(2007-1741-F) Millennium Terrorist Plots (2000)

The materials in FOIA 2007-1741-F are a systematic body of documents responsive to the topic of the FOIA. Researchers should consult the archivist about related materials. FOIA request 2007-1741-F contains records on the 2000 Millennium attack plots and the subsequent after action review by the federal government. It should be noted that many of the documents regarding the Millennium plots and review have been withdrawn due to national security restrictions. The Year 2000 attack plots were terrorist attacks planned to occur on or near January 1, 2000: the bombing of four sites in Jordan, the bombing of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), and the bombing of the USS The Sullivans. The first two plots were foiled by law enforcement agencies; the third was aborted after a mistake occurred. While the various attacks were planned to occur around the same date, there is no evidence that the three plots were coordinated in any way. On November 30, 1999, Jordanian intelligence intercepted a call between Abu Zubaydah, the leader of the plot, and Khadr Abu Hoshar, a Palestinian militant. In the conversation, Zubaydah stated, "The time for training is over.” Sensing that the attack was imminent, Jordanian police arrested Hoshar and fifteen others on December 12, 1999. Ahmed Ressam, an Algerian living in Canada, planned to bomb LAX. He was arrested at Port Angeles, Washington, after crossing by ferry from Victoria, British Columbia, on December 14, 1999. Customs officials then found nitroglycerin and four timing devices concealed in a spare tire well of his automobile. He and three other Algerians stood trial for the crime. Ressam began  cooperating with investigators in 2001. On July 27, 2005, he was sentenced to 22 years in prison. In Yemen, members of the group planned to bomb USS The Sullivans with a boat laden with explosives. Militants deployed a bomb-laden boat on January 3, 2000, but the over-loaded bomb boat sank before detonating. The White House Staff and Office Files contain reports and speeches. These materials focus on the government’s response to the foiled attacks, including a summary of the recommendations by the National Commission on Terrorism and emergency budget supplementals by various federal agencies. The NSC Records Management System includes Records Management Office (RMO) profile sheets and routine memos from the National Security Council Executive Secretary regarding the distribution of conclusions from a Principals Committee meeting on the Millennium after action review.