Czech Officials Say Story That Atta Met with Iraqi Agent in Prague May Be Wrong

prnewswire ^ | Sunday April 28, 11:47 am Eastern Time

[Mitchell]

This report is virtually unsourced:

"Czechoslovakian government officials have quietly acknowledged that...."

"U.S. intelligence officials now believe that...."

"... one senior U.S. law-enforcement official tells Newsweek."

[Lion's Cub]

The Czech authorities were keeping al Ani under surveillance. I think we can regard it as virtually certain that there were photographs of the meeting.

I agree.

I haven't trusted Isikoff for years--his function seems to be damage control, often with misdirection. When Clinton was dismantling our security and committing his treason, what did Isikoff focus on? He provided the direction for "it's all about sex".

The reports of the meetings were true IMO.

It's possible they are backpeddling now to maintain the confusion about if and when Iraq will be hit.

[Travis McGee]

Good info, thanks.

It seems like the US govt is still making great efforts to keep the "domestic source of anthrax" red herring story alive.

The question is why.

[Travis McGee]

It's obvious that it was critical, essential, that Atta go to Prague IN PERSON.

Instructions or guidance could have been sent by email or telephone or courier.

His trip to Prague was a risk: he may have been denied re-entry into the USA.

Why was it so absolutely important to Atta that he get to Prague IN PERSON?

The only logical answer I can see is to pick something up, something small that he could carry back to the US, something that was too valuable to be entrusted to a courier.

A small disguised flask of anthrax spores is my guess.

(As an aside, and sign of the times, the day Atta re-entered the US on his expired student visa, Tenet was at CIA HQ celebrating "Gay Employee Appreciation Day", I kid you not.)

[Southern Federalist]

Good post - it does seem unlikely that Atta went to Prague for the beer.

[Travis McGee]

I haven't trusted Isikoff for years--his function seems to be damage control, often with misdirection.

Bingo. He's a tame stooge.

[eno_]

Unnamed semior U.S. source and Isikoff on the byline. Noooooo nothing fishy about that! The more I look at this story the more it looks like pure "We can't get it up to invade Iraq until 2003, so we better chill down the anthrax connections."

We are ready to nuke 'em. Anytime.

[JmyBryan]

Personally, I've been skeptical of this story since day one. I've never put a lot of faith in it and have now lost some. "Unnamed Czech intelligence officials" aren't the most reliable of sources.

There is no reason to hurry to attack Iraq. One well-placed bullet in Saddam's cranium would be more effective than full-scale assault.

[piasa]

bump

[Shermy]

Lots of Czech articles linked and archived here.

[Shermy]

Both Isikoff and Risen use the word "quietly". IE, they have the same source that uses that word?


Isiskoff:
It shouldn't have. Newsweek has learned that a few months ago, the Czechs quietly acknowledged that they may have been mistaken about the whole thing.

Risen:

The Czech president, Vaclav Havel, has quietly told the White House he has concluded that there is no evidence to confirm earlier reports that Mohamed Atta, the leader in the Sept. 11 attacks, met with an Iraqi intelligence officer in Prague just months before the attacks on New York and Washington, according to Czech officials.

Mr. Havel discreetly called Washington to tell senior Bush administration officials that an initial report from the Czech domestic intelligence agency that Mr. Atta had met with an Iraqi intelligence officer, Ahmad Khalil Ibrahim Samir al-Ani, in Prague in April 2001 could not be substantiated.

[okie01]

IE, they have the same source that uses that word?

Is "quietly" a Richard Clarke word, I wonder. A word search thru his testimony and the text of his book might prove fruitful.

"Quietly" is an Inside The Beltway kinda word, as is "discreetly" -- which Risen also uses. Though I would wager "discreetly" would be favored by State Dept types, while "quietly" might be more to the taste of intelligence bureaucrats.

What would Foster think...???

[Shermy]

What would Foster think...???

"He recognizes the Urdu language in the stilted syntax ..."