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I FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
I ' 92 .
- - om of transcription 0 3 go 7 [2 0 0 2 '
I . I ' a e o 'I I lace .
| I I 'of birth Tunis, T CA,
' telephone number was interviewed at the INS -
detention facility located at O'NL Los Angeles St., Los Angeles,
CA. Present during the interview was Los Angeles Police Officer
[::::::::::::] After being advised of the identity of the . -
interviewing agent and the purpose of the interview[::::::::::::]_ provided the following information: - I , . ' I I
' [::::::::::kas born and raised in Tunis, Tunisia. He
first came to the United States on O1/25/1999 on a visitors Visa.
He arrived with his mother who stayed for approximately two weeks
and then left back home to Tunisia. ,Shortly after he arrived in -
Los Angeles he enrolled in a English language school called Concord
English Language. After studying there for ten month he began _ -
takin com uter science classes at West Los Angeles College[:::::%:::ji@goal is to complete his education in the United States,_
save some money, and then return to Tunisia. he
is currently being sponsored by a Saudi Arabia named LNU inI his attempts to obtain a green card.I Iis_approximately_forty¢ .
years old and owns a computer/internet com0anv.. II I He began sponsoringI Iin ApIll»200lr - '
Prior to living at his current address he lived at I .
I Iin Angeles. He lived withI I I
from Sudan. Iis approximately] Iyears old, darkj
complexion, Iis currently still '
I living on Leeward, however he is still in Saudia Arabia followingthe Haj.[:::::::::]attends the King Fahad Mosque. -3 I . I »
II Iworking as an independent taxi I
cab driver. I rovides often times rovides faresforI I AdHitionaI1v,I Ipavs $120 a month "
-for insu 'e.I rom the.corner 03 ' _ " -
II Ihas also worked at Arco gas stations located at~
and at another Arco located at SunsetIA and San Vicente Avenues.I IIhas also sold carpets on the
» I I- - . _ _ ALL INFUPEATIUN CUNTAINED . I
' - < 'HPEIMvI3 UNELAESIFIED
» "I ' I DATE Cll~25-EDD? BY EH32-4 is.T.7C,.-"EH"-031,.-*'EPB_.>".FI*Il!I
hwemwo O3/C6/2002 M Los Angeles, CA - " I _
mks 265A-LA_2809Ql -m " 'II '0m=mqmw _
Qby SAI I Ib6 I I I
This documen _c ain neither recommendélionsnor conclusions of the FBI. It is the property 'of_the FBI and is Ioanedlo your a e c ' "it ancREQ!nr%n£I&r? 10] to be distributed outside your agency. I I . »
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street or swapmeets in the past until he was given a citation for
doing so and p buy his carpets at United Imports A l I _ p
-: [:::::::::]speaks Arabic, French. and English,. _ -
A [:::::::::]has never been to Europe or thT:Middle:iasii:]i-
He has also never been to Pakistan or Afghanistan.
claims to have never received any military or terrorist training.
[::::::::::::::::]he is a practicing Muslim who prays five 7
times a day, and expressed repeatedly that Islam is peaceful. He
stated that he never drinks, goes to bars or clubs, and does not
smoke. - . V ' Us A. _ _ - . . . 1
if ifQ [:;:::::::]expressed hatred for the Taliban/Al Qaeda and
said that t ey were not Muslims. _ A _
i . I he did not believe-that Muslims _
were invo ve in t e - attacks on America. He said that
Muslims are simple people who just pray and could not have been
involved in such a complex operation. , _ . ' ' ' A
_ I Ihe felt extremely sad about the
- events of O9/ll/2001; He said that he has never heard anyone _
express joy over the terrorist attacks, and has never heard any say _
that they want to harm the United States because of our current t
involvement in Afghanistan and the Middle East. _ _
i A . Currently,[:::::::::]worships at the King-Fahad Mos ue in A
Culver Cit ., He said that the Mosque director is named| |in Hejsaj-Id we Imam iApproximately five to seven months ag w A as
. Ve as with known to investigators as .E:;f::]is also from Tuni ' They drove to Las egas in _ipb ack Volkswagen Golf. Tii::] works as a valet parking atten ant at
_a casino off the 710 freeway.- ~ A i ll' -_ -X.
_ ' _He went to Las Vedas one other time. could not
recall exactly when this trip occurred, but he went with as
pwell. .While on this trip he met a person named M
W_ - Approximately four to five months ado lwent to
San Francisco with| I
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[::::::::::] They rented a van and drove to
stayed for one ni ht and went sight seeingh will d on t e trip was ue to
seen San Francisco while in America.
g:::::::::]also traveled twice to
he visite Sea world. The first time that
E:::::::::::::::::]from Sudan. _They visite
- Diego while on this trip. ' , .
- With regards to the second trip.
San Diego he remembered it as an after tho
remembered his second trip to San Diego in-San Francisco. _They.
the next day. They went
to Tunisia and had not
"San Diego. Both times
he went was with '
d no other places in San
that |:| took to
ught. He said he r
the context of two Saudi
Arabian nationals who flew into LAX airport and subsequently went
_ to King Fahad Mosque. When asked to provide the se uence of events. re ardin the two Saudi Arabian nationals[::::::::: rovided the
A in [:::::::::]had heard that two Saudi Arabian men arrived at-Q Q Pfollowing: V ' . A y _ : 1 _ _Q
LAX and where.met by a person unknown-to[:::::::::] This unknownperson then took the two Saudis to an apartment'complex that had
already been rented for them s
V remember the address, but that it was a la
located on Sepulveda Blvd. between Venice
. One or two days after the arriva
was at the Kin Fahad Mosque. While at thintroduced[::ii::::]to the two Saudis and
could help them durin their time in Los A;n s e en ' h. E:f:::::::]a reed andtated he could not
rge white building
Blvd. and Palm St." *
l of the' '
e mosque
asked if he g
ngeles because they did'
ave the Saudis his taxi ot p ak glis g q _
.cab business card. _ i _ * _ g.. V . f . .
Q The next day the Saudis called and asked him to
m around Los An ees icked '
Monica, took them to the beach,and to Hol
ate at the Cheesecake Factory and the Medi
located on Venice Blvd.v At the end of the
» back to their apartment complex. _
-V Two to three days later the Saud
again. -This time they wanted to o to SeaThey said they would E§yEEEEEEE5:§]$200_plday_if he took them. agreed and
apartment where he was given $100 and told
. REQ #10-ij *» ~y_0000oo36»
..,..,.......-.,._....___.- .._. .- . ..pick them up and drive the g . . p
them up at their apartment complex and then drove them around Santa
lywood. That day they
terranean Restaurant
day[:::::::::]took.them
is called If H
world in_San Diego.
us gas and food for the
picked them up at their
he would get the_
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remainder after the trip. [:::::::::]stated-they drove straight tot
San Die o and the only stop that they made.was at a gas station.[::::::::%:]could not remember the gas stations location in Sane .
Diego. They spent the entire day at Sea world and then returned to _
. Los Angeles.' While at Sea world the three of them never met" .»anyone. There were occasions though where[::;:::::]used the- *
restroom by himself and left the two Saudis a one. or _' _.
I One or two days after they returned to Los Angeles '.EEEEEEE}::]called them to receive the remainder of his money. The- I told him that[::::::::::]would give him the rest of~the'
mOney- ~ - ¢» V - - ~ .» ~ . -Y ._ - _ -
" .When asked by investigators who else knew about the two
Saudis[:::::::::]replied that no one at the Kind Eahad Mosque knew .
about them and that he was told b I
I Idid say that the Saudi
Consulate knew about the two Saudis because it was the consulate
f that told[:::::::::::]to take care of the Saudis.-I -
0,. [:::::::::]was told by[::::::::::]that the Saudis werei
_ here to see their sick father who was in a local hospital. _
[:::::::::]said that the Saudis stayed in Los Angeles.for '~.
approximately one month and then they returned to Saudi Arabia. '_ When asked ifI::;::::::lknew-for a fact that they returned to Saudi
Arabia he rep ie no an that he was just told that they had left '
Los Angeles. ' _ .,
I [:::::::::]could not remember the Saudis names} but ' I
remembered one was approximately and the other' I I I fséated over andwas approximately|
. over that the two Saud1s'came to Los Angeles prior to O9/ll/2001.
. . '- The following iswa list of[::::::::::] friends andU "
iassociates;- , Y ~» I ' f _ ~ _
_ I I Idriver in Chicago. He i- . '4 WiredI I$2000 to bail out
- >. I from INS custo y in Los Angeles. u . I I
I [:::::]LNUFlew down from San Jose to help bail
- _ ' . - from INS custody.y is ~
7} I I'_I is Tunisian. _ _ I
4 [:::::::::::]Liv¢s at [::::::::::::::::]?s;5¢a Monica, cAj
_ _ _ ... ... _........ .. ._ -.. .. y .. __ r, _
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,Works for[::::::::::::]at the Metro Cab _
-Company in West Los Angeles.- Tunisian.
. _ 92
gas_station,vTunisian.b
I I |restaurFnt=at the .~West LA. , V
sellinq carpets._ Drives a
l |EnQlisT School.
freeway.» _ _ j-710
I Went back to Tunisia. -Plans-to go
to Canada in the future. '
|Taxi driver.A Met at King Fahad ; -_| agproximately one year aqo. Friends with I
A Friends with V Met-at King"** * ' 'F§had..- ast saw him on ,
RF Lives on| ' |in Hollywood. Works tor ' cab company
~¢BeveriyvH1f1s. I-
dw
is REQ #10-13
-_v:,-_,-7-;-W-_-,',-..,-__;92...1._._.-. .-_-.-.v-. ._..__~... .n.u_._-_~ V 0 >. . ,4. .. ._ .92. '_in Hoflywood. = 0 <Works as security guard in _
lworks at a store called "Bluestone"_
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v FEDERAL BUREAU or INVESTIGATION
» Date of transcription O3 :1 312002 v "
y. ' I date of birth| H I placer '
of birth [Santa Monica, CA,telephone number] E was interviewed at the INS 11 I
An eles St Los An eles" detention facility ocate at _O N. Los -g .; g " ,
A , CA. Present during the interview was Los Angeles Police Officer Ah[::%:::::::::] After being advised of the identity of the .< _ in erviewing agent and the purpose of the interview[:::::::::]
provided the following information:' "
I l I |was born in Mecca Saudi Arabia but was
raised in Jordan.| Iat the King Fahad.Mosque _
and worked together briefly selling carpets at swapmeets and on
street corn currentl. drives a black Ford[::::::]and.
van an . . V A -1 also owns a d a BMW
7' - E:::::::::]describes as secretive. He_appears to
be very concerned about not_lettin eo le know exactly what heY~
-does and how he makes his money apparently married an g
American women which no one knew about until latter time. , _
' l . I ks living inl iCA.| Fjbelieved the"
. address wasl The complex is off of A _,~
<. A Westwood Blvd. on Ashton Ave. one block south of Wilshire Blvd. _ -
1 *H' 'V" . is an associate of Two to three
. ' times a week will run unknown errands for g
' " .[::::::] also hel ed iphonetici when he arrived from
Saudi Arabia. believes that is currently
" an Imam at a.mosque in Orange County.
'" "" ' * There is an unknown person from Yemen who attends thel"»
' King Fahad Mosgue who also had interaction with the two unknown . t
Saudis the described in his first interview This personfrom Yemen isl Iold and has a full beard. V
.A -V i when the two Saudis arrived
. escorted the two Saudi around Los An eles and attempted to chargethem $450.* Due to this incident the? |are_at
ALL II-IFCIPMATIUIJ CClbITEiIIfED_ _ ._
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IMHQMWHW ' O3/12/2002 M Los Angeles, CA
'il Fma 255A-LA-223901 » ' meammm.
by 5A| I b6
This document contains neither recommendationslnor conclusionsvof the FBI. It is the property of the FBI and is loaned to youroaéebcé" ' -- - » 0039rt anti§EQ>n§r1sQre1I to be dnstrnhuted outsqde your agency., T -...Dr..2*1=.t:».55, . T i ~ A
ITD-302a Rev. 10-6-95! I
Continuation ofFD-302 of __l I ' . ,0" O 4 / O 6 /2 O Q 2 , pagcr 2
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I 265ALA22890l _ _b7C
"odds. This incident is the reason thatI I
to take care of the Saudis during their time in Los Angeles. I '
The Yemeni drives an American~made off white minivan and _ _
another blue car of unknown make. ' V " = I _ * . "
i[:::::::::::]is from[:::::::]Tunisia., He is currently _
studying aviation at the West Los Angeles college. _ _.
I " ,[::::::::::::1s currently in custody. He used to work
security at a Korean market at Western Ave and Olympic Blvd. While- I
tin custody on a previous INS violation two unknown Tunisians wired
$2,000 to the United States from Tunisia to bail him out. One ofthe Tunisians is name [::::]LNU. - '_ * - , O
I t[:::::::::]is currently being housed by INS in their -.
Lancaster, CA facilit - He is being housed with[::::::::::::::]*I I said thatI Ihas become very quiet and withdrawn
lately. is very fearful that he will be deported back to-
Tunisia where he believes he will be placed in prison or killed.
[:::::::]is supposed to see-a INS judge on March 2l, 2002.
i' ,[::::::::]is concerned about being sent back to Tunisia
because of his associations withI I Apparently,
I Ijust released from prison after severalyears for their association with| I _ -
A E::::::::::kxplained.that "Dawas" is when Muslims travel
throughout the world and preach Islam to other Muslims who may not
be practicing.their religion in a manner consistent with the as
beliefs of those participating in the VDawa".[:::::::::] says that
those who participate in "Dawas" preach that Muslims should not _'
' drink and smoke and that they should prey five times a day and
dress in-customary Islamic attire. » I I _ -
[::::::::::kaid that when he first came to the United u
States that he went to the Concord English School in West Los._
Angeles. The owner of the school is an Iranian named[::]LNU.
I One of the Directors at the King Fahad Mosque is named . I
I hNU.I Iused to ask for money every Friday during_prayers
and would collect between $5,000 to $10,000. He would tell people
that the money was needed to pay the the mosque's electricity and
.water.- I - -' I , I * " ' »
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Continuation 0fFD-302 of __I I I , On O 4 /O 6/Z O 0'2 _ Page 3
- A group of approximately four individuals began to
question were all the money was going. This group became so I I
sus icious of that they began to follow him around.- ' _ 1
I Imade some type of report to [:::::::::::]
in Saudi Arabia and the four individuals subsequently received
I letters from the King Fahad Mosque saying that they were no longer
welcomed at the mosque. 1 I A ,_I' f I 0 ».~
On of the individuals who received this letter was named t. I ILNU. I ls the owner ofla Mediterranean Restaurant on the
He also started his own mosque4atI I Y » » _
. It Another restaurant that[:::::::::]and his friends-.
frequent is called the editerranean Cafe located at the corner of_ I This restaurant is owned by a Lebanese_ -I Christian namedI ILNU. 7 .i _ »~"I' ._
I I - .During the.interviewE:::::::::]stated that he could show -
investigators the a artment complex that the two unknown Saudis discussed in[:::::f:::::]first interviewI stayed at during theirtime in Los Angeles. At this time was placed in a - -
vehicle as he directed investigators to the apartment complex.
-- I I Isubsequently took investigators toI II I The apartment complex is namedI ITerrace Apartment.Homes. 0 . A ",* I __
_ ..,. [:::::::::]also remembered that when the two Saudis first
»arrived-in Los Angeles_that they stayed at the Hilton Hotel on _».
Century Blvd near LAX before relocating toI I'
/
'"REQ #10-11 " 00000041_
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FD-302 Rev. I0-6-95!ALL II-IF UP-.I*IAT I UN COI92ITAII'-IE E
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_ _ v- Dnte of transcription O3 f O7 Z 2 O Q2
Qualid Moncef Benomraned Lplace
of birth Tunis, Tunisiahl |
| | t 'wdtthefT92TSwas in ervie e a
detention facility located at 300 N. Los Angeles St., Los An elesCA. Present during the interview was Los Angeles Police[:::%::::j|_:| After being advised of the identity of the
interviewing agent and the purpose of the interview Benomrane
provided the following information:
CurreQtl1J I
' es often times nrovides| I
Additionall a month
or insurance. I the
corner of Wagner Ave and Centinella Ave on Wagner.
IW %m@"W O3/06/2002 M Los Anqeles, CA e
,_ _FiIe#'255A_LA..28O9Ql _ Date diezazed
ff 'by sA| |'ct ~ '
This documen c ain qeithci recommendations nor conclusions of the FBI. It is the property of the FBI and is loaned lo your ave c 'it an<REQ>n&il&FE 18 to be distributed outside your agency. , -
--,.___._-_r». ,~ ..._-_. .-._ ~.,~..
T"i " .I _ " - , ALL IE-IFC,IEII'IATIC1N '.,I.:§C,lI92ITAII§J
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5C3U9AucfTemfmltflr2 '~
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4 FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION _I06 '
' "Ib7C
Date of transcription O 3 [1 3 [Z O O 2
Qualid Moncef BenomraneJ Lplace
of birth Tunis, Tunisiakl I
I Iwas interviewed at the INS
detention facility located at 300 N. Los Angeles St., Los Angeles, be
during the interview was Los Angeles Police Officer ' b7c
1; Io"/D If Ef:;::?fffff¬j After being advised of the identity of he _ ' i
in erviewing agent and the purpose of the interview Benomrane_
provided the following information: » -
I % ' 5
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Iil
I I
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Iii
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1=~v=§=Is~i=>~ on 03/12/2002 at Los Anqeles, CA
FI_I¢ 9 2 65A-LA-22 8 90 1 ' Date dictated
This documen contains neither recommendations nor conclusions of the FBI. It is the property of the I58! and is loaned to you e c 'I a"<IREQ>"'b'J$Q1'51"3 to be distributed outside your agency. _ ' . I