Germany plays down pre-9/11 tip on hijacker (new info)

[UpInArms]

http://www.reuters.com/locales/newsArticle.jsp?type=worldNews&locale=en_IN&storyID=4423677

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Germany had "no idea" a man whose first name and telephone number it passed to U.S. authorities long before the Sept. 11 attacks would turn out to be a key player in the plot, German Interior Minister Otto Schily said on Tuesday.

The minister said a New York Times article saying Germany had given the Central Intelligence Agency the information about Marwan al-Shehhi in March 1999 was misleading. (emphasis mine)

U.S. officials say al-Shehhi was the pilot who flew the second plane into the World Trade Center. The attacks, which destroyed the Twin Towers, damaged the Pentagon and caused one aircraft to crash into a Pennsylvania field, claimed about 3,000 lives.

"Your article was a little bit misleading," Schily told a small group of reporters including one of the authors of the New York Times story.

He said any indication that German intelligence officials had made a link between the name and an upcoming attack "is not true. At that time we had no idea that (it) could be a thing like this (the Sept. 11 attacks)."

...more...

[Turbineguy]

1. It makes no difference anyway.

We were busy then with Clinton's Engorged Member. It would have overtaxed our resourses to look at important stuff.

[rfranklin]

2. We're not even sure that guy was on the airplane....

exactly how do they know? I've seen no credible evidence.

[Zhade]

3. Kick

:dem: