Domestic terrorism in America is on the rise. Danny Coulson, founder and first commander of the FBIâs Hostage Rescue Team (HRT, the civilian equivalent of the U.S. militaryâs elite Delta Force), believes that what weâre seeing is one way frightened people react to changing times. He sees grave implications for the 21st century.

      How do we stem the tide of domestic terrorism? The solution is embedded in our democracy. Terrorism is, by definition, a crime. Reduce terrorists to the criminals they are and the rule of law, the power of an independent judiciary, and the power of the people take over. ÊThis commitment to the rule of law and the power of the Constitution is what drew Danny Coulson, an idealistic young Texas lawyer, into the FBI in the first place. During the thirty-plus years that followed, Mr. Coulson brought to justice hundreds of extremists and killers who ranged from black separatist police assassins to white supremacist terrorists. The Hostage Rescue Team handled high profile cases from federal prison riots to the disaster in Waco, Texas. And before he left the Bureau, Danny Coulson led the search for and arrest of Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh.

      There are a whole array of life-lessons to be gleaned from Mr. Coulsonâs experience dealing with criminals of all stripes. The unknown-unknown (ãUNK-UNKä) is a grave threat in a crisis situation. A ãfix-itä attitude goes a lot further than a ãfix-blameä one. Weak people put pressure on their followers, true leaders are those who know how to take pressure OFF others so they can perform. ÊTerrorists are a lot like the law enforcement people who must stop them -- the difference is that terrorists are wanna-bes, they just canât make the grade.

      Weâll stem the rising tide of domestic violence by being sure that people live to face the consequences of their terrorist acts. In law enforcement, unlike the military, only lives saved count. This has a particular twist in the case of terrorists -- when a terrorist is killed, they become martyrs, fueling the flames of paranoia which infect people already frightened by a changing world they feel they cannot control.

      Rationales for terrorism change with the times. Technology changes. Even the FBI has changed. But one thing remains constant. Ordinary citizens are key to the FBIâs ability to perform on our behalf. So the FBI, like all law enforcement people, needs to be talking with and listening to us, whether we are citizens are on the streets of America, in the halls of Congress or where militia groups gather.

      We work to govern ourselves in the interest of freedom and justice. Ask bravery, not heroics, of those who enforce the laws we make. When people die, there are no heroes.

Conversation 1

Danny Coulson tells Paula Gordon and Bill Russell about grave law enforcement implications he (Coulson) sees around peopleâs fear of change. Mr. Coulson talks about technological changes within the FBI. He suggests conspiracy theories are so rampant in part because they are so profitable. He confirms that the real stories of ãthe good, the bad and the uglyä are indeed much stranger than fiction.

Conversation 2

Terrorism -- not weapons and destruction -- is the reason for the FBIâs Counter-Terror Force. Mr. Coulson explains how important it is for law enforcement to deal with a criminal rather than creating a martyr (what results when a terrorist is killed), with examples including David Koresh. Coulson describes the tension between having a powerful law enforcement agency and an accountable one. He questions the independence of todayâs FBI investigations. He describes two FBIs - one inside the (Washington, DC) beltway, one outside it. He describes the relationship between J.ÊEdgar Hoover, the FBI and the ill-conceived COINTELPRO. He draws a distinction between FBI headquarters and field agents. Using the Black Power movement, Coulson distinguishes between legitimate efforts for social change and crimes. Noting that most good ideas come from the field (not headquarters), he relates his experience in the FBI to business management issues.

Conversation 3

Mr. Coulson summarizes the political circumstances that surrounded his departure from the FBI. He gives his insiderâs perspective on Ruby Ridgeâs political implications. He describes the attendant roles of Congress and the media. He points out the critical necessity to talk with people, whether Congresspeople, militia groups or ordinary citizens.ÊHe expresses his concern that Americans perceive government as a faceless enemy. He supports a stronger role for citizens, starting at the ballot box, worried that Americaâs prosperity lulls us into complacency. ÊHe assures us that law enforcement people expect to deal with being second-guessed, drawing lessons from when he was the FBIâs Congressional Affairs liaison, an experience which later helped him be a better commander.

Conversation 4

Coulson tells why the concept of ãNo Heroesä should be the philosophy of a commander. He tells what distinguishes bravery from heroics, using Waco as an example of how not to do things. ÊBecause ãMurphyä often arrives in crisis situations, Mr. Coulson expresses gratitude that sometimes FBI agents do act as heroes. ÊHe distinguishes between the functions of the military and law enforcers. He describes his path to a career with the FBI, based on a sense that even in the era of J.ÊEdgar Hoover, there was a core urge to Do the Right Thing, coupled with the thrill of bringing to justice someone who threatened the community. Mr. Coulson applauds the vital role of an independent judiciary. He compares a ãfix itäÊattitude to a ãfix blameä one, with FBI examples. He contrasts people who are ãdriversä to those who ãgo in.ä He compares the FBI under J. Edgar Hoover to today and expresses concerns about what Mr. Coulson believes is the FBIâs current lack of independence.

Conversation 5

The unknown-unknown (UNK-UNK) disrupts crisis situations, according to Mr. Coulson, who is concerned that people in government do not think enough about the consequences of their actions. He gives examples of why the best leaders are people who keep stress off of those who follow, confident that managers who put pressure on others are themselves weak. He describes the special energy of humans in conflict and shows how the leaderâs task is to direct that energy. He compares FBI agents to terrorists and describes them on a continuum, with terrorists not making the grade because they are inadequate people. He describes a typical FBI counter-terrorist agentâs assignment. He tells how a potential law enforcement person turns toward terrorism. He uses examples to show how important it is for FBI agents and police to remember that they are cops, not commandos.

Conversation 6

Enforcing laws is a fundamental part of a democracy which is based on the idea of justice, Mr. Coulson reminds us.ÊHe demystifies catching criminals. If we decide to war on domestic terrorists, Coulson assures us the terrorists will win -- it becomes a civil war. Far preferable is to let the criminal justice system convert terrorists into criminals. Mr. Coulson applauds how the law governs most encounters, including the handling of the Oklahoma bombing investigation and arrests. The most important thing, he assures us, is to hold to the simple distinction between a commitment to save lives (the FBIâs charge) and a commitment to take them (the militaryâs job).

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