Captured Al-Qa'eda Man Was FBI Spy (US truck driver)

The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 6-23-2003 | David Rennie

[piasa]

This is a pretty good example of why the secrecy around terrorist-related arrests is useful; using the folks we capture can help us locate others, or at least help us figure out how they are communicating and who is communicating to who.

[First Amendment]

Padilla was the name of the man who flew that airplan off the airport in Angola last month.

[Cindy]

Well, you're right Piasa, and how the feds handled the suspect is pretty s.o.p.

[Cindy]

re post no. 18 & no. 42...

ABC NEWS.go.com: "HIDE IN PLANE SIGHT Family of Possible 727 Pilot 'He Is Not A Terrorist" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Workers at Luanda Airport in Angola watched dumbfounded on May 25 as a Boeing 727 taxied down the runway and took off -- without permission. The plane -- which ABCNEWS has learned was refitted to haul diesel fuel tanks, making it a potential flying bomb -- has not been seen since. The man the U.S. government suspects of piloting the 727 is Benjamin Padilla -- a U.S. citizen from Florida. Padilla, too, has vanished, and his family is worried. "I am concerned that he might have been hijacked," Padilla's brother, Joseph, said in an exclusive interview with ABCNEWS.") (June 18, 2003) (Read More...)

VOA NEWS.com: "U.S., ANGOLA SEEK MISSING BOEING 727 JET" by Alex Belida (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Authorities in Africa and the United States are looking for a Boeing 727 jet missing from Angola since late last month under suspicious circumstances. The Boeing 727 has been missing since it took off under mysterious circumstances from Luanda airport in the southwest African country of Angola more than two weeks ago. U.S. government officials tell VOA it was last heard of requesting landing permission in the Seychelles off the coast of East Africa but never arrived there. The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, say the aircraft's disappearance looks like a criminal act. But with memories still fresh of the bloody September 11 terrorist plane hijackings in the United States almost two years ago, the officials say they have to remain open to the possibility that terrorism may be involved in the case of the vanishing 727. Authorities in Angola say the plane took off illegally on Sunday, May 25. The country's minister of transportation later indicated the aircraft's disappearance would lead to stepped up security at Luanda airport.") (June 11, 2003) (Read More...)

[Alamo-Girl]

Thank you so very much for the timeline excerpts! Hugs!!!

[piasa]

Yeah, unfortunately Padilla is a bit like Smith. At least the spelling is consistant, unlike Arabic names.

[piasa]

Hey, you're welcome! (hugs back)

[CJ Wolf]

2000 sleeping bags? What kind of weapon can you make out of sleeping bags? Perhaps that another code word meaning something else.

[Poohbah]

wait a minute. he helps us like crazy...and cuts a deal for 20 years? what kind of deal is that?

Maybe he was looking at 150 years.

Maybe he'll "die" shortly after getting to prison.