Fbi Interviews

The Times reports (Jan. 8) that FBI agents are currently interviewing Arab-American businessmen in the U.S. in light of the threats of terrorism worldwide from Iraq. The FBI states that these interviews are intended to protect the Arab-American businessmen from retaliation should the U.S. and Iraq go to war as well as to head off any possible internal Arab terrorist activities. This behavior on the part of our FBI is outrageous and must be condemned for what it is--a retreat to paranoia a la the Japanese internment of World War II. Didn't we just award millions to Japanese-Americans in reparation for that debacle?

The jury deliberating the case of a Lodi man accused of attending a terrorist training camp in Pakistan asked Thursday to review the five-hour videotaped interrogation by FBI agents that prosecutors call a confession and defense attorneys say is "meaningless" intimidation. U.S. District Judge Garland E. Burrell ordered the entire videotape replayed in open court on Monday, ensuring that the jury for 23-year-old Pakistani American Hamid Hayat will not reach a verdict until later next week.

What your reporters failed to mention in their Jan. 24 article ("FBI Quest Leaves Many Arab-Americans Fearful," Part A) is that every citizen of the United States, when approached by the FBI, has the right to tell those FBI agents to contact his or her lawyer and ask him or her their questions. TERRY YAMADA, San Pedro

More than a month ago, the FBI announced it would launch a wave of interviews across the country as part of an urgent effort to root out a suspected terrorist attack planned for the U.S. this summer. Preparations for the attack were 90% complete, U.S. Atty. Gen. John Ashcroft said at the time. Preparations for the interviews are another story. It's already July, and the FBI is still weeks away from launching the initiative, law enforcement officials confirm.

Fresh FBI interviews with suspects in an alleged assassination attempt against former President George Bush in Kuwait have led U.S. officials to give more credence to the possibility that such a plot existed and that the Iraqi government was behind it, U.S. government sources said Wednesday. The sources cautioned, however, that the FBI's investigation is far from over and that many interviews, as well as forensic tests, still must be completed.

In interviews with the FBI, fund-raiser John Huang said he was told President Clinton was surprised when Indonesian businessman James T. Riady told him of his plan to raise $1 million in political donations. Hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations to Democratic political committees followed the meeting between Riady and Clinton.

Rep. Gary A. Condit has been questioned for a fourth time by District of Columbia police detectives and FBI agents looking into the May 1 disappearance of Chandra Levy, the 24-year-old Modesto woman who was completing a federal internship in Washington. Police Sgt. Joe Gentile said Friday that the California Democrat met at his lawyer's office with investigators for about an hour Thursday evening, but Gentile would not disclose the substance of the interview.

Former Los Alamos National Laboratory scientist Wen Ho Lee, who was jailed for nine months after being accused of downloading nuclear secrets, has agreed to further FBI questioning under a modified plea agreement. Lee will undergo almost 13 more hours of questioning over two days. He had agreed to 10 days of questioning as part of an agreement in which he pleaded guilty in September to one count of mishandling nuclear secrets and was sentenced to time served. He had been charged with 59 counts.

In interviews with the FBI, fund-raiser John Huang said he was told President Clinton was surprised when Indonesian businessman James T. Riady told him of his plan to raise $1 million in political donations. Hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations to Democratic political committees followed the meeting between Riady and Clinton.

Fresh FBI interviews with suspects in an alleged assassination attempt against former President George Bush in Kuwait have led U.S. officials to give more credence to the possibility that such a plot existed and that the Iraqi government was behind it, U.S. government sources said Wednesday. The sources cautioned, however, that the FBI's investigation is far from over and that many interviews, as well as forensic tests, still must be completed.

After reassuring a boisterous rally of about 3,000 supporters that he would not resign, Los Angeles Police Chief Daryl F. Gates told reporters Sunday he was "very upset" with FBI plans to interview officers from the division where four police officers are charged with beating motorist Rodney G. King.

The Muslim-American community should initiate a nationwide anti-terrorism information campaign to help identify terrorists before they act. These citizens would be making a powerful contribution to our security and an effective statement of their loyalty and support for the United States. The opportunity for this gesture is now. All Americans will be grateful, both now, and in the future for this humanitarian contribution. DONALD McWILLIAMS, Fullerton