M FR Oy·Q 1"11-1"1(0

MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD

Event: Interview of FBI Special Agent John Kerr

Type of event: Interview

Dates: October 17, 2003

Special Access Issues: None

Prepared by: Raj De

Team Number: lA

Location: FBI, Washington Field Office

Participants - Non-Commission: FBI Assistant General Counsel Bob Sinton

Participants - Commission: Michael Jacobson, Hyon Kim, Raj De

Kerr stated tha~ ~ame up in 2003 in a case that SA John Guandolowas

working. That case involved a subject namedl I (sp?) and concerned .../· .
allegations of drugs and smuggling of persons into the U.S· from Lebanon. These
allegations involved several businesses owned by] liinc1udiog gas stati9hsand
restaurants. I 4f
~~ame also came up in the context this criminal investigation.

When asked', Ke~ ..confirmed that] ~ame up initially after 9/11,

but that he did not know who worked the initial Penttboml leads. Although he was
unfamiliar with any details of.the inittal'leads, Kerr asserted that whatever alleged
associations I b,1ayhave.... pad with the 9/ll hijackers ultimately proved
negative. When asked later during the interview, Kerr advised that SA Tim Ervin might
have knowledge about the initial lea~s con~mingJ I. .'
When pressed, Kerr stated that--!?evaguely recalled' some alleged connection
between the 911I hijackers and] [nephew. Kerr qiq not re'call an~ allegations
about calls from the 9/11 hijackers to gas stations ownedJibyl Inor did
he recall any other possible associations hetween····Jheses~l?Ject~:and thell} hiJackers.
When as~ed ~bout the link. betweeiE I
who~e son .was recen.tIy
pf Int~re~tregardlng
arrested In Riyadh, Kerr stated that ere ISnoth'lp.g... this connection.

~t~t'
'... :;; :'"

Although Kerr admittedly was unfamiliar ~it~ .. if not all, of the Penttbom
leads that concernedl . pnd.Jl:1~. 9/11 hiJ~Bkers,he unequivocally asserted
....-. ····..::f:
9/11 Personal Privacy

1
 that all such leads were either "coincidental," "exaggeration," or "not true" (though he
could not articulate which option applied to any given lead).

. Kerr also asserted that "he had nothing to do with" the initial Penttbom lead
con~emin~ I
John Guandolo was in charge of the initial lead regarding this
subject. ,/
. .

.. K,[errrecalled tha,D
is i was a.Customs ,spector at Dulles and that two of the. 9/11
hijackers came through-his Inspection booth, was a convert to Islam and an
admitted UBL supporter. Kerr could not ~ernember any specifics of the investigation, but
firmly/stated that any possibility of his direct knowledge of the attacks or witting
assistance to the hijackers had "washed out." Kerr allowed th~4
Icould have been
an unwitting supporter of the 9111 hijackers. "
. :' ".'

f' When asked about why.h~ believed thatr--1:~uld have wittingly assisted the
hijackers, Kerr referred to a polygraph ex~i'na~en 9~d the fact that the
responsible agents believedhis denials Qf'any,involve~erit.

if K~ recalled th~tl
lattended~radicaf~:sr in La;~, MD and had been
seen praying with immigrants ~.tt~1JlIes. Kerr stated tha arne had "popped up"
.'several/times in subsequent .inYestlgati9nS', but he ,wa~(unaware 0 an specifics and stated
: that John G~491o mayhave moredetans. Kerr advised ~at as currently
, teaching in Saudi Arabia.and thatthe F~lhas requested-that
interview ~i:iti. A~,,(jf-Oct~ber 5, 290J~"the date Kerr left WF~'O~fo-r~Q!!'""u-a-n""tl-co-,-'t-a-t"""
il)fervie~ha~~oto~~':IP"ed:/ / / .>: .•• / ,

'..Kll#di.dti~iJeciilitl)e~llegatio~~a~ ~onspi4~g1,lS1~ I~this

IIWPectIPti.b. ooth-at Dylles, Wluc!laecordmr to FjtdOOlJl'ii<=!nts
may have been a sIgnal.
: / ,<~~l!:~~~o::4id·ij9t-.rec'a~,!
.. ~ny.al1eg~t~?,~Jhat may hav~ admitted knowing somebody
./ .../' :/: ,1~':FI~.nd~.,who1}ad-trillne(Las·a'prlot at Embry-Riddle. i
f
.. .
.
.; .•
'
','
..
.: .,'
" ,'...... ....
.' : .~' ':.....

¢i::i@';;:{· .••••.•..
.,' ,"

9/11 Law Enforcement

9/11 Personal Privacy Sensitive

+ 2