Report: CIA official blocked Sept. 11 memo

UPI | June 10 2005

WASHINGTON, June 10 (UPI) -- The U.S. Justice Department says a CIA official blocked a memo warning the FBI two Sept. 11 hijackers had entered the country before the attacks.

The memo, prepared by an FBI agent on the CIA's special Osama bin Laden unit, was meant to be transmitted in January 2000, the Los Angeles Times reported Friday. The information could have helped agents track down the al-Qaida operatives before the attacks took place, the Times quoted U.S. intelligence officials familiar with the Justice Department report as saying.

Justice Department Inspector General Glenn Fine released the report after winning a court battle against officials involved with the case of alleged would-be hijacker Zacarias Moussaoui. The officials had attempted to block release of the report, claiming it could compromise the outcome of his case. The section on Moussaoui was deleted from the released report.

The report said it was not known why the CIA official, identified by the fictitious name "John," put a hold on the warning.