Apr 16 2007
What Did Clinton’s CIA Know About 9-11?
Here is an interesting tidbit (H/T JammieWearingFool – an interesting up and coming blog site) on how the CIA was alerted by the French as early as January 2001 (that would be still under Clinton’s administration in essence) regarding Bin Laden’s plans to highjack airplanes in the US – something they French knew early in 2000:
France’s Le Monde newspaper said it had obtained 328 pages of classified documents on Osama bin Laden’s terror network that were drawn up by the French foreign intelligence service, the DGSE, between July 2000 and October 2001.
Emphasis mine. The way the government works is material is ‘drawn up’ after it has been analyzed and vetted. This puts the evidence coming out possibly early 2000. Now by coincidence this is the time frame the infamous Richard Clark document was being passed around the NSC for comment – the same document which Sandy Bergler stole from the National Archives and shredded in his office. It would make sense that whatever the French detected not only did they pass it on to Clinton’s CIA, but our CIA probably detected it too! So I would wager the smoking gun Sandy Bergler risked serious jail time to destroy was something having to do with early warnings of a Bin Laden plot to highjack airlines, sourced or confirmed by the French. I see a strong need for an investigation of how this information was processed and distributed within our government and between administrations.
Le Monde reported that the documents included a note dated Jan. 5, 2001, which said al-Qaida had been working on a hijacking plot for months. The intelligence note reported that bin Laden had attended a meeting in Afghanistan in October 2000, where a final decision to carry out the plot was taken, the newspaper said.
…
The newspaper said the DGSE report was passed on to the CIA chief in Paris, as was all information about possible threats to American interests.
Someone needs to ask Condi and Colin if they recall this little matter in their transition briefs.
In the dim recesses of my memory I believe the SSCI heard that–there were reports of plans to hijack lanes but they were vague and didn’t include the part about flying them into bldgs.
Clarice,
You are correct, there was a vague mention and this story confirms that essence. What has me curious is the direct ties to Bin Laden, and whether this was passed to the Bush Admin with some semblence of priority.
"France Knew of 2001 al-Qaida Hijack Plot"…
Well, the good news is, it blows to all hell Rosie O'Donell's studied, scientific views on the matter… From Newsday:France's foreign intelligence service learned as early as January 2001 that al-Qaida was preparing a hijacking …
It seems to me that I heard this before, but it was widely believed that this plot was connected to the Phillipines and not the U.S. Anyone recall that?
To clarify my last post, I think what actually happened is this plot was mistakenly thought to be planned for the Phillipines but actually was 911. I think the Clinton administration could have been told plainly to their face what was going to happen and wouldn’t have stopped it anyway. Not that I think they wanted it to happen, I still can’t believe any elected government in this country would ever knowingly allow that to happen, I just don’t think that Clinton ever really took this stuff that seriously. He seemed to think that terrorism was limited to a nuisance of small bombings here and there in the world that really would never amount to anything.
I also think the whole Able Danger mess is connected to this. I think the Intel Community found out something was afoot but the Clintonistas would never come out and take the politcally incorrect step of acknowledging a concept such as “Radical Islam”. I don’t believe he would have ever been the one to first utter those words. Remember, AQ was involved in the 1st WTC bombing in 1993 and it was considered a one time event by a single small group of radicals. Those in the Intelligence Community who thought otherwise where not listened to, even after the other attacks during the Clinton terms of office. This was not a concept that Clinton would except or ever take such bold steps on like Bush eventually had to.
I absolutely agree on the Sandy Berger angle on this. More than likely this was not the only thing he was purging but it would definitely include something like this.
No, the Phillipines plot was separate and real and was caught in time. (As I recall due to the outstanding work of a Phillipine cop. ) This was separate but so vague it was not useful. I think this is just more French merde, pumping up a vague report which left out all the actionable details as though it had been of more significance than it was.
That’s right Clarice, I remember now seeing something of that on TV. I think it was a very sharp phillipina female cop who sensed something wrong with the suspects and just would not let it go like most of us would. She was dogmatic in checking these guys out and her persistance stopped them from getting anywhere. Good for her.
They were aware of a vague “hijack” plot. In fact, they thought it was going to come off over 4th of July weekend. People were on high alert over that time. In fact, on 9/11 the airports were on heightened security alert. The only thing that allowed the plot to succeed was that they apparently used ceramic knives that didn’t set off the metal detectors.
There are only two things that prevent them from getting away with a similar plot today. 1) increased cockpit security to include a reinforced door and a gun in the cockpit and 2) the inspiration of United 93. There is no way the passengers would allow a plane to be hijacked like that these days.
I guess this is that stuff that Rosie O’Donnell thought we should all read.
In a clear sign of its intent to reign in dissident American media personalities, and their growing influence in American culture, US War Leaders this past week launched an unprecedented attack upon one of their most politically ‘connected’, and legendary, radio hosts named Don Imus after his threats to release information relating to the September 11, 2001 attacks upon that country.
I wonder if Imus knows.
whether this was passed to the Bush Admin with some semblence of priority.
It was passed on. In fact, Clinton, Tenet, Cohen, Berger and others told the incoming Administration that Al Qaeda was America’s #1 threat.
[…] Strata-Sphere reports to us this morning that the French newspaper, Le Monde, has reported on 328 pages of classified documents, regarding Osama bin Laden’s terror network, and drawn up by the DGSE (the French foreign intelligence service) between July 2000 and October 2001. It’s also confirmed that France’s foreign intelligence service learned as early as January 2001 that al-Qaida was preparing a hijacking plot likely to involve a U.S. airplane, former intelligence officials said Monday, confirming a report that also said the CIA received the warning. […]