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Investigation: Suspected hijackers' cars found

Attorney General John Ashcroft speaking at a recent news conference.

SUMMARY:

A man suspected of having links to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network has been detained in Bosnia, NATO has said.

In Washington, President Bush granted federal authorities expanded surveillance and intelligence-gathering powers Friday, signing a broad antiterrorism bill into law at a White House ceremony.

Elsewhere, two cars belonging to September 11 hijackers and sold a week before the attacks have been found at a small used car dealership, law enforcement sources said Thursday.

And one of three San Diego college students brought to New York in connection with the investigation into last month's terrorist attacks is expected to head back to California to face immigration charges.

UPDATE:

NATO Secretary-General Lord Robertson said on Friday that the individual being detained in Bosnia was among a number of suspects held by allied forces and local police in the Balkan country.

Bosnian police, in cooperation with NATO-led forces, have detained dozens of suspects since the September 11 attacks in the United States. (Full story)

•  Summary   •  Update   •  Key questions   •  Who's who   •  Impact

CNN.COM SPECIAL REPORT  CNN NewsPass Video  Agencies reportedly got hijack tips in 1998  MORE STORIES Intelligence intercept led to Buffalo suspects Report cites warnings before 9/11  EXTRA INFORMATION Timeline: Who Knew What and When? Interactive: Terror Investigation Terror Warnings System Most wanted terrorists What looks suspicious? In-Depth: America Remembers In-Depth: Terror on Tape In-Depth: How prepared is your city?  RESOURCES On the Scene: Barbara Starr: Al Qaeda hunt expands? On the Scene: Peter Bergen: Getting al Qaeda to talk

VIDEO CNN's Lisa Barron reports that since the September 11 attacks more companies are verifying credentials of potential business partners (October 21) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)

The new antiterrorism measures allow authorities to use more overseas intelligence information, allows for longer detentions of suspects who are not U.S. citizens and expands wiretapping authority. It was crafted in the wake of last month's terrorist attacks and passed both houses of Congress overwhelmingly Thursday.

Supporters say the law -- dubbed the "U.S.A. Patriot Act of 2001" -- will help federal agents prevent future terrorist attacks, rather than simply respond with prosecutions after the fact. Bush said the measure is an "essential step" that still protects Americans' civil rights. (Full story)

The vehicles belonging to the suspected hijackers are now being searched by authorities as part of the investigation into the attacks. Law enforcement sources said the two cars were found at an unidentified car dealership in Tamarac, Florida, just northwest of Fort Lauderdale. One of the vehicles was described as a red Pontiac Grand Am; the sources did not say what kind of vehicle the other car was.

Marwan Al-Shehhi, 23, and Mohamed Atta, 33, sold the vehicles about a week before the deadly terrorist attacks that destroyed the World Trade Center and heavily damaged the Pentagon. (Full story)

"Operation Green Quest" will target underground money transfers, called the "hawala" system in the Middle East and South Asia, said Robert Bonner, commissioner of the Customs Service.

"This operation will also generate new information on sources of terrorist funding and systems, such as the 'hawala,' used to fund terrorism," Bonner told reporters.

"Hawala," a primitive method of transferring money from one source to another, especially between countries, is used to evade the legal banking system, Bonner said. (Full story)

KEY QUESTIONS:

What tactics are being used to get people in custody to talk about any knowledge they may have of the September attacks?

What avenues are international investigators pursuing to trace the source of funding for the suspected hijackers? Click here for more.

What clues about the September 11 attacks have U.S. investigators learned from the hundreds of arrests made?

How will the expansion of law-enforcement powers affect Americans' civil liberties? Click here for more.

How long can suspects be held, and on what charges are they being held? Click here for more.

What groups are U.S. investigators focusing on, and what are their aims? Click here for more.

WHO'S WHO:

George W. Bush: U.S. president

Colin Powell: U.S. secretary of state Click here for more

Condoleezza Rice: National security adviser Click here for more

John Ashcroft: U.S. attorney general

Robert Mueller: FBI director Click here for more

George Tenet: CIA director. Click here for more

Osama bin Laden: U.S. authorities have named bin Laden, a wealthy Saudi exile living in Afghanistan, as the prime suspect in masterminding the September 11 attacks. Click here for more

IMPACT:

Information gained from the investigation could lead to fundamental changes in U.S. security and intelligence systems, as well as surveillance laws.