attempt to locate and identify people involved in enemy intelligence and action networks like Al Quida etc. Another part is trying to identify individuals gathering data to attack places such as the Oklahoma bomber. One way is to see if they access certain types of information.

I do all sorts of odd research to make sure I get the settings and facts about certain places and organisations right before I mention them in stories I write. I know that a few years ago when I did a LOT of research on certain US gov't agencies and federal government buildings I triggered an alert within the US intelligence community (it helps to have contacts in your own intelligence community when that happens) and they did some research on me to see if I was a REAL threat to them or not. I know the locals told them I wasn't, but I may still have ended up on a US immigration watch list, don't know, don't care as I have no money or plans to travel to the US in the foreseeable future. However, it's this gathering of odd data that helps them work out if they should look harder or not.