Mubarak says he warned America of an attack before Sept. 11.

AP WorldStream via COMTEX ^ | 12-7-01

[Oldeconomybuyer]

BEIRUT, Lebanon, Dec 07, 2001 (AP WorldStream via COMTEX) -- Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak says he warned the United States that "something would happen" 12 days before the Sept. 11 terror attacks on New York and Washington.

In an interview published Friday by the left-wing Lebanese newspaper As-Safir, Mubarak also said that if the Israeli defense force were to kill Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, it would be a grave mistake.

Mubarak did not reveal how he learned in late August of a possible terrorist attack against the United States. He said he was taken aback by the scale of the Sept. 11 attacks, when hijackers seized four U.S. airliners and crashed two into New York's World Trade Center and one into the Pentagon. The fourth plane crashed into the Pennsylvania countryside during an apparent struggle in the cockpit.

"We expected that something was going to happen and informed the Americans. We told them," Mubarak said. He did not mention a U.S. response.

"But nobody expected the event would be of such enormity. We did not know that they would hit this target or that, and we were all surprised when planes with passengers on board hit the (World Trade Center's) twin towers," Mubarak said.

"The result was that the world economy was disrupted. Tourism and civil aviation were severely affected in Egypt, Europe and throughout the world," he added.

Mubarak said there was no comparison between the U.S.-led coalition against Iraq in the Gulf War of 1991 and the current U.S.-led campaign to destroy Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida group - the alleged masterminds of the attacks - and their Taliban allies in Afghanistan.

"In the Gulf War there was a person (Iraqi President Saddam Hussein) who occupied a country (Kuwait), and the war was launched to put an end to the aggression and send him back behind his borders.

"The war in Afghanistan is against terrorism in a land that listens to nobody, that contains people of all kinds and races, and is uncontrollable," he said.

In the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, recent Israeli airstrikes have hit targets within 100 meters (yards) of Yasser Arafat's offices.

Mubarak said that if Israel were to kill Arafat, it would create a vacuum in the Palestinian leadership that none of the "six to eight contenders" would be able to fill.

"Leaderships would emerge that would vie for popularity and compete in staging violent operations, internally and externally, against Israel, plunging (the region) into chaos. They (Israel) should understand this and know that it is dangerous," Mubarak said.

"And what would happen after Arafat? Who would Israel hold responsible for (acts of violence) - the leaders of Hamas or the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine?," Mubarak said. He was referring to two militant Palestinian factions.

Hamas suicide bombers killed 25 people and wounded scores in Jerusalem and Haifa last weekend. The PFLP claimed responsibility for the assassination of the Israeli tourism minister in October.

Mubarak said the Palestinians had "a feeling of frustration" because of the actions of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's government.

"(The Israelis) elected Sharon on a promise that he would bring security. He came up with a theory that the use of military power, killing and airstrikes would bring security, but he has failed. What Sharon is doing will not provide security," Mubarak said.

[AmericaUnited]

"something would happen"

Mubarak wants a medal for giving information that was about as helpful as an old Nostradamus babbling.

[Magician]

A least 5 or 6 foreing intelligence agencies or government have now revealed that they gave us warning of the 9-11 attacks days or weeks beforehand. The Mossad's warning, for example, was given by a high level Mossad delegation that travelled to Langley to the CIA, and gave a highly detailed advance notice that included everything but the buildings to be targeted.

The Egyptian revelation is just another one indicating an intelligence disaster of the first magnitude. Or, God forbid, complicity in allowing the attack to happen. The latter has to be considered, since despite the amount of advanced notice, the CIA and FBI did absolutely nothing to fend off the attack. No questionings, no detentions, no deportations, no unsual measures at the airports. They apparently just sat there and let it happen.

[Alabama_Wild_Man]

Good old Hosni is just feeling left-out - with all of the bombings happening outside his jursidiction....

So, let's all make him feel better and send a dozen or so Cruise Missles to his favorite charity....

[wingnuts'nbolts]

How would we have had a clue what the "Something" would be, a hint, clue, who, where, how? Talk about non news.

[weikel]

Bibi actually did tell us that the terrorist would go after the WTC again.

[VMI70]

"Mubarak said that if Israel were to kill Arafat, it would create a vacuum in the Palestinian leadership that none of the "six to eight contenders" would be able to fill."

This is a good thing, imho. Divide and conquer--an age old maxim that has yet to be refuted.

Good post-FReegards,

[JMS]

Sounds like Mubarak is trying to horn in on Madam Cleo's territory, "Call me NOW!"