FBI UBLU and RFU

[noise]

An FBI agent named Kevin Foust was chosen to replace Rod Middleton as the UBLU Unit Chief. Even though Middleton's last day was 9/10/01, Foust was due to start in late September. On 9/11 he and Tom Carey (Foust's supervisor at the Washington field office) were told to report to FBI headquarters by Dale Watson.

Link

Rob (Rod Middleton) was Jane’s (Jennifer Maitner) SSA and also the Acting Unit Chief of the UBLU at the
time. Rob, an FBI agent since 1990, had been assigned to the UBLU since 1999. He was the Acting Unit Chief of the UBLU from June 28, 2001, until September 10, 2001.

Chris (?) was an SSA assigned to the RFU from the summer of 2000 until September 10, 2001, when he left FBI Headquarters.

Link

...the Radical Fundamentalist Unit at FBI Headquarters experienced the routinely high rate of turnover in agent personnel as others units regularly did. Not only was the Unit Chief replaced, but also one or more of the four SSAs who reported to the Unit Chief was a recent transfer into the Unit. These key personnel were to have immediate and direct control over the fate of the “Phoenix memo” and the Minneapolis Division’s submission of a FISA application for the personal belongings of Moussaoui. While these supervisory agents certainly had distinguished and even outstanding professional experience within the FBI before being assigned to Headquarters, their short tours in the specialized counterterrorism units raises questions about the depth and scope of their training and experience to handle these requests properly and, more importantly, about the FBI’s decision to allow such a key unit to be staffed in such a manner.

Link

1) Why did the UBLU Chief and a RFU SSA quit on 9/10?

2) Why was Frasca named to head the RFU in May 2001?

3) One of the RFU SSA's is Michael Maltbie. Who are the other three and how long were they with the RFU? AFAIK, RFU agent identities are not classified.

[Realityhack]

1. Why was the sky clear on 9-11? Why no rain over NY? n/t

[Diane_nyc]

3. Why don't you just ASK noise the significance of the questions in the O.P.?

In my opinion, the most important question about 9/11 is: How much did the FBI and various intelligence agencies know about the forthcoming attacks?

Obviously, the career moves of various people in the FBI's UBLU and RFU might be more relevant to this question than the weather on 9/11/2001. In any case, it's worth learning about these people and their history, just to flesh out our picture of what happened on and before 9/11. Is there any reason why we shouldn't learn what we can about these people and their history?

[Realityhack]

4. Sorry...

I am just a bit tired today and I am fed up with questions that are either leading or have no relevance. IMO Noise should have indicated why those where important questions and probably done some additional research.
OTOH My reaction was a bit out of line for the question asked.

Sorry Noise.

[noise]

6. The Judiciary Committee report explains the significance

...the Radical Fundamentalist Unit at FBI Headquarters experienced the routinely high rate of turnover in agent personnel as others units regularly did. Not only was the Unit Chief replaced, but also one or more of the four SSAs who reported to the Unit Chief was a recent transfer into the Unit. These key personnel were to have immediate and direct control over the fate of the “Phoenix memo” and the Minneapolis Division’s submission of a FISA application for the personal belongings of Moussaoui. While these supervisory agents certainly had distinguished and even outstanding professional experience within the FBI before being assigned to Headquarters, their short tours in the specialized counterterrorism units raises questions about the depth and scope of their training and experience to handle these requests properly and, more importantly, about the FBI’s decision to allow such a key unit to be staffed in such a manner.

Who made these staffing decisions? Was Frasca qualified to be the RFU Unit Chief? The report says "one or more of the four SSAs was a recent transfer into the Unit." How recent? Who made these changes and for what reasons? If these SSAs didn't have the background required for the work then what was the criteria used to assign them?

Re: UBLU. I find it strange that Middleton left on 9/10/01. Why did he leave on this day? Why wasn't he called back since he had more experience than Foust?

Re: RFU SSA "Chris" leaving on 9/10. Same questions.

[Diane_nyc]

2. The FBI's Usama bin Laden Unit

Thanks for for the links. According to one of them, http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/82009">Agent's career forged in the fires of terrorism by Lindsey Nair, Sunday, September 10, 2006, about Kevin Foust:

The UBLU, as it is called in the bureau (because the FBI spells it Usama, not Osama), had only existed for about four years. Before that, bin Laden and al-Qaida were the responsibility of the Radical Fundamentalist Unit.

The UBLU's mission was to track bin Laden, his actions, his intentions and anything related to al-Qaida.

The unit consisted of 18 people, including analysts who ate, slept and breathed bin Laden.

"They knew his underwear size, they knew his shoe size, they knew what hand he picked his nose with," Foust said.

[noise]

5. He is another interesting link

In June of 1997, upon request, Mr. (John) Hess was transferred to The New York Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF).

On July 9, 1999, Mr. Hess was promoted to Supervisory Special Agent in the Radical Fundamentalist Unit, International Terrorism Operations Section, at FBIHQ. In December of 2000, he was named Acting Unit Chief and remained in the position until April of 2001. In July of 2001, Mr. Hess was awarded the position of Field Supervisory Special Agent of CT-4 at Washington Field Office, where he worked State Sponsored Terrorism. In October of 2001, Mr. Hess was assigned to work as the Supervisor of the first Amerithrax Squad, investigating the anthrax mailings of 2001.

Word document of experts' bios

The linked info above is from a bio of the guests for an April 2007 Critical Incidents Analysis Group conference evidently held at the Miller Center on the University of Virginia campus. The Miller Center blurb says:

At this opening session, a group of national and international experts on terrorism will discuss "Home-Grown Terrorism and the Global War on Terror."

Link

It appears Hess preceded Frasca as Unit Chief of the RFU and remained in that position for only around five months as the DOJ IG report indicates Frasca was assigned to the position in May 2001.