Q: What is the "Phoenix memo?"
A: The controversial memorandum was written last summer in advance of Sept. 11 by an FBI field agent based in the Phoenix, Arizona office. The field agent wrote to his superiors warning them Middle Eastern men that were associated with a radical Islamic group and tied to Osama Bin Laden were taking aviation courses in Arizona. The memo suggested that agents around the country check other flight schools for the same problem. Unfortunately, the memo didn’t raise any red flags at mid-management and failed to rise through the chain of command prior to Sept. 11. FBI Headquarters for years has had problems analyzing information from the field offices, which are the eyes and ears of the FBI.. But the tragic terrorist attacks in September once again revealed a flagrant weakness in the way information is handled at the FBI, and the arrogance of bureaucrats in Washington who think they know better than field agents. The memo has ignited debate among lawmakers, media and the American public about the FBI’s effectiveness in protecting U.S. citizens from future attacks.
Q: So why didn’t the memo reach the chief decision-makers at the FBI?
A: It’s clear that prior to Sept. 11, the FBI’s counter-terrorism operations were not what you’d expect of the premiere law enforcement agency in the United States. In fact, the process was a mess. With regards to the Phoenix memo, no one seems to know who knew what when or where critical information went within the FBI headquarters in Washington. At my request, the Justice Department Inspector General has opened an investigation into what happened to this memo, who saw it, and why nothing happened. The blunder adds to the list of missteps attributable to mismanagement and cultural flaws at the FBI. Since the mid-90's I have led the call in Congress for greater congressional oversight and a cultural renaissance within the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Consider the botched episodes at Ruby Ridge, Waco, 1996 Olympics bombing, and the decades-long Soviet spy Robert Hannsen. For decades the agency has concentrated on car thefts, bank robberies and white collar crime. It’s what I call a Bonnie and Clyde mentality. But reality dictates a sea change is necessary to meet the international and domestic terrorism challenges facing America in the 21st century. To that end, the FBI needs to shift gears and channel its attention towards intervention and prevention to ward off threats to our national security and public safety. Staying two steps ahead of Osama bin Laden’s henchmen and the al Qaeda network is a tall order, but the FBI and the U.S. intelligence community must coordinate their efforts and rise above bureaucratic turf battles to get the job done. Last year Congress passed the Patriots Act to jump-start information gathering and intelligence-sharing with federal agencies. While it would be impossible for the federal government to guarantee a risk-free society, it must do whatever it takes to protect the free and open society upon which our country was founded. As a federal lawmaker, I will make sure Congress fully exercises its Constitutional oversight responsibilities and balances national security interests with the public’s right to know.