The Federal Bureau of Investigation expanded its efforts to combat malign foreign influence, originally locked solely on Russia, to include China, Iran, and others, FBI Director Christopher Wray told a Senate panel on Tuesday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd March, 2021) The Federal Bureau of Investigation expanded its efforts to combat malign foreign influence, originally locked solely on Russia, to include China, Iran, and others, FBI Director Christopher Wray told a Senate panel on Tuesday.
"Previously, our efforts to combat malign foreign influence focused solely on the threat posed by Russia. Utilizing lessons learned over the last year and half, the FITF is widening its aperture to confront malign foreign operations of China, Iran, and other global adversaries," Wray said in his testimony to the chamber's Judiciary Committee.
FITF - the Foreign Influence Task Force - was established in 2017 to identify and counteract malign foreign influence operations, including election interference. It is led by the FBI Counterintelligence Division and comprised of agents and analysts from the Counterintelligence, Cyber, Counterterrorism, and Criminal Investigative Divisions.
"Through the efforts of the FITF, and lessons learned from both the 2016 and 2018 elections, the FBI is actively engaged in identifying, detecting, and disrupting threats to our elections and ensuring both that the integrity of our democracy is preserved and that the will of the American people is fulfilled," Wray said.
The decision to expand the scope of FITF operations and provide the task force with additional resources followed the 2018 midterm elections, he added.
