Tapes Exposed

WPVI ^ | 5/6/2003 | David Henry

[sjersey]

Action News has obtained three tapes of what appears to have been a much larger collection. They may reveal what law enforcement agencies have long believed, that there are al-Qaida sleeper cells out there casing large metropolitan areas like Philadelphia. The tapes were found in a North Philadelphia rooming house after 9/11. The man who found them only recently looked at them. He was alarmed by what he saw and brought the tapes to Action News. We turned them over to the FBI.

Linda Vizi/FBI: "It is obviously something we would have loved to take a look at early on." The FBI would only confirm that his first name is Hany. We've learned that his full name is Hany Hassanin, and he's originally from Egypt. If it knows, the FBI isn't saying what Hany was up to. We showed the tapes to a terrorism expert. He says Hany was up to no good.

Ed Turzanski/terrorism expert: "This is sort of straight out of the terrorist handbook if you will." At the time of the September 11th attacks, Hany lived with a group of Middle Eastern men. Neighbors say they were frequently on the roof with video cameras, taping nearby buildings on the campus of Temple University, and the towers of Center City on September 11th. But Hany was here long before September 11. A year and a half before the attack on the twin towers, Hany appears to embark on a mission to make a road map of the Delaware Valley.

He has a friend tape the occasion when he started living in his car with a camera mounted on the dashboard.

With no visible means of support, Hany spends countless hours driving around the Delaware Valley. The tape is rolling as he drives through the Main Line, through rural parts of Bucks County, through North Philadelphia, just about everywhere, providing a running narration.

Hany then turned his camera on specific targets. He goes to shopping centers like Quakertown Plaza, and, for hours at a time, takes pictures of people coming and going.

In the tapes, he goes to a parking lot at night and focuses on the license plates of two vehicles parked outside a building.

He checks maps, and moves on.

Hany hides the camera when he's stopped by the police for an expired inspection sticker. But, since it's before 9/11, when Hany tells him he's homeless, the officer lets him go with a warning.

At first Hany's video odyssey may seem random, until a disturbing pattern emerges. He turns his camera on a public water supply, 30th Street Station, and this power plant.

Ed Turzanski/terrorism expert: "These are what you would consider high profile, or high value targets. Where you could either kill a large number of people or cause a great deal of panic or disruption." Hany drives right through the security gate of PECO's Cromby power plant outside Phoenixville. He circles the lot and then parks. He then videotapes various parts of the plant. What was Hany up to at that power plant?

We now know more about him and where he's been, living in at least five Delaware Valley communities.

What became of him and his associates?

The surprising answers to those questions, and a look at Hany's curious behavior on 9/11 in our next report tonight at 11, only on Action News

[big gray tabby]

I'd appreciate being "pinged" on any follow-up to this story.

Thanks!

[Dog]

Ping me to any follow up stories......please.

[sarasota]

I'm guessing that the terrorist organizations have these guys driving all over our communities doing the scouting for targets. We need more vigilantes.

[Dog]

He appears in this document from a court case...

Hany Hassanin

[bvw]

My take is this is a form of perpetual wanna-be-ism. Real planning and real follow-through are philosophical aspects of personality that run counter-current to the suicidal, victimology thinking of the hate-filled "muslim terrorist". I put that in quotes, because it is rare for this wanna-be-ism to actualize, outside of dry-humping, toyish, play-acting like these tapes -- and many others of similar nature indicate.

The kind of haters that finally do carry through -- in a strange land to them -- are exceedingly rare. Mohammed Attas are one in a million or more.

They are all a bunch of mommy boys who have no spunk. All indulgent wanna-bes.

[The Red Zone]

They do a "fine" enough job in Israel.

[MEG33]

Yes..even come from England for the purpose of killing innocents and themselves.I believe vigilance is necessary.

[gwmoore]

Good Morning sjersey,
If you are creating a ping list for this, please put my name on it.. This is very close to home.
Greg

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks for the ping!

[bvw]

Three things there ... (1) they are closer to home, to familiar things, (2) they are in denser, closer groups, (3) their hatred is incessanty, constantly reinforced.

Even then there is plenty of anecdotal evidence from reports that many terrorists on a "mission" fizz out in will and go home unexploded.

The victimology psychology is poison to getting things actualized. It's like a steady diet of salt-peter, Gives a lot of gas, heartburn, internal aches and pains, yet it makes one limp and flaccid.

[baseballmom]

Saw this on Action News last night. Since it is May - sweeps month - they will drag it out for a few nights.

In light of 9-11, it is an unsettling story. But, I'm optimistic that we are much better prepared for terrorist attacks than we were pre 9-11. Nothing in life is 100%, so, we just have to be vigilant, and keep praying...

[Neets]

Pingeroonie

[Mo1]

Saw this on Action News last night. Since it is May - sweeps month - they will drag it out for a few nights.

I watched Channel 10 last night and didn't see this.

I don't remember hearing this story before .. but I do remember right after 9/11 the police stopped a truck that was hanging around The Pizza Uno at King of Prussia. There were two middle eastern men and a women. In the truch they found video tapes of landmarks. The last I remember hearing was that they were released, and there were never any other follow ups about the tapes they had

[Tarheel]

Ping me on the updates on this situation.

Thanx, The Tarheel

[Temple Owl]

I hope Hany took pictures of the tall white building at 400 N. Broad St. aka the Inquirer Building.

[Mo1]

Here is the video of the Action News broadcast .. Just click on where it says "VIDEO: David Henry has the tapes"

Action News6

[gwmoore]

Those tapes had a real eerie quality to them, especially the ones of him shooting video of 1 Liberty Plaza and the malls.

Now, right after 9/11, I seem to recall some arrests were made in connection with this kind of videotaping, but I don't have any idea of the disposition of the cases.

I do remember a thread here at FR about a carload of Middle Eastern types who were arrested for videotaping the Holland tunnel in NY, and they were found to have a whole bunch of passports in different names, but, as you may have suspected, they had Diplomatic Immunity, were from the UN, and the cops had to cut them loose..

This is the tip of the iceberg.

Keep the Faith for Freedom

Greg

[Mo1]

The Phoenixville Plant and riding thru Chester & Bucks county were a bit eerie also

BTW .. do you remember the stories of the pipe bombs that were showing up at different shopping centers .. what ever happened with that story?

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks. Too many Freepers and others who want to see these tapes so I can't load the video's now.

This reminds me of a couple of personal experiences after 9/11 that I posted.

There is a lake, a good one hour drive from my home. It is in the middle of nowhere and is not a tourist thing. Usually the only people you see on the road besides the few who live there are boaters and fishers like me.

About two months after 9/11 I noticed several times middle eastern appearing people on the dam, which is just off the road, taking pictures. In over 25 years of going to up to that area, I never saw foriegn tourists taking pictures of the dam and the lake below the dam.

I mentioned this to a deputy sheriff that I knew who worked that big area. He had heard similiar reports and suggested that I carry a camera and to take pictures of those suddenly interested in the photo ops from the dam.

So I bought a disposable camera. About one week later on my trip home from fly fishing down stream. There were 3 middle eastern appearing guys taking pictures.

I pulled up behind in my big OJ Simpson Bronco, got out with my camera and placed my cell phone on the hood, and said "Let me take you picture, gentlemen!" They were in the car and took off in seconds. I took a picture as the vehicle was leaving and the little camera did not get the license plates.

About a month later, again on a trip home after fly fishing, there was another car and two couples who appeared to be middle eastern. When I parked behind them and got out, they got in their car and took off.

Since then, the officials have prohibited anyone from going within a quarter of a mile below the dam. They are watching the lake a lot closer. One day a small plane got very low over the lake and was doing some weird flyovers. Within minutes 2 jets from Travis AFB were there and basically in the face of the pilot. He took off and left.

Maybe the picture takers were just there for the scenery inspite of the scenery not being on any tourist map. Maybe not!