Office of the Attorney General
Washington, D.C. 20530
November 9, 2001
MEMORANDUM FOR ALL UNITED STATES ATTORNEYS
ALL MEMBERS OF THE ANTI-TERRORISM TASK FORCES
FROM: THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
SUBJECT: Interviews Regarding International Terrorism
Since September 11, 2001, the Department of Justice and our
fellow law enforcement agencies in the federal government have
undertaken an intensive campaign against the forces of terrorism.
This campaign involves not only a traditional criminal
investigation into the circumstances surrounding the September
11th terrorist attacks, but also a sustained and comprehensive
effort to prevent terrorists from committing any further attacks
against our country. In pursuit of these objectives, thousands of
individuals have been interviewed and hundreds have been detained
for various criminal violations.
Federal resources have their limits, however, and we are finding
that there are many more people to be interviewed than there are
federal agents to conduct the interviews. We have compiled a list
of individuals who have entered this country on non-immigrant
visas who may be helpful in our effort to investigate the attacks
of September 11th and to prevent future terrorism. The list was
generated by taking a population of individuals and applying to
that population a set of generic parameters. None of the persons
on this list has been interviewed to date. It is important that
we interview these individuals, as I believe that they are
willing and able to provide information that could assist our
campaign against terrorism. Just as our citizens regularly
volunteer information and tips that help us solve criminal cases
and enforce the law, we expect that these visitors can contribute
significantly to our effort to protect the United States from
further terrorism. I ask for your assistance in conducting these
interviews.
We have designed a process for coordinating these interviews
throughout the country. First, the individuals on the list will
be grouped by their addresses into 94 separate lists, one for
each of the federal districts. Those 94 lists will then be
distributed to the United States Attorneys, who will, in turn,
coordinate the interviews with the members of the Anti-Terrorism
Task Force in each district. The United States Attorneys will be
responsible for assigning the interviews, providing the written
guidance attached to this directive, collecting the reports of
the interviews, and coordinating any follow-up investigation that
results from the interviews. The United States Attorneys will
coordinate these activities with the FBI Special Agents in
Charge. The task force members will be responsible for conducting
the interviews in accordance with the guidance, drafting and
submitting a written report of each interview, and participating
in follow-up investigation, as appropriate.
I understand that it will be a complicated and time-consuming
project to interview all of these individuals, especially in
those districts where a large number of the individuals reside. I
also recognize that locating many of these individuals will be a
challenge and will often require districts to coordinate with
each other to find those individuals who cannot be located in the
district designated on the list. I will nonetheless instruct the
United States Attorneys substantially to complete these
interviews within 30 days.
This is an ambitious schedule, but one mandated by the urgency of
the mission. It has been clear since September 11th that further
terrorist attacks against the United States are likely. That
concern was heightened by the commencement of military action
against the forces of Osama bin Laden and the Taliban in
Afghanistan, and it was underscored by my October 29, 2001,
announcement that the government had received credible
information of an impending terrorist attack. Given the immediacy
of this threat to our national security, it is absolutely
imperative that we in law enforcement do everything in our power
to prevent any such attack. These interviews are a critical step
in that effort, as they will provide information and leads that
will help us identify and apprehend terrorists in our midst
before they have an opportunity to cause more pain and suffering
to the American people. These interviews must therefore be
conducted as soon as possible.
In asking for your assistance on this project, I want to be very
clear about its objective. The objective is to collect any
information that the individuals on this list may have regarding
terrorist elements in this country and abroad. These individuals
were selected for interviews because they fit the criteria of
persons who might have knowledge of foreign-based terrorists,
criteria that are shared by many of the persons -- both American
citizens and visitors to our country -- who have provided
valuable information and assistance to law enforcement in our
anti-terrorism efforts since September 11th. These individuals
were not selected in order to single out a particular ethnic or
religious group, or to suggest that one ethnic or religious group
is more prone to terrorism than another. I emphatically reject
that proposition, and I want all to understand that there is no
place for ethnic or religious stereotyping in this plan, or in
this nation's campaign against terrorism. Nor were these
individuals selected because they are suspected of any criminal
activity, and, absent any other indication that they are
criminals, they should not be treated as such. Instead, they
should be treated with courtesy and respect, as potential
witnesses and as sources of information.
Attached to this directive is a memorandum providing clear
guidance about the objectives and the procedures that will guide
the implementation of this project. Please carefully read this
guidance and closely coordinate your actions with the United
States Attorney and the other members of the Anti-Terrorism Task
Force in your jurisdiction.
I appreciate your willingness to join forces with us in this
important endeavor. The Department of Justice is proud to stand
shoulder-to-shoulder with its state, local and federal law
enforcement partners in our country's war against terrorism. I am
confident that, working together, we can prevail over the forces
of terrorism and restore a sense of peace and security to our
country.
Attachment
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