T5 B61 Condor Fdr- 6-19-02 Memo Re Phone Call W Redacted Re Ftttf And Condor

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Memorandum . Subject: Phofie Conversation with| (FTTTF) """••--.,... Date-June 19, 2002

. |, Foreign Terrorist Tracking Task Force

I spoke witH L an FBI employee detailed to the task force, about how the FTTTF is handling Visas Condors. According tbl I Condor processing was V1 shifted from FBI's NIPC to the FTTTF in early April. She said that FTTTF director Steve McCraw wants the Condors to g~b back to FBI/NIPC by the end of this week (by June 21). not think it would happen this soon, but the process of shifting the Condors to FBI is already underway. She is meeting with DOJ and State tomorrow to review Condor procedures. At the meeting they will also discuss the Condor criteria and the list of countries currently being screened (the criteria and country list may be adjusted).

I \ started working for fTlTF on May 3 and said that when she started, there / r were "mountains" of unprocessed Condor cables. Many were older than 30 days, (some s even dated back to January), which explains why posts were getting positive hits back from Condors after the requisite 30 days had passed. Since the FTTTF has been doing the \, they have manag additional 2000 per week that they are how receiving. Statistics on Condors I lias assigned two analysts from her team to do a statistical analysis of the Condors, which will be ready the first week of July. The data report will include information on the total number of Condors processed by the Fl'lTF and the number of positive hits) The "total number" of Condors processed includes everything that FTTTF has done since early April, and includes some Condors that were sent in as early as January. However, there may be Condors not accounted fdr in this statistic that the FBI processed before the FTTTF took over the task. FTTTFs Condor Process/Databases Checked Here is a description of the Condor check at the K1T1J-, according tol

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1. Post sends in a Condor to main State. 2. Main State distributes the cable electronically to various agencies, including the FBI. \. Since FBI had h.ot created the software program necessary to run the electronic version of the Candor against its databases, the cables are printed out and the information is msyiually entered back in. FBI runs the Condor information through its Investigative Indices. Any "hits" are printed out and attached to the back of the Condot The Condor printout and any attached "hit" information is then sent to the FTTTF. 4. FTTTF analysts sort through the Condors, attending to the ones with the "hits" first. Analysts then run the Condor information against these additional indices: :

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Some Condors are chosen at random and run against additional electronic case files, which include information that is not in the indices. 5. If FTTTF gets a positive hit against any of these indices, it would send the Condor back to FBI's Counter-terrorism division, which would then have 5 days to decide if that person posed a risk to national security. Andv Arena, a section chief in the Counter-terrorism division, was| Imain point of contact when she had a Condor with a positive hit. / Electronic Condors will Speed Process Considerably J told me that if the Condors can be kept in their electronic version and run electronically against FBI's indices, then it would be possible to cut the Condor timeframe down from 30 days. She said that this would certainly be the case for Condors that have no hits - this reply could be sent to State/rather quickly. She has been working with Terry Fisher at NIPC (ph:| }to figure out a way for the Condor checks to be done electronically. .

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Jsaid that Terry Fisher $t NIPC Would be a good person to talk to about the transfer of Condors froin FTTTF back to FBI headquarters. She is going to tell him to expect a call from us. \ "I Can INS.a£ent on detail at the PrrlrF) is

us. His number i4 I is assisting him in this effortA JFBI/Courvter Terrorism division Documents • We can get the Condor statistics from Mr. Sutton the first week of July. _|is in the process of drafting a "procedure manual'' on how to process L Condors for NIPC. Resource Management, and some other divisions at the FBI. I Isaid that she would give us a copy of this the first week of July.

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