9/11 Personal Privacy Page 1 of 1

Janice Kephart-Roberts
From: Harris, Mr. Robet N. [harrisrn@centcom.rnil]
Sent: Tuesday, July 01, 2003 7:34 AM
To: 'jkephart-roberts@9-11 commission.gov'
Subject: 911 issues

Ms Kephart-Roberts

William West passed your information on to me and advised that you were looking for information on pre-911
related matters. I retired from DOJ/INS in 2002 as a Senior Special Agent. Among my assignments was a very
long tour at the Miami Field Division of the FBI where I served in counter-terrorism and counterintelligence
operations.

Please feel free to contact me at my personal e-mail addressj I or at USCENTCOM, Macdill

AFB, FL 813 827 25737 2595.

Robert N. Harris

7/3/2003
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Janice Kephart-Roberts

From: Harris, Mr. Robet N. [harrisrn@centcom.mil]

Sent: Tuesday, July 01, 2003 11:14 AM
To: 'Janice Kephart-Roberts'
Subject: RE: 911 issues

Ms Kephart-Roberts

(1) Terrorism investigations that targeted HAMAS, PIJ, Hezbollah, IRA, FARC and some domestic terrorism
organizations. I targeted terrorist individuals and organizations that used smuggling routes, false
documents, and manipulated the immigration rules and procedures, to include individuals who used the
asylum and refugee processes.

As far as specific cases, there are too many to reference here however the most noteworthy was the
operation against the Mujahedin el Khalq (MEK) in Los Angeles, CA. Case name "Operation Eastern
Approach". I conducted operations in Macedona in support of the Kosovo war effort where I targeted
terrorism related individuals and criminal elements who were using the refugee process to enter the
United States. In Miami I was assigned to the Joint Terrorism Task Force at the Miami FBI Field Division.
There were many cases where known Islamic extremist were organizing in the South Florida area and the
Tri-Border area. Moot of the targeted individuals were making maximum use of the loop holes in the INS
procedures by filing frivolous asylum claims and taking advantage of the visitor visa procedures.

(2) How supportive was Headquarters?

I will have to address the question by breaking it down by INS Headquarters and FBI Headquarters and
the US Department of Justice Headquarters. INS Headquarters could not have been LESS supportive of
the efforts. The INS refused to require Inspectors at international airports require that the I-94 form be
completed completely and legibly by alien visitors. They refused to enforce the laws that required foreign
students to depart the United States when their status expired, instead, they adopted a policy whereby a
student could remain in the United States in violation of the law. During the operation in Macedona they
were determined to bring 20,000 Kosovar refugees into the United States in spite of the fact that most of
the refugees could not establish a valid relationship to petitioners or even establish any grounds for
asylum. I was once told that Hillary Clinton had directed the Commissioner of the INS to bring the
refugees in, I wasn't even aware that she was in the chain of command. I wrote reports every week
detailing the problems and sent them to Headquarters National Security Unit. I do not have any of the
reports.

FBI Headquarters- The FBI was so mired in their own administrative mud that it was almost impossible to
take action on any matter without many levels of review and ultimate denial. A case in point is the matter
of Adham HASSOUN, currently in jail. HASSOUN was the subject of a long running investigation and a
known terrorist who resided in Sunrise, FL. He manipulated the INS asylum process and continued to
organize terrorist. I tried unsuccessfully to arrest him and place him in removal proceeding before the
Alien Terrorist Removal Court. My efforts were fought and denied by the Department of Justice, Terrorism
and Violent Crimes Section. I made several trips to DC to present the matter. The FBI was so concerned
about arresting anyone because it would have meant that a major FISA case would be shut down.

We knew people were playing the student rules and the asylum rules. I put individuals in the terrorist look-
out system only to find out that they were either naturalized or made resident aliens. I confronted the INS
managers with this and I was told that the asylum and citizenship examiners do not check the look-out
system. The INS Asylum Officers were the most incompetent individuals I have ever seen. They had no
interview skills and did their entire evaluation of an individual based upon their feeling, likes and dislikes.
When I was in Macedonia I set about organizing my investigative program because I was the Senior
Special Agent on the scene. The other Special Agent, who was about as competent as the asylum
examiners refused to adhere to the program. I presented my concerns to Dan Cadman at INS HQ telling
him that we need to have some direction and leadership and that it would not be productive to simply
have two Special Agents doing as they individually pleased. In the end I was identified as the problem

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by Cadman.

In my humble the INS should never have been involved in asylum and refugee matters. There are many
other issues I could talk to you about but I have to get back to work. Please feel free to call me at 813 827
259512573.

BIO-

Robert N. Harris
Retired from DOJ/INS April 1, 2002 as a Senior Special Agent in the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement
Task Force Dallas Texas
Previously served in Miami, Fl in the Joint Terrorism Task Force
Currently employed as a contract employee at the US Central Command (CENTCOM) in the Intelligence
Directorate (J2)

Regards,
Robert N. Harris
—Original Message—
From: Janice Kephart-Roberts [mailto:jkephart-roberts@9-llcommission.gov]
Sent: July 01,2003 10:34 AM
To: 'Harris, Mr. Robet N.'
Subject: RE: 911 issues

Mr. Harris,

Thanks for contacting me. I'm particularly interested in learning about:

(1) the types of counter terrorism investigations pre-9/11 with which you were involved (e.g. what types of
immigration violations do terrorists commit? What trends did you see in Miami? Can you share specific
cases (we are all cleared, SCI, and could make that process work);
(2) How supportive was headquarters of your work? Did you memo headquarters? If so, what was the
response? Do you still have the memos? May I have copies if you do?

If you have a bio, that would be helpful as well.

Thanks so much.

Janice Kephart-Roberts

Original Message
From: Harris, Mr. Robet N. [mailto:harrisrn@centcom.mil]
Sent: Tuesday, July 01, 2003 7:34 AM
To: 'jkephart-roberts@9-llcommission.gov'
Subject: 911 issues

Ms Kephart-Roberts

William West passed your information on to me and advised that you were looking for information
on pre-911 related matters. I retired from DOJ/INS in 2002 as a Senior Special Agent. Among my
assignments was a very long tour at the Miami Field Division of the FBI where I served in
counter-terrorism and counterintelligence operations.

Please feel free to contact me at my personal e-mail address] |, or at

USCENTCOM, Macdill AFB, FL 813 827 2573/ 2595. /

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Robert N. Harris

7/3/2003