Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live Today
09/11 Intelligence Hearing
Aired September 24, 2002 - 10:29 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.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: We will stay in Washington, go back and listen some more to some discussions that are taking place on Capitol Hill. The joint intelligence committees from the House and the Senate have been talking over the last week or so, and looking back at what happened leading into 9/11 and looking for any clues that might have tipped us off and things that were missed, that shouldn't be missed next time around.
Our Kelli Arena is also standing by in Washington. She's been listening in.
Kelli, what's been going on so far this morning?
KELLI ARENA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Leon, lawmakers are examining two separate pieces of intelligence that the FBI had access to, but according to the committee, did not act aggressively enough on. One concerns the so-called Phoenix Memo. We heard a about that in the months following September 11th. It was a memo that was written by special agent Kenneth Williams, suggesting that FBI headquarters needed to gather more intelligence, needed to follow up his suspicions that perhaps Osama bin Laden was sending individuals to the United States for flight training.
The second piece of information of regards to Zacarias Moussaoui, who as we all know, was taken into FBI custody before September 11th, and agent's allegations that headquarters stymied their efforts to do a more aggressive investigation into Moussaoui pre-September 11th.
Now, regarding the Phoenix Memo, Eleanor Hill, who is staff director of joint committee today, said that the memo was never followed up on, nor was it put into the proper context with other intelligence information that having coming in about the likelihood of a terrorist threat, about other information that had come in regarding the use of aviation by terrorist groups. It had not been connected to Zacarias Moussaoui, and so she once again points to the problems in analyzing information at FBI headquarters prior to September 11th.
So interestingly, on the Moussaoui situation, the information there is limited to what the FBI knew and did prior to September 11th, which you know has been extensively reported on. That's because, as you know, there is a case against Mr. Moussaoui and that part of the testimony will be held in a closed session. So we won't be able to hear any of the new information that has been uncovered by this committee -- Leon.
HARRIS: Good deal. Thank, Kelli.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired September 24, 2002 - 10:29 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: We will stay in Washington, go back and listen some more to some discussions that are taking place on Capitol Hill. The joint intelligence committees from the House and the Senate have been talking over the last week or so, and looking back at what happened leading into 9/11 and looking for any clues that might have tipped us off and things that were missed, that shouldn't be missed next time around.
Our Kelli Arena is also standing by in Washington. She's been listening in.
Kelli, what's been going on so far this morning?
KELLI ARENA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Leon, lawmakers are examining two separate pieces of intelligence that the FBI had access to, but according to the committee, did not act aggressively enough on. One concerns the so-called Phoenix Memo. We heard a about that in the months following September 11th. It was a memo that was written by special agent Kenneth Williams, suggesting that FBI headquarters needed to gather more intelligence, needed to follow up his suspicions that perhaps Osama bin Laden was sending individuals to the United States for flight training.
The second piece of information of regards to Zacarias Moussaoui, who as we all know, was taken into FBI custody before September 11th, and agent's allegations that headquarters stymied their efforts to do a more aggressive investigation into Moussaoui pre-September 11th.
Now, regarding the Phoenix Memo, Eleanor Hill, who is staff director of joint committee today, said that the memo was never followed up on, nor was it put into the proper context with other intelligence information that having coming in about the likelihood of a terrorist threat, about other information that had come in regarding the use of aviation by terrorist groups. It had not been connected to Zacarias Moussaoui, and so she once again points to the problems in analyzing information at FBI headquarters prior to September 11th.
So interestingly, on the Moussaoui situation, the information there is limited to what the FBI knew and did prior to September 11th, which you know has been extensively reported on. That's because, as you know, there is a case against Mr. Moussaoui and that part of the testimony will be held in a closed session. So we won't be able to hear any of the new information that has been uncovered by this committee -- Leon.
HARRIS: Good deal. Thank, Kelli.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
