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| AP World Politics |
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Posted on 06/21/2002 5:09:36 AM PDT by RaceBannon
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| AP World Politics |
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| Politics | AP | Reuters | USA TODAY | NPR |
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By KEN RITTER, Associated Press Writer
LAS VEGAS - The FBI ( news - web sites) said it is investigating a Nevada man's claim that he picked up a conversation in Arabic on his cell phone during which someone said there would be a "hit" on the "day of freedom."
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Borst said agents have interviewed the man who reported the conversation, Michael Hamdan, and planned to question him again Friday.
Hamdan, 54, said he's a naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in Lebanon and speaks Arabic.
Hamdan said he was trying to call his wife on his cell phone Saturday when he heard Arabic voices.
"They said in Arabic, not even a word of English, 'We are in the city of corruption, the city of prostitution, the city of gambling, the city of unbelievers,'" Hamdan told The Associated Press late Thursday. '"We are going to hit them on the day of freedom.'"
Hamdan said the call lasted about 90 seconds before the line went dead. He said he believes the men were talking about July Fourth.
"I was frozen, absolutely cold," Hamdan said. "I was sweating. I couldn't believe what I heard."
Hamdan said he reported what he heard to the FBI early Sunday morning.
Hamdan, who is married and has two children, described himself as a semiretired businessman. He said he moved to the United States in 1976.
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Dang it!
That describes just about every city in the blue zone.
I am glad I am not that close to any of them...
Well, they got that bit right.
"For three days this summer, the 120-room motel was home to a man identified as Mohammed al-Amir al-Sayed Atta, a 33-year-old Egyptian urban planner listed as one of 19 terrorists who hijacked commercial jetliners and flew them into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Authorities said they believe Atta was at the controls of American Airlines Flight 11, a Boeing 767 en route from Boston to Los Angeles that slammed into the World Trade Center's north tower at 8:45 a.m. on Sept. 11."
The last lines of that article are chilling:
"A father's anguished admonishments aside, mounting evidence shows Atta's secretive path traveled through Las Vegas on his way to infamy."
"The question is: Why was he here?"
This is the part I have a hard time believing. There is intelligible cross-talk on HIS cell-phone, and he just happens to speak Arabic.
"They said in Arabic, not even a word of English, 'We are in the city of corruption, the city of prostitution, the city of gambling, the city of unbelievers,'" Hamdan told The Associated Press late Thursday. '"We are going to hit them on the day of freedom.'"
Would the Arabs call it the "day of freedom?" Would they talk so openly on an unsecured cell phone?
Hamdan said the call lasted about 90 seconds before the line went dead. He said he believes the men were talking about July Fourth.
I would investigate Hamdan at least as thoroughly. A valid tactic for the bad guys is to send the FBI on wild goose chases and waste their time.
Something sounds a little too good to be true, but Las Vegas and NYC are the two last places I would be with my family on the 4th, regardless.
I was in Burger King this week with my daughter and the only other customers were two young ME men. I just kept getting the feeling that they were talking arrogantly and carefree because they knew no one could understand what they were saying.
While everyone's focusing on New York and DC, Vegas would seem a logical place for a hit. They probably view it as the infidel capital of the US. Several weeks ago Zubidah warned of a 4th of July attack and intelligence on Padilla's conversations indicated that hotels and gas stations would be targeted. That's a big vacation week, lots of celebrations going on and plenty of hotels in Vegas - also many vacationers on the roads.
Here is a more-likely scenario: He knows one of the people he overheard. Their phone dialed his accidentally. This is very common. People's phones make accidental calls all the time due to being jostled in their trousers pocket or briefcase. He could have overheard two people talking, not knowing a cell phone had made a call.
But the most likely scenario of all is that he wants his 15 minutes.
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