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CNN Live At Daybreak
Word of More Missed Signals Before September 11th
Aired May 30, 2002 - 05:05 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: As plans are being revealed for the reorganization of the FBI, there is word of more missed signals before September 11. In one case, the FBI's chief pilot in Oklahoma City authored a 1998 memo warning of Middle Eastern men at flight schools in the state. In a separate incident, another federal agency gave the FBI information about one country's attempt to purchase a commercial flight simulator. Officials will not disclose the name of that Middle Eastern country, where U.S. shipments are restricted.
FBI chief Robert Mueller did appear at the news conference to announce the agency's shift in focus from prosecution to prevention of terrorist attacks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT MUELLER, FBI DIRECTOR: Because our focus is on preventing terrorist attacks, more so than in the past, we must be open to new ideas, to criticism from within and from without, and to admitting and learning from our mistakes. Now, I certainly do not have a monopoly on the right answers. And so I seek the input from those both within the organization as well as those without the organization.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: And today Attorney General John Ashcroft plans to announce new guidelines giving FBI agents more freedom to investigate terrorism.
Changes at the FBI won't just affect agents, though. Some local law enforcement officials say it could make their job harder.
And as CNN's Charles Feldman reports, there are concerns crooks may be left off the hook.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHARLES FELDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As the FBI director made his announcement that the agency will henceforth focus on fighting terrorism, one senior law enforcement official told me in the short run this could mean bad news for terrorists, but good news for criminals. While no one yet really knows the impact of the intended reorganization, one official says it will certainly mean that many white collar crimes will now not be investigated.
And, the partnership between the FBI and many local law enforcement agencies could be strained, as well.
GREGORY TREVERTON, RAND: If the FBI is less there as a partner in some of the traditional issues, traditional crimes in which it's been an active partner, does that put more burden on local and state law enforcement? I think the answer is yes.
FELDMAN (on camera): The Los Angeles Police Department seemed to be caught unprepared by the FBI announcement, a key spokesman actually asking us what we thought the impact would be on the LAPD.
(voice-over): But the sheriff of the rival Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department rejects the notion that the FBI regrouping will create a field day for common criminals.
SHERIFF LEE BACA, LOS ANGELES COUNTY: The reorganization of the FBI is no good news to any criminal because we have a better relationship with the FBI than we had prior to September the 11th. Our information is getting shared on a real time basis. And so that the criminal who is out there, you're not going to get it easier, you're going to actually get it tougher.
FELDMAN: Despite the tough talk, Los Angeles County is still the bank robbery capital of the nation. And with the FBI potentially bowing out of many bank robbery investigations, leaving them to often short staff local police, some criminals just may get the idea that banking hours are whenever they want to withdraw.
Charles Feldman, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: And go to our Web site to learn more about the new FBI, including the Bureau's priorities and its relationship with the CIA. Our Web address is cnn.com. AOL keyword, of course, CNN. What else would it be? It has to be CNN.
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