Question:
The US government conspiracy indictment
against Al-Qaeda members cites over twenty overt acts
undertaken by Mohamed Atta, including his joining a
gym, opening a bank account and buying a utility tool
with a knife blade. Which act of Attas does the
government omit in this indictment?
Answer:
The indictment omits Attas meeting
with Khalil Ibrahim Samir al-Ani, in Prague on April
8, 2001 just 2 weeks before most of the hijacking
crews boarded flights from Jedda to the US. Atta had
gone to considerable lengths, and expense, to attend
this
Prague meeting. He flew to Prague from Virginia Beach,
VA the day before.
Al-Ani was Iraqi consul, 2nd secretary
of the Iraq Embassy and an officer of the Iraq Intelligence
Service (expelled from the Czech Republic 2 weeks later).
The meeting did not take place at the embassy, which
the Iraqis could have been expected to be under surveillance.
Instead, it took place at a discreet hotel. (But Unknown
to either Al-Ani or Atta, Czech counterintelligence
(BIS) had it under observation. So the meeting, despite
precautions, was noted by the BIS who considered it
suspicious enough to track and identify Atta.
One day after the meeting, Atta returned
to Virginia Beach, Florida. Within two weeks after the
meeting, the contingent of 13 hijackers flew to the
USA.
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