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FBI Apologizes to Post, Times

FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III told the top editors at The Washington Post and the New York Times that FBI agents did not follow proper procedures. (By Chris O'meara -- Associated Press)

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Bureau officials said yesterday that, in an effort to prevent recurrences, they recently reminded agents in charge of field offices and their top lawyers that requests for news media records involve special rules.

Fine's report on the issue is expected to be released in the next several weeks, Mueller told Downie yesterday afternoon. The inspector general declined comment.

"I thanked Director Mueller for calling and informing us of this and apologizing," Downie said. "I told him that we would be asking our general counsel to look into this."

Bill Keller, executive editor of the Times, said in an e-mail that "we'd still like to know more about how this happened and how the bureau is securing against similar violations in the future."

Nakashima declined comment yesterday. Bonner and Perlez, now stationed in London for the Times, did not return e-mail messages late yesterday.

Staff researcher Julie Tate contributed to this report.

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