The FBI's Role in a War Zone

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Video Transcript

Special Agent Tom Krall: My first taste of terrorism was 9/11 standing underneath the World Trade Center as it came down. I was about a block away. I lost a lot of friends. And I know it all started right here. And it's very important for me to make sure that that doesn't happen again.

[sounds of airplane]

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Afghanistan. The local time is 35 minutes past 6 a.m.

[Afghan string and drum music]

[helicopter rotors]

Special Agent Bob Jones: The biggest thing we do here is protect the homeland from afar. We know that it's a long fight against advers aries want to bring harm to the United States for whatever reason from overseas. And we need to be prepared to combat that wherever that might happen. So that's a big part of our job here.

[rhythmic drums]

U.S. Ambassador Karl Eikenberry: The FBI is the shield in the United States of America. What 9/11 taught us is you can't defend from the shorline the United States of America against terrorism. You have to have the shield extended globally.

[drums]

Gen. David Petraeus: The FBI is the premiere law enforcement and investigative agency in the world. And so when it contributes to this kind of effort it brings unique capabilities.

[drums]

Special Agent Adriene Sullivan: The energy and the gratification from doing this type of work is second to none.

Special Agent Derek Boucher: When I go back to the states and my squad in Philadelphia I'm going to basically I think be a subject-matter expert. I'm seeing things just with my own eyes. And that's something you can't really see in the news.

Special Agent Bob Johnson: We've been able to bring an investigative capacity here to address corruption and kidnapping and organized crime. There's something going on every day. Even though we work seven days a week you don't feel like you're over-exerted because you do feel like there's a sense of accomplishment.

[drums]

Special Agent Krall: It's awesome work. I did organized crime for 10 years in New York. And them to me, right over here, trying to go against the Taliban is organized crime.

[drums]

Ambassador Eikenberry: It's a highly professional organization. It's disciplined, serious, mission-oriented, always focused. And so, as the United States ambassador, I've got to say when it comes to just trying to inspire all the tribes in the U.S. mission here I like to have the FBI tribe out front.

[drums]

To learn about the FBI role in Afghanistan, see our series on www.fbi.gov.