TIMELINE (Mohamed el-Amir Awad el-Sayed Atta)

ABC DOT NET DOT AU ^ | 8-2005

[doug from upland]

THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT

In Washington, the FBI moved to quiet the Prague connection by telling journalists that it had car rentals and records that put Atta in Virginia Beach, Va., and Florida close to, if not during, the period when he was supposed to be in Prague. The New York Times, citing information provided by "federal law enforcement officials," reported that Atta was in Virginia Beach on April 2, 2001, and by April 11, "Atta was back in Florida, renting a car." Newsweek reported that, "the FBI pointed out Atta was traveling at the time [in early April 2001] between Florida and Virginia Beach, Va.," adding, "The bureau had his rental car and hotel receipts." And intelligence expert James Bamford, after quoting FBI Director Robert Mueller as saying that the FBI "ran down literally hundreds of thousands of leads and checked every record we could get our hands on," reported in USA Today, "The records revealed that Atta was in Virginia Beach during the time he supposedly met the Iraqi in Prague."

All these reports attributed to the FBI were, as it turns out, erroneous. There were no car rental records in Virginia, Florida, or anywhere else in April 2001 for Mohamed Atta, since he had not yet obtained his Florida license. His international license was at his father's home in Cairo, Egypt (where his roommate Marwan al-Shehhi picked it up in late April). Nor were there other records in the hands of the FBI that put Atta in the United States at the time. Director of Central Intelligence George Tenet testified to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence in June 2002, "It is possible that Atta traveled under an unknown alias" to "meet with an Iraqi intelligence officer in Prague." Clearly, it was not beyond the capabilities of the 9/11 hijackers to use aliases.

[M Kehoe]

Let's use this thread as a reference point to discuss the Prague connection.

I wonder what happened to the video of Atta meeting al-Ani [Iraqi intel for those of you in Palm Beach] at the Prague airport? I saw it twice, and can't recall where now.

5.56mm

[Ann Archy]

Man, how do we have so much info on Atta, even knowing he took a BUS in Germany??? Was this info contemporaneous or after 9-11??

[TVenn]

"in the Carl-Duisburg Society."

I think it is spelled wrong above.Here's more information about CDS.

http://www.cdsintl.org/

[fantom]

is to good. this site is smokin ! now we know there must be more. all the info on atta is dated 1or 2 day's after the attack. this is more than hearsay. these are places and timelines. someone built this intel profile some time ago. by the way what is the commisions position on all this today? ha.

[openotherend]

If Able Danger supports Czech intelligence, which at the moment remains just speculation, it will prove tremendously explosive.

That's a big "if" but it will be the key. Thanks for your hard work. I'm not so confused now.

[popdonnelly]

June 3
Atta arrives in Newark, New Jersey aboard a Czech Airlines flight from Prague with a six month tourist visa for the US. He has shaved off his beard, has begun to wear western style clothing again and appears to have a large amount of money at his disposal.

Where did he get the money from?

[TVenn]

"1994—ATTA applies for a fellowship in development policy with the Carl-Duisburg Society, an organization dedicated to development issues. ATTA will attend many seminars within Germany for the next several years, owing to this fellowship."

http://www.cdsintl.org/about/index.htm

Our History

In the 1920's, Carl Duisberg, General Director of Bayer AG in Germany, envisioned sending German students to the United States on work-study programs. Duisberg was convinced that international practical training was critical to the growth of German industry. Many of the returning trainees later rose to prominent positions at AEG, Bayer, Bosch, Daimler Benz, and Siemens, bringing with them new methods for mass production, new ideas, and new business practices.

Following World War II, alumni from the first exchanges founded the Carl Duisberg Gesellschaft (CDG) in 1949 to help engineers, businessmen and farmers gain international work experience necessary for the rebuilding of Germany. In 1968, the Carl Duisberg Society was founded in New York City as a nonprofit organization to develop more opportunities for Americans to gain international practical training. Our name was changed to CDS International in 1987 to reflect the increasingly international nature of our programs. In addition to our programs with the CDG in Germany, CDS International administers programs with foreign partners and participants in over 50 countries worldwide.

Our Mission

CDS International, Inc. is committed to the advancement of international career training opportunities customized to provide individuals with in-depth practical knowledge of other nations' business practices, cultures, and political traditions. These experiences help strengthen global cooperation and understanding amongst individuals, businesses, organizations and communities.

Our Vision

We believe individuals need to be given opportunities to enhance their professional abilities cross-culturally in order to obtain and maintain the job skills necessary for successful careers in today's global economy. In providing international training opportunities, we contribute to social and economic stability and prosperity in the United States and in those countries where we send and receive participants. We believe international exchange strengthens cooperation between different cultures and nations, reduces conflicts and contributes to better solutions to issues confronting today's societies.

[openotherend]

Atta and several other men ask about crop-dusting planes at an airstrip in Belle Glade, Florida. They want to know how much fuel and chemicals the planes can carry and whether special skills are needed to pilot them. They also approach South Florida Crop Care again, where Atta leaves an impression of being "real persistent".

This just doesn't seem to fit into the scheme of flying airliners into buildings. Were they going to fly crop dusters into buildings but nixed that plan because they couldn't get the crop dusters?

[Sacajaweau]

The following is a quote from the

Report of the Joint Inquiry into the Terrorists Attacks of September 11, 2001-By the House Permanent Select Committee of Intelligence and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence" dated December 2002.

"Claiming that his passport had been lost, Atta obtained a new Egyptian passport in Hamburg in May 2000. He flew to Newark in June 2000. al-Shehhi had arrived several days earlier". "

Atta and al-Shehhi stayed in the New York area, renting apartments together until the beginning of July...." Then they went to Florida.

The apartments renting bit raises a question. Surely, motel rooms would be cheaper and easier to find for such a short term???

[TVenn]

"Where did he get the money from?"

Acccording to Atta's biography the only place he ever worked was CDS International.He stopped working for CDS in 1998.

I don't think he made enough there to fund his travel.It must have come from al-Qaeda.

[popdonnelly]

I think everyone began to scour their records after 9/11, to see where these guys showed up.

[petitfour]

Interesting timeline. On August 14, Atta went from Vegas to Houston. I wonder what airline he took and if the flight went through Denver. Sometimes they do. Sometimes they don't. On August 14, 2001, President Bush was in Colorado. I can't tell from news reports whether he spent the night there. I imagine he did, but I'm not positive. The next day he was in Albuquerque for the first day of school. I was disappointed that he didn't show up at the school our children attended so the date sticks out in my mind.

[Sacajaweau]

To clear the record of Afghanistan. How about, to clear the record of ANYWHERE they had been.

Now, they're all clean shaven, wearing western clothes, match their new passports, and there's no trace of where they had been....except by corroboration.

[popdonnelly]

He made two trips to Prague before flying on to Newark. What I'm driving at is that the money may have come from someone employed in the Iraqi Embassy in Prague.

[TVenn]

"What I'm driving at is that the money may have come from someone employed in the Iraqi Embassy in Prague."

Good point.

[fantom]

we are getting warmer.

[popdonnelly]

Atta had to have had some kind of business in Prague. He could have flown straight from Germany to New York. I don't think he went there because he liked the city.

[longshadow]

The apartments renting bit raises a question. Surely, motel rooms would be cheaper and easier to find for such a short term???

A speculative answer: motels rooms come with intrusive maids with pass-keys; apartments do not. Also, most motels require a credit card to register, even if you want to pay in cash (so they can bill your CC if you trash the room and split.) Apartment managers are more likely happy to take cash, along with a deposit.

[Yaelle]

Fascinating. I am sure Slate's article meant to portray the administration in a bad light, but in reality, the stops and checks on the FBI and other American agencies were put in place some time before 2001...

I would bet a lot of dinars that Saddam knew of the plot before the planes hit. In fact, he may have provided those dinars.