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FBI’s Washington Field Office at center of efforts to get U.S. hostages home FBI’s Washington field office at center of efforts to get U.S. hostages home
(about 3 hours later)
When American journalist Theo Curtis was released on the Golan Heights late last month after being held in Syria by an Islamist group for nearly two years, a pair of FBI agents was waiting for him. One of the agents called Curtis’s mother to tell her that her son was finally safe. When American journalist Theo Curtis was released in the Golan Heights late last month after being held in Syria by an Islamist group for nearly two years, a pair of FBI agents were waiting for him. One of the agents called Curtis’s mother to tell her that her son was finally safe.
That moment was a high point — not only for Curtis’ family but for the FBI agents based in the Washington Field Office working on the abduction. That moment was a high point — not only for Curtis’s family but also for the FBI agents based in the Washington field office working on the abduction.
The FBI “deserves some credit for what it did for me,” Curtis said in an interview.The FBI “deserves some credit for what it did for me,” Curtis said in an interview.
The field office, the second-largest in the FBI, manages the Syria portfolio as part of its extraterritorial responsibilities. That puts it at the center of U.S. investigations into the kidnapping and killing of Americans by the Islamic State, the group that has seized large swaths of territory in Syria and Iraq and is the focus of a broadening U.S. air campaign. Curtis was held by another Islamist organization in Syria.The field office, the second-largest in the FBI, manages the Syria portfolio as part of its extraterritorial responsibilities. That puts it at the center of U.S. investigations into the kidnapping and killing of Americans by the Islamic State, the group that has seized large swaths of territory in Syria and Iraq and is the focus of a broadening U.S. air campaign. Curtis was held by another Islamist organization in Syria.
Newly at the helm of the Washington Field Office is Andrew G. McCabe, 46 , a rising star in the FBI whom many bureau officials think will be the next deputy director when Mark F. Giuliano retires. Newly at the helm of the Washington field office is Andrew G. McCabe, 46 , a rising star in the FBI who many bureau officials think will be the next deputy director when Mark F. Giuliano retires.
While McCabe has held two of the most important jobs in the FBI — assistant director of the Counterterrorism Division and executive assistant director of the National Security Branch — this is his first time running a field office. While McCabe has held two of the most important jobs in the FBI — assistant director of the counterterrorism division and executive assistant director of the national security branch — this is his first time running a field office.
On paper, the new job, which involves managing about 800 agents, might seem like a step back for McCabe, but FBI Director James B. Comey said in a message to the bureau workforce that was not the case.On paper, the new job, which involves managing about 800 agents, might seem like a step back for McCabe, but FBI Director James B. Comey said in a message to the bureau workforce that was not the case.
“It may strike folks as unusual for me to move an EAD to an AD role, but Andy is one of our most talented leaders,” Comey wrote in an e-mail. “I think he and the bureau will both benefit from him leading a field office.”“It may strike folks as unusual for me to move an EAD to an AD role, but Andy is one of our most talented leaders,” Comey wrote in an e-mail. “I think he and the bureau will both benefit from him leading a field office.”
McCabe, a Duke graduate who earned a law degree from Washington University School of Law, has worked at FBI headquarters for the past three years. He has interacted with congressional oversight committees, the National Security Council and the intelligence community. He helped coordinate the FBI’s response to the Boston bombing, the attacks on U.S. compounds in Benghazi, Libya, and the capture of Ahmed Abu Khattala, a suspect in the attacks.McCabe, a Duke graduate who earned a law degree from Washington University School of Law, has worked at FBI headquarters for the past three years. He has interacted with congressional oversight committees, the National Security Council and the intelligence community. He helped coordinate the FBI’s response to the Boston bombing, the attacks on U.S. compounds in Benghazi, Libya, and the capture of Ahmed Abu Khattala, a suspect in the attacks.
“It’s been an intense couple of years,” McCabe says.“It’s been an intense couple of years,” McCabe says.
McCabe now finds himself in a more granular role but one that is somewhat familiar to him as a former assistant special agent in charge of counterterrorism at the Washington Field Office in 2008. McCabe now finds himself in a more granular role but one that is somewhat familiar to him as a former assistant special agent in charge of counterterrorism at the Washington field office in 2008.
“I’ll be much more focused now on the operational details, what agents and partners are doing on a day-to-day basis,” McCabe said in an interview. “This was an opportunity to get my hands back in cases.”“I’ll be much more focused now on the operational details, what agents and partners are doing on a day-to-day basis,” McCabe said in an interview. “This was an opportunity to get my hands back in cases.”
The killings by the Islamic State of James Foley and Steven Sotloff were a blow to the FBI. And tension has recently mounted with the families who criticized the U.S. government for not doing enough to free them.The killings by the Islamic State of James Foley and Steven Sotloff were a blow to the FBI. And tension has recently mounted with the families who criticized the U.S. government for not doing enough to free them.
Foley’s mother told CNN last week that “as an American, I was embarrassed and appalled.” A Sotloff family spokesman said U.S. officials warned the family not to pay a ransom because it would be a crime to do so.Foley’s mother told CNN last week that “as an American, I was embarrassed and appalled.” A Sotloff family spokesman said U.S. officials warned the family not to pay a ransom because it would be a crime to do so.
McCabe said he understands the families’ frustration. He said the cases are “tough on the agents who work on them and excruciating on the family.”McCabe said he understands the families’ frustration. He said the cases are “tough on the agents who work on them and excruciating on the family.”
McCabe said the FBI is doing everything it can to find three other American hostages being held in Syria. His agents also are trying to determine the whereabouts of a fourth American who went missing there.McCabe said the FBI is doing everything it can to find three other American hostages being held in Syria. His agents also are trying to determine the whereabouts of a fourth American who went missing there.
“We consider them an absolute priority,” he said.“We consider them an absolute priority,” he said.