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Fbi plane surveillance Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
>http://www.hoosiertimes.com/stories/2003/02/28/news.030228_HT_A1_MCW30131.sto>FBI SAYS AIRPLANE DOING SURVEILLANCE
>Kurt Van der Dussen, Herald-Times, 2/28/03
>http://www.hoosiertimes.com/stories/2003/02/28/news.030228_HT_A1_MCW30131.sto
>
>The single-engine plane flying around Bloomington lately is an FBI
>surveillance plane.
>
>Two FBI officials said Thursday the Cessna 182 is conducting nonelectronic
>visual surveillance of individuals, vehicles and gathering places such as
>businesses under that surveillance.
>
>The flights are related to national security and anti-terrorism efforts
>going on across the nation. And many of the individuals whose actions are
>being monitored are non-Americans.
>
>FBI officials Thomas V. Fuentes and James H. Davis of the Indianapolis FBI
>office were in Bloomington Thursday and discussed the flights as
>thoroughly as they said they could without compromising specific subjects
>of investigation.
>
>The two stressed that the FBI is not aware of any threat of terrorism
>directed toward Bloomington, or anywhere in Indiana.
>
>As for the FBI statement Wednesday that the plane was not theirs, Fuentes
>said an FBI agent had been asked by a reporter whether the FBI had an
>airplane doing any electronic surveillance over Bloomington. The agent
>said no, because the plane wasn't doing electronic surveillanceÖ
>
>But the two said Bloomington is a community with many individuals from
>outside the United States in it. And while the vast majority pose no
>threat, there are those that either could or doÖ
>
>Fuentes said the surveillance targets are not war protesters. But he said
>it's only prudent to have surveillance of non-U.S. individuals who could
>possibly have ties to terrorist groups so information is available on them.
>
>But he also said the FBI is concerned about arousing concern about or
>accusations against any particular group or person.
>
>He specifically alluded to the incident earlier this week in Indianapolis
>in which a Saudi student was involved in an accident and left the scene.
>He said the situation "completely spun out" of control when the student
>was found to have the address for the Federal Building in Indianapolis in
>his car.
>
>An investigation determined the man was on his way to the Immigration and
>Naturalization Service office there for legitimate business. He also
>proved to be a legitimate student at an aviation mechanics school in VincennesÖ
>
>SEE ALSO:
>
>BUREAU AGENTS INTERVIEWING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AT IU
>Steve Hinnefeld, Herald-Times, 2/28/03
>http://www.hoosiertimes.com/stories/2003/02/28/news.030228_HT_A1_KEM04157.sto
>
>FBI agents have been in Bloomington questioning Indiana University
>international students, university officials said Thursday.
>
>A spokesman for the bureau would not say if the work was related to
>concerns about terrorism or security, nor would he confirm an
>investigation was taking place.
>
>That's typical policy for the agency, said FBI spokesman Doug Garrison. He
>said disclosing information about what agents are doing could compromise
>what they are trying to accomplish.
>
>Garrison also wouldn't say if flights over Bloomington by an FBI
>surveillance plane were related to any questioning of IU students.
>
>Agents from outside Bloomington have been in town for several weeks,
>according to Bob Weith, director of residential operations for IU's
>Residential Programs and Services department. He said they have showed up
>at several campus apartment complexes to conduct interviews with individualsÖ
>
>Officials with Islamic and Middle Eastern groups say they have had visits
>from agents. And last month the FBI began the Iraqi Initiative, a plan to
>interview all Iraqi nationals living in the United States, including
>students and visiting scholarsÖ
>
>Amr Sabry, president of the Islamic Center in Bloomington, said FBI agents
>have been visited the mosque and been in touch with its leaders several
>times in the past year or so. He said the visits were friendly and were
>apparently intended to establish lines of communication with the Islamic
>communityÖ
>
>He said there have been stories about Middle East residents being
>temporarily detained at the Indianapolis Airport. And on at least two
>occasions, he said, younger students have been upset about questioning by
>law enforcement officers.
>
>"They were pretty shaken when they came and talked to me," he saidÖ
>
>---
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