“Shortly after Sept. 11 [2001], when the United States sent out urgent inquiries for leads on the suspected hijackers, German officials quickly traced three of the ringleaders to an apartment in this affluent northern port [Hamburg]. …the names and address–Marienstrasse 54–suddenly seemed familiar, German investigators say, and then they realized why: in 1998 and 1999, they had those same men and that same apartment under surveillance because of suspected links to an operative for Osama bin Laden.” [The 15th of the month used for date sorting purposes only.]
– John Tagliabue, “Retracing A Trail To Sept. 11 Plot,” The New York Times, Nov. 18, 2001