WIESENTHAL CENTER LAUDS TIGHTENED FBI SCRUTINY ON PRISONERS;
URGES STATES TO REVIEW CLERGY ACCESS TO JAIL INMATES

The Simon Wiesenthal Center today lauded the FBI for evaluating prisoners to see if they were recruited by extremist preachers. "But more must be done," said Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Center. "We have therefore written to New York Governor George Pataki and Attorneys General in nine states to evaluate the criteria for access of clergy to prison population."

The call came in wake of the recent arrest of a terrorist cell in Southern California that was planning attacks on U.S. military installations, Israeli targets and a local synagogue on Yom Kippur.

"While we are grateful that the FBI has neutralized this terrorist cell, it is clear that groups who support terrorism, extremism and hate crimes have identified a potential of American criminals who could carry out terror attacks in our communities," said Rabbi Cooper.

Rabbi Cooper noted that two of the three suspects were American-born individuals, one of whom was converted to Islam while at Folsom state prison and was linked to an extremist Islamist prison gang known as Jamiyyat Ul Islami Is Shaeeh, the Assembly of Authentic Islam.

"While this particular incident singled out a house of worship in Los Angeles, the specter of American born criminals serving international terrorism by targeting any religious group deserves the immediate and ongoing attention of our law enforcement and homeland security on federal, state and local levels," added Cooper.

"While we recognize that inmates find solace and hope with people of faith, whether Christian, Jew or Moslem, it is essential that our prisons do not become a chief recruitment center for apostles of hate seeking to create a cadre of American-born terrorists."

The Wiesenthal Center contacted the Attorneys General in Arizona, California, Colorado, Texas, Florida, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Texas.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is one of the largest international Jewish human rights organizations with over 400,000 member families in the United States. It is an NGO at international agencies including the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, and the Council of Europe. For more information, please contact the Center's Public Relations Department, 310-553-9036, or visit www.wiesenthal.com