The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is a national agency dedicated to investigation federal crimes. Founded as a small team of special agents on July 26, 1908, the Bureau was first charged with enforcing the growing body of federal laws covering the United States as a whole. Almost from the beginning of its 100-year history, the Bureau has been the subject of legend and controversy. It has also evolved into a vast and sophisticated national law-enforcement agency. Whether as a federal crime-fighting force or a source of investigative support of local and state police forces, the modern FBI strives to embody its ideals of fidelity, bravery, and integrity. This book shows the way the FBI operates in the post-9/11 world. By reviewing both the historical role and contemporary role of the FBI in matters of terrorism and national security, this book shows how the agency has reinvented itself into an intelligence-gathering counterterrorism force bent on stopping any and all terrorist threats against the United States. Protecting the nation from a terrorist attack is now-and for the foreseeable future-the FBI's top priority, and the agency has dedicated its resources to accomplishing this important mission.