I don’t have the time this morning to do an analysis of Judy Miller’s claim that she received advanced warning of a spectacular al-qaeda attack over the 4th of July weekend of 2001.
The person told me that there was some concern about an intercept that had been picked up. The incident that had gotten everyone’s attention was a conversation between two members of Al Qaida. And they had been talking to one another, supposedly expressing disappointment that the United States had not chosen to retaliate more seriously against what had happened to the Cole. And one Al Qaida operative was overheard saying to the other, ‘Don’t worry; we’re planning something so big now that the U.S. will have to respond.’
That conversation appears to have been picked up from a safehouse in Yemen that belonged to Ahmed al-Hada, hijacker Khalid Almihdhar’s father-in-law. In July 2001 Khalid Almihdhar was living in San Diego. But on July 4th he arrived in NYC on SA Airlines Flight 53 and continued on to Arizona (but 9/11 Report says he stayed in Paterson, NJ).
So, while Judy Miller was in DC chatting up some counterintelligence guy that was leaking about an intercept from Almidhar’s father-in-law’s house, Almidhar was getting off a plane in JFK and encountering no resistance to his entry into this country.
That just makes me laugh. But to get the full measure of comedy, go below the fold for a trip back into the time machine.
From CNN November 23rd, 2002:
The FBI is investigating whether the Saudi Arabian government funneled money to associates of two of the September 11 hijackers, a senior White House official told CNN Saturday.
The FBI is investigating whether the Saudi Arabian government funneled money to associates of two of the September 11 hijackers, a senior White House official told CNN Saturday.Findings from an inquiry by the House-Senate Joint Intelligence Committee suggest evidence indicates money from the Saudi Arabian government could have made its way to the two hijackers through two Saudi students when they were in California.
There is some evidence that the students received a payment through the wife of the Saudi ambassador to the United States, according to the inquiry.
But sources said there is no conclusive evidence the Saudi government intentionally funded terror activities against the United States. Fifteen of the 19 September 11 hijackers were Saudis. The Saudi government has condemned their actions.
A U.S. government official said it is not unusual for wealthy Saudi families to send money to less affluent Saudi students. In addition, the official said, that money often is sent through the Saudi Embassy.
Adel Al-Jubeir, a foreign policy adviser to Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah, told CNN that Princess Haifa Al-Faisal, wife of Saudi Ambassador, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, is “a very generous woman” who supports many charitable causes.
The princess, however, never sent any money directly to the two hijackers, Al-Jubeir said. An investigation by her office has found the princess sent money to a woman on her charity recipient list and that woman then sent the money to the students.
Al-Faisal does not know who the woman is or why she was on her list, Al-Jubeir said.
Findings from an inquiry by the House-Senate Joint Intelligence Committee suggest evidence indicates money from the Saudi Arabian government could have made its way to the two hijackers through two Saudi students when they were in California.
There is some evidence that the students received a payment through the wife of the Saudi ambassador to the United States, according to the inquiry.
But sources said there is no conclusive evidence the Saudi government intentionally funded terror activities against the United States. Fifteen of the 19 September 11 hijackers were Saudis. The Saudi government has condemned their actions.
A U.S. government official said it is not unusual for wealthy Saudi families to send money to less affluent Saudi students. In addition, the official said, that money often is sent through the Saudi Embassy.
Adel Al-Jubeir, a foreign policy adviser to Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah, told CNN that Princess Haifa Al-Faisal, wife of Saudi Ambassador, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, is “a very generous woman” who supports many charitable causes.
The princess, however, never sent any money directly to the two hijackers, Al-Jubeir said. An investigation by her office has found the princess sent money to a woman on her charity recipient list and that woman then sent the money to the students.
Al-Faisal does not know who the woman is or why she was on her list, Al-Jubeir said.
So, Bandar Bush’s wife gave money to Almidhar through an intermediary that she claims not to know. Oh, and Almidhar lived in San Diego with an FBI informant that was never allowed to testify before either the Congressional or the independent commission that investigated 9/11.
