Have 'turf battles' impeded U.S. war on terror?

Victoria Corderi Correspondent • Profile

Is our government doing everything it can in the war on terror? A highly-respected federal agent says no and he's making a troubling accusation. He says the FBI intentionally put the brakes on an investigation into a suspected al-Qaida fundraising operation. Why? The answer, he says, is a flaw exposed by September 11 that still hasn't been fixed.

Three years ago, President Bush gave a directive to succeed in the war on terror, law enforcement agencies need to work together:

Bush: “Information must be fully shared so we can follow every lead to find the one that may prevent tragedy.”

So you'd think that if a decorated federal agent had evidence of suspected terrorist activity, the government would pull out all the stops to follow up. Think again, says this man.

Joe Webber: “My concern is that we have learned nothing from the events of September 11.”

Joe Webber, a 30-year veteran of federal law enforcement, says the government sat on important information about suspected terrorist activity on U.S. soil. He's so outraged, he says, he's willing to risk his career by going public.

Victoria Corderi: “Have you ever done anything like what you're doing today? To come forward to criticize the government?”

Webber: “No. This is probably a very career-limiting move.”

Webber runs the Houston office of the Department of Homeland Security's Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, “ICE” for short. 

He says the story begins two and half years ago when his office started investigating a man believed to be raising money for terrorists. Webber doesn't want to jeopardize the ongoing case by revealing too many details, but he will say the suspect was in direct contact with known terrorists.

Webber: “There's clearly probable cause to believe that the target of the investigation was in communication with those involved in international terrorism.”

Corderi: “With Osama Bin Laden?”

Webber: “Those associated with Osama Bin Laden, yes.”

He says the FBI has intentionally impeded the investigation being conducted by his agency, ICE.

Webber: “I was told point blank, they are not going to let ICE pursue this investigation.”

To understand why this hits a raw nerve for Joe Webber, you need to know what happened to him on September 11. Back then, before he took over the Houston office, he was in charge of the New York office of U.S. Customs which was located at number six World Trade Center, right next to the Twin Towers. 

He was there when the first plane hit, Webber saw to it that all 500 of his staff evacuated. After the second plane struck he rushed back into his office.

Webber: “I felt an obligation to make sure that the building was empty.”

He was still inside when the first tower collapsed. Part of his building went with it. Debris rained down on top of him and he was trapped.

Corderi: “What were you thinking?”

Webber: “Well there were some private thoughts there, but I recall thinking that was the end. And thought of my family. Said a prayer.”

His prayer was answered when two firefighters came to his rescue.

That day changed him. He says he is haunted by unthinkable images and devastation. 

Webber: “Words cannot describe the sight of people jumping from a building. It's difficult to get through a day without thinking about it, very difficult.”

Which is why when one year after September 11 his office zeroed in on that suspect in Houston who was allegedly raising money for terrorists, Webber says he and his agents dug hard for two years. He says they collected a lot of evidence of the suspect's terrorist ties, but needed more to build a criminal case. And the best way to do that was a wiretap. To get permission for one, they had to lay out what they'd learned so far in an affidavit.

Webber: “That affidavit referenced terrorism on 49 occasions, referenced bin Laden by name on three occasions, and referenced al-Qaida twice.”

Webber says he made a point of following President Bush's directive about sharing information and he submitted the affidavit to other federal law enforcement agencies.

The local FBI office and federal prosecutors in Houston were on board, he says. And so were Justice Department officials in Washington. 

Webber: “And at every level, they said, ‘Go ahead, go ahead, go ahead, good luck. ICE and FBI working well together in Houston.’ Everything was on track.”

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