[aristeides]

If Atta's presence at Longboat Key a couple of nights before 9/11 is connected with Bush's stay there, somebody let somebody know Bush was going to stay there. I wonder when the plans were made for Bush to stay there. If Middle Easterners are a conspicuous presence on the staff of the Hilton on Marco Island, I wonder if they are present on other hotel staffs.

[swarthyguy]

>I wonder if they are present on other hotel staffs.

Why only mideasterners? Indians, Pakistanis, American converts, Latinos.....

[eno_]

I think this is simpler than you might think. The press had to be able to plan at least a few days ahead. It should be possible to determine how much in advance Atta made his travel arrangements. If he could not have known, well, it's just a freaky coincidence. If a sympathetic person in the Washington press corp could have told him details of the President's itinerary before Atta made travel plans, then it is clear. Or it might even have been publicly available information. In either case, it is possible to determine if Atta could plausibly have known the President would be there.