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Intelligence Committee Investigators Questioning FBI Whistle- blower Coleen Rowley

Aired June 05, 2002 - 13:17   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 LIN, CNN ANCHOR: The congressional investigation of pre- 9/11 intelligence lapses continues today on Capitol Hill, but the real action is taking place somewhere else in Washington. Intelligence committee investigators are questioning FBI whistle-blower Coleen Rowley, and CNN's Kate Snow has more about that -- Kate.

KATE SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol.

Once again, Coleen Rowley left Minneapolis, her home, last night. She arrived here in Washington D.C. CNN has learned that this morning she had breakfast with a friendly face. That's Senator Chuck Grassley. He's a Republican from Iowa. He's serving on the Senate Judiciary Committee. He has long been a critic of what he calls "the cowboy mentality" at the FBI. He welcomes her letter that she wrote last month, criticizing some at FBI headquarters, because, she said, this was something that would shed light on some of the structural problems at the FBI.

Senator Grassley last week was the very man who tried to get Coleen Rowley to come to Washington to testify in public tomorrow before his committee, the Senate judiciary committee. He also wrote a letter to the FBI, insisting that she be given whistle-blower status, which we now know she will be given that protection.

In addition to her public testimony tomorrow, before that Senate Judiciary Committee, Coleen Rowley is also here this afternoon, and will be meeting in just a short time with congressional investigators from a separate committee, from the largest investigation into 9/11. It's joint intelligence committee between the House and the Senate that's been formed. Those investigators will sit down with Coleen Rowley, ask her a lot of questions, to be sure, about the rift she sees between headquarters and her field office in Minneapolis.

Senator Bob Graham, one of the leaders of that intelligence committee, says he hopes she can fill in some gaps.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BOB GRAHAM (D-FL), INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: She is, first, a very courageous woman to come forward the way she has and an experienced FBI professional. I think she can give us some insight into the culture of the agency, why was there this sort of standoff between the field office in Minneapolis and the headquarters here in Washington when most Americans think that the FBI works as a cohesive team.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SNOW: That joint intelligence committee, which is 37 members in all, including senators and House members, they will meet, again, next hour, Carol, and we're told that most of what they will do today is briefed by their staff members. Those who are not meeting with Coleen Rowley that hour will be briefing the senators and the House members on what they found in nearly 200 interviews that they've done thus far -- Carol.

LIN: Thank you very much, Kate Snow, live on Capitol Hill.

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