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Newspaper: Echelon Gave Authorities Warning Of Attacks
Newsbytes ^ | Friday September 14, 4:16 AM

Posted on 09/13/2001 2:01:54 PM PDT by HAL9000

FRANKFURT, GERMANY, 2001 SEP 13 (NB) -- By Ned Stafford, Newsbytes.

U.S. and Israeli intelligence agencies received warning signals at least three months ago that Middle Eastern terrorists were planning to hijack commercial aircraft to use as weapons to attack important symbols of American and Israeli culture, according to a story in Germany's daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ).

The FAZ, quoting unnamed German intelligence sources, said that the Echelon spy network was being used to collect information about the terrorist threats, and that U.K. intelligence services apparently also had advance warning. The FAZ, one of Germany's most respected dailies, said that even as far back as six months ago western and near-east press services were receiving information that such attacks were being planned.

Within the American intelligence community, the warnings were taken seriously and surveillance intensified, the FAZ said. However, there was disagreement on how such terrorist attacks could be prevented, the newspaper said.

Echelon is said to be a vast information collection system capable of monitoring all the electronic communications in the world. It is thought to be operated by the U.S., the U.K., Canada, Australia and New Zealand. No government agency has ever confirmed or denied its existence. However, an EU committee that investigated Echelon for more than a year just last week reported its belief that the system does exist.

The EU committee said that Echelon sucks up electronic transmissions "like a vacuum cleaner," using keyword search techniques to sift through enormous amounts of data. The FAZ, in its news story, described the system as covering the whole world with 120 satellites. The newspaper also said Israeli intelligence had collected information indicated that Arab terrorist groups planned to hijack planes in Europe to use as weapons to attack targets in Tel Aviv and other coastal cities in Israel. Because of increasing concerns of plane hijackings, Israel has tested a new x-ray machine at the Tel Aviv airport, the FAZ said. The machine capable of detecting all known explosive elements, even if only in small quantities, the newspaper said.

The FAZ said that German intelligence fears that in coming days planes will be hijacked in Europe and the Near East, and that there is no sure way to protect against it.

13:16 CST Reposted 14:52 CST



TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS:

1 posted on 09/13/2001 2:01:54 PM PDT by HAL9000
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To: Nita Nupress
FYI--think this might have led them to Richardson, TX?
2 posted on 09/13/2001 2:20:56 PM PDT by MizSterious
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To: HAL9000
Someone in this country did like the three bears. They goofed!
3 posted on 09/13/2001 3:49:36 PM PDT by lute
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To: golitely
Yes, and I'm beginning to think that because of the FBI raid in Richardson last week and the subsequent shutdown of 500 Islamic websites worldwide, these evil people were forced to "go" before they were totally ready. I'm thinking they had more pilots that couldn't get in place or other terrorist acts they couldn't pull off.
4 posted on 09/13/2001 5:23:05 PM PDT by Nita Nupress
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To: Nita Nupress
See also David Schippers Speaks Out too, Nita. My paranoid mind is putting puzzle pieces together: do they fit?
5 posted on 09/13/2001 5:27:42 PM PDT by MizSterious
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To: golitely
I don't know; it's too early to tell. But I think I'm seeing the same pieces you are.
6 posted on 09/13/2001 6:45:15 PM PDT by Nita Nupress
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To: Nita Nupress
I'm beginning to think that because of the FBI raid in Richardson last week and the subsequent shutdown of 500 Islamic websites worldwide, these evil people were forced to "go" before they were totally ready.

I wondered the same thing. If they thought their security had been compromised by the FBI raid, they would certainly move their dates up so as to execute their plan before FBI agents started showing up at their doors.

This might also explain the seemingly odd mistakes they made in leaving easy-traced materials in their cars and hotel rooms. One theory is that all that stuff was left around on purpose, as red herring material. This is apparently a widely-used tactic among Intelligence types. On the other hand, it could also be they got the word on Monday that Tuesday was going to be the Big Day, and they just didn't have time to clean up all their details.


7 posted on 09/13/2001 9:12:30 PM PDT by Nick Danger
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To: HAL9000
Interesting.

I got this article with the following note from the "Inside the Vatican" news service.

German Newspaper Says Authorities Received Warning
--------------------
by Inside the Vatican staff
--------------------

SPECIAL NOTE: Ordinarily, we focus solely on news directly associated with the Vatican, the Pope and the life of the faith. But in the extraordinary circumstances of recent days -- and in response to requests from some worried and confused readers -- in the days to come we will try to provide additional insight into the terrible events of September 11, and their consequences. We will include, for example, press reports (like the one below) originating outside the US, since they may be little known to our US readers.

We cannot vouch for the accuracy of all that is reported, and we regret this. But we judge it may be important to simply forward to you what we ourselves have been reading and noting as of possible importance, so that you, our readers, may be better informed about what is happening, or what is alleged to be happening. This could be of value in the days and weeks ahead, during which time there seems likely to be an acceleration of the pace of events. Please ad! vise us if you wish us to discontinue these reports. --The Editor


8 posted on 09/15/2001 12:30:04 PM PDT by Askel5
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Comment #9 Removed by Moderator

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