Letter to Attorney General John Ashcroft

August 4, 2003
The Honorable John Ashcroft
United States Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20530

Dear Attorney General Ashcroft:

It has come to my attention that Omar al-Bayoumi and the Saudi government have laid out several conditions that must be met before allowing his interrogation by American law enforcement officials. I am writing to request that the Justice Department provide al-Bayoumi no special treatment when probing his relationship with the 9-11 hijackers and the Saudi regime.

As you are aware, the Joint Inquiry into Intelligence Community Activities Before and After the Terrorist Attacks of September 2001 uncovered several leads suggesting several links between al-Bayoumi and 9-11 hijackers Khlaid Almihdhar and Nawaf Alhazmi, as well as

al Qaeda associates and Saudi government officials. While I am pleased that the Justice Department is seeking to question al-Bayoumi in light of this new evidence, the current circumstances under which the planned interrogation is to take place are unacceptable.

Both al-Bayoumi and Saudi officials have indicated that he will only speak with American law enforcement officials under two conditions: that the interrogation take place in Saudi Arabia and that Saudi officials be present during the proceedings.
Accepting these conditions, especially since al-Bayoumi appears to be a conduit through which Saudi officials were involved in 9-11, would show that the Bush Administration continues to coddle the Saudi regime about its links to terrorism.

As should be the case in all of our dealings with the Saudis, the terms of our discussions with al-Bayoumi must be determined by one simple factor: our national interest. Interrogating him in Saudi Arabia with Saudi minders present, while palatable to the Saudis, is not in the interest of the American people. His gatekeepers will be able to interfere in the questioning at any time and intimidate al-Bayoumi from answering honestly. If we are to successfully determine the extent of Saudi Arabia's involvement in the attacks, the al-Bayoumi interrogation must take place under conditions that Americans law enforcement officials deem to be the most likely to lead to the truth.

The Saudis themselves should have no problem embracing these conditions if they are truly our partners in the war on terror and, as Prince Bandar, the Saudi Ambassador to the United States, has clearly stated,"Saudi Arabia has nothing to hide." Accordingly, I strongly urge you to ensure that law enforcement officials interrogate al-Bayoumi in the same manner and under the same conditions as they have other people associated with the September 11th attacks.

Sincerely,

Charles Schumer
U.S. Senator