...some more derelection of duty? See what you think:

[size=4]FBI ignored appeal to probe suspicious pilot training before Sept 11[/size=4]

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation largely ignored an appeal from one of its field offices to investigate suspicious pilot training by Middle Eastern men [b]weeks before the September 11 attacks[/b], FBI Director Robert Mueller acknowledged.

The damaging admission came as the beleaguered agency scrambled to fight back allegations that it might have missed telltale signs of the coming tragedy.

"That was received at headquarters," Mueller said of the appeal as he testified Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee. "It was not acted on by September 11."

[b]The episode became the focus of congressional scrutiny over the weekend, when FBI officials acknowledged that two months before the attacks an FBI office in the US state of Arizona tried and failed to organize a nationwide probe of suspicious foreign students attending US flight schools.[/b]

Some of the 19 Islamist militants blamed for the attack with four hijacked airliners studied flying in the United States.

According to an FBI official who spoke on condition of anonymity, on July 2001, the bureau's office in Phoenix sent a memorandum to Washington informing it that a suspicious number of "people of interest" were enrolled in various aspects of civil aviation and pilot training in Arizona.

"FBI headquarters should discuss this matter with other elements of the US intelligence community and ask the community for any information than supports Phoenix's suspicion," said the memo.

The federal agents in Phoenix wanted their bosses in the capital to compile a nationwide list of flight schools and instruct local FBI offices to closely monitor them.

They also asked headquarters to seek from the State Department visa information on some of the foreign students coming to the United States to study flying.

Mueller said the FBI should have paid more attention to the document. But he made clear the agency could not have thwarted the terrorist operation, even if it had.

"I should say in passing that even if we had followed those suggestions at that time, it would not, given what we know since September 11, have enabled us to prevent the attacks of September 11," argued the FBI director.

He said plans for the assault on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon building here had been hatched overseas, beginning at least five years ago, in strictest confidence.

"In our investigation, we have not yet uncovered a single piece of paper -- either here in the US or in the treasure trove of information that has turned up in Afghanistan and elsewhere -- that mentioned any aspect of the September 11 plot," Mueller said.

See ramainder of article at:[url]http://sg.news.yahoo.com/020509/1/2p8ya.html[/url]

Eric The(TooBusyPlanningRetirementParties?)Hun[>]:)]

That's true, [b]Tatjana[/b], they were probably just the second wave!

Actually, I'm only half joking, for I believe that the immediate apprehension of 1200 or so foreign nationals, and the announcement that all non-resident and resident aliens of Middle Eastern origin were to be questioned, most likely prevented quite a few follow up attacks.

We will never know for certain, but based upon what we know of these people, it's very likely.

Eric The(TheConstitutionIs[b]Not[/b]ASuicidePact!)Hun[>]:)]

I think it is more of the "hindsight is 20/20" thing than anything else.  It is easy to look back at information now and see its relevance after the fact.  Then it meant a lot less.

The working stiffs for the FBI detected and the FBI politicians in Washington ignored.
So what else is new ?

The only problem is - these guys are paid nice sums of money, given a great deal of respect, and a nice retirement to know these things a whole lot better than your average bear.

It's not like the idea of flying a hi-jacked jet into a commercial structure was [b]unheard[/b] of prior to Sept 11.

It was just forgotten by people who are paid not to forget.

Maybe they were just chasing down some post-ban bayonet lug reports![:D]

Eric The('CauseWeKnowTheyWeren'tLookingForIllegalAliensFerDamnSure!)Hun[>]:)]

Mr Hun,

You're not implying that flyby bayonetings are a problem in this country, are you?  If so, we need a law to prevent bayonet lugs on airplanes.  And while we're at it, spinning knife blades on the wheels of chariots should be a no-no as well.

Hmmm.... I see a letter to Ms Vacuum-Head Feinstein is in order. [rolleyes]