As for him "knowing about 911," I don't think he did, unless his friend Tariq Aziz of Iraq also knew about it and spilled the beans, which would imply Iraq did indeed have something to do with it in spite of assorted denials by the left.
The first time any word of him "knowing about 911" didn't occur until two days AFTER 911 in a Catholic publication. I think the tale was just an effort to curry amazed adoration from the Madonna-sighted-in-every-potato-chip faction in the church, assorted conspiracy theorists, etc. I see no reason to believe he knew it in advance.
I'm more interested in the possibility this guy isn't in the church's employ sprititually so much as he and others like him, such as the "liberation theology crowd" which has for so long plagued central and South America are spiritually bought and sold by more "earthly" ideologies and states.
It's bad company for a pope to keep, particularly an aging one.