Minneapolis FBI: See no Evil

Local agent in Moussaoui case issued 70 terror warnings

On the stand yesterday in Virginia in the sentencing phase of 9/11 conspirator, a Minneapolis FBI agent offered some horrific testimony about his attempts to investigate Moussaoui's al Quaeda ties while the convict was incarcerated in Sherburne County, Minnesota.

An FBI agent who interrogated Zacarias Moussaoui before Sept. 11, 2001, warned his supervisors more than 70 times that Moussaoui was a terrorist and spelled out his suspicions that the al-Qaeda operative was plotting to hijack an airplane, according to federal court testimony yesterday.

Agent Harry Samit told jurors at Moussaoui's death penalty trial that his efforts to secure a warrant to search Moussaoui's belongings were frustrated at every turn by FBI officials he accused of "criminal negligence." Samit said he had sought help from a colleague, writing that he was "so desperate to get into Moussaoui's computer I'll take anything."

That was on Sept. 10, 2001.

The Washington Post has a compelling story on the testimony; CP's sister publication, the Village Voice has a short, pointed version.