Exclusive: Hijacker in City Sept. 10 Used navigation tool to pinpoint WTC site

New York Daily News ^ | 5/22/02 | GREG B. SMITH

[cake_crumb]

"They know the hijackers bought GPS devices in the months leading up to the attack."

How soon until John McCain sponsors legislation closing the "loophole" in GPS system shows?

[browardchad]

The timeline from which you posted quotes reports that Atta was in Florida on the morning of 9/8, in lower Manhattan on the evening of 9/8, at Boston's Logan Airport "scouting" for a major portion of the day of 9/9, rented a car in Boston on the evening of 9/9, stayed at a Boston motel on the night of 9/9, and passed through a Mass Turnpike tollbooth on the way to Maine on the afternoon of 9/10.

This story reports Atta rented the car on 9/10 (contrary to all other reports I've read). Assuming that the 9/9 car rental and stay in Boston can be documented with receipts, my guess is that someone else used Atta's credit card in New York, and it sounds as if the visit to WTC is simply a theory. (Or this entire story is hogwash).

[cake_crumb]

"Let's see how many of the RATs' "Soccer Moms" really want to wear Burkas?"

Wasn't it the RATs' "Soccor Moms", in the weeks following 911, who tried to get American women to show their support for the adherants of "The Religion of Piece" by wearing a VEIL one day a week?

[VRWC_minion]

Should I report it to the FBI? My wife said he looked odd.

if he didn't bargain then he is safe. The real terrorists were penny pinchers.

[AGreatPer]

It is easy to get to that airport in 12 minutes. I have done it several times.

Location: The Comfort Inn is located off exit 7 of I-95 (North or South) at 90 Maine Mall Rd. We are 1 mile from the Portland International Jetport and offer complimentary airport transportation

[Salvation]

Now GPS purchases will require waiting periods and background checks.

I think you answered my question: Who could buy one of these global positioning devices before 9-11?
Who can buy them now?

[cake_crumb]

I thought the problem with MS Flight Sim 2000 had to do with being able to fly your virtual plane into the WTC?

[rohry]

Chill out.

Sorry, I guess I'm overly sensitive today because I posted something yesterday and got visciously attacked (it ended up what posted was not accurate).

I have a lesson tommorrow, I'll check with my flight instructor for details.

On a related point, the instuctor told me that a 16 year old kid came in for lessons and knew all the approaches to the local airports and landmarks from the air before taking off. He had flown the area so often with Flight Simulator that he had memorized everything!

[denydenydeny]

This does fit into the known timeline of Atta's movements. Atta, however, was definitely witnessed in Logan Airport on the morning of the ninth, checking out the procedures for Flight 11. This would have required him to either travel down to New York the early morning of the tenth, or later in the day on the ninth.

There were earlier reports of Atta being in New York that weekend. See the linked timeline.

[cake_crumb]

"Anyone else remember the middle eastern student who was arrested after 9/11. He was a staying at a hotel near WTC and a GPS was found in his room. The story became more bizarre and finally the charges were dismissed."

I do. First he said he knew nothing about it. Then he said he knew about it, but it belonged to a friend of his. Sorry...he changed his story so many times I lost track. Some goofy NYC judge let him go due to lack of evidence. I believe he was deported on an immigration violation I think, meaning he probably appealed the deportation and is still in this country somewhere.

[Risky Schemer]

Who could buy one of these global positioning devices before 9-11?

Anybody. Check hunting, marine catalogs, auto stores (GPS mapping computers), even sold as optional equipment on some cars (I believe) and boats and private planes.

Who can buy them now?

Anybody. For now.

[contessa machiaveli]

i remember that one. his father is influential so who knows why the investigation were dropped. he claimed that the equipment in his hotel room was their PRIOR to his occupancy. how convenient.

[Mitchell]

The timeline from which you posted quotes reports that Atta was in Florida on the morning of 9/8, in lower Manhattan on the evening of 9/8, at Boston's Logan Airport "scouting" for a major portion of the day of 9/9, rented a car in Boston on the evening of 9/9, stayed at a Boston motel on the night of 9/9, and passed through a Mass Turnpike tollbooth on the way to Maine on the afternoon of 9/10.

What I posted was actually from rough notes I prepared a few months ago. There were several sources, including the FBI. (The one uncertain time in my list is because I did find published references to both times, but they're only a minute apart.)

Anyway, I don't think I have anything on the earlier information that you posted. But it's probably in denydenydeny's superb timeline; that would be an excellent resource to check.

[CJ Wolf]

ok thanks, I feel better now.

[angcat]

HI :)

[ladyjane]

The poor hotel worker said he made a mistake, he found it in the room safe on the 10th floor, not the 9th floor. Something like that.

[OldFriend]

snicker

[OldFriend]

I don't know about this particular GPS but we purchased a Magellan GPS for our daughter as she travels on her job in cities across the country. The GPS has been invaluable to her.

[eno_]

I don't know about Portland, but I could check out of a motel by the airport in Manchester, NH and be on a plane in 15 minutes - at least that was possible before the federalization of the ineffectual a-holes at the x-ray machine. Portland is no megalapolis.

[white trash redneck]

At very least, some will want "Selective Ability" turned back on to "reduce" the accuracy of civilian GPS units.

I don't see how that would have made any difference. Even a severely degraded GPS signal would get you to within visual range of the WTC, or any other large target that the Muslimaniacs would find attractive. Nonetheless, I think you are absolutely right that the same Idiotarian mind-set that thinks outlawing guns makes people safer will think that degrading civilian GPS signals will also make us safer.