Behind Enemy Lines: A Pre and Post 9-11 Analysis of the Impact of Undercover Agents in Federal Terrorism Trials

• In Event: Preventing and Investigating Terrorism: National and Local Responses

Abstract

Noah Schneider & Christopher Shields

Behind Enemy Lines: A Pre and Post 9-11 Analysis of the Impact of Undercover Agents in Federal Terrorism Trials

The purpose of this study is to examine the use of undercover agents by the FBI in domestic terrorism cases pre and post 9/11. There is a gap in terrorism research concerning the use of undercover agents in terrorism cases in general, and virtually nothing in the post-9/11 era. Using data from the American Terrorism Study (1980 to 2011), this research explores what impact that post-9/11 policy changes had on the use of undercover agents. Once exception is the work of Shields (2012), who studied cases from 1980 to 2004, and noted a dramatic shift away from the use undercover agents after 9/11. In particular, this study focuses on Policy changes implemented by the 2002 and 2008 U.S. Attorney General Guidelines on FBI Investigations. The results will be helpful in explaining the change in use of undercover agents in federal terrorism cases, and help us answer what impact that may have had on issues such as case outcomes and the level of assistance provided by agents may be explained.

Authors

• Noah Schneider, University of Arkansas

• Christopher Shields, University of Arkansas