What is the Phoenix Memo?
On July 10, 2001, an FBI agent in Phoenix sent a memorandum to FBI headquarters in New York listing evidence that Osama bin Laden was helping his operatives in the U.S. attend flight training schools. That memo, now known as the "Phoenix Memo" was ignored, according to congressional investigators.

Who's investigating the Phoenix Memo?
The House and Senate Joint Select Committee On Intelligence, chaired by Sen. Bob Graham (D-Florida), has been holding public and private hearings to investigate events surrounding the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks against the United States. The committee is trying to discover what information federal intelligence, law enforcement and military officials had prior to the attacks and what was done -- or not done -- with that information.

What did the Phoenix Memo say?
In her testimony, Eleanor Hill, staff director of the joint inquiry, stated that FBI Agent Williams, whose testimony was not made public wrote in his memo that "there were an 'inordinate number of individuals of investigative interest' attending this type of training [flight training] in Arizona and speculated that this was part of an effort to establish a cadre of individuals in civil aviation, who would be in a position to conduct terrorist activity in the future."

However, stated Hill, the memo failed to "raise any alarms" and that FBI officials, finding the information "speculative and not particularly significant," decided not to follow up on it.

Flight school leads dated to 1998
Ms. Hill further testified that as early as 1998, an FBI pilot in Oklahoma City submitted a memo stating his concern about the number of Middle Eastern men enrolled in flight training schools who "could be planning a terrorist attack."

Other reports of a plans for sending members of terrorists organizations not related to al Qaeda into the U.S. for flight training were circulated within the FBI during 1998 and 1999, according to Hill.

"No one will ever know whether a greater focus on the connection between these events would have led to the unraveling of the September 11 plot," testified Hill. "But, clearly, it might have drawn greater attention to the possibility of a terrorist attack in the United States, generated a heightened state of alert regarding such attacks, and prompted more aggressive investigation and intelligence gathering regarding the information our government did possess prior to September 11."

How you can follow the investigation
The testimony delivered in open session is being posted on the Joint Select Committee On Intelligence Web Site. The testimony of witnesses is made available for viewing or downloading in pdf format. 

Here are links to all testimony delivered so far:

• Testimony of Sept. 18, 2002
  Ms. Kristen Breitweiser, Co-Chairperson September 11th Advocates
  Mr. Stephen Push, Treasurer Families of September 11, Inc. Washington, D.C.
  Ms. Eleanor Hill, Staff Director Joint Inquiry Staff
  
  
• Testimony of Sept. 19, 2002
  Richard Armitage, Deputy Secretary of State
  Paul Wolfowitz, Deputy Secretary of Defense
  Anthony Lake, former National Security Advisor
  Samuel R. Berger, former National Security Advisor
  
  
• Testimony of Sept. 20, 2002
  Ms. Eleanor Hill, Staff Director Joint Inquiry Staff
  Michael Rolince, FBI Special Agent in Charge of Washington Field Office
  FBI New York Agent 
  Chris Kojm, Deputy for Intelligence Policy and Coordination Bureau of Intelligence and Research Department of State
  
  
• Testimony of Sept. 24, 2002
  Ms. Eleanor Hill, Staff Director Joint Inquiry Staff

What do You Say?
Could the 9-11 attacks been prevented? If so, who failed here, the CIA, the FBI, the Pentagon? (Click Here to Read or Reply)