As federal officials have turned their scrutiny to the possibility of terrorists using trucks as bombs, the FBI and other law enforcement officials have contacted or visited dozens of truck driving schools.
In its Oct. 22 issue, Time magazine reports that a former trucking school executive told the FBI that 25 to 35 Arab men attended a Denver school over the past two years. Particularly suspicious, claims the magazine, was the allegation that they paid cash and did not seek job placement after graduating. Time also reports that according to its source, who was unnamed in the article, none of the students spoke English and were accompanied by an interpreter, the same person for each group.
Charlie Tweedy, the owner of Careers Worldwide, a truck driving school in Denver, told Time that FBI agents have looked at his files and interviewed his employees. But, he says, his company has not had any students who couldn't speak English.
After the story hit the national wires this week, Tweedy told the Rocky Mountain News that the media hadn't done their homework. While FBI agents looked over the files of six former students who had Arab-sounding names, he told the paper, they found no leads.
Wednesday, the Associated Press reported that the FBI has finished its review of the school and found no links to terrorism. "We have found nothing to substantiate the allegations in the Time article," said an FBI spokesperson.
At other schools, Time reports, officials have been asking for records of students with Middle Eastern names, students who paid in cash, received haz-mat permits or abruptly quit their training. Some schools have been asked for lists of student names to be checked against terrorist watch lists, or shown photos of the 19 suspected hijackers to see if they took classes.
In its Oct. 22 issue, Time magazine reports that a former trucking school executive told the FBI that 25 to 35 Arab men attended a Denver school over the past two years. Particularly suspicious, claims the magazine, was the allegation that they paid cash and did not seek job placement after graduating. Time also reports that according to its source, who was unnamed in the article, none of the students spoke English and were accompanied by an interpreter, the same person for each group.
Charlie Tweedy, the owner of Careers Worldwide, a truck driving school in Denver, told Time that FBI agents have looked at his files and interviewed his employees. But, he says, his company has not had any students who couldn't speak English.
After the story hit the national wires this week, Tweedy told the Rocky Mountain News that the media hadn't done their homework. While FBI agents looked over the files of six former students who had Arab-sounding names, he told the paper, they found no leads.
Wednesday, the Associated Press reported that the FBI has finished its review of the school and found no links to terrorism. "We have found nothing to substantiate the allegations in the Time article," said an FBI spokesperson.
At other schools, Time reports, officials have been asking for records of students with Middle Eastern names, students who paid in cash, received haz-mat permits or abruptly quit their training. Some schools have been asked for lists of student names to be checked against terrorist watch lists, or shown photos of the 19 suspected hijackers to see if they took classes.
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