Foreign-born NYPD cybersleuths hunt extremists
On a recent afternoon in a drab office near the banks of the Hudson River, a team of undercover investigators — foreign-born and fluent in languages like Arabic and Farsi — huddled in front of computers, hunting for extremists. The New York Police Department officers surfed jihadist websites and chat rooms where suicide bombings and beheadings are celebrated, and hatred of the West rages. Their assignment: Pose as Islamic extremists, locate and engage real ones, then extract any shred of information about possible terrorist threats against the city. ”We’re doing this from our hearts,” said one detective from Egypt who, along with the other undercover officers, insisted on anonymity, fearing reprisals against family members in the Middle East. Full Story