FBI turns to Internet for clues in Tuesday's attacks
WASHINGTON (AP) - The FBI is serving search warrants to major Internet service providers in order to get information about an e-mail address believed to be connected to Tuesday's terrorist attacks.
Investigators visited the nation's top Internet access companies Wednesday morning, company officials said.
"They wanted to know what we have on our network, and our logs about this (e-mail) address, if that address has flowed through our network at any time," according to an executive at Atlanta-based Earthlink, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The executive said the e-mail address did not belong to Earthlink, and that the company was told to expect more warrants as the investigation continues.
"They said they're going to all the ISPs," the executive said.
America Online spokesman Andrew Weinstein said the company is "cooperating fully and immediately with law enforcement agencies in their investigations."
Shannon Stubo of Yahoo!, which runs a Web-based e-mail service, also said the company was cooperating fully.
A spokesman for Microsoft's Internet divisions would only say that the company regularly works with law enforcement.
The FBI would only say that it is investigating the attacks vigorously throughout the United States.
Agents did not install the Carnivore e-mail surveillance device on Earthlink's computers, but relied instead on Earthlink's own reports. In the past, the company has gone to court to resist installing Carnivore.
Alison Bowman, a spokeswoman at cable Internet company ExciteatHome, said she was not aware of any warrants issued there but that the company would cooperate with authorities.
"We've always cooperated with the authorities when they've asked us for information," Bowman said.
Wonder why we haven't been told anything about the raid on the Arab computer/internet services provider in Richardson, Texas, last week.