Investigation: Probe looks at phone calls

Attorney General John Ashcroft speaking at a recent news conference.

SUMMARY:

Among almost 1,000 people being held in the United States in connection with the hijacked-airliner attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon are people who made congratulatory telephone calls minutes later, The New York Times reported in Sunday editions.

However, with more than one in three FBI agents tracking terrorism tips, many local law enforcement officials worry that the investigation will divert attention from traditional FBI pursuits.

In Prague, meanwhile, a Czech government minister has confirmed that the suspected leader of the suicide hijackers met an Iraqi intelligence agent in the Czech capital.

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

UPDATE:

Although transcripts of the phone calls have not been made available, the Times reports that officials have said some of the calls were "congratulatory, even gloating."

These suspected associates of Saudi-born militant Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda organization are among 977 people held on various charges related to the September 11 attacks, which killed almost 5,000 people in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.

•  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 paper said it had been unable to determine whether those who made the jubilant calls were participants in the hijack plot or merely rejoicing over the attacks.

FBI Director Robert Mueller predicts the FBI's greatest shift will be from investigation to prevention.

To help combat terror, Mueller has introduced a "future scenario" task force, meant to stop terrorism rather than investigate it after the fact. He credited that group with last month's heightened awareness of crop-dusters.

"This is easily the largest and most comprehensive investigation in our history," Mueller said. Out of 11,500 FBI agents, 4,000 are investigating terror exclusively, and a total of 7,000 employees out of 25,000 have been dedicated to the job.

Interior Minister Stanislav Gross said the meeting between hijacking suspect Mohamed Atta and Ahmad Khalil Ibrahim Samir Al-Ani took place in April just before the Iraqi was expelled for conduct incompatible with his diplomatic status.

Intelligence sources told CNN about the meeting in the days following the September 11 terror attacks in New York and Washington, but this is the first official confirmation by Czech officials. (Full story)

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)

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.