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An enormous fallacy in the government’s conspiracy theory about the September 11 attacks is that the attacks were a surprise. Hardly.
The statement by then National Security Advisor Rice: "I don't think anyone could have predicted that these people would take an airplane and slam it into the World Trade Center," or Ari Fleischer’s remarks, “Never did we imagine what would take place on September 11 where people use those airplanes as missiles and weapons…” is factually inaccurate and naked disinformation.
There were numerous specific warnings detailing a significant attack, and in some cases that very type of attack.
The Aug 6, 2001 Presidential Daily Brief “Bin Laden Determined to Strike in US” mentions a 1998 report by the FBI that Bin Laden was seeking to hijack US aircraft, and that also mentions the FBI had evidence of suspicious activity “consistent with preparations for hijackings or other types of attacks…”
The Sunday Times in London in 2002 reported that it was known in 1999 that al-Qeada had plans to use commercial aircraft in “unconventional ways,””possibly as flying bombs…”
In 2000, Italian intelligence from wiretaps started in 1999 revealed a plan to use aircraft in a massive strike. Here.
In June of 2001, rumors are spreading around Afghanistan of an attack on skyscrapers. German intelligence in June 2001 warns the CIA, MI6, and Mossad of hijacking plans involving commercial aircraft for an attack on “American and Israeli symbols.”
In July 2001 even the Taliban warns that there is a major attack planned on the US by Bin Laden.
In July 2001 Egypt supplies intelligence from informants having infiltrated al Qeada warning the CIA of attack plans.
Jordan in the summer of 2001 warns of aircraft related terror attack. Jordan communicates this directly from King Abdullah’s men to Washington, and through an intermediary to German Intelligence.
An Ex-CIA agent was given information about a “spectacular terrorist operation” by a military associate of a Saudi prince, and which he passes on, is then ignored by senior CIA officials.
In 1995, plans are discovered by Philippine investigators that commercial airliners are part of plans for an attack on buildings, including the Pentagon and World Trade Center.
In 1999 the National Intelligence Council reports of possible plans to crash an aircraft laden with explosives into the Pentagon, CIA headquarters, or the White House.
In July 2001 Richard Clarke, national security advisor to Condoleesa Rice warns that agencies should prepare for a response to the likelihood of 3 to 5 simultaneous attacks.
NORAD conducted a mock drill, sometime between 1999 and 2001, in which aircraft are hijacked and crashed into buildings, one of which is the World Trade Center.
Sometime in the same period, NORAD conducts a mock drill in which an aircraft is shot down over the Atlantic filled with chemical poisons headed for the US.
None of this takes into account the war games taking place on September 11 in the NEADS region with the scenario of planes flying into buildings, of which there is some speculation, but relates to news accounts, in the public sphere, showing foreknowledge of the attacks. And certainly the Pentagon’s mass casualty exercise in which the simulated crisis of a hijacked aircraft crashing into the Pentagon is tested qualifies as cognizance of just such an event.
Not only was the type of attack well known, having been previously contemplated, specific potential targets were known, and planning for such attacks using aircraft led to actions prior to September 11 to address that very threat. During the Gulf War a battery of surface-to-air missiles was permanently installed on the roof of the White House for just such an eventuality.
The September 11 attacks were by no means a surprise, either in method or specificity. Furthermore, given that Pakistani ISI chief, Mahmoud Ahmad, from whom at least $100,000 was wired to Mohammed Atta before the attacks, was in country meeting with US officials on September 11, the pre-placement of FEMA officials in NYC on September 10, and the very large, and very specific financial transactions that took place in the days prior to September 11 involving United and American Airlines, or the billions in illegal transactions that took place the morning of the attacks through WTC computers, there is strong reason to believe the very day of the attacks was known as well. See also this.
Given all of this, two explanations are left. Some in the Bush administration learned of the planned attacks, and let it happen on purpose with plans to capitalize on the mayhem after the fact. Or, they made it happen on purpose. There are significant reasons to believe the latter, but at the very least the available evidence strongly supports the former notion. What is quite clear is that the official conspiracy theory has little basis in fact and is by no means the complete or true story. We have not had a thorough investigation into the September 11 attacks. And we should.
And now for something completely different...
An interesting point about the released video footage from the Pentagon attack: the standard format for most video recording creates a record of events at 30 frames per second. Given the reported speed of the aircraft that crashed into the Pentagon, and the distance from the building of the aircraft when it first appears as indicated by the surveillance camera in the parking lot entrance, the aircraft should have been recorded in at least 17 more frames before striking the building. It is not. Either the format used by that recording device was unusual, and not 30 frames per second, or the speed of the aircraft was much, much higher than what has been reported, indicating something other than a 757, or the clip released was doctored. Another question in need of further investigation.
