Posted on 09/03/2003 10:32:20 AM PDT by 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."
I think that is, indeed, the problem that I have with this. These lies (or, at most, "1/4 truths") are circulated over the airways and/or press and the dumb, impressionable sheeple recite this as if they are clued in on some secret, an impulse that appeals to the basest of human desires: to be part of something exclusive.
Ironically, I remember watching one of the (gag) Chris Matthew's shows that had Bill Maher on it (it was one of those college tours). Of all people that would come to the defense of the Bush Administration, even he blew out of the water some whacko leftist in the audience that started spewing this same story, as well as other mantras of the left. Believe me, I am not holding up Bill Maher as the example of brilliance, but if even this guy can get it, why can't everyone else?
Maybe in an SR-71
Maybe it's a "like father like son story?" .
Blackbird can you confirm? ;-)
I am not sure what to make of this. On September 13th, while all domestic air was cancelled, they allowed private flights within the US for Bin Laden family members, I guess to rendezvous for a group flight to S.A.
No they weren't allowed to leave the country, but unlike everybody else in the country, they were allowed to fly.
Thanks! The flights during the FAA ban is the false part but not the other part it seems.
Are you saying that the State Department did not assist in the evacuation of the Bin Laden family between September 12-15? If you you are ill-informed. If you are simply disputing the "chartered plane" story, than you are correct.
Let me tell you that the White House did not order this, and the FBI was furious about it. It was a Foggy Bottom affair right from the top, where Saudi connections with Powell are rock solid. But this did occur. It is a fact. It was a disgrace.
My sources tell me this is an outright lie, as is much of what Clarke has to say. He is a Democrat and is currently aiding the Kerry Campaign.
Although bin Laden family members were ferried from various cities in the USA to an east coast departure point by the FBI via automobile and airplane (the latter even though the general ban on air travel was still in effect), the first group left the country on a September 18 flight privately chartered by the bin Laden family, a Boeing 727 which departed from Boston. The September 19 flight, arranged and paid for by the Saudi government, collected about 20 passengers from a number of cities, including Los Angeles, Orlando, and Boston. Neither flight took off "secretly" or departed during the FAA-imposed ban on air travel.
You also left out: Whether bin Laden family members left voluntarily or at the urging of the FBI or the Saudi government, they did not depart on a "secret flight" a mere "two days" after the September 11 terrorist attacks, while all other air traffic was grounded."
The posted article renewed this false assertion that the FBI was arranging and paying for the flights during the time that all planes were grounded. Even conceding the "fact" that the family was ferried by the FBI to one location, I would also add that they were indeed questioned and released to Saudi Arabia, their home country. We hold people when we have reason to believe that they are/were involved in something. The fact that OBL is an outcast in his family and has threatened many of his family members, it seems that the FBI identifying them and questioning and then releasing them appropriate.
Now we find out the family wasn't spirited out of the country in the first day or two after the attack. And not only that, it was the FBI who may have brought them together for a later flight -- which seems to me like a great opportunity for FBI agents to ask a few questions and observe the family. So now we're supposed to think THAT's the scandal, in some way. Well I'm not interested in conspiracy theories -- unless someone's got actual evidence of wrong-doing, not just a flexible story and vague hints of shady dealing.
Ok, topic (first) sentence:
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.
As we have concluded, this is UTTERLY false. Now, before we go any further, don't you think that it is quite purposeful that the first sentence --the sentence that is supposed to grab the reader's attention-- is provably false.
Ok, next paragraph...
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.
I have highlighted the words that the press wants to string together. Do you see what they are doing? Another reporter, or inept reader, will be able to chop this sentence further out of context using the convenient ellipses ("...") and brackets. BTW, ellipses are supposed to be used ONLY when the rest of the sentence doesn't explain things further (see the whore bag of an op-ed writer Maureen Dowd; she is famous for it). Brackets are supposed to be used to add context.
With some grammatical "trickeration", someone, somewhere, will be able to write, "...the Bush administration sanctioned the repatriation of...[Osama bin Laden] the al-Qaida chief." And, before you say that is ridiculous, look back Michael Moore's comments; that is precisely what he is implying and saying: that the Bush administration is in cahoots with bin Laden himself.
Also, as with the first paragraph, they place an independent clause at the end of the paragraph, which is specifically used to add emphasis to the dependent clause. It is a classic way to "twist" a sentence or amplify the point being.
About half way through the story
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.
Again, totally false.
A few more paragraphs later...
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.
Not only does this paragraph contradict the assertions that he FBI and/or the US government arranged this flight ("the Saudi ambassador to the US who is said to have organised the exodus"), but the last sentence is another gross example of implication of cahoots. "It is not know if they discussed the repariation plan". This clearly implies some formality that President Bush formally was concerned about repariating Saudis, and worse there was a "plan".
Nothing about this story adds new information. Worse yet, it recycles the same old urban legends.
OK the FBI found nothing wrong with these Musli scum. We can only hope that the FBI was competent in this judgement.
FACTS ARE--while a general ban WAS in place: bin Laden family members were ferried from various cities in the USA to an east coast departure point by the FBI via automobile and airplane (the latter even though the general ban on air travel was still in effect)
Ok, the difference between the urban legend and the truth is that these flights were not international flights out.
Ok, not that big a difference in facts and it would forgivable if for the fact that the Democrats do seem to stretch it to make it more sinister.
Could the problem be that the WH is not clarifying the facts out of fear that dwelling on it would cause the anti-Bush media to have a field day. Especially since the people's bloodlust is up for revenge and this move by the FBI may not have been their smartest move. Why should we not be pissed? Protect the Bin Laden clans from who? Angry Americans? How many Americans went lynching for Muslims after 9/11? Our vigilanty lynchers are so stupid they targeted Sikhs because they could not tell they were Muslims, especially in the rich exclusive hotels and gated communities where these Saudis lived--so what red neck vigilanty group did the White House fear would attack them? Maybe the press?
I don't care if they were innocent, they should have waited in line like the rest for domestic flights to resume. I don't give a f*ck if Saudi Arabia paid for the flights.
That seems pretty naive. Did you even read Rowley's cry from the wilderness? The FBI seems to have high ranking elements that are not on our side.
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