National security

As the nation debates the place of Islam, the CIA’s Muslim officers fight terrorism

Shortly after supporters of the Islamic State gunned down 14 people in California last year, the CIA’s deputy director assembled a group of Muslim employees to talk about Islamophobia.

The Dec. 2 shootings by Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik had illustrated the United States’ vulnerability to terrorist attacks inspired by the Islamic State and ignited a heated debate over the role of Muslims here. Presidential contender Donald Trump’s subsequent call to ban Muslims from entering the country had offended many Americans but resonated with others.

In a seventh-floor conference room at the CIA’s fortresslike Virginia headquarters, the agency’s No. 2 official, David S. Cohen, wanted to push back against anti-Muslim discourse. Speaking to several dozen employees, Cohen had a simple message, those present said, about attempts to marginalize Muslim employees: “zero tolerance.”