Mohammad Atta’s Decisive Meeting

Respekt ^ | Nov. 10, 2003 | Jaroslav Spurny

[Tailgunner Joe]

Immediately after the occupation of Baghdad, the CIA succeeded in obtaining nearly the complete archive of the Foreign Ministry and some of the material belonging to the Iraqi secret service. Czech security organs now have access to documents from Iraq’s embassy in Prague. This summer, the Iraqi consul to Prague, Ahmed al-Ani, was detained by American soldiers in Baghdad. Although it has not yet been proved whether the consul met with the terrorist Mohammad Atta [suspected leader of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States], new information from the American, the German, and the Czech [intelligence] services indicates that Atta’s visits to Prague were important. For the terrorist operations of Sept. 11, they may have been decisive.

[mattdono]

That's really not possible. That would mean that was an Iraq-Al Queda connection.

Messrs. Brokaw, Jennings, and Rather, as well as 9 outstanding candidates for the democrat nomination have told us that there wasn't a connection, so I just don't know how this could be.

</gobs of sarcasm>

[Shermy]

ping.

[Shermy]

Don't worry. Isikoff will write another piece showing Cheney to be a liar.

< /sarcasm>

[Paul Ross]

Indeed.

[Shermy]

Here's the 2002 Respekt article, geographical mistakes and all.

http://respekt.inway.cz/english/priloha-eng-2002-43-01.php

[justshutupandtakeit]

Thanks, good post. Maybe if we keep screaming about this from the rooftops the RATmedia will not be able to keep it suppressed.

[not-alone]

interesting post thanks

[Shermy]

Related story and posts here.

Iraq, 9/11 Still Linked By Cheney

[aristeides]

In his report a year ago, Glenn A. Fine, the inspector general of the U.S. Justice Department, rejected the possibility of Atta’s April visit. In the document, he asserted that two days before the supposed Prague meeting, Atta flew from Virginia Beach to New York and, 70 hours later, was again in Florida. Atta could have managed the Prague meeting only with difficulty. Yet, according to new and as yet unpublished information from U.S. security services, there exists no record of Atta’s movement from the beginning of March 2001 to the end of April of that year.

I wonder why the change. Have we determined that somebody was impersonating Atta?

[ladyinred]

I have more problem believing that Saddam wasn't linked to 911( among other things), than I do with not believing he was.

Good post.

[Shermy]

In his report a year ago, Glenn A. Fine, the inspector general of the U.S. Justice Department, rejected the possibility of Atta’s April visit.

This is the second article from this mag mentioning this report, yet I can find no mention of it anywhere else.

[eno_]

The CIA is convinced that Atta’s terrorist group must have been led by professionals from an intelligence service, perhaps Iraq’s.

I love that "perhaps." Leaves ample room for it to turn out to have been Iran.

[aristeides]

Czech officials are willing to leak the report when U.S. officials are not?

[woofie]

Yep we all know it was Bush's fault not Saddam's

[Shermy]

Nov. 19 Edward Jay Epstein article on slate:

Prague Revisited - The evidence of an Iraq/al-Qaida connection hasn't gone away.

[Shermy]

I think so. And a year ago.

[Shermy]

I wonder why the change. Have we determined that somebody was impersonating Atta?

Or it was wrong in the first place...or someone was using his credit card or name...

One interpretation of the almost vehement and confusing links to the press, even disinformation, about Prague is "CYA." Perhaps it was known and not followed up.

[Cicero]

This business has puzzled me for a long time. Either George Tenet is a traitor (which would not be surprising, considering his connection with the traitor clinton) or Bush is saving this up for an October Surprise next year.

There were numerous connections between Iraq and al Quaeda, and I've never seen a plausible explanation for Tenet's repeated denials that the Prague meeting with Atta took place, despite continuing confirmation from the Czechs.

I wouldn't put it past Bush to let the media hang themselves over this issue, and then come out with the facts. He's done it several times before. But I think the stronger probability is that Tenet is a traitor.

[aristeides]

The feds haven't just been denying the Prague meeting, they've been trying, most implausibly, to lay the blame for the anthrax on Hatfill. And, in the latter case, it's the FBI, not the CIA. I assume the two phenomena are related.

[Shermy]

This business has puzzled me for a long time.

People will go far to cover up mistakes.

[Shermy]

Clarification:

"People will go far to cover up their own mistakes"

[Shermy]

The feds haven't just been denying ...

And, perhaps, they're finding gullible reporters inclined to accept the disinfo if it's played to their already-established animosity to Cheney or the Admin.

I've noticed that many of the counter-Prague article this year are coupled with postures against Cheney, even the ballyhooed "neocons." IOW, the planted information is susceptible to ready belief by persons normally antagonistic to Cheney, and thereby gets traction, even deflects closer examination.

[GOPJ]

When you think of AQ as the financial and coordinating organization (kind of the UN of terrorist groups) and other local terrorist organizations as members with somewhat limited powers, it makes more sense. That might be where Osama came in: he offered cash and mystique. Both dearly needed in what appears to be a cult centered criminal organization. Iran, Iraq, whatever, probably all junior members -- each with their own competing and complimentary agendas. Too many mirrors. Iran could be the tail wagging the dog, or other way around.

I love that "perhaps." Leaves ample room for it to turn out to have been Iran.

[aristeides]

Both Iraq and Iran would have had a lot more money (oil money) to contribute to such projects than bin Laden.

[aristeides]

What bin Laden and AQ had to offer to a state sponsor was above all deniability.

[MHGinTN]

"I wouldn't put it past Bush to let the media hang themselves over this issue, and then come out with the facts." ... More to the possibility is that the ambiguity is constructed to allow the Democrats to trap themselves, baring their necks for a 2004 chopping when the administration puts the facts out for public consumption. To try and cover their seditious butts, the democrat leadership send their media lapfools out to publicize the negatives regarding connections, giving the demos plausible (plausible to the unwashed and liberal dumbed-down dolts) when they're exposed for their incessant hounding on 'no connections', 'Bush and Cheney lied to the public', 'unnecessary war', etc. It is a Chess game of great importance to the elections of 2004. Time for democrats to go ... from the House and Senate, and never be returned to power in their present seditious, weak-kneed incarnation; they are too dangerous for the survival of the Republic.

[Pharmboy]

Great post, TJ; thanks.

[Mitchell]

[In his report a year ago, Glenn A. Fine, the inspector general of the U.S. Justice Department, rejected the possibility of Atta’s April visit.]

This is the second article from this mag mentioning this report, yet I can find no mention of it anywhere else.

It might appear somewhere in http://www.usdoj.gov/oig/special/02-05/fullreport.pdf. It's a long document; I just took a brief glance and didn't see that comment there, but it's the kind of thing that might be in it.

[Shermy]

Thanks Mitchell. I checked that report a while back, it's not the one. For example, nothing is mentioned about Atta, April, Viginia Beach and so on.

Take a look at the chart on page 47. There'a a big gap between January and May 2001.

So, what report are the Czechs talking about???

BTW, you found that report much faster than I had. :)

[Shermy]

BTW, where is Yousef Ramzi these days?

[aristeides]

BTW, where is Yousef Ramzi these days?

He was sentenced to a long (life?) jail term in federal prison a few years back, so I imagine he's in some federal prison, but I don't know which one.

[Gritty]

BTTT

[GOPJ]

Let's say they do offer cover. Cover for what?

Sure, Osama was used to siphon off and redirect legitimate rage that should have been given to thuggy governments. But that's too easy. Leaders in totalitarian states don't worry about rage. They apply the stick. Few carrots in these cultures.

Iranian Mullah's steal oil money and the people don't get cake or bread. They get someone to hate. The Jews, the US, anyone but the people who run the states they live in... EliteSauds marry 3 wives, leave the forth slot for hookers, and the people are allowed to redirect their frustration on to us?

I give up, deniability for what?

What bin Laden and AQ had to offer to a state sponsor was above all deniability.

[Mitchell]

The only real reference I can find on the web is from the Czech newpaper Respekt. You've probably seen it -- the link is http://respekt.inway.cz/english/priloha-eng-2002-43-01.php.

Nothing else is showing up, which suggests that something in the Respekt article is wrong. Maybe the report they're referring to isn't by Glenn Fine. Or maybe it's not a "report" but a quote from a press conference or Congressional testimony or something like that. And the quote may have been mangled a bit (maybe was it translated from English into Czech for the Respekt article, and then back into English for the English translation of the Respekt article).

Or conceivably the statement appeared in some preliminary version of Fine's report but was removed for the final version?

I'm just speculating on all this, of course. But I haven't found any source for the Czech article.

[GOPJ]

State money went along normal channels. Mullah take, thug take, Swiss bank account take, etc. With Binny Boy it was "walking around money" here, "walking around money" there. It doesn't take much to impress someone living on $2,000 a year.

Big splash for little cash in a culture that doesn't traditionally use positive reinforcements. (Threats are easier)

Both Iraq and Iran would have had a lot more money (oil money) to contribute to such projects than bin Laden.

[PGalt]

Interesting post. Thanks.

[aristeides]

If it's a mistake, I think it's unlikely Respekt would have repeated the same mistake a year later. Somebody would have pointed the mistake out to Respekt. Respekt's Czech government source would either have pointed the mistake out to Respekt, if he was not the source of the mistake, or would have had his mistake pointed out to him and relayed the correction to Respekt, if he was the source of the mistake.

I think it is much more likely that the story is true, but only Czech authorities have been willing to leak information about this Fine report.

[Shermy]

It's hard for me to believe the Czech writer made this up, used the name "Fine", and even made some small US geographical errors in the first article, somewhat corrected in the second one.

[Shermy]

Or conceivably the statement appeared in some preliminary version of Fine's report but was removed for the final version?

Very possible. The report linked via our gov. is about travel, but mostly the intricacies of immigration procedures. But a great possibility is as you said, the "Respekt" info about Atta was in the same report posted at the gov site, but excised for American consumption.

[carton253]

bumpp!

[Shermy]

But I haven't found any source for the Czech article.

Could be the "same" report that Fine gave Congress...But the one Fine made public was expurgated - like the NIE report released about Saddam's alleged uranium seeking.

Or this might be relevant:

"SEN. LEVIN: Was the intelligence Committee's assessment -- what is the Intelligence Committee's assessment of whether or not 9/11 hijacker Mohamed Atta met with Ahmed al-Ani, an alleged Iraq intelligence officer in Iraq in April of 2001. What is your assessment?

MR. TENET: Sir, I know you have a paper up here that outlines all that for you. It's a classified paper. My recollection is we can't prove that one way or another.

Maybe that "paper" is the one Respekt speaks of.