ALEXANDRIA, Virginia, March 21, (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - The strongly conservative U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft announced Wednesday, March 20, another phase of "voluntary interviews" with international visitors to the United States aimed at "collecting information" in stepped-up domestic security measures, CNN reports.

U.S. attorneys are to arrange interviews with 3,000 foreign nationals who "fit the criteria of people who might have information regarding terrorism."

Males aged 18 to 46 who entered the country between October 1, 2001 and February 28, 2002 and whom hold passports "from countries where Al-Qaeda is prevalent "would be asked to be interviewed,” said Justice Department officials.

The announcement comes as a similar program launched on November 9, 2001 by the attorney general and harshly criticized by human rights groups, draws to a close with no success.

Although he refrained from specifying the religious or ethnic origin of the 3.000 people being sought, but fears are the new interviews will almost certainly be exclusively from Arab and Muslim origins.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), in response to Ashcroft’s announcement, released a statement reiterating these fears in which concern that the “plans announced today by Attorney General John Ashcroft to conduct ‘voluntary’ interviews of an additional 3,000 foreign nationals could perpetuate the impression of racial and religious profiling against American Muslims and Arab-Americans.”

CAIR Board Chairman Omar Ahmad said, "American Muslims, like all Americans, condemn terrorism in all its forms and seek to ensure the safety of our nation against acts of violence.

“We believe however that rounding up the 'usual suspects' based on nothing more than race, religion or national origin is not an effective law enforcement technique and creates the perception of profiling."

Ashcroft, however, speaking at the U.S. attorney's office in Alexandria, Virginia, insisted that the 3,000 people targeted for interviews "are not suspected of any criminal activities."

Though he said those 3,000 people being sought are not suspected of any criminal activity, he said that "these individuals might, either wittingly or unwittingly, be in the same circles, communities or social groups as those engaged in terrorist activities."

As speculation mounts that a concerted effort to target Islamic organizations and Muslims gains momentum within the Muslim community in the U.S., Ashcroft was quick to say that those who could not be found in the earlier round of 3,000 were not automatically considered terrorist suspects, and that those who were found, he said, provided valuable information.

Ashcroft claimed the main goal of the interviews is to cause disruption of any possible “terrorist activities.”

Fears from Muslim Americans that the new round of “interviews” would infringe on civil liberties were echoed by Congressman John Conyers, Jr., Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, who said in a statement:

"The suggestion that Arab and Muslim Americans appreciate begin singled out and interrogated is a prime example of the Attorney General's wartime propaganda machine in full swing.

“While they are more than willing to contribute to the war against terrorism, the national leadership of Arab and Muslim organizations have expressed to me their outrage over this illegal form of racial profiling,” said Conyers.

He added that “Spreading lies and misleading the American public will only further alienate hard working Americans and divide the country.

“While the Bush Administration speaks of uniting the nation, its continued racial profiling, interrogation and detention of thousands of Arab and Muslims is having the opposite effect. It is time for the President to realize that the only thing these practices will secure is the downfall of democratic freedoms in America."

Ashcroft made the announcement in the same Alexandria, Virginia, Federal Courthouse where both Zacarias Moussaoui, whom U.S. officials call the “20th hijacker,” and John Walker Lindh, the American Taliban, will be held for trail.

Ashcroft is a member of the conservative Christian Coalition, and has been attacked by for being extremist. Civil rights activist Judith Schaefer criticized Ashcroft for being, "an extremist; he has a record of insensitivity, if not outright hostility towards women and minorities."

With additional reporting by Steve Smith, IOL Washington correspondent