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Sept. 11 probe: Wiretaps in Italy hear pair talk of `terrifying' plan by a `madman'
Yahoo ^ | Tue May 28 | PIERO VALSECCHI

Posted on 05/28/2002 4:07:45 PM PDT by gubamyster

Tue May 28, 5:12 PM ET By PIERO VALSECCHI, Associated Press Writer

MILAN, Italy - Analyses of wiretapped conversations between a sheik from Yemen and the leader of a Milan mosque have turned up what police now believe are chilling predictions of the Sept. 11 attacks, including a boast of a terrifying operation by a "madman," apparently a reference to Osama bin-Laden.

Milan daily Corriere della Sera Tuesday ran excerpts of transcripts of the conversations, which took place in 2000 and 2001 before the attacks.

The conversations were between Abdulsalam Abdulrahman, the sheik, who had traveled to Italy, and Abdelkader Mahmoud Es Sayed, who fled from Italy two months before the attacks and is considered by the United States to be the organizer of al-Qaida's cell, bin Laden's network, in Milan.

Es Sayed, an Egyptian national, was convicted of the 1997 massacre at Luxor in which 58 foreign tourists were killed.

The chief of the Milan office of DIGOS, Italy's anti-terrorism police, confirmed that the transcripts were accurate. Massimo Mazza told The Associated Press that the transcripts were turned over a few days ago to Prosecutor Stefano Dambruoso, who is leading Italy's probe into Italian-based al-Qaida operatives.

In one conversation, in summer 2000, the sheik tells the imam: "In the future, listen to the news and remember these words: `above the head.'"

The sheik says the action will be "one of those strikes that you never forget." He added that it will be a "terrifying thing, it will move from south to north, from east to west. He who made this plan is a madman, but a genius. It will turn you to ice."

The sheik also says: "Ah, yes, there are big clouds in the sky, there in that country, the fire is already lit and it's just waiting for the wing....All the newspapers in the world will write about it."

Mazza told The Ap that investigators had a hard time understanding, before Sept. 11, what the men were talking about.

"After what happened, it's now easy to draw conclusions ... but before, it was difficult to understand."

The taps were made from bugging places where the two men were, not taps of telephone lines, meaning it took a long time to remove extraneous noise from the taps and translate them.

Corriere della Sera reported that the FBI (news - web sites) helped Italian experts in deciphering the bugged conversations.

According to a transcript of a January 2001 conversation between the imam and a Tunisian who was later arrested in Milan by Italy's anti-terrorist police, there is discussion of false documents.

The Tunisian asks: "Are they needed for our brothers who will go in the United States?"

"Don't ever repeat these words!" the imam warns.


TOPICS: Breaking News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: abdulrahman; benattia; chekkouri; espionagelist; essayed; france; italy; jaffa; luxor; notredameplot; remadna; terrorists; terrorwar
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To: gubamyster
yet another example of the incompetent FBI...
21 posted on 05/28/2002 5:11:47 PM PDT by Bill Davis FR
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To: snippy_about_it
And this is America filled with fear from the north, south, east and west, thank God."

I have never understood why these people think we are filled with fear?? Anger, disgust yes, but I nor do anybody I know fear them!! The more terrorist attacks against Americans the stronger our resolve and response.

22 posted on 05/28/2002 5:17:05 PM PDT by Lady Heron
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To: aristeides
Well, uh ... yes quite a lot of Moslems knew about it, after all they uh ... planned it.
Although lots of them knew something big was in the works and may have helped facilitate it in some manner, I expect no more than a handful knew exactly what, when, how. If they had something critical would have been leaked at some point but this was not a disorganized or hastily thrown together scheme. I agree that some of them participated because they felt it a religious duty especially some of the actual hijackers but I'd guess most of them, those on the sidelines, did so out of an inbred hatred.
23 posted on 05/28/2002 5:31:17 PM PDT by Darlin'
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To: Lucas1
Course on the other hand perhaps he was talking about something else :>

Agreed. "South to north, east to west" seems rather different from the Bin Laden fear quote.

Guess being in the Northwest means we'll see "it" coming longest... :-)

24 posted on 05/28/2002 5:32:28 PM PDT by Eala
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To: gubamyster
I hope we have put a hit on this shiek.
25 posted on 05/28/2002 5:35:56 PM PDT by Ranger
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To: Ranger

This sounds like much more than just the WTC event. This sounds like a long term plan with many conspiritors. It appears to be common knowledge in the Islam-in-the-know circles.


26 posted on 05/28/2002 6:00:05 PM PDT by vannrox
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To: vannrox
Trade Center warning baffles police
An ‘urban myth’ turns out to be true — but what does it mean?
By Jonathan Alter

27 posted on 05/28/2002 6:50:57 PM PDT by The Great Satan
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To: gubamyster
"Don't ever repeat these words!" the Imam warns.

...........and they call Islam one of the GREAT religions of the world and place it on the same level as Christianity and Judaism..........................

.............f&*^%@= dogs.............

28 posted on 05/28/2002 7:00:13 PM PDT by DoctorMichael
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To: gubamyster
Can anyone answer my question about this passage?

The conversations were between Abdulsalam Abdulrahman, the sheik, who had traveled to Italy, and Abdelkader Mahmoud Es Sayed, who fled from Italy two months before the attacks and is considered by the United States to be the organizer of al-Qaida's cell, bin Laden's network, in Milan.

Es Sayed, an Egyptian national, was convicted of the 1997 massacre at Luxor in which 58 foreign tourists were killed.

If es Sayed was convicted of a massacre of 58 (or more) people, why was he loose and being bugged?

29 posted on 05/28/2002 7:16:38 PM PDT by weegee
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To: The Magical Mischief Tour
I really doubt the whole world new.
30 posted on 05/28/2002 7:17:30 PM PDT by TLBSHOW
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To: DoctorMichael
Next time expect them to cut the tongues out of the mouths of the middle men...
31 posted on 05/28/2002 7:20:09 PM PDT by weegee
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To: Darlin'
Bail Denied for Islamic Fund-Raiser Charged With Perjury

H I C A G O, May 28 — A federal judge refused to grant bail Tuesday to an Islamic charity director charged with lying about ties to Osama bin Laden's terrorist network.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Ian H. Levin said Enaam Arnaout has family in Saudi Arabia, numerous contacts and the motive and means to flee America.

Arnaout, 34, head of the Benevolence International Foundation, was returned to the government's Metropolitan Correctional Center where he has been held since his April 30 arrest.

Benevolence is one of two Chicago-area Islamic charities whose assets were frozen Dec. 14 in the terrorism investigation.

32 posted on 05/28/2002 7:21:57 PM PDT by TLBSHOW
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To: Dog
The INTERCEPTION/Here the text of the conversation between Mahumuoud Abdelkader Es Sayed and one disowned Egyptian escaped to the capture "Italy is a terrorist country"

MILAN - E' one figure of Association of Bologna of the fondamentalista structure in Italy, Mahumuoud Abdelkader Es Sayed, the Egyptian escaped to the capture in the operation of the Digos against the tied from Milan terroristic cell to To the Qaeda.

Jeep Luca Pistorelli in the 72 pages of the guard decree writes to secure. Decree that contains also numerous tascrizioni of the carried out wiretaps during surveyings. In one of these telephone calls recorded, between the Egyptian and disowning, Es Sayed, that it has as soon as obtained the status of political refugee, defines Italy "a terrorist country". The man had been arrested in Syria because accused to belong to a terroristic cell that flanked the activity of Palestinian groups that operated against the Israeli State. And he was freed after a talk with a Syrian minister.

Abu Saleh is found to Milan, in its car the Digos has put a microspy. Abu Saleh: Beloved sheik, I want dirti that Europe is a true flagellum. There was a my friend who said that Europe is a jail without walls.

Man: That Iddio knows to us to you from Europe. All over the world not there is more freedom. Saleh: I truly thought to change country but I have obtained the asylum.

Man: You have obtained the political asylum? Saleh: Yes, when they have arrived here have gone to Rome, to Milan they have arrived after to have taken the asylum. However when they have arrived here I have cut the beard and I have given one same sistematina to me.

Man: Yes (he laughs) they naturally have not known nothing of your extremism (laughs). Saleh: I have introduced the question to Rome (laughs), naturally I have said they ' I have three my siblings in jail ', I have reported they also the fact who I was in prison.

Man: Also with the siblings of the army of Aden? Saleh: This is one what... has left Egypt much time makes. I have said they that they are a searched person, that they are perseguitato unjustly, that my moglie has had a street incident, one what of the destiny but I have I dictate they that the incident has been organized from the services (Mochabarat) Egyptians.

Man: E' much beautiful one. Saleh: All this has assumed the persecution aspect and consequently they have granted the asylum to me in the November month, December.

Man: The Germany has made many problems our siblings but to the end they have taken the asylum, as an example the sheik Abdel Akher and others. Saleh: To the beginning it was much difficult one here: the siblings had given 4 mila dollars to me and the first days have been much difficult, while in Germany the situation is completely various. In Italy now there is a law that imposes that the questions for the asylum, included those already granted, are audited every three months in order to verify if the conditions begins them is still or not. This is one what much strange one, making therefore the person can endure of the oppression.

Man: This is a type of terrorism. Saleh: Sure that is terrorism, Italy is a terrorist country, is a criminal country, all this makes you to understand that in Italy a true political asylum cannot be obtained. The attempt of the government is to draw usefullness from the muslim residents in this country. (29 November 2001)

http://www.repubblica.it/online/politica/allarmeitaliauno/telefono/telefono.html

33 posted on 05/28/2002 7:41:55 PM PDT by TLBSHOW
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To: TLBSHOW
Well, alllrighty. Lets hear it for the judge. LOL. The ACLU will probably pronounce him a bigot and try to have him declared insane.
34 posted on 05/28/2002 7:46:10 PM PDT by Darlin'
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To: Lady Heron
"Anger, disgust yes, but I nor do anybody I know fear them!!"

The leftists at the Village Voice are petrified. They believe we should all be, too.

35 posted on 05/28/2002 7:51:38 PM PDT by okie01
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To: aristeides
...to keep the secret.

But I thought the only people who believe it's possible for a large group to keep a big secret are "conspiracy theorists."

Or so I've been told.

36 posted on 05/28/2002 7:59:59 PM PDT by Dr. Eckleburg
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Comment #37 Removed by Moderator

To: 4ourprogeny
Was he convicted absent from the trial or did he escape custody?
38 posted on 05/28/2002 10:21:51 PM PDT by weegee
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To: gubamyster
A terrifying plan by a madman? That doesn't rule out 2/3 of the Arab world leaders.
39 posted on 05/28/2002 10:25:25 PM PDT by TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig
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To: The Magical Mischief Tour
Evidently the whole freaking world knew... except the FBI.

What did they know.. Something is going to happen and it's big and planned by a madman who is a genius.

What would you have done with the same information?

40 posted on 05/28/2002 10:39:54 PM PDT by Texas Mom
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