FBI ‘failed to act over growing terrorism threat’

THE FBI failed miserably over several years to reorganise and respond to a steadily growing threat of terrorism, the commission investigating the September 11 attacks said yesterday.

It revealed that Attorney General John Ashcroft rejected an agency appeal for more funding on the day before al-Qaida struck,

“On September 11, the FBI was limited in several areas,” the commission said in a report. It cited “limited intelligence collection and strategic analysis capabilities, a limited capacity to share information both internally and externally, insufficient training, an overly complex legal regime and inadequate resources.”