Meeting With The Head Of The FBI’s Chicago Office
By Kamran Memon
kamran@muslimsforasafeamerica.org
On June 29, 2006, some Chicagoland Muslim leaders (who prefer to remain anonymous) and I met with Rob Grant, head of the FBI’s Chicago office. We discussed a number of issues of importance to Chicagoland Muslims.
THE FBI FEARS HOMEGROWN ATTACKS
Agent Grant said that Osama Bin Ladin has transformed from a battlefield commander to an inspirational figure. He said the government remains concerned about Al Qaeda agents from outside the U.S. bringing weapons of mass destruction into the U.S., but the more likely threat comes from self-motivating individuals in the U.S. coming together to form well-trained, disciplined groups who decide on their own to launch attacks because of their opposition to American governmental actions, like the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan. (He said these types of local groups were responsible for the 2004 Madrid bombings and the 2005 London bombings.) He is concerned about such groups making bombs, using publicly available information and materials, and attacking trains in Chicago. He said angry individuals may be inspired by a leader and by videos on the Internet. (He said there are over 4,000 pro-Al Qaeda websites on the Internet.)
Agent Grant said the FBI is not concerned about Muslims criticizing U.S. policy, but the FBI is concerned about anti-American rhetoric that encourages violence. (He cited the example of Matthew Hale, imprisoned former head of the “World Church of the Creator,” a white supremacist leader who inspired his followers to launch racial attacks in Chicagoland a few years ago.) Agent Grant said such encouragement likely takes place behind closed doors, not publicly. He said inspirational leaders look for people who are susceptible to manipulation.
Agent Grant said that such plots are hard to detect using wiretaps and other intelligence tools. Instead, they are more likely to be detected by local police who have good relations with local communities. (He said that local police and neighbors in London should have known that something suspicious was going on in the apartment where the bombs were being made in 2005; for example, he said, plants were dying outside the apartment, because of dangerous chemicals inside the apartment, but neighbors never brought this to the attention of local law enforcement, and law enforcement was not independently on the lookout for clues regarding the presence of chemicals in residential areas.) He said such plots have been discovered in various cities in the U.S. Agent Grant said that local Muslims should notify law enforcement if there is someone the local community is concerned about.
An imam participating in the meeting said many Muslims are skeptical about the existence of domestic terror plots. He said the government has been watching Muslims since 9/11, so if there were plots, they would have been discovered already. He said he is not aware of local imams who advocate isolation from American society (such as opposition to getting involved in American politics), the way a Canadian imam (who was arrested in June 2006 on terrorism charges) advocated isolation. The imam participating in the meeting said he is aware of online praise by some Muslims for violence, but he asked how other Muslims could tell when someone using heated rhetoric was really dangerous, rather than just letting off steam.
Agent Grant said one sign of possible danger is when a group of Muslims change their behavior (as the London bombers did) or separate from the rest of the Muslim community.
Agent Grant also expressed concern about angry, young Muslim prison inmates being recruited for attacks. Therefore, he said, the FBI is concerned about who is preaching to prisoners, and whether the preachers express hatred for America. Agent Grant cited the example of Muslim prisoners and ex-prisoners in California who were charged in August 2005 with planning to attack National Guard facilities, synagogues, and the Israeli Consulate in Los Angeles.
Agent Grant also expressed concern about individuals acting alone. He cited the example of a North Carolina Muslim who was charged in March 2006 with attempted murder and felony assault after he attempted to run people over with an SUV. Nine people were injured. That individual wrote a letter to the media saying his attack on Americans was in retaliation for U.S. military attacks on Muslims overseas.
FBI INVESTIGATIONS IN CHICAGO
Agent Grant said the FBI investigates anytime they learn of a possible threat. He said the FBI has six teams working on terrorism investigations in Chicago. He said that most people who are investigated are ultimately cleared by the FBI.
He said that, around the country, the FBI has investigated Muslims whose phone numbers were found in computers that were found in Al Qaeda caves in Afghanistan after the U.S. invasion; Muslims who trained in Al Qaeda camps in Afghanistan before 9/11; Muslims who donated money to groups designated by the U.S. government as terrorist organizations; and Muslims who have made public or private statements in support of violence, including statements supporting the 9/11 attacks.
CHICAGOLAND IRAQIS HELPED THE FBI
Agent Grant said that Chicagoland Iraqis, who were interviewed prior to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, provided the U.S. government with information on individuals who ought to be captured in Iraq.
THE FBI WANTS AN ENDORSEMENT FROM MUSLIM LEADERS
Agent Grant said there are Muslim agents working in the Chicago FBI office. He said young Muslims should not feel like the government is their enemy. He said young people should be encouraged to go into law enforcement, but the FBI cannot effectively recruit Muslims, because the FBI is perceived to be hostile to the Muslim community. He said that if Muslim leaders and parents believe that it’s good for young Muslims to pursue law enforcement careers, they can successfully encourage young Muslims to join law enforcement.
An imam participating in the meeting said it would be difficult to convince Muslims to join the FBI, because many Muslims believe the Muslim community has been unfairly targeted by law enforcement. He said Muslims were offended when the government scanned mosques for radioactivity (from dirty bombs or nuclear weapons). He also raised concerns about the government’s use of sting operations that encourage Muslims to join terror plots. He said many Muslims feel like second-class citizens.
PROTECTING MUSLIMS IF THERE IS ANOTHER ATTACK IN AMERICA
An imam participating in the meeting expressed concern about possible mob violence against Muslims if there is another terrorist attack in America. He expressed appreciation for local law enforcement officials who helped protect the Mosque Foundation after 9/11.
Agent Grant said it is wrong to judge all Muslims for the acts of a few, but he expects that if there is another attack in the U.S., there will be another backlash against Muslims. He said he hopes such a backlash will not be worse than the backlash that occurred after 9/11. If there is another attack, he said mosques should contact local law enforcement for protection. On 9/11, local law enforcement officials may not have known where local mosques were, he said, so they may not have sent protection to local mosques right away. But now, law enforcement officials know where local mosques are, and they might send protection to mosques even before mosques call for help. He said the FBI investigated hate crimes after 9/11, and it will do so in the future as well.
