Columnist Jeff German: Knowlton dedicated to valley’s security

Friday, Nov. 14, 2003 | 5:54 a.m.

Jeff German's column appears Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays in the Sun. Reach him at german@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4067.

WEEKEND EDITION Nov. 15 - 16, 2003

WHEN YOU sit down with Ellen Knowlton, it doesn't take long to learn that fighting terrorism is her top priority as special agent in charge of the Las Vegas FBI field office.

You also can quickly spot her commitment to protecting Southern Nevadans from the threat of terrorism.

It is the main reason why Gov. Kenny Guinn, as first disclosed in this space two weeks ago, took the historic step of asking the 48-year-old Knowlton to serve on the newly created Nevada Homeland Security Commission.

And it is why Knowlton agreed to serve on the 19-member commission, which has been given the task of coordinating the state's anti-terrorism campaign.

As best State Archivist Guy Rocha can determine, Knowlton is the only federal official in Nevada ever appointed to a state panel.

Knowlton not only brings the worldwide resources of the FBI to the Homeland Security Commission, but also a wealth of counterintelligence experience working for the FBI in Washington before she took over the Las Vegas field office in June 2002.

When she invited me to stop by the bureau last week and chat about homeland security, I naturally jumped at the chance.

She said she asked to serve on the commission's intelligence committee, which is not a huge surprise considering intelligence on al-Qaida and other terrorist operations is the biggest thing Knowlton has to offer her fellow panel members.

"I do have those connections and the ability through our headquarters to keep my finger on the international pulse," she said.

What I liked about Knowlton was her candor.

Though authorities have managed to dismantle 80 percent of al-Qaida's financial network since the Sept. 11 attacks, she said, there's still much they don't know about the organization.

"People always want me to say that I am happy and feel very good that we've done everything we could do," she said. "But what I worry about is what we don't know.

"We know an awful lot about al-Qaida and other groups, a lot more than we did before Sept. 11. But there's still information that we don't have, and that's the work we're doing to identify some of the intelligence gaps."

One mystery Knowlton said the FBI still hasn't solved is why five of the 19 Sept. 11 hijackers, including ringleader Mohamed Atta, passed through Las Vegas in the weeks prior to the attacks.

Some people might find it hard to believe that the FBI, which is regarded as the most professional law enforcement agency in the world, has failed to put together the pieces of this puzzle.

Knowlton said agents simply have been unable to find any al-Qaida operatives with intimate knowledge of the Sept. 11 attacks willing to talk about it. But agents, she added, aren't giving up.

In the meantime, Knowlton again said there still is no credible information that al-Qaida is eyeing this city.

"Las Vegas, in my opinion, is not a soft target," she said. "Anybody who comes here can look around and see the extensive security measures we have on the Strip and in other locations to keep this place safe."

A good way to measure Knowlton's effectiveness on the homeland security front is what her colleagues in local law enforcement say about her.

Sheriff Bill Young, who also serves on the Homeland Security Commission, describes Knowlton as a "sharp lady" who has worked hard to improve communication and information-sharing with Metro Police in her 16 months in Las Vegas.

"The thing I like about Ellen is that she has moved her family here and plans on living here the rest of her life," Young said.

That means Knowlton has just as much stake in this city as the rest of us -- which should give everyone confidence in her commitment to protecting Southern Nevadans from the threat of terrorism.