Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Czech Officials Say Story That Atta Met with Iraqi Agent in Prague May Be Wrong
prnewswire ^ | Sunday April 28, 11:47 am Eastern Time

Posted on 04/28/2002 8:50:34 AM PDT by Brian Mosely

Sunday April 28, 11:47 am Eastern Time

Press Release

SOURCE: Newsweek

Newsweek: Czech Officials Say Story That Sept. 11 Hijacker Atta Met with Iraqi Agent in Prague May Be Wrong; 'Nothing has Matched Up,' Says U.S. Official

NEW YORK, April 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Czechoslovakian government officials have quietly acknowledged that they may have been mistaken about a supposed meeting at the Iraqi Embassy last April in Prague between suspected Sept. 11 hijacker Mohammed Atta and an Iraqi agent, Newsweek reports in the current issue. U.S. intelligence officials now believe that Atta, the hijackers' ringleader, wasn't even in Prague at the time the Czechs claimed. "We looked at this real hard because, obviously, if it were true, it would be huge," one senior U.S. law-enforcement official tells Newsweek. "But nothing has matched up."



TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: czechatta; terrorwar
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-34 last
To: Nogbad; The Great Satan; denydenydeny
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."

21 posted on 04/28/2002 6:42:06 PM PDT by Mitchell
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

Comment #22 Removed by Moderator

To: aristeides; *TerrOrWar
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.

23 posted on 04/28/2002 9:33:14 PM PDT by Lion's Cub
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: Shermy;harpseal;Nogbad
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.

24 posted on 04/28/2002 9:55:37 PM PDT by Travis McGee
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: denydenydeny;RLK
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.)

25 posted on 04/28/2002 10:03:38 PM PDT by Travis McGee
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: denydenydeny
Good post - it does seem unlikely that Atta went to Prague for the beer.
26 posted on 04/28/2002 10:04:12 PM PDT by Southern Federalist
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

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

Bingo. He's a tame stooge.

27 posted on 04/28/2002 10:04:46 PM PDT by Travis McGee
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: Nogbad
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.

28 posted on 04/29/2002 4:03:31 AM PDT by eno_
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: Brian Mosely
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.

29 posted on 04/30/2002 1:33:16 PM PDT by JmyBryan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Howlin, Alamo-Girl
bump
30 posted on 05/01/2002 5:00:42 PM PDT by piasa
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: pokerbuddy0; Badabing Badaboom
Lots of Czech articles linked and archived here.
31 posted on 06/23/2003 12:57:32 PM PDT by Shermy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]

To: pokerbuddy2; Badabing Badaboom; okie01; Travis McGee; TrebleRebel; Mitchell
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.
32 posted on 04/12/2004 7:26:34 PM PDT by Shermy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: Shermy
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...???

33 posted on 04/12/2004 7:52:55 PM PDT by okie01 (www.ArmorforCongress.com...because Congress isn't for the morally halt and the mentally lame.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: okie01
What would Foster think...???

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

34 posted on 04/12/2004 8:05:16 PM PDT by Shermy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-34 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson