The memo states that its purpose is to: Advise the Bureau and New York of the possibility of a coordinated effort by
Osama bin Laden to send students to the United States to attend civil aviation universities and colleges. Phoenix has observed an inordinate number of individuals of investigative interest who are attending or who have attended civil aviation universities and colleges in the State of Arizona. The recommendations outlined by Williams were ignored or put aside because of other concerns. At least one dozen FBI officials saw the memo. Still, it was never passed to acting director
Thomas J. Pickard, his successor
Robert Mueller, or the
Central Intelligence Agency. In addition, the memo's existence was not made known to President
George W. Bush and his senior national security staff until May 2002. Mueller told the
U.S. Congress in an emotional hearing in May 2002 that the FBI's failure to act on the memo resulted from deficits in its analytical capabilities. == Coleen Rowley (2002) ==