Did the U.S. fly Saudis out of country after 9/11?

[Poiuyt]

Alan Murray of CNBC's Capitol Report was talking about Michael Moore's film and said that the U.S. never flew Saudis and the bin Laden family out of the country after 9/11 when all the planes were grounded. He said that even Richard Clarke has disputed it.

That's the first time I've heard anyone say that there was nothing to the story. I've always assumed it was a fact that just wasn't being talked about in the mainstream media. Is there any evidence that it happened?

[Scairp]

1. Don't know

But I remember hearing this just days after 9/11. I think it's true, but I don't recall hearing Clarks say it wasn't.

[shraby]

7. It's true. The 9/11 commission

asked about it and was told by the person testifying that they'd find out who gave the permission. I never heard who gave permission and how they were cleared, but it did happen. Don't remember which person was testifying.

[Kahuna]

9. Clarke testified that he gave the authorization, but didn't recall who..

gave the order. Murray is an idiot.

[MSgt213]

12. It's true what is in dispute is only who okayed it.

[Spazito]

2. Richard Clarke did NOT deny it, he confirmed it...

in his testimony to the 9/11 commission.

[still_one]

3. That is total bullshit

Not only was it in the "House of Saud, House of Bush", but the FBI admitted that it was true

You either heard Alan Murray incorrectly, or he is LYING!

[Poiuyt]

13. I'm pretty sure I heard him correctly.

He was saying it with such authority that I had to ask here (where the REAL experts are!). I'm surprised he got Richard Clarke 180 degrees wrong.

[liveoaktx]

22. Shrub tries to speak with authority, too, while he is lying and pounding

the bully pulpit. Easy to find the actual truth by reading Clarke's book "Against All Enemies" and also Ungers "House of Bush/House of Saud" chapter 14, where he speaks about the whole fly-out of the Bin Ladens and other Saudis (and quotes Clarke).

[Kahuna]

4. Alan Murray doesn't know what the hell he's talking about. Clarke..

actually testified that he authorized the flight out. But he did not know who the order came from.

[whistle]

5. Yes they did....

...and also the Bin Laden family.

[Kahuna]

6. Also, a few weeks ago on MTP Tim Russert nailed Prince Bandar on the..

flights. Bandar at first tried to say he didn't know anything about them but finally conceded that Saudis were flown out of the country.

[liveoaktx]

21. Here's the transcript for that MTP

won't *snip* it, just read the whole exchange. (However,Unger in House of Bush/House of Saud says that US flights were still grounded when the Saudis were flown out)

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4829855/

[Snoggera]

8. Didn't fly out of the country

Allowed to fly out of the country in chartered jets.

Just as incriminating.

The Bin Laden Boys! What a fun group! All they have to do is say they disowned their nutty brother, and whoosh! They are the ONLY PEOPLE flying in the entire US for a day. Talk about special!

[Shakespeare]

10. READ THIS - he's dissembling on a technicality

They weren't flown out on US government planes, but they WERE flown out on chartered aircraft, with the full approval of the white house and FBI.

[Room101]

11. Richard Clarke said it happened and the White house

said they were "above suspicion" responding to why the flights happened. See this post noone care's about.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=1623369#1623603

[reprehensor]

15. Cool sig line!!

Fellow Vidal fan.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

14. Murray is either lying, or he's incapable of doing routine research.

[pearl]

20. I hear Allan Murray with my own ears

And I thought he's either a liar or willfully ignorant.
You DU don't miss a thing.

[scarletlib]

16. Craig Unger's Book

"House of Bush House of Saud" discusses this in the first chapter, gives all the details and is documented with footnotes and sourced.

It's true. It happened.

[oblivious]

17. Still lots of original reports of this on the net - it's no secret

Bin Laden Family Evacuated

Sept. 30, 2001

(CBS) Two dozen members of Osama bin Laden's family were urgently evacuated from the United States in the first days following the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, according to the Saudi ambassador to Washington.

One of bin Laden's brothers frantically called the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Washington looking for protection, Prince Bandar bin Sultan told The New York Times. The brother was sent to a room in the Watergate Hotel and was told not to open the door.

Most of bin Laden's relatives were attending high school and college. The young members of the bin Laden family were driven or flown under FBI supervision to a secret place in Texas and then to Washington, The Times reported Sunday.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2001/09/30/archive/main313048.shtml

September 11, 2002 8:00 a.m.
The bin Ladens? Great Escape

How the U.S. helped Osama's family leave the country after 9/11.

The plane to which Carter refers was an aircraft chartered by the Saudi government in the days after the terrorist attacks. The individuals were two dozen members of Osama bin Laden's extended family who had been living in the United States. Saying they were afraid that family members might suffer retribution in the U.S., the Saudis asked for American assistance in getting them out of the country. With the help of the FBI, the Saudis and the bin Laden family chartered an aircraft to pick up family members in Los Angeles, Orlando, and Washington, D.C. The bin Laden plane then flew the relatives to Boston, where ? one week after the attacks ? the group left Logan Airport bound for Jeddah.

http://www.nationalreview.com/york/york091102.asp

Wed 3 Sep 2003

Bin Laden family's US exit 'approved'

BILL ANDREWS
THE United States allowed members of Osama bin Laden?s family to jet out of the US in the immediate aftermath of September 11, even as American airspace was closed.

Former White House counter-terrorism tsar Richard Clarke said the Bush administration sanctioned the repatriation of about 140 high-ranking Saudi Arabians, including relatives of the al-Qaida chief.

"Somebody brought to us for approval the decision to let an aeroplane filled with Saudis, including members of the Bin Laden family, leave the country," he said.

Mr Clarke said he checked with FBI officials, who gave the go ahead. "So I said: ?Fine, let it happen.?"

http://www.edinburghnews.com/index.cfm?id=971322003

[soup]

24. Link to more news reports

http://www.cooperativeresearch.net/context.jsp?item=a091301phantomflight

[nostamj]

18. please, even snopes can't debunk that

bit of bush/saudi sleaze

yes. it happened.

now ask about jeb flying the flight school records out of FL

and and and and and and

and why did * did in the F'n school while NYers were dropping out of the WTC?

[eridani]

19. Question framed wrong

Saudis flew around to gather at various checkpoints within the US when other planes were grounded. When they left the country, flights had been cleared.

The conservative liars love to conflate the two questions to confuse the issue.

[Cheswick2.0]

23. I believe they also flew out of the country while flights were cancelled

It all happened in two days and the FBI was not allowed to interview them for more than a few minutes as they were about to board the planes.

[Q]

25. Classic Disinformation...

...to cause doubt among the uninformed and Bush* faithful.