Bin Laden family's US exit 'approved'

Edinburgh News ^ | Sept 3, 2003 | BILL ANDREWS

[Stone Mountain]

Bin Laden family's US exit 'approved'

BILL ANDREWS

THE United States allowed members of Osama bin Laden’s family to jet out of the US in the immediate aftermath of September 11, even as American airspace was closed.

Former White House counter-terrorism tsar Richard Clarke said the Bush administration sanctioned the repatriation of about 140 high-ranking Saudi Arabians, including relatives of the al-Qaida chief.

"Somebody brought to us for approval the decision to let an aeroplane filled with Saudis, including members of the Bin Laden family, leave the country," he said.

Mr Clarke said he checked with FBI officials, who gave the go ahead. "So I said: ‘Fine, let it happen.’"

He first asked the bureau to check that no-one "inappropriate" was leaving.

"I have no idea if they did a good job," he added.

Dale Watson, the FBI’s former head of counter-terrorism, said that, while the bureau identified the Saudis who were on the plane, "they were not subject to serious interrogations".

The plane is believed to have landed in ten US cities picking up passengers, including Los Angeles, Washington DC, Boston and Houston. At the time, access to US airspace was restricted and required special government approval.

Tom Kinton, director of aviation at Boston’s Logan Airport, said: "We were in the midst of the worst terrorist act in history and here we were seeing an evacuation of the Bin Ladens."

But he said it was clear the flight had been sanctioned by federal authorities.

Prince Bandar bin Sultan, the Saudi ambassador to the US who is said to have organised the exodus, met President George Bush on September 13, 2001, two days after the terror attacks. It is not known if they discussed the repatriation plan.

The White House has declined to comment on the claims, but sources said the Bush administration was confident no secret flights took place.

Mr Clarke said he did not recall who requested approval for the flights, but believes it was either the FBI or the State Department.

But FBI spokesman John Iannarelli said: "I can say unequivocally that the FBI had no role in facilitating these flights."

[mattdono]

The plane is believed to have landed in ten US cities picking up passengers, including Los Angeles, Washington DC, Boston and Houston. At the time, access to US airspace was restricted and required special government approval.

This story has been discounted on several occassions and is totally false.

[frmrda]

I thought it was hoax as well, till I saw this story yesterday in the Washington Times, which picked up the following UPI Story (Don't know how to link):

Bin Laden family allowed 9/11 leave

NEW YORK, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- The bin Laden family were granted extraordinary White House privileges to fly out of U.S. airspace following the attacks of Sept. 11th, 2001.

Former White House counter terrorism expert Richard Clarke told Vanity Fair the Bush administration decided to allow a group of Saudis to fly out of U.S. airspace just after Sept. 11-- a time when access to the United States was still restricted and required special government approval.

According to the magazine's sources, at least four flights with about 140 Saudis, including roughly two-dozen members of the bin Laden family, flew to Saudi Arabia that week without even being interviewed or interrogated by the FBI.

Clarke, who headed the counter terrorism security group of the National Security Council, said he does not now recall who initiated the request for approval. He said it was probably either the FBI or the State Department, both of which have denied playing any such role.

[Destro]

Don;t just say it--post it.

[mattdono]

Ok, before I fulfill your request, let me make a comment about what the phrase "burden of proof" means. If you are going to make a charge, the person making the charge should have to "prove it".

I haven't heard any Bush official (current or former) make these assertions. As far as I am concerned this is some demoCREEP attempt to manufacture news.

CLICK HERE FOR PROOF

[mabelkitty]

The FBI and The State Department can hardly qualify as "The Bush Administration"

They operate in a vaccuum.

[drjimmy]

This story has been discounted on several occassions and is totally false.
I am suddenly reminded of a scene from the movie "Independence Day":
President Thomas Whitmore: Sir, regardless of what you may have read in the tabloids, there have never been any spacecraft recovered by our government. Take my word for it. There's no Area 51. There's no recovered space ship.
Albert Nimzicki: Uh, excuse me, Mr. President. That's not *entirely* accurate.

Perhaps the story about the Saudis flying out is not totally false.

[mabelkitty]

I thought so.

Perhaps you should call the editor of the newspaper and humiliate the "journalisst".

[SouthernFreebird]

Well they certainly have my approval to leave....matter of fact I'd approve of every muslim leaving.

[Iconoclast2]

From

http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/timeline/main/timelineafter911.html

[There are hyperlinks in the original; though these people are Leftists, most of the timeline is well-sourced]

September 13-19, 2001: Members of bin Laden's family and important Saudis are "driven or flown under FBI supervision to a secret assembly point in Texas and then to Washington from where they left the country on a private charter plane when airports reopened three days after the attacks." The flights to Texas and Washington occur before the national air ban is lifted. [New York Times, 9/30/01] The Tampa Tribune reports that on September 13, a Lear jet takes off from Tampa, Florida, carrying a Saudi Arabian prince, the son of the Saudi defense minister Prince Sultan (see August 2001 (G), August 31, 2001, August 15, 2002), as well as the son of a Saudi army commander, and flies to Lexington, Kentucky, where the Saudis own racehorses. They then fly a private 747 out of the country. Multiple 747s with Arabic lettering on their sides are already there, suggesting another secret assembly point. The Tampa flight left from a private Raytheon hangar. [Tampa Tribune, 10/5/01] (Raytheon's name keeps coming up in relation to 9/11 (for instance, see September 25, 2001).) Prince Bandar, Saudi ambassador to the US, helps move the bin Laden family out of the US. [London Times, 11/25/02] Ron Motley, the lead lawyer in a 9/11 lawsuit against many Saudis, points to the flights during the air ban as evidence that Saudis are "protected by the Bush administration" because of "oil." [Minneapolis Star Tribune, 8/16/02] There have been conflicting reports as to whether the FBI interviewed these people before they left the country. Osama bin Laden's half brother, Abdullah bin Laden, stated that even a month after 9/11 his only contact with the FBI was a brief phone call. [Boston Globe, 9/21/01, New Yorker, 11/5/01] The existence of these flights during the air travel ban is now usually referred to as an urban legend. [Snopes, 3/19/02]

[rintense]

Door meet ass.

[A Navy Vet]

Another point that many forget and has been covered in mainstream news media is that Osama is an outcast within his own family, and had his own fortune.

[monkeywrench]

The Bush administration hadn't even really started 'housecleaning' at the time. If this happened, it has the smell of klink all over it.

[68skylark]

Snops.com says this story is a hoax. They say it's a rumor started by Michael Moore to hurt the President. I think I believe snopes over some UK newspaper. Here's the link:

http://www.snopes.com/rumors/flight.htm

[Tatze]

This story is BS, already debunked numerous times. The fact that Michael Moore is still spewing this crap should be enough to prove that its BS.

The Saudi embassy chartered the plane, not the Bush Admin. The FBI cleared the family members to leave, and they left AFTER US flights had resumed, not before. Nothing but Democrap dirty tricks.

[petitfour]

Wasn't Bill Clinton flown back to the mainland from New Zealand right after the events of 9/11? I vaguely recall reading that he was.

[mrtysmm]

The way I heard the story...or part of it at least is that that plane didn't leave until all plane restrictions were lifted. I believe it was at least 4 or 5 days after the buildings were hit. Somebody direct me to further facts if I'm wrong....please. There are so many 'stories' out there on this, especially with that site "What Really Happened" and many more like it.

[Iconoclast2]

Bush flew him back, yes.

[mrtysmm]

Please ignore my previous post since you answered all my questions. Thank you for the information. Had I known that the 'facts' reported were from M Moore, I would never have asked for more proof. It all makes sense now. TY again.

[Cobra64]

Well they certainly have my approval to leave....matter of fact I'd approve of every muslim leaving.

In terms of the relatives, if the CIA tailed the relatives, then they'd probably lead us to Bin Laden.