Intelligence chief casts doubt on Atta meeting

Prague Post ^ | 2002 07 15 | Kate Swoger

[Plummz]

Bublan said that promoting a so-called "Prague connection" between Atta and al-Ani might have been a ploy by U.S. policymakers seeking justifications for a new military action against Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

[denydenydeny]

Well, they finally found one. This is the first Czech to come out against the story. The story mentions Stanislav Gross, but there are several others who insist that it's true, and that there exists a videotape of the event.

"But the question must be asked whether Atta, who was supposed to be getting ready for [Sept. 11], would risk meeting with an Iraqi diplomat in Prague. It would be even more risky if that diplomat was suspected of being an agent," said Bublan.

But we know for certain that Atta made the same kind of trip to Spain, where he risked meeting with known Al-Qaeda members.

If not to meet with Al-Ani, then why did Atta go to great lengths to make his one documented trip to Prague in May-June 2000? No one has supplied any other explanation.

[Shermy]

Yeah, but it was the Czechs who came out with this first, and early on. It was the American Govt. that tried to underplay it. Then the Czechs came out again to say it was true.

This guy says nothing. He says not "verified" or "Proven". If he's the head of an intel org, why doesn't he just say it straight - didn't happen.

Consider his own motives for deflecting or covering up.

[denydenydeny]

Bublan said solid evidence existed proving that Atta had entered and left Prague. "Once he arrived by bus and continued by plane,[May-June 2000] the next time he arrived by plane and left by plane,"[summer 2001] he said.

This is also significant. Most of the people debunking the Atta-Al-Ani story insist that this visit never occurred.

[Shermy]

"Once he arrived by bus and continued by plane, the next time he arrived by plane and left by plane

Good spot. Why doesn't he give us the dates? And wasn't one of the 2001 meetings in the airport itself? The other meeting near RFE studios could be mistaken, or overthought by some local agent.

[LouD]

"If Mohamed Atta was here [in Prague], he was just passing though"

Uh, from where, and to where. I having difficulty coming up with an itinerary that has one "passing through" Prague for no apparent reason.

[eno_]

The article almost says the opposite of the headline, substantiating that he was in Prague twice, and giving specifics of how he got there. It is not really plausible he was there with no purpose at all. The lack of an alternative explanation speaks volumes.

[aristeides]

I wonder why this Czech guy agreed to go along to this extent.

[Jhoffa_]

I having difficulty coming up with an itinerary that has one "passing through" Prague for no apparent reason.

Sure, happens all the time.. I think I pass by there on the way home from work.

Why just last week someone said to me: "Hey, it's tuesday.. Let's go pass through Prague!"

[denydenydeny]

The actual dates of Atta's 2001 trip to Prague are April 8-9, according to most sources. Not summer 2001 as I wrote above.

[aristeides]

For the beer?

[SunStar]

Bublan said that promoting a so-called "Prague connection" between Atta and al-Ani might have been a ploy by U.S. policymakers seeking justifications for a new military action against Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

Bullsh*t. The CIA immediately shot the story down as bogus, even as the Czechs were insisting that it was true.

[Shermy]

UN envoy confirms terrorist meeting: Kmonicek says Al-Ani, Atta spoke in Prague [Newsweek=Lies]

The Czech envoy to the UN has confirmed that an Iraqi agent met with suspected Sept. 11 hijacker Mohamed Atta, in the latest rebuke to widespread U.S. media reports dismissing the Prague encounter as a fabrication.

"The meeting took place," Hynek Kmonicek, a former deputy foreign minister, told The Prague Post flatly in a New York City interview.

Czech Interior Minister Stanislav Gross announced last fall that Atta and Ahmed Khalil Ibrahim Samir al-Ani, a second consul at the Iraqi Embassy in Prague, had conversed at least once, in April 2001. Gross would not rule out other encounters.

The controversial meeting became known as "the Prague connection" and was mentioned frequently as a possible pretext for renewed hostilities between the United States and Iraq...

So Does the interior minister know better than the Foreign intel guy what happens inside Czech? Close reading of this guy - he doesn't say Atta didn't meet with any Iraqis, or others, only not "Al-Ani".

Plus since Isikoff said it didn't happen...I believe the opposite! :)

[Shermy]

Some interesting new info here

Old thread:

Mr. Atta Goes to Prague (william Safire)

[livius]

Very strange. I don't see why anybody is denying it, though. Who benefits?

[IncPen]

I having difficulty coming up with an itinerary that has one "passing through" Prague for no apparent reason.

Sure, happens all the time.. I think I pass by there on the way home from work.

Why just last week someone said to me: "Hey, it's tuesday.. Let's go pass through Prague!"

A professional acquaintance of mine was posted to London in 2000 and had made it his business to frequent the capitals of the old and new regimes in Europe, being that he was single and had some coins in his pocket.

In Spring of 2001 he went to Prague and found himself talking to a young thing in a pub.

The next thing he knew he was being slapped awake at the constable's office, wearing his only his underwear and a huge gash/lump on his head, missing his wallet, phone, cash and passport.

He didn't get out much after that.

[IncPen]

Very strange. I don't see why anybody is denying it, though. Who benefits?

It's disinformation, to try to light up the channels we're watching for information.

If you stop and consider it in that light, there's been alot of this lately.

[Betty Jo]

This afternoon, on MSNBC,Laurie Mylorie(sp)and Ed Peck, ex ambassador to Iraq were talking about invading Iraq,and Laurie brought up this meeting in Prague,and Peck and the host said it never happened.

So, when will we really know?

This wasnt the meeting where "VIALS" were given is it?

[Shermy]

Well, if he was just following the standard disinfo given about a month or two ago, that's where his info came from.

typically, the deniers say "that meeting" didn't take place, assuming a certain allegation, which actually might have been incorrect. They never say there was "no" meeting by Atta with anyone in Prague.

[okie01]

"Consider his own motives for deflecting or covering up."

The CIA has asked him to, pretty please, blow some smoke...???