senators on reauthorizing Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which is set to expire at the end of this year. The law enables the US government to obtain intelligence by targeting non-Americans overseas who are using US-based communications services.

      https://www.dni.gov/files/icotr/Section702-Basics-Infographic.pdf

      I am A-OK with this. And if anyone wants to argue that they will break the law and abuse this, what’s the difference? If they intend to break the law, they will do so with or without this provision.

      • @NAK
        link
        61 year ago

        You’re hand waving how it’s actually implemented.

        Like if you want to tap a wire you can do that. It’s not hard.

        If you want to selectively listen to communications happening on that wire you still start by tapping the wire. Then you listen to everything and filer out what you need.

        I’m unfamiliar with how this is currently done, obviously. But if the difference here is the FBI not using their taps, or the taps being completely removed when this expires that is a meaningful difference. And should be discussed.

        • @SCB
          link
          11 year ago

          Man if you want you’re fuckin mind blown (not necessarily in a great way), Google the SENTIENT program.

        • @shalafi
          link
          English
          11 year ago

          I swear I’m not being obtuse on purpose, but the idea is to spy on non-Americans outside the US. What are you saying they’re doing instead?

          • @MIDItheKID
            link
            51 year ago

            Like that time John Brennan the, director of the CIA literally said “We’re all aware of executive order 12333. That order prohibits the CIA from engaging in domestic spying and searches of US citizens within our borders.” and then Edward Snowden dropped a huge truth bomb and revealed that they were indeed drag netting information on anybody and everybody including innocent US citizens?

            Yeah… There’s no way they would do something like that again, right?

          • @[email protected]
            link
            fedilink
            English
            31 year ago

            However, Americans’ data may get picked up as part of incidental collection. That means that if an American is communicating with a foreign target, those communications could be collected. In addition, if federal authorities are already investigating a US person, they may cross-check that person’s information against the 702 database.

            Source

  • Reality Suit
    link
    fedilink
    15
    edit-2
    1 year ago

    “Are the blinking lights in the room right now?”

    “Yeah, right there…points

    “Oh shit! You’re right!”

    • @shalafi
      link
      English
      161 year ago

      Yeah, the FBI generally keeps a low profile, and Wray has been low-key enough I forgot he was Director. This is alarming.

      I’m also wondering how many of those blinking lights are right-wing threats, which is not a thing he would say in such a meeting.

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        English
        51 year ago

        he mentions the right-wing threats

        Wray also warned in his opening remarks of the increase in hate crimes, including the “troubling trend” of increased antisemitic threats in the months since October 7.

    • @kromem
      link
      English
      51 year ago

      Yes and no.

      I’m sure there really are lots of indicators of risk, and in that sense he should be listened to.

      But the FBI has a long recent record of trying to sabotage security protections like encryption, and beating warning drums to weaken infrastructural security might not be worth listening to.

      We can recognize that there’s likely elevated risk without taking at face value how the head of an agency with a longstanding agenda is suggesting that risk be mitigated.

    • @agent_flounder
      link
      English
      21 year ago

      From the article

      The FBI director is pushing senators on reauthorizing Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which is set to expire at the end of this year. The law enables the US government to obtain intelligence by targeting non-Americans overseas who are using US-based communications services.

  • TheRealKuni
    link
    English
    121 year ago

    Is it possible he’s just confused by the fancy LED Christmas lights everyone has now?

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      51 year ago

      That or, you know, the fascist coup planners, China’s rapid and expanding modernization of their navy, Congress critters being outright owned by Russian kleptocrats, a completely disorganized response to cyber security, etc.

      • TheRealKuni
        link
        English
        61 year ago

        Well yeah, sure, there’s always the obvious answer.

  • @Additional_Prune
    link
    81 year ago

    Typical cop talk. There is crime everywhere, and my department needs more money to stop it.

    • Cosmic Cleric
      link
      English
      141 year ago

      Typical cop talk. There is crime everywhere, and my department needs more money to stop it.

      Both could be true (real ‘blinking red lights’ problems, as well as farming Congress for more money).

      • @1847953620
        link
        21 year ago

        They could both be untrue. Or only one of them. They could even have different degrees of truth. So many options, such little time.

        • Cosmic Cleric
          link
          English
          11 year ago

          Typical cop talk. There is crime everywhere, and my department needs more money to stop it.

          Both could be true (real ‘blinking red lights’ problems, as well as farming Congress for more money).

          They could both be untrue. Or only one of them. They could even have different degrees of truth. So many options, such little time.

          Thats a nonsensical response. What exactly is the point that you’re trying to make?

          • @1847953620
            link
            01 year ago

            It’s not nonsensical, you’re nonsensical. I’m just joining in and trying to be thorough about the hypotheticals we’re listing, here. 😬

    • @kromem
      link
      English
      101 year ago

      Oh my gosh - maybe it’s a conspiracy!?!

      Or maybe there really is an elevated risk of radicalized individuals trying to emulate a recent successful terrorist attack in Western nations.

      Things can not be a coincidence for a variety of reasons, including the officially stated ones.

    • @Fades
      link
      61 year ago

      What a moronic comment, there’s nothing coincidental about it; violence is on the rise globally

  • @YoBuckStopsHere
    link
    English
    -21 year ago

    Far too many industries replaced people for automation and now it has made them vulnerable to outside threats.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      21 year ago

      Most people are employed, so that’s not it.

      The problem is that so few people can live a comfortable life despite that.