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FBI Agent: Bureau Blocked Terrorism Investigation - Sues FBI for Blocking His Attempt to Tell the Public the Truth Prior to September 11, JW client and Chicago FBI Special Agent Robert Wright tried to launch a criminal investigation of terrorist financial networks in the United States. His supervisors blocked his efforts, refusing to allow him to pursue his investigations. Now, they¹re trying to block him from telling the truth about their mistake. During the 1990s, Agent Wright discovered that non-profit groups in the U.S. tied to Hamas and other militant Islamic networks "were being used to recruit, organize, train and support terrorist operatives and to plan and carry out terrorist attacks." Agent Wright brought this information to his superiors and requested permission to pursue a criminal investigation. It was denied. According to the complaint filed by JW, "FBI management intentionally and repeatedly thwarted and obstructed Agent Wright¹s attempts to launch a more comprehensive investigation that would identify terrorists, their sources and methods of funding before they attacked additional U.S. interests, killing more U.S. citizens." If those investigations were allowed to continue, it is possible they could have disrupted the operations of Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaidaterror network by choking off funds. Agent Wright was pulled off the Hamas investigation in 1999. Agent Wright strongly believes the American people deserve to know the truth about the FBI’s failures and as was reported in the New York Times, he has produced a manuscript intended for publication. According to FBI rules, Agent Wright cannot do so without written permission from FBI officials. A recent letter from John E. Collingwood of the bureau¹s Office of Public and Congressional Affairs prohibited Mr. Wright from going public with his story. Judicial Watch has initiated a lawsuit on Agent Wright’s behalf, accusing the FBI of violating his First Amendment rights. "Clearly the FBI wants to keep Agent Wright quiet because they have something to hide," said JW Chairman Larry Klayman. "They botched efforts to investigate terrorism in the U.S., and Agent Wright knows it. They know it. Now it’s time the American people know it." Judicial Watch¹s lawsuit comes on the heels of multiple news reports highlighting FBI missteps prior to September 11. For example, a report from the FBI’s Phoenix field office suggested that U.S. aviation schools were being infiltrated by Middle Eastern men seeking flight training, and mentioned Osama bin Laden by name. According to the New York Times, FBI Director Mueller "has acknowledged that the bureau gave the memo too little attention." And then there’s the story of Zacarias Moussaoui. Moussaoui aroused suspicion when he sought flight training last summer, asking instructors to teach him how to steer, but not take off or land, an aircraft. Moussaoui was ultimately detained on immigration charges. When an FBI agent in Minnesota discovered he had terrorist connections, the agent speculated to the FBI that Moussaoui "could fly something into the World Trade Center." The agent then put in a request with the FBI and DOJ to search Moussaoui¹s computer a request that was denied. After September 11, Moussaoui’s computer was searched. Investigators found information on airliners, crop dusters and wind patterns. |
