America At War: Inside the FBI
With Stephen Jennings
Assistant Chief, FBI's International Terrorism Operations Section
Thursday, Nov. 29, 2001; 1 p.m. EST

On October 10, 2001, President Bush stood in FBI Headquarters and announced the creation of the "Most Wanted Terrorists" List. The 22 fugitives on the list are wanted for their alleged involvement in various terrorist attacks or planned attacks around the world. The FBI is actively investigating the whereabouts of these fugitives.

Stephen Jennings, the assistant chief of the FBI's International Terrorism Operations Section, involved in coordinating the investigation of the terrorists was on Thursday, Nov. 29 at 1 p.m. EST.

NOTE: Per the FBI's request, please DO NOT use this forum to post crime leads or solicitations to investigate matters. If you have an emergency, please contact the nearest FBI office or, if outside the United States, contact the nearest Legal Attachι office.

A transcript follows.

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Stephen Jennings: Thanks for joining us today.

Austin, Texas: After seeing the FBI's ad for Pashto and Arabic translators in the paper, and I want to ask What is the process for the FBI to translate Osama's interviews? Are their experts helping in the language deciphering process, and is the FBI working to prepare itself in the continuing war against terrorism by looking for translators of other targeted countries, i.e., Sudan, Syria, Lebanon?

Stephen Jennings: The translation process is pretty straight-forward. Our translators who speak the relevant dialects are assigned to provide an English version of his remarks. The FBI continues to look for translators who can pass our screening requirements and who possess the necessary skills. Unfortunately, we find that it takes more than language ability alone to be a translator and we are very appreciative of our dedicated staff of linguists. We are always looking for qualified help in this area.

Alexandria, Va.: Hello, are there plans to expand the Terrorists List? I mean your Ten Most Wanted fugitives are fixed at 10 - is the terrorists fixed at 22?

Thank you

Stephen Jennings: The list is certainly not fixed at 22; it contains those known persons who are significant figures in the world of terrorism. Should new figures of equal significance become known, we would certainly consider adding them.

Los Angeles, Calif.: Have any other terrorists (other than Muhammad Atef) from the list been captured or killed recently?

Also, are we going after the Hizbollah terrorists on the list through diplomatic channels or covert operations?

Stephen Jennings: The FBI has no information at this time confirming the capture of known terrorists or the deaths of known terrorists including Mohammed Atef.
Among the 22 Most Wanted Terrorists are individuals who have an association with Hizbollah. We are pursuing all investigative avenues available to us to apprehend fugitives involved in terrorist attacks.

Barrow, Ala.: How many FBI Agents are tasked to locate these fugitives? Are there agents working worldwide on this?

Stephen Jennings: Director Mueller has publicly announced that thousands of FBI Agents are involved in the investigation of the events of 9/11. Our Legal Attaches around the world are working closely with other governments to bring those guilty to justice.

Turnersville, N.J.: What is the existing capacity of the FBI's International Terrorism Operations Section with regards to operational aspects of extracting fugitives or terrorists not in the domestic territories of the United States? Does it exist above the level of liaisons with foriegn governments who may not be prepared to allow para-military actions within their borders?

Stephen Jennings: The FBI works with governments around the world who share our interest in ending all forms of terrorism. Our pursuit of these fugitives is in strict observance of the laws of the United States as well as the laws of the governments with whom we cooperate.

St. Leonard, Md.: How large is the membership in the Al-Queda network? How many of the twenty-two fugitives are involved with this organization? Does Al-Queda have a formal structure or is it just a loosely knit group.

Stephen Jennings: Al-Qaeda is a loose knit group which does not have a defined membership. The exact membership of Al-Qaeda is unknown but members and supporters are estimated to number in the thousands.

Thirteen of the 22 Most Wanted Terrorists are indicted fugitives from the August 7, 1998 East Africa Embassy bombings investigation. These 13 are known members or associates of the Al-Qaeda network.

Boston, Mass.: Is there a list of terrorists that didn't make the "most wanted list?"

Stephen Jennings: The purpose of the Most Wanted Terrorist list is to bring publicity to aid in the capture of these 22 individuals who have all been charged for specific terrorist acts. This is not intended to be a complete list of all terrorists.

DeKalb, Ill.: Does the crime need to be committed within the U.S. in order to get a person onto the "most wanted" list?

Stephen Jennings: No. The FBI has authority to conduct investigation overseas when a threat of violence or an act of violence is committed against US persons or property.

Fairfax, Va.: Could you explain how the FBI and CIA are cooperating to find and thwart suspected terrorists in the USA and abroad? Have the communication channels changed since the Sept. 11 attacks? Also, how are the FBI's tasks related to the new office of Homeland Security?

Stephen Jennings: The FBI and CIA have a close partnership in the fight against terrorism and constantly share information.
If anything, communication has increased since 9/11.
Homeland Security has been created to increase the effectiveness of the overall US fight against terrorism, and is bringing additional parts of the US government and the states into this fight, to aid and complement the FBI in its tasks.

San Francisco, Calif.: I think Americans are creative and resourceful, and have a lot of good ideas about how to fight terrorism. Why not set up a web site to collect such ideas? I am aware of the existing site which has a link labelled "report terrorist activity." I'm talking about another kind of site, one specifically devoted to collecting terrorism fighting ideas.

Naturally someone would have to sift through a lot of repetitive, sometimes outlandish ideas, but within all the noise there might be some useful ideas.

Stephen Jennings: Yes, the FBI in partnership with the Internet Fraud Complaint Center (IFCC) established a website containing a form to seek public assistance to aid in the investigation of 9/11 (www.ifccfbi.gov)
The FBI did create a telephone hotline as a means of direct contact with the public that was intended to be temporary. Calls at this time are being directed to the nearest FBI office.

Niles,Ohio: How many different countries do we have wanted terrorists located?

Stephen Jennings: The FBI believes the 22 Most Wanted Terrorists are possibly located in 5 different countries.

Ford Cliff Pa.: My belief is the terrorists who hit the WTC and hijacked the other planes may have parachuted to safety and just set the auto-pilot. No persons who I contacted ever tried to reach me, but I had numerous close calls when driving. I was always taught that the perp who has the most to gain is most likely the guilty party. How come there do not seem to be investigations covering all the aspects? (I am not saying Bin Ladin is not a bad guy, But shouldn't we go after all the bad guys?)

Stephen Jennings: Interesting theory, however, we don't share your belief. We all watched, to our horror, as these acts occurred, and there is simply no fact to support this idea.

Canton Ohio: Can these terroeist organizations be disabled like the mafia? Will they crumble by removing the head, or will the group just "grow a new one" ?

Stephen Jennings: Unlike traditional organized crime groups, terrorist organizations are not typically motivated by financial gain.
Members generally share a particular political, religious, or social ideology. Upon the death or capture of the head of the group or any member, others often take over these responsibilities.

Stephen Jennings: Thanks for joining us today. Sorry our time has expired.

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