Mueller: Homegrown terror growing problem

WASHINGTON, July 28 (UPI) -- FBI Director Robert Mueller says homegrown terrorists are an increasing problem for U.S. law enforcement.

Speaking Tuesday before the National Academy Associates Annual Training Conference in Boston, Mueller said, "We continue to confront terrorist threats, both at home and abroad. Nine years ago, al-Qaida was our primary concern. Today, we also confront homegrown terrorists and individuals who may travel overseas to train for and perhaps commit acts of terrorism, but who may one day return home to plan and execute attacks here."

Mueller said increasingly dangerous other criminal problems also are growing. "Our gang population continues to grow, with members migrating to mid-size cities across the country," he said. "Organized crime is on the rise. We are not merely speaking of money laundering and extortion, but human trafficking and healthcare fraud. Child exploitation is a growth industry. Computer hackers do not need to know each other's real names, or even live on the same continent, to steal millions in mere hours. And, as evidenced by recent events, espionage continues to pit country against country and company against company."

Poised against this wave of crime "is a worldwide network of trust and teamwork -- a network that represents the best of who we are and what we do," Mueller said.