Posted on 04/21/2004 8:57:11 AM PDT by jaime1959
Transcript from ABC Newss Nightline with Ted Koppel, September 15, 2001
By Rob Long
EDITOR'S NOTE: This article appears in the May 3, 2004, issue of National Review.
TED KOPPEL: "And so then what happened?"
MOHAMED ATTA: "Well, Mr. Koppel, as I was boarding the plane, or should I say, trying to board the plane, a uniformed officer took me aside . . ."
TED KOPPEL: "Just you?"
MOHAMED ATTA: "No, no. That's the thing. It wasn't just me. It was me and a guy named Abdulaziz Alomari, a guy named al-Shehri . . . and a couple of other guys. I mean, do you get it? Do you see what's going on here?"
TED KOPPEL: "Mr. Atta, if I may, it seems that what you're saying here . . ."
MOHAMED ATTA: "It's all in our lawsuit."
TED KOPPEL: "If I may, sir, it seems that what you're saying here is that the government systematically profiled you and your associates . . ."
MOHAMED ATTA: "My associates? Mr. Koppel, I didn't know all of the gentlemen they detained. Oh, one or two I knew from around, you know, Hamburg and Kabul and flight school. But we were nodding, hey-how-are-you friends. Not close. I wouldn't say close."
TED KOPPEL: "In any case, sir, the essence, if I may, of your complaint, if I may call it that, is that the FAA, acting on a directive from the intelligence branch of the federal government, detained several Arab men and prevented them from boarding their flights?"
MOHAMED ATTA: "Yes. That is correct, Mr. Koppel. And that's racism. Racism and racial profiling and it's illegal and we're suing for damages."
TED KOPPEL: "You and . . ."
MOHAMED ATTA: "The other gentlemen who were detained for racial reasons. We were pulled out of line, searched, our possessions were confiscated . . ."
TED KOPPEL: "These would be the famous box cutters?"
MOHAMED ATTA: "We're not allowed to cut boxes, I guess. Not in Bush's America, I guess. Not with Bushitler in charge!"
TED KOPPEL: "Sir . . ."
YOU CAN READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE IN THE CURRENT ISSUE OF THE NEW DIGITAL VERSION OF NATIONAL REVIEW. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A SUBSCRIPTION TO NR DIGITAL OR NATIONAL REVIEW, YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR A SUBSCRIPTION TO NATIONAL REVIEW here OR NATIONAL REVIEW DIGITAL here (a subscription to NR includes Digital access).
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.