9/11 and Iraq Connection?

[Luke T.]

It has plagued me ever since 9/11 that I have a memory of an imminent terrorist attack involving Al Qaeda being issued just prior to 9/11. I could swear I heard something like that on the news the week or so before.

This is why the moment the second plane hit the WTC, I said to my co-workers, "It's Al Qaeda." When the first one hit, I was thinking about the plane that hit the Empire State Building in the 1930s. Figured it was just a terrible accident. But that second one, I knew.

Every once in a while, I google around to see if I can find a news article from just prior to 9/11 to confirm my questionable memory.

Since a 9/11 conspiracy theory topic came up in the Paranormal section recently, the little bugaboo began circling around my brain again. So I googled again.

This isn't a news article prior to 9/11. It is just after. But it has an interesting little sentence in it.

"They had no specific information about what was being planned but linked the plot to Osama bin Laden and told the Americans that there were strong grounds for suspecting Iraqi involvement," said a senior Israeli security official.

Link

Which of course means the war on Iraq was a Zionist plot.

I have found something written after 9/11 that seems to confirm my memory.

Friday 7th September 2001 - Intelligence officials
reported al-Qaeda threats against the US
Embassy and military facilities in Japan were
"Not Credible".

Friday 7th September 2001 - The U.S. DoS
issues a Worldwide Caution warning of al-
Qaeda attacks against US military personnel
and citizens around the world.

Saturday 8th September 2001 - A similar
advisory to the US DoS as posted by ERRI to
its website and this threat was discussed by
ERRI's Clark Staten on WABC radio with John
Batchelor and Paul Alexander.

Sunday 9th September 2001 - Indonesian
officials warn that Usama bin Laden is planning
to use Indonesia as a launching point for world
wide terrorist operations.

http://www.emergency.com/2002/ERRI_9-1.pdf

 

[Luke T.]

This is supposedly the warning issued on September 7, 2001.

Worldwide Caution - Public Announcement - September 7, 2001

Over the last several months, the U.S. Government has learned that U.S. citizens and interests abroad may be at increased risk of a terrorist action from extremist groups. In addition, we have received unconfirmed information that terrorist actions may be taken against U.S. military facilities and/or establishments frequented by U.S. military personnel in Korea and Japan. We are also concerned about information we received in May 2001 that American citizens may be the target of a terrorist threat from extremist groups with links to Usama Bin Ladin's Al-Qaida organization. In the past, such individuals have not distinguished between official and civilian targets. As always, we take this information seriously. U.S. Government facilities worldwide remain at a heightened state of alert.

U.S. citizens are urged to maintain a high level of vigilance and to take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness to reduce their vulnerability. Americans should maintain a low profile, vary routes and times for all required travel, and treat mail and packages from unfamiliar sources with suspicion. In addition, American citizens are also urged to avoid contact with any suspicious, unfamiliar objects, and to report the presence of the objects to local authorities. Vehicles should not be left unattended, if at all possible, and should be kept locked at all times.U.S. Government personnel overseas have been advised to take the same precautions. In addition, U.S. Government facilities have and will continue to temporarily close or suspend public services as necessary to review their security posture and ensure its adequacy.

U.S. citizens planning to travel abroad should consult the Department of State's Public Announcements, Travel Warnings, Consular Information Sheets, and regional travel brochures, all of which are available at the Consular Affairs Internet web site at travel.state.gov. We will continue to provide updated information should it become available. American citizens overseas may contact the American Citizens Services unit of the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate by telephone or fax for up-to-date information on security conditions. In addition, American citizens in need of emergency assistance should telephone the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate before visiting the Embassy or Consulate.

Department of State travel information and publications are available at Internet address: travel.state.gov. U.S. travelers may hear recorded information by calling the Department of State in Washington, D.C. at 202-647-5225 from their touch-tone telephone, or receive information by automated telefax by dialing 202-647-3000 from their fax machine.

This Public Announcement supersedes the Public Announcement - Worldwide Caution of June 22, 2001 to inform U.S. citizens of unconfirmed threatsagainst U.S. military facilities, personnel and establishments frequented by U.S. military personnel. This Public Announcement expires on December 22, 2001

http://www.casdn.neu.edu/sap/security.html

 

[Luke T.]

A similar warning issued May 29, 2001

The U.S. Government learned in early May 2001 that American citizens abroad may be the target of a terrorist threat from extremist groups with links to
Usama Bin Ladin's Al-Qaida organization. In the past, such individuals have not distinguished between official and civilian targets. As always, we take this information seriously. U.S. Government facilities worldwide remain at a
heightened state of alert.
On May 29, the defendants in the case of U.S. v. Bin Ladin were found guilty on a number of counts in connection with the bombings of the U.S. Embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. The U.S. Government is not aware of any specific threat in response to the verdicts.

 

[Melendwyr]

Is there a point to this?

 

[Luke T.]

Is there a point to this?

I think it is interesting that Israel's security service connected Iraq to 9/11, don't you?

And I am just curious to know if anyone else recalls an Al Qaeda terror alert just before 9/11. Before the color code system people make so much fun of.

 

[CapelDodger]

This is why the moment the second plane hit the WTC, I said to my co-workers, "It's Al Qaeda." When the first one hit, I was thinking about the plane that hit the Empire State Building in the 1930s. Figured it was just a terrible accident. But that second one, I knew.

That would be spooky if I was unaware of our similarities - we are informed, we differ mostly in interpretation. I was working in an office with two other people at the time, and when my mate C - who had a BBC News scroll going - said there'd been a second plane I dismissed it as a cross-over report. When he said no, it was definite, we looked at each other and synchronously said "Bin Laden".

Prior to that we'd been telling L about the plane that hit the Empire State Building and how little damage it caused. At the time we didn't know what kind of plane was involved.

Ten minutes later we were in the newsroom of a local newspaper - Cardiff has a very compact commercial centre - watching CNN. An Iraqi-born friend of mine turned up, we looked at each other and synchronously said "Bin Laden".

And then I said "The Taliban are toast". And we all smiled. Shortly after, the first tower collapsed. It hadn't been conceived before it happened.

Two weeks before 9/11 Ahmad Shah Massood (may his tribe increase) was murdered by Al-Qaeda and the Taliban launched its delayed "final" offensive. That was a diversionary tactic. I didn't spot it, C didn't spot it, we weren't alerted to the possibility. Nobody I know spotted it.

 

[CapelDodger]

I think it is interesting that Israel's security service connected Iraq to 9/11, don't you?

If the tail is wagging the dog, that's interesting.

 

[Art Vandelay]

Two weeks before 9/11 Ahmad Shah Massood (may his tribe increase) was murdered by Al-Qaeda and the Taliban launched its delayed "final" offensive.

Did you mean "two days"?

That was a diversionary tactic. I didn't spot it, C didn't spot it, we weren't alerted to the possibility. Nobody I know spotted it.

I don't think it was diversionary; what did it divert? They knew that after 9/11, the Americans would try to link up with the Northern Alliance, so they wanted to wipe the NA out before that could happen.

 

[CapelDodger]

I don't think it was diversionary; what did it divert? They knew that after 9/11, the Americans would try to link up with the Northern Alliance, so they wanted to wipe the NA out before that could happen.

In two days? (My mistake. )

What was it intended to divert? Al-Qaeda knew they were being watched, but increased "chatter" could be associated with the Taliban offensive. CIA analysts might well have thought that. They might have thought that wiping out the Northern Alliance would precede an Al-Qaeda provocation of the US. Who can tell? As things have turned out, that was probably a better option for Al-Qaeda.

The co-ordination of Ahmad's murder and the Taliban offensive, which had been repeatedly trippped-up that year, could not be coincidence. Is it likely that it wasn't also co-ordinated with 9/11? I don't think so. This was Bin Laden's masterwork, just as Operation Barbarossa was Hitler's.

 

[WildCat]

I immediately thought al Qaeda also, but mostly because I'd always paid attention to that kind of stuff. There had been numerous stories in the news in the months prior to 9/11 about how the Taliban were close to controlling all of Afghanistan, and their links to al Qaeda. Linking them to 9/11 was a logical conclusion.

 

[DavidJames]

The title asks the provocative question, "9/11 and Iraq Connection?"

Inside I see a link with one reference for "suspecting Iraq involvement". In all the years since 9/11, when Bush and friends had every reason to uncover every possible Iraq connection to 9/11, they've yet to publish anything credible and except for the random Chaney reference, don't even try to make the connection anymore. The bipartisan 9/11 commission also came up with zip. Do you think Bush who had everything to gain, the full resources as Commander in Chief, to search, didn't think of asking Israel, or maybe Mossad, whoops, misplaced the "strong grounds"?

 

[Melendwyr]

I think it is interesting that Israel's security service connected Iraq to 9/11, don't you?

Yes -- but for completely different reasons than yours.

Again: does this have a point? Because one hasn't been presented thus far.

 

[Art Vandelay]

In two days?

Did the American offensive get there in two days?

What was it intended to divert? Al-Qaeda knew they were being watched, but increased "chatter" could be associated with the Taliban offensive.

That's a possibility, but it's unlikely that they would go to all the trouble of mounting a major offensive just to explain the chatter. A better, and easier, thing to do would be to bomb a bus in the US or something.

This was Bin Laden's masterwork, just as Operation Barbarossa was Hitler's.

I was thinking of using that as an analogy myself. He didn't attack France as a diversion. It was an integral part of Op Bar. Do think he would have committed his army to the Eastern Front if there had still been a viable enemy?

 

[Charlie Monoxide]

The title asks the provocative question, "9/11 and Iraq Connection?"

Inside I see a link with one reference for "suspecting Iraq involvement". In all the years since 9/11, when Bush and friends had every reason to uncover every possible Iraq connection to 9/11, they've yet to publish anything credible and except for the random Chaney reference, don't even try to make the connection anymore. The bipartisan 9/11 commission also came up with zip. Do you think Bush who had everything to gain, the full resources as Commander in Chief, to search, didn't think of asking Israel, or maybe Mossad, whoops, misplaced the "strong grounds"?

I agree. Still, it's important to always mention Iraq and 9/11 in the same statement (such as this one). We must kept the meme going. Eventually everyone will agree that our great and wonderful leader did the right thing in invading Iraq.

Charlie (next, free the Iranian people [of their oil]) Monoxide

 

[Cleon]

I think it is interesting that Israel's security service connected Iraq to 9/11, don't you?

Honestly? Not particularly. Israel has long wanted to take out Hussein, and it wouldn't be beyond their means or methods to drop intelligence "hints" that Iraq was connected.

I'm not saying that's what happened, but the mere fact that an anonymous "senior Israeli security official" asserted Iraqi involvement doesn't exactly scream "overwhelming evidence."

And I am just curious to know if anyone else recalls an Al Qaeda terror alert just before 9/11.

Nope. But then, until 9/11, the press didn't really put terrorism alerts on the front page. (And it's interesting to note that there haven't been all that many since just before the 2004 presidential election.)

Before the color code system people make so much fun of.

Well, it is rather silly.

 

[Carn]

I was thinking of using that as an analogy myself. He didn't attack France as a diversion. It was an integral part of Op Bar. Do think he would have committed his army to the Eastern Front if there had still been a viable enemy?

Drifting away, but afaik, Hitler preferred not to fight France, he hoped, that invading poland would not cause France to declare war. After conquering Poland, Germany would have waited a year or 2 to arm further and then attacked soviets.
After winning or short before France would have been next. Hitler was a cruel and insane, but not so far, that he wouldn't have preferred few enemies over many.

Carn

 

[Luke T.]

Yes -- but for completely different reasons than yours.

Our reasons may be the same. I am not saying there actually was a connection between Iraq and 9/11, I am just thinking that maybe the origin of the whole 9/11-Iraq connection idea may be Israel, which is interesting for historical purposes.

Israel may have initiated the idea of a connection and the U.S. took the ball and ran with it.

 

[Mephisto]

I think it is interesting that Israel's security service connected Iraq to 9/11, don't you?

[derail]I think it's interesting that, in spite of all this intelligence floating around from various sources, that the Bush administration DIDN'T take the terrorist threat seriously enough to take some sort of action.

And THIS is the administration that is telling us the wiretapping of American citizens is for OUR OWN GOOD? Why don't we just wiretap the Israeli's or the Indonesians? [/derail]

 

[Luke T.]

[derail]I think it's interesting that, in spite of all this intelligence floating around from various sources, that the Bush administration DIDN'T take the terrorist threat seriously enough to take some sort of action.
[/derail]

No one knew exactly what sort of attack was going to occur. Just that one might.

So think about airport security pre-9/11 and imagine the reaction if the airport security we have today was implemented nationwide overnight based on a non-specific threat.

No way that was going to happen.

 

[Manny]

So think about airport security pre-9/11 and imagine the reaction if the airport security we have today was implemented nationwide overnight based on a non-specific threat.

Heh. Imagine the 2000 election. At the debates, either Governor Bush or Vice President Gore makes the following speech:

"You may have read about a group in Afghanistan called the taliban. About their extremist version of Islam, their horrible treatment of women, about the mass executions. You may also have heard about a shadowy group called al-Qaeda. Al Qaeda is the group that just attacked the USS Cole. Before that they attacked two of our embassies, killing hundreds of civilians. They attacked soldiers in Yemen, attacked soldiers in Saudi Arabia, they may have been involved in the attacks on the soldiers in Somalia and they have made other attacks. They tried to blow up planes flying into the United States. They may have even been behind the terrible bombing of the World Trade Center back in 1993. This group, this "al-Qaeda" has declared war on the United States and has been attacking us for at least two years and maybe longer. It's only a matter of time before they hit us hard, here in the United States. And this other group, the taliban, is sheltering them in Afghanistan. To prevent further attacks, when I'm president I will invade Afghanistan, destroy al Qaeda, remove the taliban and free Afghanistan's people. I hope to build international support and a coalition to do the job, but the risk is so high that I'll go it alone if necessary."

Whoever makes that speech loses the 2000 election. If they both make it, Ralph Nader wins.