Ali Soufan
Encyclopedia
Ali H. Soufan is a Lebanese-American former FBI agent who was involved in a number of high-profile anti-terrorism cases both in the United States
and around the world. A New Yorker
article in 2006 described Soufan as coming closer than anyone to preventing the September 11 attacks, even implying that he would have succeeded had the CIA been willing to share information with him. He resigned from the FBI in 2005 after publicly chastising the CIA for not sharing information with him which could have prevented the attacks. He is the CEO of the Soufan Group.. In 2011 he published a memoir, which includes some historical background on al-Qaeda
: The Black Banners: The Inside Story of 9/11 and the War Against al-Qaeda.
. He is an ardent admirer of the poet Khalil Gibran
. He graduated from Mansfield University of Pennsylvania
(1995), receiving his B.A in Political Science. Soufan also studied for a Masters degree in International Studies at Villanova University
.
in 1999 to investigate the Jordan Millennium Bombing plot, and discovered a box of documents delivered by Jordanian intelligence officials prior to the investigation, sitting on the floor of the CIA station, which contained maps showing the bomb sites. His find "embarrassed the CIA", according to a 2006 New Yorker
profile of him.
In 2000, he was made lead investigator of the USS Cole bombing
. When given a transcript of the interrogations of Fahd Mohammed Ahmed al-Quso
, he noticed a reference to a one-legged Afghan named "Khallad", whom he remembered as a source identified years earlier as Walid bin 'Attash; this helped the FBI to track down Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri
.
Following the September 11th attacks, Soufan was one of eight FBI agents who spoke Arabic, and the only one in New York
. Colleagues reported that he would sit on the floor with suspects, offer them tea
and argue over religion and politics in fluent Arabic, while drawing out information.
While investigating the September 11th attacks in Yemen, Soufan received intelligence that the CIA had been withholding for months. According to The New Yorker, "Soufan received the fourth photograph of the Malaysia meeting—the picture of Khallad, the mastermind of the Cole operation. The two plots, Soufan instantly realized, were linked, and if the C.I.A. had not withheld information from him he likely would have drawn the connection months before September 11th."
He was tasked with the "intensive interrogation" of Abu Jandal
over the course of five days in Yemen, during which time Jundal gave up the names of a number of members of al-Qaeda
.
It was his questioning of Mohammed al Qahtani, that led to the terrorism charges against Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri
in Chicago, whom al Qahtani had mentioned being a relative.
In 2005, Soufan approached Florida doctor Rafiq Abdus Sabir
and pretended to be an Islamist militant, and asked him whether he would provide medical treatment to wounded fighters in the Iraq War. When Sabir agreed to provide medical treatment, he was arrested and sentenced to 25 years' imprisonment for supporting terrorism.
Soufan has been described as having had a close working relationship with John P. O'Neill
.
. Soufan testified before his military tribunal that Hamdan was a hardened terrorist, with advance knowledge of the September 11th attacks.
He also obtained a confession from Ali al-Bahlul, an al Qaeda propagandist and Bin Laden media secretary accused of making a video celebrating the Cole attacks, and testified at his military tribunal as well.
Most notably, he claimed in his testimony that his interrogation of Abu Zubaydah
had resulted in actionable intelligence, such as the identity of convicted terrorist José Padilla; and that thereafter, when waterboarding
was performed on Abu Zubaydah, the flow of intelligence stopped. Soufan's statement is contrary to the ones made in the "torture memos," that were intent on making a legal case in favor of and justification for the use of these techniques.
Soufan re-stated this claim in a September 5, 2009, New York Times op-ed.
According to one of President George W. Bush's speechwriters Marc Thiessen
, writing in the National Review
in October 2009, both Soufan's testimony and his April 2009 New York Times op-ed are contradicted by CIA documents that state that Abu Zubaydah revealed the actionable intelligence only during the CIA's interrogation, which included rougher treatment than what the FBI had used. But in turn, Thiessen's argument is contradicted by the 2008 Department of Justice's Inspector General Report which quotes FBI sources stating that "Zubaydah was responding to the FBI's rapport-based approach before the CIA assumed control over the interrogation, but became uncooperative after being subjected to the CIA's techniques."
Soufan's argument was also supported by the CIA Inspector General's 2004 Report into the program. After investigating claims about the effectiveness of Enhanced Interrogation Techniques (EITs), the report stated that while the regular interrogation approach achieved many successes "measuring the effectiveness of the EITs, however, is a more subjective process and not without some concern."
The Department of Justice's Office of Professional Responsibility report, published July 29, 2009, states that "the CIA Effectiveness Memo provided inaccurate information about Abu Zubaydah's interrogation." The CIA memo stated that "Zubaydah's reporting led to the arrest of Padilla on his arrival in Chicago in May 2003." However, the OPR report states, "In fact Padilla was arrested in May 2002, not 2003," and so "the information 'leading to the arrest of Padilla' could not have been obtained through the authorized use of EITs."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and around the world. A New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
article in 2006 described Soufan as coming closer than anyone to preventing the September 11 attacks, even implying that he would have succeeded had the CIA been willing to share information with him. He resigned from the FBI in 2005 after publicly chastising the CIA for not sharing information with him which could have prevented the attacks. He is the CEO of the Soufan Group.. In 2011 he published a memoir, which includes some historical background on al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
: The Black Banners: The Inside Story of 9/11 and the War Against al-Qaeda.
Early years
Soufan was born in LebanonLebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
. He is an ardent admirer of the poet Khalil Gibran
Khalil Gibran
Khalil Gibran Jubrān Khalīl Jubrān,Jibrān Khalīl Jibrān, or Jibrān Xalīl Jibrān; Arabic , January 6, 1883 – April 10, 1931) also known as Kahlil Gibran, was a Lebanese American artist, poet, and writer...
. He graduated from Mansfield University of Pennsylvania
Mansfield University of Pennsylvania
Mansfield University of Pennsylvania is one of the fourteen state universities that are part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. The University is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools, the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher...
(1995), receiving his B.A in Political Science. Soufan also studied for a Masters degree in International Studies at Villanova University
Villanova University
Villanova University is a private university located in Radnor Township, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
.
FBI career
Soufan was called to JordanJordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
in 1999 to investigate the Jordan Millennium Bombing plot, and discovered a box of documents delivered by Jordanian intelligence officials prior to the investigation, sitting on the floor of the CIA station, which contained maps showing the bomb sites. His find "embarrassed the CIA", according to a 2006 New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
profile of him.
In 2000, he was made lead investigator of the USS Cole bombing
USS Cole bombing
The USS Cole Bombing, or the USS Cole Incident, was a suicide attack against the United States Navy destroyer on October 12, 2000 while it was harbored and refueled in the Yemeni port of Aden. Seventeen American sailors were killed, and 39 were injured...
. When given a transcript of the interrogations of Fahd Mohammed Ahmed al-Quso
Fahd Mohammed Ahmed Al-Quso
Fahd Mohammed Ahmed al-Quso is also known as Fahd Al-Quso, Abu Huthaifah, Abu Huthaifah Al-Yemeni, Abu Al-Bara', Abu Hathayfah Al-Adani, Abu Huthaifah Al-Adani, Fahd Mohammed Ahmed Al-Awlaqi, Huthaifah Al-Yemeni, or Abu Huthaifah Al-Abu Al-Bara. Fahd Mohammed Ahmed al-Quso is a known terrorist...
, he noticed a reference to a one-legged Afghan named "Khallad", whom he remembered as a source identified years earlier as Walid bin 'Attash; this helped the FBI to track down Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri
Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri
Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri is a Saudi Arabian citizen alleged to be the mastermind of the USS Cole bombing and other terrorist attacks, he allegedly headed al-Qaeda operations in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf states prior to his capture in November 2002 by the CIA's Special Activities Division.The...
.
Following the September 11th attacks, Soufan was one of eight FBI agents who spoke Arabic, and the only one in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Colleagues reported that he would sit on the floor with suspects, offer them tea
Tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
and argue over religion and politics in fluent Arabic, while drawing out information.
While investigating the September 11th attacks in Yemen, Soufan received intelligence that the CIA had been withholding for months. According to The New Yorker, "Soufan received the fourth photograph of the Malaysia meeting—the picture of Khallad, the mastermind of the Cole operation. The two plots, Soufan instantly realized, were linked, and if the C.I.A. had not withheld information from him he likely would have drawn the connection months before September 11th."
He was tasked with the "intensive interrogation" of Abu Jandal
Abu Jandal
Abu Jandal is a former member of al-Qaeda and former chief bodyguard of Osama bin Laden.He is a Saudi citizen of Yemeni descent. Abu Jandal was arrested by Yemeni authorities in connection with the USS Cole bombing in October 2000,...
over the course of five days in Yemen, during which time Jundal gave up the names of a number of members of al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
.
It was his questioning of Mohammed al Qahtani, that led to the terrorism charges against Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri
Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri
Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri is a citizen of Qatar who was arrested on charges of being a sleeper al Qaeda agent while studying at Bradley University in the United States. After denying any wrongdoing since his arrest, al-Marri pled guilty in a plea agreement to the federal charges on April 30, 2009...
in Chicago, whom al Qahtani had mentioned being a relative.
In 2005, Soufan approached Florida doctor Rafiq Abdus Sabir
Rafiq Abdus Sabir
Rafiq Abdus Sabir, an American doctor convicted of supporting terrorism, had agreed to provide medical treatment to insurgents wounded in the US-led Invasion of Iraq....
and pretended to be an Islamist militant, and asked him whether he would provide medical treatment to wounded fighters in the Iraq War. When Sabir agreed to provide medical treatment, he was arrested and sentenced to 25 years' imprisonment for supporting terrorism.
Soufan has been described as having had a close working relationship with John P. O'Neill
John P. O'Neill
John Patrick O'Neill was an American counter-terrorism expert, who worked as a special agent and eventually a Special Agent in Charge in the Federal Bureau of Investigation until late 2001...
.
Guantanamo interrogations
Soufan obtained a confession from Salim Hamdan, accused of being a driver and bodyguard for Osama bin LadenOsama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
. Soufan testified before his military tribunal that Hamdan was a hardened terrorist, with advance knowledge of the September 11th attacks.
He also obtained a confession from Ali al-Bahlul, an al Qaeda propagandist and Bin Laden media secretary accused of making a video celebrating the Cole attacks, and testified at his military tribunal as well.
Senate testimony
On May 14, 2009 Soufan testified in front the Senate Judicial Committee for their hearing on torture. The hearing followed Obama's declassification of what is known as the "torture memos," and Soufan's testimony was essentially the same as an op-ed he authored for The New York Times on April 22, 2009 entitled "My Tortured Decision", which was published shortly after the memos were released.Most notably, he claimed in his testimony that his interrogation of Abu Zubaydah
Abu Zubaydah
Abu Zubaydah is a Saudi Arabian citizen, sentenced to death in Jordan and currently held in U.S. custody in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.Not neutral: Arrested in Pakistan in March 2002, he has been in US custody for more than eight years, four-and-a-half of them spent incommunicado in solitary confinement...
had resulted in actionable intelligence, such as the identity of convicted terrorist José Padilla; and that thereafter, when waterboarding
Waterboarding
Waterboarding is a form of torture in which water is poured over the face of an immobilized captive, thus causing the individual to experience the sensation of drowning...
was performed on Abu Zubaydah, the flow of intelligence stopped. Soufan's statement is contrary to the ones made in the "torture memos," that were intent on making a legal case in favor of and justification for the use of these techniques.
Soufan re-stated this claim in a September 5, 2009, New York Times op-ed.
According to one of President George W. Bush's speechwriters Marc Thiessen
Marc Thiessen
Marc A. Thiessen is an American author, columnist and political commentator, who served as a speechwriter for United States President George W. Bush and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld...
, writing in the National Review
National Review
National Review is a biweekly magazine founded by the late author William F. Buckley, Jr., in 1955 and based in New York City. It describes itself as "America's most widely read and influential magazine and web site for conservative news, commentary, and opinion."Although the print version of the...
in October 2009, both Soufan's testimony and his April 2009 New York Times op-ed are contradicted by CIA documents that state that Abu Zubaydah revealed the actionable intelligence only during the CIA's interrogation, which included rougher treatment than what the FBI had used. But in turn, Thiessen's argument is contradicted by the 2008 Department of Justice's Inspector General Report which quotes FBI sources stating that "Zubaydah was responding to the FBI's rapport-based approach before the CIA assumed control over the interrogation, but became uncooperative after being subjected to the CIA's techniques."
Soufan's argument was also supported by the CIA Inspector General's 2004 Report into the program. After investigating claims about the effectiveness of Enhanced Interrogation Techniques (EITs), the report stated that while the regular interrogation approach achieved many successes "measuring the effectiveness of the EITs, however, is a more subjective process and not without some concern."
The Department of Justice's Office of Professional Responsibility report, published July 29, 2009, states that "the CIA Effectiveness Memo provided inaccurate information about Abu Zubaydah's interrogation." The CIA memo stated that "Zubaydah's reporting led to the arrest of Padilla on his arrival in Chicago in May 2003." However, the OPR report states, "In fact Padilla was arrested in May 2002, not 2003," and so "the information 'leading to the arrest of Padilla' could not have been obtained through the authorized use of EITs."
Works
- The Black Banners: The Inside Story of 9/11 and the War Against al-Qaeda, W. W. Norton & Company, 2011. ISBN 978-0393079425
External Links
- TheBlackBanners.com
- 60 Minutes Interview with Ali Soufan (Aired: Sept. 11, 2011)