Koch Brothers Firm, BP Targets of Terrorist Elicitation Attempt

Recently, the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) put out an alert warning that “ Terrorists or criminals may attempt to identify critical infrastructure vulnerabilities by eliciting information pertaining to operational and security procedures from security personnel, facility employees, and their associates. Persistent, intrusive or probing questions about security, operations or other sensitive aspects of a facility by individuals with no apparent need for the information could provide early warning of a potential attack.”
Based on the information provided, it is possible to say that the Koch Brothers Flint Hill Resources refinery in McFarland Wisconsin was a target of a possible Islamist terrorist targeting in late November 2008.

Newly declassified records show that on November 21, 2008, “an Arabic gentleman” posing as an investigator for an never identified Atlanta law firm. The caller, seeking information as to "whether Flint Hills could track where the gas tankers were going" had a particular interest in BP shipments. His refusal to give a last name or state which legal firm he was working made the answering Flint Hill Resources employee suspicious causing him to refuse to give out the requested information and call in the FBI which launched a highly-classified investigation.

The six-month investigation by the FBI was ultimately closed without charging or identifying anyone after the FBI's Milwaukee field office decided that it had "exhausted sufficient investigative resources" and that "no potential criminal violations or priority threats to national security warranting further investigation were identified."

Flint Hills Resources FBI File

US Army CID Implies WikiLeaks is a "Physical Threat," Under Investigation

Citing “an active investigation … in progress with an undetermined completion date,” the United States Army Criminal Investigation Division refuses further releases of that agency's WikiLeaks-related material. In contrast to two previous FOIA requests <here and here> which were promptly answered with released documents featuring limited redaction, this policy shift represents a wholesale end to WikiLeaks releases for the indeterminate future.

Possibly more interesting than the denial of records itself is that US Army CID invoked (b)(7)(f) as a justifying exemption. Under the (b)(7)(f) exemption, records can be withheld if their release “could reasonably be expected to endanger the life or physical safety of any individual.” With the use of the (b)(7)(f) exemption, US Army CID is implicitly stating that WikiLeaks members pose an active, physical threat to those investigating WikiLeaks and/or those cooperating with the investigation.

Army CID WikiLeaks Letter