WASHINGTON, May 16 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) – U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Robert Mueller plans to create a new FBI "super squad" to handle all “terrorism” investigations around the world, The Washington Post said Wednesday, May 15.

The super squad would be headquartered in Washington and would include an Office of Intelligence, headed by a former Central Intelligence Agency official, sources familiar with Mueller's plan told the daily. It also would include the hiring of hundreds of agents and analysts.

The FBI has, since September 11, issued calls for Arabic speaking people to apply for jobs in the agency. Many Arab and Muslims have answered the call in what they regard as acts of patriotism, willingness to help, and solidarity with fellow Americans. But some have been reluctant due to distrust of the agency and fears that they may unwittingly contribute to the targeting of innocent Arab and Muslim individuals, organizations, foundations etc.

American Muslims also fear that the new “super squad” would allow for a greater number of raids on their community.

The new team would reduce the influence of the FBI's 56 field offices. It is part of a broad reorganization of the agency in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks and the scandal involving 25-year FBI veteran Robert Hanssen, who pleaded guilty to spying for Russia and is considered to be the most damaging mole ever to pass U.S. secrets to a foreign power.

The FBI has been strongly criticized for failing to relate seemingly unconnected clues that may have prevented last year's attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, which killed some 3,000 people.

The super squad would serve as a national clearinghouse for classified terrorism information, helping agents spot patterns and connections among terrorist groups that would otherwise get lost within the bureaucracy, officials told the Post.

"It is really kind of anachronistic to believe that we should be handling terrorism cases the same way we handle narcotics or public corruption," an unidentified senior U.S. official said.

"This requires a very specialized body of expertise, supported by an abundance of analytic capability. It is impractical to have that sprinkled all over the place."

Before September 11, the FBI's Manhattan bureau in New York City served as a hub for terrorism cases.

Mueller has briefed lawmakers on his proposals, some of which would require congressional approval, the daily said.