Terror Inmates' Mail Still Goes Unread

WASHINGTON — Federal prison officials aren't reading all mail sent and received by convicted terrorists and other high-risk inmates, a security gap that could prove deadly, a Justice Department review concluded Tuesday.

Moreover, prison investigators read less inmate mail now than a year ago at seven of 10 prisons surveyed by the Justice Department's inspector general.

"Consequently, the threat remains that terrorist and other high-risk inmates can use mail and verbal communications to conduct terrorist or criminal activities while incarcerated," concluded the inspector general's report of U.S. Bureau of Prisons facilities.

The mail investigation was spurred, in part, after three convicted terrorists at a federal maximum-security prison in Florence, Colo., were found to have written an estimated 90 letters between 2002 and 2004 to Islamic extremists — including some with links to the March 11, 2004, attacks on commuter trains in Madrid.

Following that, the Bureau of Prisons began limiting high-risk inmates' mail and telephone calls, the inspector general found. It also hired more Arabic translators and sought to better analyze mail for clues to suspicious or criminal activity.

But limited funding, in the face of a growing inmate population, has hindered those efforts, the inspector general's report concluded.

Jihadi guests at the Florence Supermax:

* Omar Abdel-Rahman, leader of the New York City landmark bomb plot.
* Mahmud Abouhalima, involved in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
* Ahmad Mohammed Ajaj, involved in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
* Mohamed Rashed Daoud Al-'Owhali, involved in the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings.
* Mohammed Ali Hassan Al-Moayad, helped to finance al-Qaeda and Hamas.
* Mirssa Araiza-Reyes, drug smuggler and illegal alien; killed inmate Frank Melendez.
* Nidal Ayyad, involved in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
* Abdul Aziz
* Hanif S. Bey (B. Gereau),
* Ibrahim Elgabrowny, involved in the New York City landmark bomb plot.
* Wadih El Hage, involved in the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings.
* Clement Rodney Hampton-Ell (a.k.a. Dr. Rashid), involved in the New York City landmark bomb plot.
* Eyad Ismoil, involved in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
* Khalfan Khamis Mohamed, involved in the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings.
* Zacarias Moussaoui, convicted for the September 11, 2001 attacks and sentenced to 6 life terms without parole in ADX Florence[1].
* Aziz Abdul Mumi,
* Abdul Hakim Murad, involved in Operation Bojinka.
* El Sayyid Nosair, involved in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
* Ahmed Ressam, serving 23 years for attempting to blow up Los Angeles International Airport.
* Omar Mohammed Rezaq, hijacked an Air Egypt flight in Greece in 1985.
* Mohammed A. Salameh, involved in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
* Ramzi Ahmed Yousef, terrorist involved in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and Operation Bojinka.
* Richard Reid, the "Shoe Bomber".

And not to mention:

* Robert Hanssen, a former FBI agent serving life for spying for the U.S.S.R. for two decades.
* Charles Harrelson, mobster, father of actor Woody Harrelson.
* Theodore Kaczynski, the Unabomber.
* Yu Kikumura, member of the Japanese Red Army.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.