AP News in Brief Blocked From Pursuing Future Hijacker, FBI Agent Warned "someone Will Die"

Associated Press ^ | Friday, September 20 | Associated Press

[tomball]

WASHINGTON (AP) - Thirteen days before the Sept. 11 attacks, a frustrated FBI agent warned headquarters that "someday, someone will die" after he was denied permission to pursue a man who would become one of the hijackers, a congressional panel was told Friday.

The agent's efforts were among many missed opportunities to stop two of the hijackers after they were spotted attending an al-Qaida meeting in Malaysia in January 2000, according to the report to the House and Senate Intelligence Committees.

It was the latest revelation of apparent failures by intelligence and law enforcement authorities before the attacks.

In her report Friday, inquiry staff director Eleanor Hill said two hijackers, Khalid al-Mihdhar and Nawaf al-Hazmi, were able to live openly in San Diego even after they were spotted in the Malaysia meeting. They used their true names on an apartment lease and al-Mihdhar obtained a driver's license. They also took flight lessons.

[Petronski]

Admin, please add a colon to the title after the word 'Brief': the story is very important, but the title is clear as mud.

[coloradan]

More FBI institutional failures.

[Liberty Teeth]

Ah yes, it must have been the outdated computers.

[NautiNurse]

As long as they keep rounding up more of the terrorists--it is a good thing to review the past mistakes. If intelligence is compromised, and hampers breaking up the cells, then it should be kept out of the media.

[Matchett-PI]

I wonder if anyone checked to see if the DemocRATS had their "motor-voter" scheme in place in time to get him registered to vote when he got his drivers' license.

Does anyone think Al Qaeda would EVER vote for anyone in the political party that has a *reputation* for being tough on crime and wanting a strong national defense?

Riiiiiiiiight!

[Cautor]

Are these the same FBI agents that Janet Reno had by the short hairs for 8 years while Krinton/Bore broke every law on the books? Where are all the agents that aren't now coming forward to blow the whistle on the most corrupt regime (Krinton/Bore) in US history? Guess they saved their criticism for the Bush administration which is trying to sweep out 8 years of accumulated Democrap stable droppings.

[Black Agnes]

Hey, you're right. I bet these 'nice boys' voted for Gore in 2000. Any way we could find that out? (the voter registration of the 19 hijackers if they had it? might also tell us if they were voting 'illegally')

[cactusSharp]

and listen to what you DON'T hear
where is Luis Freeh ? and where ,for that matter,
is Robert Rubin.........

[2rightsleftcoast]

Yes, let's hope someone can find this out!!

[CyberAnt]

With the Clintonistas still in charge, it's no wonder nothing was done.

When you see how the FBI has reacted recently, you can see a noticible change in how they do business.

[Matchett-PI]

"Any way we could find that out?"

Sure. Under the freedom of information act, any FReeper who lives in that county could walk in at the office of the Supervisor of Elections and ask them to check their computer for that name. (Try ro have an address to give them also).

You are permitted to look at the screen and memorize what is on it, but you aren't allowed to write anything down while reading the screen. If you want to write down any info, you must memorize parts of it, walk outside, write it down, come back in, memorize some more, walk outside write it down, etc.

They would have the records, even if the name was purged because of inactivity.

Another thing you could do is to go to the precinct leader in his area --- they always have a list of all the registered voters in their precinct.

[taxed2death]

That' almost exactly, word for word, what an old friend of my father used to say. He was involved in military intelligence. He always told us "when you watch the news on TV and the talking heads are speaking about a specific geographical place on earth, look 180 degrees away, that's where the sh!t is really going on).

[piasa]

In her report Friday, inquiry staff director Eleanor Hill said two hijackers, Khalid al-Mihdhar and Nawaf al-Hazmi, were able to live openly in San Diego even after they were spotted in the Malaysia meeting. They used their true names on an apartment lease and al-Mihdhar obtained a driver's license. They also took flight lessons.

And because the US at the time did not realize it was at war in SPITE of bin Laden having declared it, in SPITE of all the attacks on the US and its citizens and allies, even if these guys had been arrested - on what charges I have no idea- and hauled in front of a judge- they would have been let go with CAIR and other groups loudly complaining about them being persecuted.

They were living under their own names- can't very well arrest them for perjury or fraud. Can't arrest them for terrorist activities since no one had done anyhting yet.Driver's licenses and flying lessons were legal. The prosecutor's hands were tied. The law was on the side of the terrorists, and anyone who said otherwise would incur the wrath of whichever congressman was over their district and the ACLU.

No folks, it's not just a failure of the FBI. It's our naivity and our inability to put some limits on what is acceptable in our society.