Posted on 09/22/2001 2:05:18 AM PDT by kattracks
Two key witnesses in the terror attack probe were found with a computer file labeled "killpresidentbush.exe" and documents linked to a money launderer for Osama Bin Laden, sources told the Daily News.
The witnesses were identified as Saudi nationals who tried to board a flight from Kennedy Airport to Los Angeles two days after the Sept. 11 World Trade Center attack, a source familiar with the federal investigation confirmed. Their names remain secret.
The two are among a group of 10 material witnesses now in custody in the FBI's probe of the attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
The two men showed up at Kennedy Airport on Sept. 13 seeking to board a Los Angeles-bound flight with tickets dated Sept. 11, the day of the attack.
Authorities at the airport grew suspicious because their tickets were backdated and because all four of the flights that were hijacked flew out of Eastern airports and were bound for the West Coast.
The Daily News has learned that authorities found two pieces of evidence that prosecutors believed could link the two Saudis to the terror plot.
One of the men had a computer file labeled "killpresidentbush.exe," said a source familiar with the investigation.
The source would not describe the contents of the computer file.
The other man had documents with references to a man the FBI has identified as a money launderer for Bin Laden, the Saudi millionaire who has called for Muslims to attack American civilians.
Investigators were taking the potentially explosive evidence very seriously.
The "killpresidentbush" reference was of particular significance because of death threats that were made against the President on Sept. 11 the day of the attacks.
The White House revealed afterward it had received information that the terrorists' ultimate goal was to kill President Bush.
A death threat was called in to the White House that morning, saying the plotters were out to get Air Force One. The caller provided secret information that caused grave concern about the President's safety.
In fact, the threat was taken so seriously, White House officials say, that Bush crisscrossed the country in Air Force One, going from Florida to Louisiana to Nebraska before returning to the White House.
In addition, it is believed the hijacked plane that crashed in Pennsylvania may have been on the way to attack the White House or Air Force One.
Neither of the men in custody here has been charged with any crimes.
The FBI and Manhattan U.S. Attorney Mary Jo White wouldn't comment on the status of the investigation yesterday.
The number of material witnesses grew this week from four to 10 as the New York-based Joint Terrorist Task Force fanned out across the globe chasing thousands of leads and seeking more than 200 individuals for questioning.
So far, more than 80 individuals have been detained, including 35 who are being held on noncriminal immigration violations.
The task force has focused much of its energy on the 10 material witnesses in custody because agents believe each has pertinent information regarding the terrorism hijack plot.
They also view them as a threat to flee.
In other developments, federal authorities here arrested a Middle Eastern man yesterday with fake pilot documents who arrived at Kennedy Airport on Wednesday on a flight from Spain.
Wael Abdel Rahman Kishk had a bogus pilot's certificate from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, which has been linked to at least one of the 19 suspected hijackers.
Agents also found two fake Federal Aviation Administration medical certificates pilots must possess to fly and an Egypt Airlines pilot's shirt, according to a complaint filed by Acting Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Alan Vinegrad.
Under questioning, Kishk admitted he wasn't a pilot and had the documents and shirt "to impress his friends," the complaint alleged.
Kishk was held without bail. Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine Friesen would not say if Kishk is linked to the terror probe.
Public defender Michael Schneider said Kishk denies having any connection to the terror attack and insists that he was coming to the U.S. to attend college.
The FBI also has turned to unusual sources in its quest for those responsible for last week's attacks.
A lawyer says the bureau is trying to talk with Ramzi Yousef, an admitted terrorist convicted of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
Bernard Kleinman said he has been barred from speaking with his client, who is jailed for life in the Supermax prison in Florence, Colo.
This week, Kleinman said he asked a Second Circuit U.S. appeals judge to allow him a telephone conversation with Yousef. The judge has not ruled on the request.
Charlie Trie? Roger Clinton?
The third, the United Arab Emerates withdrew recognition today.
Does such a company exist? What is the URL to it's website?
1. If this is true, my question/statement is -- How smart can these terrorists be? Come on -- using tickets dated for the same day as the desaster -- a computer file labeled killpresidentbush.exe?
2. If, in fact, they were after Air Force One, then that tells me that there had to be some inside information. The flight plans for the President of the United States are classified (top secret, if believe).
3. I have a healthy mistrust of these kinds of stories.
Help me here. If you had been scheduled to fly on Tuesday September 11th, at say 3 p.m., would you still have wanted to make your flight after what had just happened in NYC and DC? Afterall, when were the nation's airports shut down? Were people who had tickets for flights on September 11th, not allowed to use those same tickets when flights resumed on September 13th?
Drudge reported on his radio program last week that their lives had been threatened but would not elaborate.
As an aside, my husband remarked, after watching President Bush reaching to shake hands on the House floor, that he was wearing a bulletproof vest. I don't know if he was or not, but it sure looked like it.
As irresponsible as that would be, I'd like to think it was something that simple as that and not them having the ability to break current codes.
Well, the keyboards are in English (i.e., English characters). What are they supposed to do? Now, the Mactinosh computers have foreign language characters and the operating system which is quite sophisticated to accommodate foreign language characters and even a good word processor (something other than Word) which can accommodate writing from right to left, even.
But, then again, the terrorists were probably too stupid to know that a Macintosh computer would accommodate their language quite well, better than any other operating system (as it does all sorts of languages across the world, it's "built-in" to the operating system quite well).
However, we don't want the terrorists to get too smart and get a good computer operating system like a Macintosh -- so keep it under your hat. :) :)
I like my Macintosh. Keep it away from those Muslims.
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In regards to those "Internet addresses" -- that sounds more like a hoax message than anything else. I saw someone else (here on Free Republic) list who had registered them and on what dates. It looked like a bunch of wackos trying to register it after the fact (weird people, taking advantage of the situation and trying to sell the Internet domains after the tragedy).
It doesn't really appear to me that terrorists were really going to set up a web site and post something to the world after the fact. I mean -- really -- how long would it stay up as soon as the authorities knew it? It's just too stupid when you can send out a videotape -- like Osama bin Laden does now -- to all the news agencies and they'll run it for you -- free.
Back to the computer.... get an iMac..., they're great.
No need to worry - he can't shave his beard or he'll be put in jail under their "rules".
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