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.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.
Exactly. I am not sure what the threat might have been, but the threat was very real. I found it very telling that the VP was not on the Hill Thursday evening. A cabinet member is absent at the State of the Union addresses, but the VP is there. IMHO, only the possiblility of continuing and immediate threats would necessitate his absence from such an important speech.
9/11 VP Cheney was rushed downstairs to the secure location. The Leaders of Congress were whisked away. Cabinet members were secured.
Sadly, many still do not get it. Rep. Gephardt has earned my respect (on this issue). He is 3rd in line, he knows what the score was. His support and passion has been unfailing on this issue. He was briefed. Wake up America..connect the dots. Use your brains. Put 2 & 2 together. The danger was and is very real. But we can't play "put up or shut up" with the President. Nor should we try right now.
These officials were secured because of the line of succession; not because they are buddies with President Bush.
1. Vice President of the United States - Dick Cheney
2. Speaker of the House - Denny Hastert
3. President pro Tempore of the Senate - Robert Byrd
4. Secretary of State - Colin Powell
5. Secretary of the Treasury - Paul O'Neill
6. Secretary of Defense - Donald Rumsfeld
7. Attorney General - John Ashcroft
8. Secretary of the Interior - Gale Norton
9. Secretary of Agriculture - Ann Veneman
10. Secretary of Commerce - Don Evans
11. Secretary of Labor - Elaine Chao
12. Secretary of Health & Human Services - Tommy Thompson
13. Secretary of Housing & Urban Development - Mel Martinez
14. Secretary of Transportation - Norman Mineta
15. Secretary of Energy - Spencer Abraham
16. Secretary of Education - Rod Paige
17. Secretary of Veterans’ Affairs - Anthony Principi
If I read one of the newspaper articles right, the thing is -- these codes are changed everyday. This is what I think I read. Now, if that's true, it's all the more serious.
The threat that is more serious -- is not the one to "him" and "his family" (i.e., in his office as President). It's the threat to the country as a whole. That's the serious threat. So, the actions taken were more *totally* for the country (and only secondarily, for him as a person).
Now, of course, they're going to protect him as a person -- but that's not the prime motivation. You've got to realize its the "Office of the President" that is at stake and what it would mean for the whole country if something happened to him. It would be a *big distraction* for managing and conducting the affairs of government (in the face of a terrorist attack), if the office of the President was "taken out" (although immediately it would fall to the second in line, obviously). It would be mighty distracting for all in the United States.
The itinerary of the President wasn't top secret. We heard on the news that the news reporters faced a new set of conditions of not being able to tell where they were going (or didn't even know themselves).
That shows that they *always knew before* where they were going and also *reported it* publicly. So, the President's flight plans and destination and arrival times have *not* been top secret.
"Tired Cowboy is on the Green Potato, over...."
Very insightful comments!
Bump!
I'm sure you're right. I would only hope people truly appreciate the danger.
What do we know with reasonable certainty?
1. Stupid as they appear to have been, the terrorists probably didn't think they could take out AF1 with a hijacked jetliner. They probably had another option.
While they could have gotten their hands on a nuke, and probably will soon, odds are they don't have it yet. Does the Taliban have another means of taking down an airplane?
2. Of course they do... Stinger missiles.
We know this, because it was necessary for the U.S. under President Reagan to supply Afghanistan with these weapons to defeat the Soviets there in the 1980s.
I know I'm stating the obvious here, but we can't ignore the obvious while quite reasonably considering the nightmare scenario of a suitcase nuke.
Self extracting zip files have the .exe extension.
No worries. Since it was an .exe file, they were using a Windoze machine.
The two things that I noticed is that when Bush went to hug Daschle,Daschle pulled back. VERY smart political move on Bush's part to do this in front of the whole world's tv camera's. He just made Daschle his "bitch" when he did this.
The second thing I noticed is that Sheila Jackson Lee backed away to keep him from kissing her cheek,and I THINK she even refused to shake his hand,although the camera angle made this hard to see for sure. I also noticed that Lee was dressed-up like she was ready to go "clubbing",not mourning/
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