Doing a little homeland security catch-up, here’s a depressing story about the continued post-9/11 information-sharing problems at the FBI. From CNN:

FBI Director Robert Mueller promised a Senate panel late Thursday that he will decide within two months whether to scrap special computer software for FBI agents after a report sharply criticized the program.

Whatever his decision, Mueller told senators he believes FBI agents will have the software they need within one year.

Facing unusual grilling by previously supportive senators — armed with the report by the Justice Department’s inspector general — Mueller vowed to inform the lawmakers “two months from today” on whether any portion of the $170 million Virtual Case File (VCF) software program can be salvaged.

He also promised to tell them at that time how much additional money would be needed to complete the project.

Mueller testified that if a current test shows the project has to be scrapped, he estimates the loss to taxpayers at $104 million.

“I do not take that lightly,” Mueller said. “I am tremendously disheartened.”

The Feb. 3 DOJ Inspector General’s report documenting the fiasco is here. Bloggers Photon Courier and Craig Henry at Lead and Gold have interesting insights on the limits and possibilities of software employed to help fight the War on Terror.

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