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Possible Terrorist Connection in Tennessee
NewsChannel5 (WTVF - Nashville) ^ | Oct. 7, 2001

Posted on 10/07/2001 3:09:01 PM PDT by Brian Mosely

FBI agents have been looking into whether associates of Osama bin Laden may traveled to Middle Tennessee this past summer in search of aircraft that could be used for training pilots, NewsChannel 5 has learned.

The name of one man who spent some time here has made it onto an official list of some 370 possible suspects.

That list was inadvertently released by Finnish banking authorities, who say they received it from American investigators as part of the effort to track down the terrorists' finances.

The list, which includes the names of the now infamous Mohammed Atta and other hijackers, also includes the name of Khalid Alzeedi (also known as Khalid Al-Zeedi and Khaleed Al-Zedi).

Alzeedi's address is listed as 200 Airport Road, Building 5 in Clarksville.

That's the same address as an aircraft sales company.

Airport workers told NewsChannel 5 investigative reporter Phil Williams that Alzeedi and four other Middle Eastern men visited there back in August looking to buy planes.

Their main interest: used single-engine Tampico aircraft, a type of aircraft commonly used to train pilots.

A possible coincidence, the aircraft were previously owned by Embry-Riddle University, a Florida flying school where one of the terrorists involved in the Sept. 11th attacks may have graduated.

Alzeedi identified himself as the owner of Zidi Aviation, a Saudi Arabian company. A prototype web page developed for the company lists "pilot training" among its services and shows the cockpit of commercial jetliners. Zidi was also an authorized distributor of high-tech flight simulation equipment produced by a Boeing subsidiary.

According to FAA records, Alzeedi ended up buying two Tampicos that had been listed on the Internet... aircraft that he told service workers he planned to fly to Morocco in North Africa to train pilots.

FBI agents visited the Clarksville airport after the Sept. 11th attacks and questioned people about Alzeedi's activities.

One airport worker described Alzeedi as a "good family man" and expressed doubt that he would be involved in such a horrible plot.

In addition, NewsChannel 5 has learned that Alzeedi may have had contact with two local FBI agents back in August at the Hilton Suites, just across from Nashville's arena. Alzeedi and his party kept three rooms there for about a month while they waited on the aircraft.

Alzeedi listed Room 412 as his room.

One night, Alzeedi was inside Eddie George's Grill in the hotel, when someone apparently stepped on his foot. That's when, hotel workers say, he identified himself as an Iranian diplomat and demanded that the hotel compensate him for his injuries.

Then, in late August, the hotel locked Alzeedi and his party out of their rooms because of an unpaid bill of approximately $2,500. Inside the rooms, hotel workers found satellite navigation equipment and wet suits.

Suspicious, they called the FBI.

It is believed that agents talked to Alzeedi at that point, but found nothing at that time to justify further investigation. Aviators say, when flying a single-engine plane across the Atlantic, such equipment can be just basic survival gear.

Today, the phone number once listed by Zidi Aviation is out of service, and email sent to Zidi Aviation's publicized address have been returned as "undelivered mail."

All that leaves unanswered questions: were the activities here part of a terrorist plot or just a simple coincidence?


TOPICS: Breaking News; News/Current Events; US: Tennessee
KEYWORDS: aircraft; alzeedi; alzidi; aviation; leaks; wetsuits
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To: ALL
(I ordinarily watch WSMV, and not WSMV.

Brilliant of me! DUH! I watch WSMV, and not WTVF!! Holy guacamole! Trying to do three things at once -- sorry!

41 posted on 10/07/2001 4:50:20 PM PDT by Beep
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To: Melinda in TN
I'm very suspicious.

You and me both, Melinda. This would ordinarily be a huge local story! It wouldn't have been dropped so readily if someone hadn't stepped in and hushed them up.

42 posted on 10/07/2001 4:54:18 PM PDT by Beep
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To: Melinda in TN
I just don't know what to think. I hope the authorities are doing their jobs,and just not telling us. I won't feel safe for a long time, if ever.
43 posted on 10/07/2001 4:55:25 PM PDT by poweqi
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To: ALOHA RONNIE
It gets weirder...

Just a coincidence???

44 posted on 10/07/2001 4:56:40 PM PDT by GraniteStateConservative
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To: all
At least I THINK it was Southbound. Doesn't really matter because it was just too close to that Airforce base to be coincidental.
45 posted on 10/07/2001 4:59:40 PM PDT by Melinda in TN
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To: Melinda in TN
I'm a bit suspicious as well. I just moved to TN from OH to get away from the big city life (actually to get away from my previous employer). I'm not scared to death, but these kind of stories do raise my concern, that's for sure.

As far as TVA is concerned, there are several TVA facilities around the whole state including substations, plants and the like. Really isn't different than any other area in the country; they all have utility facilities scattered about. I can assure you that the whole electric utility industry including TVA is on high alert. Don't forget, TVA, unlike most utilities, has its own police force as well as the vast security police that all nuke plants have.

46 posted on 10/07/2001 5:03:16 PM PDT by meyer
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To: Melinda in TN
Don't know if that means anything or not but the hijacker was very obsessed with the time.

Probably wanted to start the hijacking at a pray time in the Middle East. We have some middle eastern man working at our shop. I work thirds. Sometimes at a certain time in the middle of the night they'll grab some cardboard lay it on the floor out of the way and pray to there God.

47 posted on 10/07/2001 5:10:46 PM PDT by ReformedBeckite
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To: Melinda in TN
The crash was about 500 yards south of the 105 exit on 1 -24. The AEDC access is further down at about the 115 mile marker. AEDC has been on alert, so they would have known about it if he tried to approach the base..
48 posted on 10/07/2001 5:16:00 PM PDT by Brian Mosely
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To: Brian Mosely
Al Bore is from Tn. His boss sold us out to the Chinese. Ummmm... food for thought here.
49 posted on 10/07/2001 5:18:41 PM PDT by Don Myers
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To: Brian Mosely
Tennessee rocks. Tennessee rejected native son Gore.
50 posted on 10/07/2001 5:20:49 PM PDT by Vinomori
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To: Brian Mosely
Another wierd thing. NONE of the passengers have been interviewed. Usually they would be on every talk show they could find!
51 posted on 10/07/2001 5:28:08 PM PDT by poweqi
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To: poweqi
No, they have been talked to. Our paper had a piece with the driver and a passenger today.
52 posted on 10/07/2001 5:30:35 PM PDT by Brian Mosely
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To: Brian Mosely
Well,I don't get that paper, what did they say? Anything earth shattering?
53 posted on 10/07/2001 5:33:41 PM PDT by poweqi
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To: poweqi
Not really...typical, "lucky to be alive" quotes. I'd give you a link, but the site seems to be down right now.
54 posted on 10/07/2001 5:45:18 PM PDT by Brian Mosely
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To: Brian Mosely
Small town reporter probably either didn't think or wasn't allowed to ask any important questions. We get that in our small town too. Course they most likely work for ABC,NBC,orCBS..go figure.
55 posted on 10/07/2001 6:25:40 PM PDT by poweqi
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To: poweqi
With wetsuits, a person wonders what nuclear powerplants were nearby. According to a map, there's a straight flight from Clarksville to 6 nuclear powerplant units operated by Duke Power at Oconee, SC. Hmmnnnnn?????
56 posted on 10/07/2001 6:58:19 PM PDT by lilylangtree
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To: abwehr
Contact Khalid (or Khaleed) Zidi of Zidi Aviation, Saudi Arabia, at
k@zidinet.com
57 posted on 10/07/2001 6:59:18 PM PDT by Redbob45
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To: poweqi
"I just don't know what to think. I hope the authorities are doing their jobs,and just not telling us."
Speaking of weird coincidences, does anyone remember the explosion that happened south of Franklin in July or August? We never got any explanation of any sort over that, and it was heard by hundreds of people, and rattled a bunch of houses.
58 posted on 10/07/2001 7:27:38 PM PDT by Grammy
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To: Melinda in TN
The Air Base you refered to is not huge but it is vital. Freepers may want to check out Arnold Engineering Developement Center Several of us freepers work there....
59 posted on 10/07/2001 7:42:43 PM PDT by miner89
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To: Brian Mosely
plot. thanx for the posting, brian.
60 posted on 10/07/2001 7:45:38 PM PDT by thinden
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