''Fusion centers'' are a means of bringing together
information from distributed sources for the purpose of collection, retention,
analysis,
and dissemination.
The term "fusion center," seems to have originated
from the Department of Defense (DOD,) and refers to the fusing
of
information
for analysis
purposes.
On November
9, 2002,
the

"This report raises important questions about the FBI's use of these
very powerful investigative tools," said EFF Senior Staff Attorney Kurt
Opsahl. "Congress should determine why FBI headquarters insisted on an
improper NSL instead of using the appropriate tools, and why the FBI
failed to report the misuse for almost two years.