FBI chiefs blocked investigation of 20th hijacker

High-ranking FBI officials repeatedly obstructed efforts to investigate Zacarias Moussaoui, the alleged 20th hijacker, in the days before September 11, a senior agent has claimed. Coleen Rowley, of the FBIs Minneapolis office, said the agents who arrested Mr Moussaoui there in August last year became so frustrated by their superiors repeated refusal to grant warrants to search his computer and personal belongings that they alerted the CIA directly - a breach of protocol for which they were reprimanded. In a 13-page letter to the Senate intelligence committee and the FBI director, Robert Mueller, which was immediately classified, Ms Rowley rejected Mr Muellers recent claim that the agency had no information on Mr Moussaoui that could have helped to predict or prevent the terrorist attacks. The FBI said it would open an internal investigation, and the Senate panel has begun its own inquiry. Mr Moussaoui is currently facing terrorism shoes charges in Virginia. While I cannot comment on the specifics of the letter, I am convinced that a different approach is required, Mr Mueller said in a statement. New strategies, new technologies, new analytical capacities and a different culture make us an agency that is changing post-September 11. In part of the letter which was made public, Ms Rowley wrote

About the Author

Shop at Red Bottom Shoes online shop for high quality Red sole Shoes free shipping Red Bottoms