Ex-FBI Interrogator 'Gagged' Over 9/11 Backstory

[Hissyspit]

Source: BBC News

12 September 2011 Last updated at 17:27 ET

Ex-FBI interrogator 'gagged' over 9/11 backstory
By Gordon Corera & Steve Swann
BBC News

A former FBI agent who worked at the heart of America's battle against al-Qaeda has told the BBC he is being prevented from telling the truth as he challenges the back story of 9/11 and what has happened since.

- snip -

"It was a combination of frustration, anger, sadness, betrayal. The only thing I recall is I left the office, went across the hall to the bathroom and I just threw up."

He believes the material would have made a difference.

"We were looking for them overseas. They were here. People in our government knew that they were here. We were not told," he says.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-14891439

[yardwork]

1. Everybody should read this. The CIA has taken over our country.

[gateley]

18. From what he just said on Rachel, seems like the FBI Director

was playing the game to a certain extent, too.

[defendandprotect]

26. Agree -- Fascism -- Rise of the Fourth Reich --

It took 50 and more years of RW political violence in America -- but they've

pretty much done it now --

The same families and corporations -- international elites -- who supported Hitler

now control our corporate-media --


Our Congress is under the control of the oil and coal industries --

CNN is presenting the Koch Bros. T-baggers at the GOP debates!


Do we deserve this?

It's an open question -- maybe FDR did instill such trust in the public that they are unable

to wake up from their delusions?

Maybe FDR identified American public's biggest weakness -- F E A R -- ??


If you care about our Constitution, you understand you've been instructed to use constant

vigilance -- you've been told that not all men among us are honest men -- that you must defend

against enemies DOMESTIC and FOREIGN. Where is this interest in examing political violence in

America -- all I see is FEAR expressed as lack of interest.


Our elections are corporate BS --

We have failed to confront either our elected officials or the banksters or the corporations which

have destroyed our ability to survive on this planet --



Wake up, folks!

[Name removed]

45. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[dixiegrrrrl]

64. Remember Plato's "The Cave"?

Remember what happens to the philosopher when he tries to tell the people in the cave they live in illusion?

Fear of reality is often greater than fear of illusion.

[bjobotts]

67. Why do you think the photos of the torture victims were destroyed and hidden?

[bjobotts]

68. The photos were spread across the ME.Conclusion: Those who could do that are not human beings.Monste

[Name removed]

30. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Octafish]

60. You got that right -- since Nov. 22, 1963.

From the OP:

Mr Soufan believes that the process has not been about what is or is not classified.

"People over there are redacting narrative; they are not redacting national security information," he told the BBC.

"They are trying to stop me and others from telling the world what really happened."

A fact curiously missing from American history and any mention of the Warren Commission

[Hissyspit]

74. VIDEO Interview of Soufan by Olbermann 9/13/11 Here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x616501

[SpiralHawk]

2. "Smirk." - xCommander AWOL Bush & Republicon Cronies (R)

[paparush]

7. "Now watch this drive..."

[EFerrari]

3. I watched an interview with Richard Clarke over the weekend that was informative.

He was talking specifically about the two guys in San Diego and how the CIA knew they were there for a year before they notified the FBI in August of 2001.

Clarke says that he thought about this for a long time and came to the conclusion that CIA was trying to recruit these guys. There is evidence that a Saudi intel operative made contact with them, at a minimum.

Clarke said that Cofer Black was aghast that we had no one inside Al Qaida and that he was determined to cultivate inside sources.

So Clarke said, it's possible that CIA was trying to flip these two and decided they couldn't divulge their location to FBI or anyone because in their view, the mission would be screwed up. If they notified FBI, FBI would take them for themselves.

He said, even as late as the principals' meeting on Sept 4, CIA didn't say anything because they'd be asked HOW LONG they'd been in possession of the location of the two in San Diego.

This was a short interview aired on LINKTv, with Richard Clarke and two people involved with the film "9/11 Press for Truth".

[yardwork]

9. I think that Clarke is being too kind. This was not incompetence. This was deliberate.

[EFerrari]

10. Well, he didn't say that decision was incompetent.

He very much said it was deliberate.

He also said that if as late as Sept 4, CIA had shared what they had, he had no doubt that those two would have been apprehended.

[yardwork]

22. Clarke's theory is much too benign imo. He implies that they made an incompetent decision.

I don't believe that the CIA's actions were anything as benign as simply wanting to flip a target or cover their asses for not having reported the threat on time.

[EFerrari]

24. When you think about it, his theory means CIA put their success

over national security.

[lindysalsagal]

61. Hard to imagine

:sarcasm:

[bjobotts]

69. From the amount the death and destruction Bush/Cheney caused, they should be hanged.

[EFerrari]

75. LOL. Yeah, killers, money launderers and drug racketeers

with a national security fig leaf, the "fine men and women of the CIA" as the president calls them.

[hugo_from_TN]

86. Please share

We'd love to hear your theory on the CIA's motives.

[lindysalsagal]

63. He put it all in his book years ago: Against All Enemies

He was one of Clinton's most important anti-terror people. He was in the room when Condi asked him to take over on 9.11. The book is worth the price just to read that section. He's a true patriot. I hope he has good body guards. :scared:

[Bozita]

4. Ali Soufan was interviewed on 60 Minutes last night by Lara Logan - link to video...

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7380678n&tag=contentMain;cbsCarousel

It's MUST SEE video, imho.

[elleng]

16. He's interviewed on Rachel now, tonight.

[Delphinus]

49. Thanks.

I was late turning into Rachel and want to see this too.

[LuckyLib]

55. This interview was fascinating. Along with Clarke's information, and the Frontlne

piece on the FBI guy who was just too flashy for superiors and shut out by the CIA, it's clear that testosterone fighting amongst these crazies and between agencies has indeed affected our "national security". They are all watching their asses and too afraid to collaborate or they might lose that promotion.

[PotatoChip]

78. O'Neil I assume you mean.

I watched that Frontline episode too. Unlike the OP's guy, I thought O'Neil was CIA though, just shut out of critical info by others within the CIA at the worst possible time... The summer before the 9/11 attacks after spending years studying Al-Quida and taking them seriously. But you may be right, he might have been FBI.

Either way, you make a valid point. Definitely w/O'Neil and very likely w/this guy, personalities and differences of opinion re: policy basically served to cut both of these men out of the loop when we needed them most. Argh!

I can't help but wonder if given all the necessary info, one or both of these men might've been able to prevent the hijackings. It's too bad that we will never know for sure, but my personal hunch is that they could have.

[LuckyLib]

81. O'Neill was FBI, shut out by his superiors for being a bit too "out there."

I agree completely, that had these folks all "talked amongst themselves" things might have been different.


http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/knew/could/

[PotatoChip]

89. Yes you're right, I stand corrected.

O'Neil kept having problems w/Freeh of the FBI in particular. I was reminded of that just this afternoon when I caught a rerun of last night's Frontline. If you haven't seen this episode, you might want to check it out. The first 1/2 hour was an interview w/Ali Soufan called 'The Interrogator'. More in depth then even the Lara Logan 60 Minutes piece. It's a great followup to the O'Neil Frontline episode.

Hope the link works ok...

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/iraq-war-on-terror/the-interrogator/the-beginning-of-enhanced-interrogation-techniques/

[LuckyLib]

90. I saw that -- it's enough to make a person consider a large tin-foil hat. Is it just

rank incompetence, turf wars, or something more sinister?

[defendandprotect]

56. A little recap always helps ....

people don't always have the opportunity to watch a video --

for one reason or another --



:hi:

[underpants]

70. Thanks for the link

[PotatoChip]

77. Agree. Well worth the watch.

You get a much better sense of who this man is then w/the article alone.

[JustAnotherGen]

5. I have to and rec this

And will cone back tomorrow to hut it again. This is critical for very DUer to read. That said . . . Will it be worth reading the book? If it's just been censored to hell?

[fascisthunter]

6. why gagged?

[MilesColtrane]

40. I wish some of these people who used to work for the intelligence community would....

disclose their deep, dark secrets, even if it meant jail.

They always seem to disclose just enough to pique interest in their new book.

[hugo_from_TN]

84. Yea - funny how that works.

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[whatchamacallit]

11. I commend them if they're starting to be open to new information

Maybe someday we'll learn enough that DU will stop treating 9/11 skeptics as embarrassing lunatics.

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Blue State Bandit]

13. Cause there's a diff btw stringing threads you find ltr, and being in the room.

This is not coming from "video" or "physics" experts speculating or hypothesizing, or fringe tin-hatter elements of the right and left pointing bugger fingers.

These guys were in the room. Clarke, Graham, and now the lead FBI investigator?

I didn't see anybody sticking Sibel Edmonds posts by Larisa into the dungeon?

It meets a higher standard.

[Divine Discontent]

31. +1 for clarity for those asking.

http://www.zazzle.com/republicans_2012_keeping_millions_out_of_work_bumper_sticker-128002960205017719

[lindysalsagal]

62. Love it!

:hugs:

[Divine Discontent]

65. :) TY, LSG!

:hug:

[soryang]

50. What standard is that?

There is already enough scientific evidence to prove that the 911 Commission's report is completely false. I believe that your comments fall within Paul Craig Roberts observation that we have a society that no longer is interested in facts. If you think witness testimony is more reliable than scientific evidence you're wrong.

[Blue State Bandit]

53. That would be the standard set here on DU.

And apparently, I am correct in my assertion because the OP is still front page.

These are not witnesses who caught a glimpse of a gunman in some dark ally. These are the people with the access, training and public standing to be considered credible witnesses by the masses. This is how you change public opinion, and move masses.

I agree with PCR's assertion. But if you think that scientific fact is all you need to prove your point, I have to ask. How's that been working out so far?

[slay]

14. As many of us have suspected all along

still want to throw us in "the dungeon" or tell us to wear some tin foil hats? so frustrating to be mocked by people here on DU just to be proven correct. i hope yall are gonna line up and apologize now - you know who you are.

[snooper2]

80. there is a big fucking jump between the CIA and FBI fucking up and screwing each other over

and then jumping to CGI Planes, thermite and idiots building "model buildings" out of rabbit wire and setting it on fire...


A BIG fucking jump.....

[slay]

87. I never brought up any of the shit you said

so stfu and go bother someone else i don't know wtf your problem is dude.

[gateley]

15. He's on w/Rachel NOW - if you can't see it, try to catch it later.

Wow! Go Rachel!

[elleng]

17. Hey, gate! Witcha!

:hi:

[gateley]

19. I saw you after I posted!

Wow - I hope this book gets a LOT of coverage! I was thinking I'd like to see this guy sit down across from Cheney and "discuss" the discrepancies in whether or not waterboarding worked!

:hi:

[Firebrand Gary]

20. His interview on Maddow is going to cause big waves.

[global1]

32. Dillon Ratigan Had Bob Graham On Today With A Guy That Also Talked About.....

the Saudi family in Sarasota, Florida that left very quickly. Seems that MSNBC is on some sort of campaign.

[Bozita]

37. That guy was Anthony Summers and he co-wrote this (The Kingdom and the Towers)...

http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2011/08/9-11-2011-201108

The Kingdom and the Towers

Was there a foreign government behind the 9/11 attacks? A decade later, Americans still haven’t been given the whole story, while a key 28-page section of Congress’s Joint Inquiry report remains censored. Gathering years of leaks and leads, in an adaptation from their new book, Anthony Summers and Robbyn Swan examine the connections between Saudi Arabia and the hijackers (15 of whom were Saudi), the Bush White House’s decision to ignore or bury evidence, and the frustration of lead investigators—including 9/11-commission staffers, counterterrorism officials, and senators on both sides of the aisle.

BY ANTHONY SUMMERS AND ROBBYN SWAN
AUGUST 2011

Adapted from The Eleventh Day by Anthony Summers and Robynn Swan to be published this month by Ballantine Books; © 2011 by the authors.

For 10 years now, a major question about 9/11 has remained unresolved. It was, as 9/11-commission chairmen Thomas Kean and Lee Hamilton recalled, “Had the hijackers received any support from foreign governments?” There was information that pointed to the answer, but the commissioners apparently deemed it too disquieting to share in full with the public.

The idea that al-Qaeda had not acted alone was there from the start. “The terrorists do not function in a vacuum,” Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told reporters the week after 9/11. “I know a lot, and what I have said, as clearly as I know how, is that states are supporting these people.” Pressed to elaborate, Rumsfeld was silent for a long moment. Then, saying it was a sensitive matter, he changed the subject.

-snip-

As for Saudi Arabia, America’s purported friend, you would have thought from the reaction of the Saudi ambassador, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, that the commission had found nothing dubious in his country’s role. “The clear statements by this independent, bipartisan commission,” he declared, “have debunked the myths that have cast fear and doubt over Saudi Arabia.” Yet no finding in the report categorically exonerated Saudi Arabia.

The commission’s decision as to what to say on the subject had been made amid discord and tension. Late one night in 2004, as last-minute changes to the report were being made, investigators who had worked on the Saudi angle received alarming news. Their team leader, Dietrich Snell, was at the office, closeted with executive director Philip Zelikow, making major changes to their material and removing key elements.

-snip-

more...

[lindysalsagal]

66. I can't believe that this information is available online on vanity fair: 10 years ago,

imagining that this would surface so publicly was unthinkable.

People like me who were saying that 9/11 made no sense and our reaction and Iraq were accused of being crazy or unamerican. Now, it's all on vanity fair?

I used to wonder if I really was crazy. But the middle school teacher in me knew things just didn't add up.

Why would the saudi royals want to ruin their favorite oil customer?

Are they really that fanatical?

[YOHABLO]

21. Hmm Really Makes You Wonder

So the CIA knew there were 19 Saudis here in the U.S. that were planning an attack. The CIA knew it, the FBI was in on it .. and the Military .. and of course Dick Cheney and George W. Bush and company. And they decided to let them carry it out.

[Raster]

25. LIHOP or MIHOP?

[boppers]

33. Fact-checking.

"So the CIA knew there were 19 Saudis"

The attacks weren't done by 19 Saudis.

AA11:
Mohamed Atta (Egyptian), Waleed al-Shehri (Saudi Arabian), Wail al-Shehri (Saudi Arabian), Abdulaziz al-Omari (Saudi Arabian), Satam al-Suqami (Saudi Arabian).

United 175:
Marwan al-Shehhi (United Arab Emirati), Fayez Banihammad (United Arab Emirati), Mohand al-Shehri (Saudi Arabian), Hamza al-Ghamdi (Saudi Arabian), Ahmed al-Ghamdi (Saudi Arabian).

AA 97:
Hani Hanjour (Saudi Arabian), Khalid al-Mihdhar (Saudi Arabian), Majed Moqed (Saudi Arabian), Nawaf al-Hazmi (Saudi Arabian), Salem al-Hazmi (Saudi Arabian).

United 93:
Ziad Jarrah (Lebanese), Ahmed al-Haznawi (Saudi Arabian), Ahmed al-Nami (Saudi Arabian), Saeed al-Ghamdi (Saudi Arabian).

I assume that's why you used the number 19. 15 were Saudi, 4 were not.

The CIA currently knows about *thousands* of Saudi's in the US. We don't arrest people for it, though.

"were 19 Saudis here in the U.S. that were planning an attack"

They knew it was a possibility. I don't want to live in a country where people are arrested for "pre-crime", myself... it's not enough to suspect a possible outcome. There has to be evidence.

"The CIA knew it, the FBI was in on it .. and the Military .. and of course Dick Cheney and George W. Bush and company."

Everybody knew about varying risks, tentative connections, and once the operation was carried out, how the pieces actually fit together... but until it happened, the OpSec of the operation was good enough to make sure that the plot couldn't be predicted with enough precision to stop it.

"And they decided to let them carry it out."

This is where there are no facts to check, as it's pure speculation.

[No Elephants]

35. Yeah, the fact that 4 of them were born in countries other than Saudi Arabia is the key

to the whole thing. Your fact checking really blows the lid off this.


Thank goodness you understand this better than the Arab FBI agent who was investigating.

"We were looking for them overseas. They were here. People in our government knew that they were here. We were not told," he says.

[truebrit71]

48. Fact-checking your fact-checking...

The number that were or weren't Saudi's really doesn't enter into it, other than to highlight just how fucking stupid Lt AWOL and his fellow war criminals were in attacking the wrong country entirely...and where the focus SHOULD have been following 9/11...

You already live in a country where people are arrested for "pre-crime"...and almost all completely without evidence...the so-called 'dirty-bomber' Richard Padilla, the "terrorist cell" in Miami made up almost entirely of homeless people and a government plant...

The piece, coupled with Richard Clarke's recent statements seem to clearly indicate that parts of the American intelligence community were well aware of what was about to happen, and who was behind it...

[boppers]

73. And fact checking ....

José Padilla (born October 18, 1970), also known as Abdullah al-Muhajir or Muhajir Abdullah... aka José Rivera, José Alicea, José Hernandez, and José Ortiz, aka Ibrahim and Jose Ibrahim Padilla... but not Richard.

http://tinyurl.com/3b8xxx

I'm guessing you had Richard Clarke's name on your mind?

WRT to Padilla, he was eventually charged, and found guilty, for crimes he *did* commit, despite the whole "dirty bomb" accusations and torturous legal arguments. (Conspiracy to commit crime is a crime). The cell in Miami is a similar situation... which is why I mentioned OpSec. If the Government had been able to figure out exactly what the crime was going to be, ahead of time, they could have picked up the operatives on conspiracy charges.

[newspeak]

92. yes, I agree

don't forget FBI agent Colleen Rowley and her colleagues. Oh, just give the information to your superiors and they'll handle everything, right? What a mockery of rewarding the medal of freedom to those superiors. For what, I might ask? what did they do to earn such an award?

[Blue State Bandit]

34. We only know of 2 that were "planning". Let's not get a head of ourselves...

someone may stick some Reynolds Wrap on it.

[Dover]

23. He needs to contact Assange or someone like that...n/t

[mfcorey1]

29. He needs to get protection. I fear for him with this kind of explosive information. We are under

attack from the inside.

[defendandprotect]

27. We need Truth hearings on 9/11 --

[StrictlyRockers]

91. Yes, we do. n/t

[slackmaster]

28. I gagged too

:crazy:

[me b zola]

36. Is account echos that of "the man who knew too much"

Sorry I don't recall the FBI agents name who was the subject in the documentary "The Man Who Knew Too Much". But what the fbi agent in this story is saying sounds remarkably like that of "the man who knew too much".

[roody]

71. Was it John O'Neil?

[me b zola]

82. Yes, that's his name

He was fired from the FBI for pursuing the truth and took a job as security for WTC. He died on 911 in one of the towers.

[SixString]

38. Wow. Over four hours and this hasn't been swept off to the Dungeon.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

39. We know what really happened if you don't, ask Mr. Cheney

[StarsInHerHair]

41. you know I'm sick of these 'gagged' people-just tell us already! Sibel Edmons

& now this guy; if it's REALLY so important GET THAT INFO OUT THERE. silence is criminal

[No Elephants]

42. We have to make an outcry and we don't to seem to be the kind of people who do that.

[StarsInHerHair]

43. why? I'd rather kick up a fuss & get attention

[Recursion]

58. This is a delicate subject, but Sibel is a different case

How to put this without starting a flame war... Sibel's info is stuff she translated, which we have to remember may or may not be true, and, well... not to put too fine a point on it... there's a bit of excess drama she herself has thrown in. This one, on the other hand, is not about dispatches from God knows who; this is about who was told what at what time, which even if the subject being discussed turned out to be false would be a very important issue.

[dipsydoodle]

44. BBC Newsnight program mentioned at end of BBC link

FIND OUT MORE: Watch Gordon Corera's full report on Newsnight on Monday 12 September at 22:35 BST on BBC Two

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b014s7ln

That's the entire program which is 45 minutes long. Hopefully its viewable outside of the UK. Starts 25 minutes in.

[Wednesdays]

46. And we hear about this from British media first...quelle surprise!

:eyes:

[The Backlash Cometh]

47. What people in our government knew they were here, if not the FBI?

[EFerrari]

83. CIA. They had photographs, which they showed to Soufan

AFTER 9/11. They knew for over a year about the two guys in San Diego.

[Uncle Joe]

51. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Hissyspit.

[Cheap_Trick]

52. This needs to be moved to the 9/11 dungeon.

You know there's no questioning the official story around here.

Bush lied to us about everything BUT 9/11, apparently.

[gulfbreeze]

54. and what about "iron man"?

http://www.truth-out.org/new-documents-claim-intelligence-bin-laden-al-qaeda-targets-withheld-congress-911-probe/1307986777

This 9/11 anniversary, more and more people are speaking out.

[bertman]

57. This should be required reading for every American. REC. nt

[Octafish]

59. Sneering Dick Cheney and Smirko McCokespoon should be up on charges.

Those two wanted the torture to provide "info" supporting their lies connecting Saddam and Iraq with 9-11.

From the BBC article:

"Everything the proponents of enhanced interrogation techniques claim was obtained because of enhanced interrogation techniques and water boarding on Abu Zubaydah, we got when we were there on the ground before even enhanced interrogations existed," he says.

[hugo_from_TN]

85. What? I read the article

Nothing was mentioned about trying to get info linking Saddam and Iraq with 9-11.

[JohnyCanuck]

72. Here's a kick for the Dick. n/t

[StrictlyRockers]

76. DU has never had a problem suppressing the truth about 9/11 before now.

I am encouraged that they are letting people see that the official story is not true.

[NoodleyAppendage]

79. Check box for supporting evidence for LIHOP

It's looking more and more apparent that LIHOP is the truth, not conspiracy.

J

[StrictlyRockers]

88. I think this means MIHOP, more than LIHOP.

There are too many coincidences and unexplained events for this to have just been allowed to happen. I think there is a rogue part of our government involved.