FBI National Security Branch

National Security Branch
National Security Branch
	Seal of the National Security Branch
Active	September 12, 2005 – present; (18 years, 6 months)
Country	United States
Agency	Federal Bureau of Investigation
Headquarters	J. Edgar Hoover Building; Washington, D.C.
Abbreviation	NSB
Structure
Subunits	Counterintelligence Division; Counterterrorism Division; High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group; Terrorist Screening Center; Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate;
Commanders
Current; commander	Executive Assistant Director Larissa L. Knapp
Website
	Official website

The National Security Branch (NSB) is a service within the

weapons of mass destruction, acts of terrorism, and foreign intelligence operations and espionage

. The NSB accomplishes its mission by investigating national security threats, providing information and analysis to other law enforcement agencies, and developing capabilities to keep the US nation secure.

Leadership

Headed by an FBI Executive Assistant Director, the NSB is responsible to the

Attorney General of the United States. In addition, the critical role the NSB plays within the United States Intelligence Community places it within the overview of the Director of National Intelligence

.

The FBI created the National Security Branch (NSB) on September 12, 2005 in response to a presidential directive and as a result of the recommendations of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission to establish a "National Security Service" that combines the missions, capabilities, and resources of the FBI's counterterrorism, counterintelligence, and intelligence elements under the leadership of a senior FBI official.

The NSB was formed by the unification of the FBI's various national security and intelligence gathering units:^[1]