Qaeda-Linked Imam Dined at Pentagon after 9/11

This story was written by CBS News Justice and Homeland Security correspondent Bob Orr

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Anwar al-Awlaki - the radical spiritual leader linked to several 9/11 attackers, the Fort Hood shooting, and the attempted Christmas Day bombing of an airliner - was a guest at the Pentagon in the months after 9/11, a Pentagon official confirmed to CBS News.

Awlaki was invited as "...part of an informal outreach program" in which officials sought contact "...with leading members of the Muslim community," the official said. At that time, Awlaki was widely viewed as a "moderate" imam at a mosque in Northern Virginia.

At the same time, the FBI was also interviewing Awlaki about his contacts with three of the 9/11 attackers - Nawaf al-Hazmi, Khalid al Midhar and Hani Hanjour - who were all part of the crew of five that hijacked the American Airlines jet that hit the Pentagon.

In the days after 9/11, Awlaki told FBI officials he remembered meeting al Hazmi but recalled little else about him. It is believed Awlaki met both al Hazmi and al Midhar in 2000 when Awlaki was the imam at a mosque in San Diego. Awlaki later moved to Northern Virginia and al Hazmi was seen at the Virginia mosque as well. However, there are scant details about Awlaki's actual contacts with al Midhar and Hani Hanjour.

In 2001, the FBI did not share this investigative information with the Pentagon, but officials say there was no reason to - Awlaki was not a suspect and was not believed to be connected to the 9/11 attacks. Instead he was viewed as a valuable liaison to the Muslim community and a potential investigative source. As one official put it, "he was a much different guy back then."

Still, it's not clear what kind of vetting or background check was done by the Defense Department before Awlaki was allowed into the building.

In the nine years since the meeting, Awlaki has become increasingly radicalized and is part of the core leadership of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. His radical preachings helped to inspire alleged Fort Hood gunman Major Nidal Hasan and officials say Awlaki took a direct operational role in the failed Christmas Day attack on Northwest Airlines flight 253. Awlak, who was born in the United States, has now been targeted by the government - he's currently on the CIA's list of terrorists to be killed or captured.

The FBI only learned of Awlaki's Pentagon luncheon during the investigation into the November 2009 Fort Hood shootings. A Defense Department employee recognized the cleric's picture and reported the 2001 meeting to the FBI.

News of al-Awlaki's presence at the Pentagon event was first reported by Fox News.

[ANDROLOMA]

Terrorists get dinner at the Pentagon?! Most, if not all rank-and-file veterans don't even qualify to enter the front door! What a dirty, national disgrace!

[placeofrefuge2012]

Pretty cozy, hunh? Well, why not? After all, they've been friends and co-workers for a long time. place of refuge 2012 dot com

[svladcjelli]

Moderate = on the D.L.

[svladcjelli]

Jesuschristmonkeyballs! Ol' Georgie ran with a strange crowd!

[Reality-Checker]

When are the Republicans going to admit that both the passage of the Patriot Act and creation of the Department of Homeland Security, have not fully accomplished their goals. Before 9-11, the CIA and FBI didn't talk to each other and exchange vital information. Now, that we have the Patriot Act and created the DHS, they still don't seem to exchange information and now the DoD is the subject of the lampooning by conservative editors of CBS News.com!

[cgallaway]

so Bush and his advisors let a terrorist that they knew had ties go free, but then labeled a bunch of people they didn't have evidence against or any links to terrorism as "enemy combatants" and indefinetly detained them in Guantanamo Bay (outside of the U.S. to avoid rules set by that pesky Constitution). How's that for Safety? Because of this, we have had 3 terrorism attempts in the first two years following the end of Bush's second term. Interesting.

[DrDaveNYC]

The real question...Is there such a thing as a moderate Muslim cleric? if so, why aren't they vocal? Whoopi & Joy can run off the stage all they want but 90% of all acts of terror in the world are perpetrated by Muslims...without a peep from so called "moderates". And what makes a cleric "moderate"? Can he condemn al-Queda and support or be silent about Hamas? This is very murky politically correct waters we swim in these days.

[stevex47]

Just boosh pal'ing around with his terrorist friends.

All you republicans do know tht boosh and the bin ladens have been in business together for over 50 years right?

And the repubs have the "cajones" to call Obama the terrorist?

Rrepublicans are amazing hypocrits.

[antiglobal5]

let's just make this simple. have the military confiscate all food in the U.S. for one month. In turn give every person here pork products and beer (kids can have water but would be locked up if caught giving any to muslims). At the end of the month all of the muslims will have startved to death and we can pass out all of the food to the good people left. Plus bacon are delicious so most true blooded americans would enjoy a month of this limited diet, and after all if you are not a tru blooded American you are inferior and don't matter anyway.

[TheKnowerseeker]

This story is a reminder that all Muslims are extremists or extremist-wannabes, there are no truly "moderate" Muslims.

[amadeo123]

and so are christians since Bush and his God squad are the ones that dined this terrorists and invited them to the US. I bet they were discussing on how to turn into law the stoning of women in the US and probably sharing ideas of how to add amendments to the constitution to bring the enslavement of religion into the lives of free Americans.