T4 B21 At Interviewees Fdr- Entire Contents- 9 Withdrawal Notices Re Interviews And 1 Mfr 960

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WITH DRAWAL NOTICE RG: 148 Box: 00008 Series: Copies: 1

Folder: 0021 Document: 3 Team 4 Files Pages: 7 ACCESS RESTRICTED

The item identified below has been withdrawn from this file: Folder Title: BK — Interviews Document Date: 11-07-2003 Document Type: Memo of Conversation Special Media: From: To: Subject:

interview with Bruce Williamson

In the review of this file this item was removed because access to it is restricted. Restrictions on records in the National Archives are stated in general and specific record group restriction statements which are available for examination.

NND: 401 Withdrawn: 10-24-2008

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The item identified below has been withdrawn from this file: Folder Title: BK -- Interviews Document Date: 10-30-2003 Document Type: Memo of Conversation Special Media: From: To: Subject:

interview with Gary Grappo

In the review of this file this item was removed because access to it is restricted. Restrictions on records in the National Archives are stated in general and specific record group restriction statements which are available for examination.

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COMMISSION SENSITIVE Memorandum for the Record

Event: Interview of Barakaat Minneapolis parties Type of Event: On-the-Record Interview Date of interview: 3/22/04 Date memo prepared: 3/22/04 Special Access Issues: None Prepared by: John Roth Team Number: 4 Location: Telephone conference call (612-492-7000) Classification: Secret Present, non-Commission: John Lundquist, Esq., Dulce Foster, Esq., (both from the law firm of Fredrickson & Byron), Omar Jamal, Abdullahi Farah Commission: John Roth, Doug Greenburg and Serena Wille This memorandum provides a summary of the most important points covered in the above-entitled interview, but is not a verbatim account. The memorandum is organized by subject and does not necessarily follow the order of the interview. This interview memorandum was supplemented, particularly regarding dates and amounts, by two documents sent to the author after the interview was conducted: the civil complaint filed by Global against the US and Global's memorandum in opposition to Defendants' motion to dismiss. Background Abdullahi Farah was the owner of Global Services, one of the wire remitter companies that was closed by Treasury action on November 7, 2001 during the E.O. action against al-Barakaat. Omar Jamal is a representative of the Somali community within Minneapolis. John Lundquist, Esq., Dulce Foster, Esq were lawyers represnting Mr. Farah, and and also represented Garand Nor, who was the owner of Aaron Money Wire Service. The purpose of the interview was to get their perspective on the blocking actions conducted by OF AC and the impact that such blockings had on their lives. Farah established Global Services in approximately May of 2000. Farah is a U.S. citizen, having come from Somalia in approximately February 1992. Although there were other money remitter services in Minneapolis at the time, he believed that there were still lots of people would need these services. Farah had been a prior customer of al-Barakaat, and had dealt with an individual named Abdul Aziz, who Farah described as the alBarakaat business representative for North America. Farah ultimately opened his operation after having applied for a license and establishing the relationship with alBarakaat. While the business was cyclical, with more money being transmitted during Ramadan, he would transmit approximately $200,000 per month. [Lundquist stated that approximately $500,000 was seized between Aaron wire services and Global.] [A review of the civil complaint indicates that the following amounts were frozen in three accounts: $176,729; $87,000; and $34,199.]

COMMISSION SENSITIVE

COMMISSION SENSITIVE

The first interaction Farah had with the federal government relating to terrorist financing came on November 7, 2001, approximately 20 agents entered his business and seized his books and records, office equipment and a briefcase. Additionally, the agents locked Farah and his employee out of his business, preventing re-entry. Three bank accounts were also frozen, representing Global's business accounts. [Lundquist mentioned that Nor's business, as well as him personally, was designated, which prohibited him from engaging in any financial transactions. The net effect of a personal designation was that "the guy couldn't buy a cup of coffee" without being in violation of the blocking order.] approximately a week later, the FBI executed search warrants on Farah's business in a five hour search and seized personal property, including his birth certificate, his passport and jewelry. In many ways Farah became another victim of 9/11, financially and psychologically and received "humiliation from the government." All of the money frozen was money en route to customers overseas which, because it was Ramadan, was significant. Farah would not wire individual amounts, but would pool the money and send it in a large sum approximately once every month, or sometimes more often depending on the amount involved. He followed the central office's instruction on this. He would wire transfer it to the UAE. Farah had to go into hiding for a while because his customers wanted their money, and they did not understand that it was not Farah's fault that the money was seized. For many Somalis, the money frozen represented a significant part of their savings. Because of this anger directed toward al-Barakaat, Farah feared for his and his family's safety. He estimated more than 100 customers lost money as a result of the freezing. [Lundquist noted that approximately $60,000 was still frozen because it was in transit to Somalia and was in a bank in New York. OF AC has refused to unfreeze that portion of the money.] Lundquist then related the following concerning his participation. He was contacted on November 7 while the searches were in progress. He was unable to get anything but the most skeletal information. Ultimately, he received a copy of the blocking order, but no one could tell him anything about the nature of the alleged contact between his clients and al Qaeda. Lundquist said the the Somali community was very upset that the government had taken their savings and didn't understand. They were simply left to fear. Lundquist said that his phone calls and messages to OF AC were ignored. He filed a petition under the OF AC rules for a return of the money [this occurred in December 2001], but didn't get any response from OF AC. He had better luck with the U.S. Attorney's office, and brought Farah in to answer questions posed by the FBI and IRS, but it was clear that the U.S. Attorney's Office didn't have much control over what was going on. OFAC's only response occurred after Lundquist filed a civil complaint against the U.S. [on April 15, 2002], at which time the Justice Department got involved and the communication started to flow. It appeared that only as a result of the lawsuit was any action taken.

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COMMISSION SENSITIVE The assets were ultimately unfrozen [August 27, 2002]. It took some time after the assets were unfrozen to do it, since they had to go to the UN to get the names "delisted." Lundquist stated that he had never seen anything like it in his 25 years as a criminal defense lawyer. It was a complete violation of due process, where an entire community's assets were taken away without any hearing notice or even explanation. Foster added that the situation was worse for Mr. Nor, in that they attempted to get a license for him so he could buy food and perhaps get a job, but never got a response to the license until after the lawsuit was filed. Thus from November 30, when Nor was placed on the list in his personal capacity, until April 26, he was unable to work or handle currency of any type. Jamal indicated that this issue was very close to the heart of the Somali community. After the Somali civil war, the banking institutions collapsed and money remitters played a key role in enabling money to go back to Somalia to assist the people there. These actions shook the community, to the extent that some people left and relocated in other countries. The freeze also led to banks not wanting to deal with Somali money service businesses, and perhaps Somalis generally, to the extent that a UN group (the UNDP) came to see if they could help smooth over relationships and try to dispel the atmosphere of suspicion. Lundquist stated that the US Attorney tried to do some outreach to explain what was going on, and to try to assure the community that this was not an anti-Muslim vendetta. However, the attempts at damage control couldn't undo the damage that had been done, and "actions speak louder than words." The parties never received an apology from the US Attorney, who declined to give one when asked. Jamal added that the US Attorney went the extra mile, but even as the number of meetings increased, so did the number of arrests and deportations of Somalis in the Minneapolis area. When asked what the government should have done if confronted with evidence that alBarakaat itself was associated with al Qaeda, Lundquist stated that the actions of the government indicated that they moved against these entities based on ethnicity and religion. The money that was collect went through American banks and none of them were frozen. Even Western union handled the hijacker's funds, yet nothing happened to them

COMMISSION SENSITIVE

WITH DRAWAL NOTICE RG: 148 Box: 00008 Series: Copies: 1

Folder: 0021 Document: 5 Team 4 Files Pages: 4

ACCESS RESTRICTED The item identified below has been withdrawn from this file: Folder Title: BK -- Interviews Document Date: 10-28-2003 Document Type: Memo of Conversation Special Media: From: To: Subject:

interview with FBI agent

In the review of this file this item was removed because access to it is restricted. Restrictions on records in the National Archives are stated in general and specific record group restriction statements which are available for examination.

NND:401 Withdrawn: 10-24-2008

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The item identified below has been withdrawn from this file: Folder Title: BK -- Interviews Document Date: 02-04-2004 Document Type: Memo of Conversation Special Media: From: To: Subject:

interview with Rick Newcomb

In the review of this file this item was removed because access to it is restricted. Restrictions on records in the National Archives are stated in general and specific record group restriction statements which are available for examination.

NND: 401 Withdrawn: 10-24-2008

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Folder. 0021 Document: 7 Team 4 Files Pages: 7

ACCESS RESTRICTED The item identified below has been withdrawn from this file: Folder Title: BK - Interviews Document Date: 11-19-2003 Document Type: Memo of Conversation Special Media: From: To: Subject:

interview with Bob McBrian

In the review of this file this item was removed because access to it is restricted. Restrictions on records in the National Archives are stated in general and specific record group restriction statements which are available for examination.

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ACCESS RESTRICTED The item identified below has been withdrawn from this file: Folder Title: BK -- Interviews Document Date: 11-19-2003 Document Type: Memo of Conversation Special Media: From: To:

Subject:

interview with OFAC employee

In the review of this file this item was removed because access to it is restricted. Restrictions on records in the National Archives are stated in general and specific record group restriction statements which are available for examination.

NND:401 Withdrawn: 10-24-2008

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The item identified below has been withdrawn from this file: Folder Title: BK -- Interviews Document Date: 02-12-2004 Document Type: Memo of Conversation Special Media: From: To: Subject:

interview with David Aufhauser

In the review of this file this item was removed because access to it is restricted. Restrictions on records in the National Archives are stated in general and specific record group restriction statements which are available for examination.

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fa/l/t fi

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The item identified below has been withdrawn from this file: Folder Title: BK -- Interviews Document Date: 10-28-2003 Document Type: Memo of Conversation Special Media: From: To: Subject:

interview with Steve Warfield

In the review of this file this item was removed because access to it is restricted. Restrictions on records in the National Archives are stated in general and specific record group restriction statements which are available for examination.

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ACCESS RESTRICTED The item identified below has been withdrawn from this file: Folder Title: BK -- Interviews Document Date: 11-18-2003 Document Type: Memo of Conversation Special Media: From: To: Subject:

interview with FBI agent

In the review of this file this item was removed because access to it is restricted. Restrictions on records in the National Archives are stated in general and specific record group restriction statements which are available for examination.

NND:401 Withdrawn: 10-24-2008

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RETRIEVAL #: 401 000080021 11 System DocID: 5282

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