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Investigation: Egyptian financiers questioned

SUMMARY:

Citing "another step in the fight against evil," President Bush announced Wednesday that the Treasury Department blocked the assets of 62 individuals and organizations connected with two financial networks that operate "at the service of mass murderers."

Elsewhere, working in concert with the United States and Italy, Swiss police on Wednesday detained two Egyptian financiers allegedly linked to Osama bin Laden's terrorist network.

Meanwhile, the FBI said information that prompted a warning that terrorists might target a major Western bridge has been determined to be "not credible."

The downgrading of the information comes as the top U.S. law enforcement agency moves to position itself to better combat terrorism.

UPDATE:

Bush said offices for the two financial networks -- al Barakaat and al Taqwa -- were closed in four U.S. states. Treasury and Customs agents acting on warrants based on sealed court affidavits took actions Wednesday in Boston, Minneapolis, Seattle, and Columbus, Ohio, according to U.S. officials.

"By shutting these networks down, we disrupt the murderers' work," Bush said at the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network office here. He said the networks handled money for al Qaeda, the organization headed by suspected terrorist mastermind bin Laden, implicated in the September 11 terrorist attacks.

•  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 FBI agents are probing an apartment complex with links to both the September 11 hijackings and anthrax mailings. CNN's Deborah Feyerick reports (November 2) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)

The president also said U.S. allies had also taken steps to block assets affiliated with the two networks. He cited the United Arab Emirates, and Secretary of State Colin Powell mentioned Saudi Arabia, part of the administration's bid to underscore cooperation the United States has received from some Arab nations in the war against terrorism. (Full story)

In Europe, the two Egyptian financiers, Youssef M. Nada and Ali Himat, were held for questioning in Lugano, Switzerland, just across the border from their homes in Campione D'Italia, said Italian police Lt. Francesco Rapino.

After some six hours of questioning, the two men were allowed to return to their homes in Campione, said their lawyer, Pier Felice Barchi.

The lawyer said the two will be questioned again in the coming days but that his clients "have nothing to fear and nothing to hide."

The lawyer said authorities also seized thousands of pages of documents from their homes and their offices in Lugano. (Full story)

The FBI made its announcement downgrading the threat to Western bridges Tuesday. The FBI last week had passed the warning along to officials in six Western states, but stressed that the credibility of the information "could not be determined." (Full story)

The announcement by the FBI came just prior to a meeting the agencys chief, Robert Mueller, promised to make changes that would position the FBI to better combat terrorism.

Before the September 11 attacks, the FBI was reeling over a series of embarrassing missteps. The miscues led Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy to say during Robert Mueller's confirmation as FBI director that while the FBI was "the crown jewel" of law enforcement agencies, "that jewel has lost some of its luster."

Mueller took office September 5, less than a week before the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. (Full story)

KEY QUESTIONS:

Investigators have detained hundreds of people in the U.S., but not much is known about who these people are or why they are in custody. Why is this information about the hundreds of people detained so difficult to obtain?

Should the government keep information about the detained from the public?

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.