| Topic: |
Politics > Politics-USA |
| User: |
"pedro martori" |
| Date: |
07 Jul 2004 10:21:51 PM |
| Object: |
Unraveling the plot |
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Nation & World=20
Unraveling the plot=20
New evidence shows setbacks and stumbles--and plans for a much more =
deadly attack=20
By Chitra Ragavan=20
He was a trusted lieutenant of Osama bin Laden and one of the world's =
most feared terrorists. But these days, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, who =
conceived and directed the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, is one of the U.S. =
government's best sources of information on al Qaeda. Captured in =
Pakistan in March 2003 and held incommunicado ever since, Mohammed has =
been explaining, under what the government calls "coercive" =
interrogation, just how the 9/11 attacks were executed and, more =
important, how and when bin Laden plans to strike again. No one knows =
just how much to trust Mohammed's tales or exactly how they were =
obtained, but what he's saying is fascinating--and frightening. "They =
keep going back [to Mohammed]," says a U.S. intelligence official, "and =
running scenarios by him."
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A terrifying portrait of the FAA in collapse=20
The Iraq-al Qaeda disconnection=20
A rogue's gallery of men behind the 9/11 attacks=20
Timeline: A deadly scheme years in the planning=20
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Last week, in its 12th and final public hearing, the bipartisan =
commission investigating the 9/11 attacks disclosed new details that =
dramatically fleshed out the plot, based largely on the transcripts of =
Mohammed's interrogations and those of more than 100 other detainees, =
including Ramzi Binalshibh, a wannabe hijacker who became Mohammed's =
principal overseas terror coordinator after his application for a U.S. =
visa was rejected four times. The commission's conclusion that there was =
no "collaborative relationship" between al Qaeda and former Iraqi =
President Saddam Hussein reignited the political firestorm over the Iraq =
war (Page 18). But it was the depiction of the Federal Aviation =
Administration, the Pentagon, and the White House floundering in =
understandable confusion immediately after the attacks that brought =
tears to the eyes of 9/11 relatives, as did the disclosures of clues =
ignored and opportunities missed. The two days of hearings also had =
moments of chilling drama, like the tape-recorded voice of lead hijacker =
Mohamed Atta--never heard publicly before--telling terrified passengers, =
"We have some planes. Just stay quiet, and you'll be OK. We are =
returning to the airport."
The lasting contribution of the panel's investigation is likely to be =
the deeper understanding it provided of both the 9/11 plot and of bin =
Laden's al Qaeda organization. Mohammed's confessions offer a rare =
glimpse of bin Laden as the hands-on CEO of a global terror conglomerate =
and a micromanager extraordinaire--an employer who urges his followers =
to think big but doesn't hesitate to clip their wings when they =
overreach. The interrogation reports reveal how bin Laden pulled off the =
attacks despite internecine rivalries among hijackers, logistical =
obstacles, strategic disagreements, and deep philosophical conflicts =
among the top al Qaeda ranks. The strike date was set just three weeks =
before the attacks, and as late as September 9, lead hijacker Atta =
wasn't sure whether one of the planes should crash into the White House =
or the U.S. Capitol. But he picked September to ensure that Congress was =
back in session, just in case the Capitol was the target.
Bin Laden says OK. There are still plenty of doubts about Mohammed's =
credibility. Federal investigators have been unable to corroborate some =
of his claims, and some commissioners seem skeptical of the aggrandizing =
portrait that has been painted of bin Laden. "Is this really realistic =
that he was that much hands-on in charge?" asked Commissioner Fred =
Fielding, "or was this perhaps part of a propaganda activity to praise =
and elevate the mastermind of this plot now that it's turned out to be =
successful?" The answers to these questions may never be known, but the =
bottom line is that the commission seems to have accepted much of what =
Mohammed has said.
Next Page =20
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