In a steaming response to a decision by DOJ officials to yank the probe from her office and give it to prosecutors in Virginia, U.S. Attorney Wilma Lewis said the action was "not only ill-conceived and ill-considered, but is the latest gambit in an ongoing effort by Director Freeh to move this case from this office, which would not accede to his demands as to how the case should be prosecuted."
Freeh and Lewis have long battled over how to proceed in the probe of the truck bombing at the military barracks in Dharan, Saudi Arabia, which killed 19 U.S. airmen and injured dozens more. The case has languished for a host of reasons, including the Saudis' early refusal to allow American law enforcement officials to interview people suspected of having a connection to the incident. Sources in Lewis's camp say some in the FBI pressed for indictments and advocated other aggressive moves, but prosecutors have considered the evidence far too thin. FBI officials counter that the issue was never indictments but rather a lack of support from Lewis's office. Lawyers familiar with the case dismiss bureau complaints as a power play. "Louis Freeh wanted to be both the investigator and the prosecutor," said one.
Freeh's persistent complaints to Justice Department headquarters finally bore fruit this week, when Acting Deputy Attorney General Robert Mueller pulled the case and gave it to the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of Virginia at Freeh's request — prompting Lewis' fiery comments, which were not exactly the norm for a federal official.
In a forceful statement Friday, Lewis made it clear that Mueller — who has served in both GOP and Democratic administrations — acted over her strong objections. Lewis rejected any suggestion that there have been problems with how her office has handled the case. "It is not my practice to respond to press inquiries on matters of this nature. However, the integrity and reputation of the United States Attorney's Office and the prosecutors, who have worked diligently and capably for years on this sensitive and significant investigation, demand that I do," Lewis proclaimed.
Officials deny that any indictment is expected soon, although Hezbollah, which has enjoyed support from the Iranian regime, has long been suspected. A bipartisan commission last year concluded that the Clinton administration had not done enough to press Iran to cooperate in the investigation.