TEAM
6
QUESTIONS
FORATTORNEY GENERAL JOHN
ASHCROFT
(What
follows
are
questions
that are not
included
in the
questions
that we
understand
Dan
alreadyintends
to ask
about
issues
such
as
Ashcroft's
involvement
in the
immediate
response
and his
actions
with
respect
to
foreign
nationals
in theUnited
States.
We are
interested
in theanswersto
many
of
these questions
as
well.)
I.
Top
Priority
Questions
(Le.,
questions
for
which
his
perspective
is
unique
and
required)
A.
Factual/Chronological Questions
You
becarfte^ttorneyGeneral afewshort
months-after
theCole Bombing.
What
were
you
briefed
on
regarding
responsibiUfy^ftfrthe
Cole Bombing when
you
assumed
office?
Did
you receive anyspeetafbrieftngs^egardingthe al
Qaeda
organization and itspotential threat
tp^US
interests when
you~~a&SMmed
office?
From whom
and
when?
What
did
you understand to be the threat from al
Qaeda^o
the U.S. at that time?
Did
you takeany
specific
action regarding this threatin the
monms^ading
up to
9/11?
•
The
volume
of
threats
rose
to an
extraordinary
level
during
the
spring
and
summer
of
2001. To
what
extent
were
you involved
and
paiQiiyale-ia-the
relevantPrincipals'/SmallGFegyraectingo
during that period? What information
did you
receive about
the
increased
"chatter"
during this period
and who
provided
it toyou?
What,
if
anything,
did
you do in response to this
information?
Did you take any action orprovide any direction to the FBI regarding what actions it should take in response to theheightened threat level?
If
so, did you provide that direction verbally or in writing and towhom
was it
provided?
•
Do you recall
wriaTtrtfeaXcirculars
and
advisories
the
Principals
directed-ftrbe sent out to
the
FAA, Customs,
Coast GuardpINS^
state
and
local
authorities, and
others
during
thespring/summer
2001
threat period?
Did you provide
any-advice
or direction as to what
informatio^T^hrnM-he^disseminated
and to
whidfjagencies
it should be given? Did you or
your
staff
provide counsel as towhat should or should not be said in any such advisories?
•
Were you
aware
of the
search
for
Khalid Almihdhar
and
Nawaf Alhazmi
in the
UnitedStates
prior
to
9/11
? If so, how did you
learn about
it and
what action
did you
take
in
response
to
this information?
The
search for Khalid Almihdhar and
Nawaf
Alhazmi in the
United
States
prior
to 9/11has been heavily criticized because it was severely constrained by the perceived wallbetween intelligence and criminal investigations.
Did
your
office
get involved in anydiscussions whether the search could be conducted by criminal agents or whether the
information
had toremain solelyon theintel side
of
thewatt?
Were
youaware
of
theexistence
of
the so-called wall between intelligence and criminal functions
prior
to
9/11?
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