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Event

Search for Mihdhar and Hazmi, August 2001

In August 2001 the CIA and FBI began looking for two men the CIA had tracked in 2000.

2 links, 2 backed by primary records

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Dates
21 Aug 2001 – 11 Sep 2001

Connections 2

involved

Timeline 1 date
  1. 21 Aug 2001 – 11 Sep 2001 Search for Mihdhar and Hazmi, August 2001
Proof 1 source
  1. The 9/11 Commission Report: Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, 9-11-commission, 22 Jul 2004. Primary record
    They decided that if Mihdhar was in the United States, he should be found.
    We believe that if more resources had been applied and a significantly different approach taken, Mihdhar and Hazmi might have been found.
    Still, the investigators would have needed luck as well as skill to find them prior to September 11 even if such searches had begun as early as August 23, when the lead was first drafted.
    asked “Mary,” an FBI analyst detailed to the CIA’s Bin Ladin unit, to review all the Kuala Lumpur materials one more time.
    On August 21, she located the March 2000 cable that “noted with interest” that Hazmi had flown to Los Angeles in January 2000.
    “Mary” asked the Bin Ladin unit to draft a cable requesting that Mihdhar and Hazmi be put on the TIPOFF watchlist.
    Both Hazmi and Mihdhar were added to this watchlist on August 24.
    “Jane” took responsibility for the search effort inside the United States.
    her draft lead was not sent until August 28. Her email told the New York agent that she wanted him to get started as soon as possible, but she labeled the lead as “Routine”
    because the agent was designated a “criminal” FBI agent, not an intelligence FBI agent, the wall kept him from participating in any search for Mihdhar.
    It is now clear that everyone involved was confused about the rules governing the sharing and use of information gathered in intelligence channels.
    there was no record that Hazmi had left the country since January 2000
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