http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20011127/ts/attack_usa_interviews_dc.html Report: Michigan Asks Arabs to Come for Questioning NEW YORK (Reuters) - Law enforcement officials in Detroit, seeking to interview hundreds of Middle Eastern men about the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States, are trying to do so tactfully by sending them invitations, the New York Times reported on Tuesday. The newspaper's online edition said the anti-terrorist task force in the Detroit area would send letters to about 700 young Middle Eastern men who had come to the country on temporary visas in the last two years. About 5,000 such people are being sought for questioning nationwide. The Times quoted Jeffrey Collins, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, home to the nation's largest concentration of Arab-Americans, as saying: ``The letters represent a conscious decision by our district to initiate contact with the people who will be interviewed in the manner that will be least intrusive.'' Lawyers, community groups and police chiefs have complained that the Justice Department (news - web sites)'s investigation into the attacks was singling out people out based on their religion or nationality and would be too time-consuming, the paper said. It said civil liberties advocates and Arab-American leaders believed the use of letters in Detroit was a positive step toward making the interview process more dignified, but were worried about the content of the questions and the process of compiling the list. Collins did not say what authorities would do about those who did not call, the newspaper said. It reported that federal authorities had asked that all interviews be conducted by Dec. 21. The Times said a Justice Department memo told local officials to check visitors' passports and visas; ask about visits to local landmarks and foreign countries; investigate sources of income, scientific expertise and access to weapons, including anthrax; and seek lists of phone numbers of friends and relatives. ``The individual should be asked if he is aware of anybody, including himself, who has received any training which could be applicable to terrorist activities,'' said the memorandum, whose contents were disclosed on Saturday in The Detroit Free Press. <snip>