Atta/Prague new information (Edward Jay Epstein)

Edward Jay Epstein ^ | 4/23/04 | Edward Jay Epstein

[TrebleRebel]

Contains new information - apparently al-Ani's calendar noted a meeting with "Hamburg student" on April 8. This was exactly the phrse Atta used in his Czech visa application.

[TrebleRebel]

ping

[Travis McGee]

Make sure to archive this, and have these facts ready when the usual idiots and dissemblers say "there's no connection between Iraq and 9-11" or "there's no proof Atta ever met with an Iraqi spymaster in Prague."

[Shermy]

Respekt article, but doesn't mention the notebook:

Mohammad Atta’s Decisive Meeting

[Shermy]

meaning...#5 "appointment calendar"

[Eurotwit]

Thanks for the ping.

It was always curious how the Atta czeck connection went below the radar.

In enemy territory like Norway I need all the ammo I can get my hands on :-)

Cheers.

[Mitchell]

Do you find it believable that an appointment calendar entry would not include a name but just a description ("Hamburg student")?

[Zack Nguyen]

I thought Czech Intelligence actually monitered the meeting. Is this not the case?

[Valin]

Bump for later.

[Shermy]

Absolutely. Not only would it not have its name, Al-Ani himself might not even know Atta's real name. And is Al-Ani a mastermind, or just a messenger?

What kind of calendar? Al-Ani's? Or some general calendar? Maybe to document his leaving the embassy he had give a generic statement. Don't know.

Seems totalitarians like to document things...But then the Czechs might have created it to enhance their story.

For me the telling incident was the blatant disinformation about Vaclav Havel. That put the story beyond a mere conflict between honest disagreements.

[Mitchell]

I think it would have a name. Maybe a fake name, but a name.

Even getting into the buildings of corporations typically requires giving your name, signing in, and often showing some ID.

And it seems awfully convenient that the phrase is apparently an exact match for Atta's self-description on his visa application.

[justshutupandtakeit]

There was a thread on this late last night. As far as I am concerned it cannot be duplicated too many times. The knowledge of this connection is the key to destroying Bush's/America's enemies.

[Shermy]

I think it would have a name. Maybe a fake name, but a name.

Depends on the purpose of the "appointment calendar". Maybe "Hamburg student" is the "name." Or maybe there was a name...was their more info in the doucment? Who wrote it? Was it for Al-Ani? Etc., etc.

Even getting into the buildings of corporations typically requires giving your name, signing in, and often showing some ID.

By the little information given I cannot tell if it was an in-house meeting, or recording a meeting elsewhere. Anyway, certain people need not follow procedures...

And it seems awfully convenient that the phrase is apparently an exact match for Atta's self-description on his visa application.

Maybe. but why not? Note that "student" has a religious significance, eg "Talib". I'd like to see the original language reports.

[Shermy]

shaking the memory tree...

Where's that Glenn A. Fine report mentioned by Respekt magazine???

[Cindy]

Thank you Mr. McGee

[Travis McGee]

Do you find it believable that an appointment calendar entry would not include a name but just a description ("Hamburg student")?

Totally! For a meeting between a spymaster and a terrorist leader? Heck yes! It's just to serve as a nudge for the spymaster's memory, it's shorthand code as a precaution. If it had named Atta, it would be much LESS convincing.

[Travis McGee]

You're welcome!

[swarthyguy]

Leaves the question, why has the administration sat on this info.

Pakistan I can understand when the head of ISI wired cash to Atta through Omar Sheikh, but why coverup about Iraq's involvement?

[Travis McGee]

I wish I knew. It may be bureaucratic CYA, similar to covering up the John Doe 2 connection in OKC. It's just too embarrassing to drag up old departmental failures, and air them to the world. Nobody wants to put their division on report as a pack of idiots. Much easier to ignore it and just "move forward." In a bureaucratic sense, I mean.

[Mitchell]

If it had named Atta, it would be much LESS convincing.

Well, I wasn't thinking that Atta's name would appear, but that the entry would have included a fake name. That would have been less suspicious that an entry with no name.

Of course, maybe there was a fake name. We really don't know.