Atta/Prague new information (Edward Jay Epstein)

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

[TrebleRebel]

Question:

Three years have passed since the putative meeting in Prague between hijacker Mohammed Atta and Iraq Consul al-Ani. What has the CIA, FBI, Czech intelligence (BIS) and other intelligence services established about the activities of the alleged participants at this meeting?

Answer:

1) Ahmad Khalil Ibrahim Samir al-Ani served as consul at Iraq's embassy in Prague between March 1999 and April 21, 2001 and he was activity involved in agent-handling during this period. 2) Mohammed Atta applied for a visa to visit the Czech Republic on May 26, 2000 in Bonn, Germany According to Czech visa records, Atta identified himself as being a "Hamburg student." Since a visa was not necessary to catch a Czech plane to the US, Czech intelligence concluded he had business in the Czech Republic. 3) Just prior to leaving for the U.S., Atta made 2 trips to the Czech Republic in 2000. The first was on May 30, where he went without a visa to the transit lounge of Prague International Airport; the second was by bus to Prague on June 2 with visa BONN200005260024. 4) On April 4, 2001, Atta checked out of the Diplomat Inn in Virginia Beach and cashed a check for $8,000 from a SunTrust account, according to the FBI. Atta was not seen again in America by any witness before April 11, 2001. 5) Al-Ani scheduled a meeting on April 8,2001 with a "Hamburg student" according to an appointment calendar subsequently turned up by Czech intelligence in a surreptitious search of the Iraq Embassy (presumably after the defeat of Iraq in April 2003.) 6) Al-Ani was observed meeting a young Arab-speaking man on the outskirts of Prague on April 8th by a watcher for Czech counterintelligence.

7) After seeing Atta’s picture on September 11th, the watcher identified the Arab-speaking man as Mohammed Atta. 8 ) Al-Ani was expelled from Prague less than 2 weeks after that meeting. 9 ) After 9-11, Al-Ani denied that he met Atta , as did the Baghdad government. Al-Ani repeated that denial after he was detained by U.S. forces in July 2003. 10 ) The CIA determined, according to George Tenet testimony before a Joint Committee of Congress (June 18, 2002): “Atta allegedly traveled outside the US in early April 2001 to meet with an Iraqi intelligence officer in Prague, we are still working to confirm or deny this allegation. It is possible that Atta traveled under an unknown alias since we have been unable to establish that Atta left the US or entered Europe in April 2001 under his true name or any known aliases.” 11) Subsequently, Spanish intelligence found evidence that Algerians Khaled Madani and Moussa Laouar provided false passports to Mohamed Atta and his associate Ramzi bin al-Shibh.

[Mitchell]

I meant:

less suspicious than ...

not

less suspicious that ...

[Travis McGee]

I think "Hamburg student" is totally plausible. Every service will have their own tradecraft SOPs, which may or may not be followed to the letter by a senior intelligence officer.

[Mitchell]

The reason I'm skeptical is that the whole al-Ani issue smacks of dueling disinformation campaigns.

I have no idea what the truth is, and I'm unwilling to take statements from either side at face value.

[Shermy]

but why coverup about Iraq's involvement?

Some didn't want a "war" with Iraq. They, or their masters/handlers, preferred the status quo.

[swarthyguy]

>>I have no idea what the truth is

As long as Pakistan and Saudi's role in attacking us was not uncovered.

[Shermy]

The reason I'm skeptical is that the whole al-Ani issue smacks of dueling disinformation campaigns.

A result the disinforming side would be satisfied with.

I have no idea what the truth is, and I'm unwilling to take statements from either side at face value.

Caution always good. Difference is, the "anti" side has no faces. The Czech side is attributed. What motive would they have to come out so early with the info? The only Czech I've seen as an "anti" was some retired fellow who, when analyzed closely, merely questions the April 2001 meeting, not other connections. Where are the American anti faces???

As for the source who spotted Atta...Atta is an unusual looking person, so my opinion bends towards credence on that fact.

[Shermy]

And who thought up the hijack technique? It was psychologically sophisticated. Released KSM statements avoid this topic.

[Shermy]

One more thing...

Consider that the Czechs named the April date just after 9/11.

Afterwards, we find that this date "just happens" to be available in the Atta timeline. That it "just happens" involve a date in the Fine report, or part of which, was not publicized (See Respekt articles). That it "just happens" to involve a date that all publicized American timelines are silent about, or say there is no information about. That the antis never, never offer an alternative location for Atta at that time.

Put another way, other than the Czech reports themselves, is there anything in the mountains of information released about Atta that disproves the Czechs?

Nope. Except for a lie about Vaclav Havel. Isn't it about time the antis prove themselves? And if they can't, don't they deserve at least the same amount of denigration that has been heaped on the Czechs?

[Shermy]

Put another way, other than the Czech reports themselves, is there anything in the mountains of information released about Atta that disproves the Czechs?

[swarthyguy]

Well. the technique of intimidating the passengers and the flight crew was "dry runned" in the hijacking of the Indian Airliner in 1999 where a newlywed man's throat was cut, thereby keeping the passengers in their place.

[Dr. Frank fan]

It is possible that Atta traveled under an unknown alias since we have been unable to establish that Atta left the US or entered Europe in April 2001 under his true name or any known aliases

Here's what I just love.

I just love how, when you mention the Atta/Prague connection to some anti-warrior, they say (reflexively parroting some talking point they read) "but that's been denied" or "that's been debunked".

But then when you go and look at the actual "debunkings" they are ALL based on things like: "we can't prove Atta left the country". Well, that proves he didn't!

The way the powers-that-be continue to deny and pseudo "debunk" the Atta-in-Prague story only serves to give me more confidence that it's true.

[okie01]

"The way the powers-that-be continue to deny and pseudo "debunk" the Atta-in-Prague story..."

When you say "the powers-that-be", I presume you are referring to the media and the left's "conventional wisdom".

To my knowledge, neither the President nor the Vice President has ever "debunked" the story. Instead, for "public consumption", they say "there is no convincing evidence that Iraq was involved in 9/11". They have never claimed that there was any evidence to the contrary.

[Dr. Frank fan]

When you say "the powers-that-be" [who supposedly have debunked Atta/Prague], I presume you are referring to the media and the left's "conventional wisdom".

Sort of. Actually I'm not really *sure* who it is that supposedly debunked the story. I guess in a way I'm referring to the ubiquitous "anonymous FBI sources" or "senior CIA officials" who tend to appear in articles by the likes of Isikoff...

I know that nobody's really debunked the story. (That's my point. :-)

Best,

[Travis McGee]

Naturally. But if this was a disinformatzia campaign, the Bush Whitehouse would at least be using it!

[Travis McGee]

All valid points, and unanswerable.

[Travis McGee]

As far as traveling out of the country to visit Prague: hello! If you are going to visit the head of the Iraqi intelligence in Europe, don't you think false travel documents would be provided??? Well DUHH!!!

The folks who claim "no proof that Atta left the country" must think we were born last night.

[Mitchell]

But if this was a disinformatzia campaign, the Bush Whitehouse would at least be using it!

I would say that whatever disinformation is going on does not appear to be associated with the White House.

[Travis McGee]

I'm as mystified as anybody.

[Springman]

Bump for later.

[piasa]

Every service will have their own tradecraft SOPs, which may or may not be followed to the letter by a senior intelligence officer.

For example, Former CIA Director John Deutch's failure to follow procedure when he took highly sensitive intelligence files to his own house...