Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2003 | 11:16 a.m.
A CIA agent told Sheriff Bill Young last week that the agency still doesn't know why the Sept. 11 terrorists visited Las Vegas in the months preceding the hijackings, Young said Monday.
During a meeting Thursday with the sheriff and 15 members of the Metro command staff, the agent also told Young that he agreed that Southern Nevada needed more homeland security funding, Young said.
"He gave us a nonclassified briefing as to what they're seeing and where they're at on the terrorism front," Young explained during a meeting with the Sun editorial board.
"I asked him if they were any further along in determining what (the hijackers) were doing in Las Vegas, and the answer was no," Young said.
Federal authorities have said that hijackers Nawaf Alhazmi, Mohamed Atta, Hani Hanjour, Ziad Jarrah and Marwan Al-Shehhi met in Las Vegas on various occasions from May to August of 2001 but no one has said exactly what the purpose of those visits was.
Young and other officials have speculated in the past that the visits could have been a meeting to plan for attacks or one last party before the suicide mission or both.
Meeting here makes sense because "all different kinds of people from around the world are able to blend in here with our tourist population," Young said.
A federal raid of a Detroit apartment in connection with the investigation of a sleeper terrorist cell uncovered a videotape that included footage of the MGM Grand resort and other major Las Vegas hotels.
Young said the CIA agent confirmed Metro's belief that the most vulnerable terrorist target in Las Vegas is the Strip, followed by "infrastructure," particularly Hoover Dam.
"It's interesting how different the CIA is from the FBI because the CIA is so oriented toward what is going on in foreign countries," Young said. Young said he got the impression that most of the information the agent provided to Metro was based on interrogations of suspects in federal custody and intelligence gathered overseas.
Young said one of things that the agent said really stuck with him.
"He said there were operatives of al-Qaida in this country before 9-11, there are operatives of al-Qaida here now and they will continue to be here for some time to come," Young said.
The agent also said he agreed with Metro that Las Vegas should have been one of the 30 cities that received extra federal homeland security funding based on its terrorist threat, Young said.
"They've never taken the tourist population into account," Young said repeating what has become a standing criticism of the federal government's funding formula. "Clark County has received less than its fair share."
Population and infrastructure, including important buildings, are key elements of the formula that determines anti-terrorism funding. But the 35 million visitors that Las Vegas receives annually are not.
Homeland security money helps pay for training and supplies for first responders, such as police and firefighters, who would serve on the front lines of any terrorist attack.
The federal Homeland Security Department in May distributed $500 million to 30 cities to combat terrorism but Las Vegas was left out of the mix.
"The CIA agent felt Las Vegas should have been among the 30 cities," Young said.
"If I had my way, we'd be doing more," but it would take a lot more money, Young said of local terrorism preparedness.
Young said he plans to meet later this week with the CIA's new Los Angeles section chief.
"It's interesting because in all my years in law enforcement, I had never met with a CIA agent until 9-11 happened," Young said.
The Washington Post reported last October that in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks the CIA was expanding its domestic presence by placing agents with most of the FBI's joint terrorism task forces, which include participation from local police agencies.
The newspaper reported that the CIA has been helping to plan daily operations and share information with law enforcement about "suspected foreigners and groups."
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