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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 1, 2005

SCHUMER: BUREAU OF PRISONS PROCESS MUST BE EXAMINED AND FIXED IMMEDIATELY, PEN PAL PRIVILEGES FOR TERRORISTS MUST STOP

’93 World Trade Center Terrorists in Prison Still Able To Recruit and Encourage New Ways to Kill Americans, Others from Jail Cell

Schumer: Maximum Security Prisoners Should Not Be Allowed to Freely Spread Terror Teachings from Jail Cells, Those Responsible Should Be Punished

Today Senator Charles E. Schumer sent a letter to Harley G. Lappin, Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons asking for an immediate investigation into the outrageous cases of maximum security prisoners who were convicted of bombing the World Trade Center in 1993 encouraging future terrorist attacks from their jail cells. News reports indicate that individuals convicted of committing terrorist acts against the United States have been allowed to spread their hateful propaganda and recruit future terrorists from their prison cells in the United States. Schumer is urging the Bureau to investigate and disclose how such a lapse in supervision could have occurred, who was responsible for the reported lapse, and what steps are being taken to ensure that such incidents are not repeated.

Schumer said, “Despite the fact that these two terrorists were each sentenced to over 100 years in prison for bombing the World Trade Center in 1993, killing 6 people and injuring 1000, the Bureau of Prisons has allowed them very generous pen pal privileges. Letters from these convicted terrorists in Colorado’s maximum security federal prison went to terrorists far and wide and even were used to recruit new terrorists. There must be an immediate investigation into the processes and people who are responsible for this incredibly sloppy breach of security.”

As part of this correspondence, these convicted terrorists spread their militant ideology to individuals in a Spanish terror cell, including Mohamed Acraf, who later allegedly led a plot to bomb Spain’s National Justice Building in Madrid. Another correspondent of the terrorists is a man Spanish authorities say used the terrorists’ letters to recruit suicide bombers. A July 2002 letter reportedly sent from one of the terrorists to the Al-Quds newspaper praised the leader of Al Qaeda, stating that, “Osama Bin Laden is my hero of this generation.” I understand that other letters refer to the need to “terminate the infidels” and state that, “The Muslims don’t have any option other than jihad.”

“It is infuriating that these terrorists were not sufficiently monitored to prevent their potential incitement of future terrorist acts or dissemination of their hateful, anti-American ideology. I believe that even while in federal custody, these individuals are extremely dangerous and must be the subject of the utmost vigilance. Those who are responsible for this security lapse should be identified immediately and remedial steps should be taken, up to and including criminal charges for anyone found to have unlawfully aided and abetted these terrorists,” Schumer stated.

Schumer called on the Bureau of Prisons to undertake an immediate study to determine if similar instances have occurred or are occurring in other facilities, and provide information on whether or not the monitoring of inmate correspondence includes the making of and retention of copies of prisoner letters for subsequent review.

Schumer's letter is available here.

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