C.I.A. Was Given Data on Hijacker Long Before 9/11

[scottxyz]

American investigators were given the first name and telephone number of one of the Sept. 11 hijackers two and a half years before the attacks on New York and Washington, but the United States appears to have failed to pursue the lead aggressively, American and German officials say.

The information — the earliest known signal that the United States received about any of the hijackers — has now become an important element of an independent commission's investigation into the events of Sept. 11, 2001 .... It is considered particularly significant because it may have represented a missed opportunity for American officials to penetrate the Qaeda terror cell in Germany that was at the heart of the plot. And it came roughly 16 months before the hijacker showed up at flight schools in the United States.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/24/politics/24TERR.html?ei=5062&en=9301b48c937ada12&ex=1078203600&partner=GOOGLE&pagewanted=print&position=
(free registration required)

[jamesinca]

1. They knew and they will try to blame Clinton

Here is what I have to say to that: it is only Clintons fault if it was not passed on to the current administration. Clinton in an interview on the History channel stated that it was passed on that the al-Quida was the largest threat to the U.S.

Bush knew. The intelligence community knew 2 1/2 years ahead of time and yet they could not prevent it, or did not care to. When he gives his speech about no warning of these things, that is another lie. They had 2 1/2 years.

[gandalf]

2. This is worth repeating

even though not LBN :), as posted alread yesterday.

Paul Thompson mentions this in his updated timeline:
http://www.complete911timeline.org/timeline/updates/update18.html:

NEW January 31, 1999: German intelligence is tapping the telephone of al-Qaeda terrorist Mohammed Haydar Zammar (see March 1997 and September 21, 1999), and on this date Zammar gets a call from a "Marwan." This is later found to be hijacker Marwan Alshehhi. Marwan talks about mundane things, like his studies in Bonn, Germany, and promises to come to Hamburg in a few months. German investigators trace the telephone number and determine the call came from a mobile phone registered in the United Arab Emirates. In March, German intelligence tells the CIA about this Marwan and the phone call, saying that he's been in contact with Zammar and Mamoun Darkazanli, who is also under investigation (see September 20, 1998 and December 1999). He is described as a United Arab Emirates student who has spent some time studying in Germany. (Congressional Inquiry, 7/24/03, Stern, 8/13/03, Deutche Presse-Agenteur, 8/13/03) It is not known what the CIA does with this information, or if they're informed about other calls between Alshehhi and Zammar (see September 21, 1999), but the 9/11 Congressional Inquiry implies that the CIA never learns Alshehhi's last name. (Congressional Inquiry, 7/24/03)

[JasonDeter]

3. There's another post somewhere on DU, (I don't have the search function)

where the Germans are saying the paper that released this gave misleading information regarding this character. Its worth finding to update the board again regarding this subject. Its being blown out of proportion.

[Zhade]

4. You can't search? I thought donors could search - I can.

NT!

[JasonDeter]

6. DU admin must have made a mistake LOL!

Where the heck did that star come from?!

[JasonDeter]

7. SWEET!! Heres the link re: Germany plays down story!

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

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=382632

[gandalf]

5. "being blown out of proportion" ?

What do you mean by that?
And why can't you search? You're a donor

[JasonDeter]

8. Either its a mistake or some very kind person gave me a star.

How cool is THAT?! I wish I knew who to thank because I really really appreciate it.

[bowens43]

9. Here we go.....

Back to the Clinton's penis defense. They will fixate on this on small piece of insignificant data (at least insignificant without the benefit of hindsight) instead of asking why the current administration ignored literally dozens of warnings, some very specific.

[snippy]

10. Congress is responsible for oversight of the CIA and the DOJ.

What was Congress investigating during the late 90's?

[Cooley Hurd]

11. So they had a name...

...wtf were they supposed to do with it? This was before 9/11 and even before the USS Cole attack.

[Robb]

12. Dupe

Dupe.

[el_gato]

13. 9/11 America's Reichstag

I have no doubts and the truth is bubbling to the surface.
The elite are running scared now and they want to preempt
the truth with fabrications. This report is part of a
bait and switch scheme.

[Nashyra]

14. Congress had the responsibility

Someone on an earlier post hit the nail on the head. The Repuke controlled congress and senate were so busy investigating clinton's penis and were so rabid they dropped the ball. The question that should be asked is why were the Repuke right more concerned with a consensual sex act than the security of the US. If it was the "credibility or the fact that Clinton lied" then let's apply the same standard to * who lied to congress about the war. The only reason that the intelligence community is getting blamed is the fact that * could be tried for treason if they determined he lied. So the public is to beleive that either the resident is stupid or is a liar and guilty of treason, both says he is not qualified to be resident. Either by sheer stupidity or calculated lying he did not uphold the oath of office to protect the US. If the Clinton people warned them and it has been documented that they did, why did terrorism not appear on the high priority of the * administration? Also when the Hart/Rudman report came out it is well documented that Cheney was going to be in charge of a task force on terrorism, when,where and who was on that commission and when did they meet? They didn't because he was too busy negotiating the "secret" energy policy. It all comes back to the "secret energy policy" that Scalia Cheney's friend is deciding whether to make the papers public. Those energy papers and policy meetings are key to 9-11. The FBI and the CIA need to cough up the information about what investigations they were told to stand down on, one of which pissed John Oneil off enough to go to work as the head of security for the WTC, he was a higher up official of the FBI and died in the WTC 9-11, his first day on the job, he claimed that the investigation into the Cole was being impeded.