Congress Questions Handling of Awlaki Case After Fox News Report on Dropped Arrest Warrant

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Fox News:

An investigation by the Fox News Specials Unit revealed that the commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks was likely never told by the FBI about an arrest warrant filed and then dropped against American-born radical Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki – the spiritual guide to at least two of the hijackers.

Now, lawmakers on Capitol Hill want details on the handling of the Awlaki case – particularly why information on the possible arrest was never provided to the 9/11 Commission. The New Mexico-born cleric, now working as a recruiter for Al Qaeda in Yemen, is believed to have been a mentor for 9/11 hijackers during his time as an imam at mosques around San Diego and Washington, D.C.

Despite his possible role in the attacks and inconsistencies in his passport, a warrant for al-Awlaki’s arrest was dropped on Oct. 10, the same day he returned to the U.S. after a seven-month stay in Yemen.

Two senior investigators with the 9/11 Commission told Fox News that they were actively considering whether Awlaki was part of a pre- 9/11 support cell in the U.S. for the hijackers. Asked if documents on the decision by federal authorities to drop the charges should have been shared, one of the investigators said yes, adding the decision to pull the warrant on the same day Awlaki returned in October 2002 demanded further investigation.