On June 17, 2004, the 9/11 Commission noted: “The issue of state sponsorship of terrorism was one that we confronted with several countries–Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, and Sudan–and with the Taliban. On Saudi Arabia…we found substantial support for al Qaeda–in money and manpower–from within the kingdom; we did not find official Saudi government support. […]
Category: quotes
6/17/2004
In a press conference on June 17, 2004, Thomas Kean, co-chair of the 9/11 Commission, was asked if the commission was satisfied with the answers the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) gave about its failure to notify the military of the hijackings and failure to notify pilots to lock their cockpit doors. “Tom replied, ‘No.’ …when […]
6/17/2004
On June 17, 2004, President Bush told reporters after a cabinet meeting at the White House: “He (Saddam Hussein) was a threat because he had used weapons of mass destruction against his own people. He was a threat because he was a sworn enemy of the United States of America, just like al-Qaeda. He was […]
6/17/2004
“After the 9/11 Commission found that there was no connection between Hussein and 9/11, Bush told the media on June 17, 2004: ‘This administration never said that the 9/11 attacks were orchestrated between Saddam and Al Qaeda.’ ” – Vincent Bugliosi, The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder, Page 141 […]
6/16/2004
On June 16, 2004, the 9/11 Commission reported on the then-current status of al Qaeda: ” ‘…the organization is far more decentralized,’ as its leadership has dispersed from Afghanistan, and individual cells have taken on far more authority. The gravest threat comes from potentially catastrophic attacks: ‘Al Qaeda remains extremely interested in conducting chemical, biological, […]
6/16/2004
The 9/11 Commission hearing on June 16, 2004 featured testimony from ‘Dr. K,’ a covert CIA operative. He said: ” ‘Even after Bin Ladin and al Qaeda are defeated, the global jihadist movement will continue to exist. That movement may again produce another Bin Ladin or al Qaeda as long as there are individuals who […]
6/16/2004
John Pistole, the FBI’s Executive Assistant Director for Counterintelligence and Counterterrorism, testified at the June 16, 2004 9/11 Commission hearing. When asked if there were al Qaeda cells within the U.S., he replied: ” ‘Absolutely,’ saying that such cells needed to be understood as a combination of possible operatives and ‘facilitators…fund-raisers, [and] recruiters.’ ” – […]
6/16/2004
According to the report from the 9/11 Commission hearing on June 16, 2004, the 9/11 plot by al Qaeda: ” ‘painted a picture of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed as the mastermind and chief operative, and Bin Ladin as providing leadership and institutional support.’ …’Bin Ladin met with [his deputy, Mohammed] Atef to discuss the targets for […]
6/16/2004
In the 9/11 Commission hearing on June 16, 2004, the motivation of the terrorists was questioned. FBI Supervisory Special Agent James Fitzgerald said: ” ‘I believe they feel a sense of outrage against the United States. They identify with the Palestinian problem, they identify with people who oppose repressive regimes, and I believe they tend […]
6/16/2004
In a 9/11 Commission hearing on June 16, 2004, former CIA Deputy Director of Intelligence Douglas MacEachin said: ” ‘Whether Bin Laden and his organization had roles in the 1993 attack on the World Trade Center and the thwarted Manila [Philippines] plot to blow up a dozen U.S. commercial aircraft in 1995 remains a matter […]