Posted on 07/22/2004 12:03:44 PM PDT by Shermy
Atta’s Alleged Trip to Prague (pages 228-229)
Mohamed Atta is known to have been in Prague on two occasions: in December 1994, when he stayed one night at a transit hotel, and in June 2000, when he was en route to the United States. On the latter occasion,he arrived by bus from Germany, on June 2, and departed for Newark the following day.69
The allegation that Atta met with an Iraqi intelligence officer in Prague in April 2001 originates from the reporting of a single source of the Czech intelligence service. Shortly after 9/11, the source reported having seen Atta meet with Ahmad Khalil Ibrahim Samir al Ani, an Iraqi diplomat, at the Iraqi Embassy in Prague on April 9, 2001, at 11:00 A.M.
This information was passed to CIA headquarters. The U.S. legal attaché (“Legat”) in Prague, the representative of the FBI, met with the Czech service’s source. After the meeting, the assessment of the Legat and the Czech officers present was that they were 70 percent sure that the source was sincere and believed his own story of the meeting. Subsequently, the Czech intelligence service publicly stated that there was a 70 percent probability that the meeting between Atta and Ani had taken place. The Czech Interior Minister also made several statements to the press about his belief that the meeting had occurred, and the story was widely reported.
The FBI has gathered evidence indicating that Atta was in Virginia Beach on April 4 (as evidenced by a bank surveillance camera photo),and in Coral Springs, Florida on April 11, where he and Shehhi leased an apartment.On April 6, 9, 10, and 11, Atta’s cellular telephone was used numerous times to call various lodging establishments in Florida from cell sites within Florida. We cannot confirm that he placed those calls. But there are no U.S. records indicating that Atta departed the country during this period. Czech officials have reviewed their flight and border records as well for any indication that Atta was in the Czech Republic in April 2001, including records of anyone crossing the border who even looked Arab. They have also reviewed pictures from the area near the Iraqi embassy and have not discovered photos of anyone who looked like Atta. No evidence has been found that Atta was in the Czech Republic in April 2001.
According to the Czech government, Ani, the Iraqi officer alleged to have met with Atta, was about 70 miles away from Prague on April 8-9 and did not return until the afternoon of the ninth, while the source was firm that the sighting occurred at 11:00 A.M. When questioned about the reported April 2001 meeting, Ani - now in custody -has denied ever meeting or having any contact with Atta. Ani says that shortly after 9/11, he became concerned that press stories about the alleged meeting might hurt his career. Hoping to clear his name, Ani asked his superiors to approach the Czech government about refuting the allegation. He also denies knowing of any other Iraqi official having contact with Atta.
These findings cannot absolutely rule out the possibility that Atta was in Prague on April 9, 2001. He could have used an alias to travel and a passport under that alias, but this would be an exception to his practice of using his true name while traveling (as he did in January and would in July when he took his next overseas trip). The FBI and CIA have uncovered no evidence that Atta held any fraudulent passports.
KSM and Binalshibh both deny that an Atta-Ani meeting occurred. There was no reason for such a meeting, especially considering the risk it would pose to the operation. By April 2001, all four pilots had completed most of their training, and the muscle hijackers were about to begin entering the United States.
The available evidence does not support the original Czech report of an Atta-Ani meeting.70
70. For Czech source reporting and credibility assessment, see CIA briefing (Jan. 28, 2004); Eliska T. interview (May 20, 2004). For the information being reported to CIA, see CIA briefing (Jan. 28, 2004). For the leak and the ministers’ statements, see CIA briefing (Jan. 28, 2004); Shirley interview (Apr. 29, 2004). On April 4, 2001, Atta cashed an $8,000 check at a bank in Virginia Beach; he appears on a bank surveillance tape. For FBI evidence of Atta being in Virginia Beach, see FBI report,“Hijackers Timeline,” Dec. 5, 2003 (Apr. 4, 2001, entry citing 265ANY-280350-302-615, 688, 896, 898). For FBI evidence of Atta being in Coral Springs, see ibid. (Apr. 11, 2001, entries citing 265A-NY-280350-302, serial 381; 265A-NY-280350-MM, serials 3817, 5214). For Czech government finding no evidence of Atta’s presence and having evidence that Ani was not in Prague, see CIA briefing (Jan.28, 2004).Aside from scrutinizing various official records, the Czech government also reviewed surveillance photos taken outside the Iraqi embassy. CIA briefing (Jan. 28, 2004); Shirley interview (Apr. 29, 2004). None of the people photographed that day resembled Atta, although the surveillance only operated from 8:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. CIA cable, review of surveillance photos, Feb. 27, 2002. For Ani’s denials of any meetings and request to superiors, see CIA briefing (Jan. 28, 2004); Intelligence report, interrogation of Ahmad Khalil Ibrahim Samir al Ani, Oct. 1, 2003. For KSM’s denial of the meeting, see Shirley interview (Apr. 29, 2004). Binalshibh has stated that Atta and he were so close that Atta probably would have told him of a meeting with an Iraqi official. Intelligence report, interrogation of Binalshibh, Oct. 2, 2002. Binalshibh also stated that Bin Ladin was upset with Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein for committing atrocities against Iraqi Muslims, and that Bin Ladin would never have approved such a meeting. Intelligence report, interrogation of Binalshibh, Oct. 4, 2002. For Atta not using an alias during his July 2001 trip, see FBI memo, Penttbom investigation, Jan. 14, 2002.
Ping.
Not an everyday amount of cash to be walking around with -- hmmm. Perhaps he was planning to travel overseas and buy his ticket with cash?
Why was all this information not made public before we invaded Iraq? Based on this, I believe the meeting never took place.
Interestingly, the matter about the embassy makes EJ Epstein's revelation this year about the "Hamburg Student" entry in the appointment calendar ring truer.
Atta/Prague new information (Edward Jay Epstein)
5) Al-Ani scheduled a meeting on April 8,2001 with a "Hamburg student" according to an appointment calendar subsequently turned up by Czech intelligence in a surreptitious search of the Iraq Embassy (presumably after the defeat of Iraq in April 2003.)
...To avoid having to use credit cards which can be traced.
5) Al-Ani scheduled a meeting on April 8,2001 with a "Hamburg student" according to an appointment calendar subsequently turned up by Czech intelligence in a surreptitious search of the Iraq Embassy (presumably after the defeat of Iraq in April 2003.)
6) Al-Ani was observed meeting a young Arab-speaking man on the outskirts of Prague on April 8th by a watcher for Czech counterintelligence.
Could it be that CIA or someone else have changed the date to make it less likely that the meeting took place?
I think it's irrelevant to the "invasion."
BTW, I want to hear from the Czechs themselves. The reporting from the Czech "government" seems contradictory, as reported here.
I don't know if the meeting took place, but Ani's denials and Bina's. statements are meaningless. "Osama Hated Saddam," whatever. Saddam hated Iran, he sent planes there. Atta could have had his own agendas.
And now we know some of the disinformation is false. The disinformation about the trip in the American press was very curious. The Czechs stuck to their guns in the face of it.
And the timing of the meeting "just happened" to be at a time Atta wasn't eyewitnessed in the US. Except for cell phone calls to "lodgings". Well, what are those lodgings? Anyone check if Atta was there?
Edward Jay Epstein has a new section on the May 30 meeting. He claims the Czechs have a picture of Atta at the airport. That would be in direct contradiction to the 9/11 report, which says it wasn't Atta - but someone else.
http://www.edwardjayepstein.com/tenetonprague.htm
In response to a letter from Senator Carl Levin concerning the CIA's investigation of Mohammed Atta, CIA Director George Tenet stated:
"We have been able to corroborate only two visits by Atta to the Czech Republic: one in late 1994, when he passed through en route to Syria; the other in June 2000, when, according to detainee reporting, he departed for the United states from Prague because he thought a non-EU member country would be less likely to keep meticulous travel data."
Did Tenet miss a third trip by Atta to the Czech Republic on May 30,2000 which would call into question the "detainee reporting" on which Tenet relies?
Answer:
Yes. According to Czech officials, Atta flew on Lufthansa Airlines from Hamburg to Ruzyne International Airport visit on May 30,2000-- a day before the Czech visa he applied for came through. Atta's face was reportedly recorded on the security CCTV at the passport control, when Atta was directed to the transit area. Although he spent about 6 hours before he returned to Germany, he reputedly appears on the hidden security cameras for only 6 minutes. According to Czech intelligence officials, only a person familiar with the blind spots in the security system could have avoided these cameras for such a prolonged period. So Czech intelligence assumed that Atta, who would not himself have this knowledge, had a meeting with an unknown party on May 30th. If so, the "detainee reporting" is inaccurate.
Again note that Epstein places the meeting on 8th April whereas the 9-11 report gives the date to 9th April.
Epstein says the meeting took place on the outskirts of Prague, whereas the sources to 9-11 Commission says it took place on the Embassy (which would be a very unlikley place for an agent - operator meeting!)
The 9-11 Report makes it less likley that the meeting took place since the Iraqi agent was 70 miles outside Prague 8-9 April (which is where Epstein placed him and the meeting), and only returned in the afternoon the 9th.
Hmmmm......
...from the wife of the owner of the Florida AMI building that was hit with two anthrax casualties, one fatal, within the incubation time period of anthrax from the 9/11 attack...
Oh, was I not supposed to say that?!
6 Full Legislative Days Left Until The AWB Expires
Re: #9
Commission says elsewhere that was a mistake by the Czechs. Fellow with the same or close to same name. A Pakistani.
(I recall an Afghan warlord with the same name, which caused confusion.)
NO MENTION OF THE HAMBURG STUDENT MEETING.
This report is useless.
It's more like the 9/10 report.
Sure, all of the above are possible - but note that if you change the date to 8th April Epstein's and "CIA's" data fit, but the story they describe is completely different.
No proof of any wrongdoing or cover up, but it leaves a lot of questions!
I've seen that 8th v. 9th confusion in articles for a long time.
"6 Full Legislative Days Left Until The AWB Expires"
Really?????
Source?
"from the wife of the owner of the Florida AMI"
Wife of an editor of "The Sun" published by AMI.
The source is your calendar. Take a look at it. Today is July 22. Congress goes on its summer vacation from July 26 (read: Monday) through September 6 (again, a Monday).
The AWB expires on September 13 (yup, Monday). Now count the days, minus the weekends.
6 Full Legislative Days Left Until The AWB Expires
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