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Grindler to ATF and FBI: Get Along

By Andrew Ramonas

A top Justice Department official charted the jurisdictional boundaries between the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for bomb investigations, calling for a ceasefire between the warring agencies, The Washington Post reported Thursday.

Acting Deputy Attorney General Gary G. Grindler at a Senate Judiciary hearing in February. (photo by Ryan J. Reilly / Main Justice)

Acting Deputy Attorney General Gary Grindler wrote in an internal memo obtained by The Post that the FBI will take the lead on terrorism-related bomb cases and the ATF will handle all other explosives probes, which account for more than 90 percent of bomb investigations. He wrote that disagreements between the Justice Department agencies over explosives cases are “a persistent problem” that has the potential to inhibit effective intelligence gathering.

Last October, a DOJ Inspector General audit report concluded that the two branches of the Justice Department were unable to cooperate effectively on explosives investigations.

“Disputes between ATF and FBI personnel have affected working relationships, and in some locations have resulted in their racing to crime scenes to determine which agency leads an investigation,” DOJ Inspector General Glenn Fine wrote in the audit report. “The disputes have also resulted in the two agencies declining to work and train together.”

Grindler wrote in his memo that it is “critically important” that the FBI and the ATF  keep each other in the loop on findings in explosive inquiries. But it may not happen.

ATF agents expressed aversion to the memo, according to the newspaper. The agents fear the FBI will try to take the lead on major explosives cases, claiming they are terrorism investigations.

School, courthouse, shopping center or “tourist attraction” bombings could be considered terrorism, according to the memo.

“It’s very disheartening,” an ATF agent told the newspaper. “They won’t hesitate to throw that memo in our face.”

But top FBI and ATF officials said they back the memo.

“ATF is diligently working with the FBI to implement the recommendations and requirements set forth in his memorandum,”  ATF Deputy Director Kenneth Melson told the newspaper.

Full post as published by Main Justice on August 26, 2010 (boomark / email).