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Echelon Gave Authorities Warning Of Attacks
www.bizreport.com ^ | Thurs September 13 2001 | Ned Stafford

Posted on 11/26/2001 6:26:50 PM PST by It'salmosttolate

Thurs September 13 2001

Echelon Gave Authorities Warning Of Attacks

U.S. and Israeli intelligence agencies received warning signals at least three months ago that Middle Eastern terrorists were planning to hijack commercial aircraft to use as weapons to attack important symbols of American and Israeli culture, according to a story in Germany's daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ).

The FAZ, quoting unnamed German intelligence sources, said that the Echelon spy network was being used to collect information about the terrorist threats, and that U.K. intelligence services apparently also had advance warning. The FAZ, one of Germany's most respected dailies, said that even as far back as six months ago western and near-east press services were receiving information that such attacks were being planned.

Within the American intelligence community, the warnings were taken seriously and surveillance intensified, the FAZ said. However, there was disagreement on how such terrorist attacks could be prevented, the newspaper said.

Echelon is said to be a vast information collection system capable of monitoring all the electronic communications in the world. It is thought to be operated by the U.S., the U.K., Canada, Australia and New Zealand. No government agency has ever confirmed or denied its existence. However, an EU committee that investigated Echelon for more than a year just last week reported its belief that the system does exist. The EU committee said that Echelon sucks up electronic transmissions "like a vacuum cleaner," using keyword search techniques to sift through enormous amounts of data.

The FAZ, in its news story, described the system as covering the whole world with 120 satellites. The newspaper also said Israeli intelligence had collected information indicated that Arab terrorist groups planned to hijack planes in Europe to use as weapons to attack targets in Tel Aviv and other coastal cities in Israel.

Because of increasing concerns of plane hijackings, Israel has tested a new x-ray machine at the Tel Aviv airport, the FAZ said. The machine capable of detecting all known explosive elements, even if only in small quantities, the newspaper said.

The FAZ said that German intelligence fears that in coming days planes will be hijacked in Europe and the Near East, and that there is no sure way to protect against it.

FOR EDUCATION AND DISCUSSION ONLY. NOT FOR COMMERCIAL USE.


TOPICS: Editorial; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: terrorwar
I put this under "NEWS" even though it is dated 2 days after the attacks because I've searched FR for the story and nothing showed up. It is also not covered by the major media outlets.
1 posted on 11/26/2001 6:26:50 PM PST by It'salmosttolate
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To: It'salmosttolate
It's probaly not true.
2 posted on 11/26/2001 6:28:40 PM PST by illbenice
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To: Wallaby; golitely; OKCSubmariner; Uncle Bill; Nita Nupress
BUMP FYI
3 posted on 11/26/2001 6:41:02 PM PST by It'salmosttolate
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To: It'salmosttolate
Seems to me that Echelon was being extensively used by NSA. The question is; For What Purpose? From previous accounts that involved the French, and I believe one other country at least, it was being used for Economic Espionage.

There's another thread running right now where Woolsey is crying about "not being able to use their info" to stop the terrorist activity. Well, then it carried over from OKCBomb under Clinton to WTC under Bush.

So the question is; Why should we believe the CIA EVER? Especially since they ended up being the major beneficiary of the Power Consolidation that has occurred.

4 posted on 11/26/2001 6:42:17 PM PST by rdavis84
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To: rdavis84
British intelligence agency knew for years about terrorist cells in London
MI5 was warned more than two years ago that an Islamic cleric said to be Osama Bin Laden’s
“European ambassador” was using his mosque in London to raise money for a Muslim holy war in
Afghanistan and to issue decrees justifying the murder of women and children.
5 posted on 11/26/2001 6:46:48 PM PST by It'salmosttolate
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Comment #6 Removed by Moderator

To: Nickatime
There are elements in both the Mossad and the CIA that are like two fingers in the same black glove.

The WTC did have a fair representation of Jewish owned/run Financial concerns. Possibly that's what the reference is about.

7 posted on 11/26/2001 6:53:18 PM PST by rdavis84
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To: rdavis84; Nickatime
Any reports on the ethnisity(sp) in the Towers? OR NOT in the Towers?
8 posted on 11/26/2001 7:01:34 PM PST by It'salmosttolate
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To: It'salmosttolate
I remember reading this here at FR on the date it was published. Still, its a good re-post. We need to keep being reminded of the fact that warnings were out there, and most specifically we need to be reminded of what administration was in charge when these warnings were received.
9 posted on 11/26/2001 7:05:58 PM PST by yooper
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To: *TerrOrWar; Lion's Cub
Indexing.
10 posted on 11/26/2001 7:07:06 PM PST by aristeides
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To: t-shirt
FYI.
11 posted on 11/26/2001 7:07:50 PM PST by aristeides
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To: It'salmosttolate
The firm hurt worst in terms of employee casualties was Cantor-Fitzgerald, a bond brokerage. The founder, Cantor, was Jewish. Fitzgerald was an Irish broker that Cantor gave a piece of the business to so he could do business with other bond brokerages, a field dominated by the Irish.

Beyond that, New York City has the largest population of Jews outside of Israel. NYC is THE most "Jewish" American city.

And beyond THAT, I can't think of any cultural symbols they could have attacked in Israel that wouldn't have killed many of their own people and destroyed some their OWN most cherished icons.

12 posted on 11/26/2001 7:12:47 PM PST by Sagitarius
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To: It'salmosttolate
"Any reports on the ethnisity(sp) in the Towers? OR NOT in the Towers?"

I've kept my eyes open for just that, but so far haven't seen one.

My specific interest would me more on the line of "Position" in their Office/Company along with Ethnicity of those who died.

13 posted on 11/26/2001 7:18:21 PM PST by rdavis84
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To: It'salmosttolate
Author: Bill Clinton - saving his "legendary" a@@ !!
14 posted on 11/26/2001 7:44:54 PM PST by glf
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To: Sagitarius
Good point.
15 posted on 11/26/2001 11:57:47 PM PST by IcommGen
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To: It'salmosttolate; archy; B4Ranch; Snow Bunny; Angelique; jeremiah; Victoria Delsoul; Jackie222...
bump
16 posted on 11/27/2001 12:38:38 PM PST by t-shirt
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To: t-shirt
Assassination squads!
17 posted on 11/27/2001 12:47:38 PM PST by blam
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To: t-shirt
Thanks for the information, T-shirt.
18 posted on 11/27/2001 6:10:41 PM PST by Victoria Delsoul
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