| Submit your comments on this article |
| Terror Networks |
| Moussaoui distrusted by KSM, regarded as crazy by Hambali, but favored by Binny |
| 2006-03-28 |
| Zacarias Moussaoui was an Al Qaeda operative who had numerous problems within the terrorist organization but was supported by Osama Bin Laden despite numerous concerns of 9/11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, according to testimony Monday at his death penalty trial. Monday afternoon, the jury heard a summary witness report from information that was provided by Khalid Sheik Mohammed. The summary witness substitution was read to the jury since Shaikh Mohammed is in detention and not able to appear in court. The report, which was agreed to by both the defense and the prosecutor, was filled with additional details about Shaikh Mohammed 's planning for the 9/11 attacks which included the revelation that 34 men knew about the 9/11 or "planes operation" before the strikes. According to statements from Shaikh Mohammed, provided to interrogators, Shaikh Mohammed acknowledged that Moussaoui was to be part of a second wave of attacks after the initial 9/11 operation. "Moussaoui was recruited as part of a second wave of attacks," a member of the federal public defender read to the jury. Moussaoui during his nearly 3 hours of testimony detailed how he had "personality problems," with Al Qaeda members. According to the report, Shaikh Mohammed said Moussaoui had "a problematic personality" and was "a problem from the start." The report from Shaikh Mohammed contradicted testimony provided by Moussaoui earlier Monday that he was to fly a plane into the White House as part of the 9/11 operation. According to the statement Shaikh Mohammed said that the original 9/11 plan called for the use of Arab operatives and the second wave of attacks was to include Al Qaeda members with French, Malaysian and Canadian passports so they would draw less scrutiny. Potential targets for the second wave of attacks included hitting the tallest building in California and potentially the Sears Tower, as well as a subway attack and a strike against a nuclear powerplant. Shaikh Mohammed said planning for the second wave was difficult because he was surprised by the security response of the U.S. officials after the attacks. He further realized the use of Malaysians would be more difficult since the home address and true name of a Malaysian national, "Yazid Sufaat" was found in Moussaoui's possession when Moussaoui was arrested in August 2001. Sufaat provided a letter to Moussaoui saying that he was an employee of Infocus Tech. The report said that the 9/11 mastermind was frustrated that Moussaoui called senior al Qaeda planners over the phone numerous times in August of 2001 and that he also sent Shaikh Mohammed a detailed email about how his flight training was going. This included eight calls to Ramzi Binalshibh in Germany who lived with several of the 9/11 hijackers in Hamburg, Germany and wired money to Moussaoui in Oklahoma. Moussaoui's problems with Shaikh Mohammed began in 2000 on a three-week trip he took to Malaysia. During this trip, he met several members of the southeast Asian terrorist group Jemaah Islamiah, a group linked to Al Qaeda and mentioned to one of their members, Faiz Bafana, that he wanted to fly a plane into the White House. When Shaikh Mohammed and Mohamed Atef, Al Qaeda's military chief found out that Moussaoui told Bafana about this, they were upset. Moussaoui further outraged Shaikh Mohammed since he was freelancing operations in trying to secure four tons of ammonium nitrate for Jemaah Islamiah. Moussaoui told the jury that after a "review" by senior Al Qaeda members he was recalled to Afghanistan and ended up in an Al Qaeda school in Pakistan, "Then I was approved." he said. "At that point Bin Laden put you back in as the pilot of the fifth plane?" lead prosecutor Robert Spencer asked Moussaoui. "That's correct." Moussaoui responded. Asked by defense Attorney Gerald Zerkin if he was in contact with other members of his crew for the operation Moussaoui said: "Because of what happened in Malaysia, I lost a lot of time Â… I was in a hurry." Intelligence summaries and depositions from some Al Qaeda members have shown that Moussaoui acted strangely. Hambali, a Jemaah Islamiah leader met Moussaoui in Malaysia and "concluded that based on his conduct Moussaoui was crazy. "Cuckoo," a defense brief filed in 2003 and read to the jury noted. During the Malaysia trip, Moussaoui sought $10,000 for flight training from Hambali and Faiz Bafana. Both men are currently in detention overseas. The two men eventually decided to give Moussaoui $2,000 so he would leave the country. "I discussed with Hambali, and Hambali said, 'Just give him $2,000Â… And let him leave Malaysia,'" Bafana mentioned in a deposition which was showed to the jury in the first week of the trial. Shortly after he left Malaysia, Moussaoui began to make plans to head to the U.S., despite this according to Shaikh Mohammed, Moussaoui "would never have been a replacement [for 9/11] even if one of the hijackers had pulled out of the operation." Although he was arrested three weeks before 9/11 Moussaoui did practice secrecy which prosecutors say led to the 9/11 attacks. The prosecution is contending that if Moussaoui had not lied to the FBI the attacks may have been prevented. A line in the 9/11 Commission report concluded of Moussaoui, "Moussaoui can be seen as an al Qaeda mistake and a missed opportunity." |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #1 Shaikh Mohammed said planning for the second wave was difficult because he was surprised by the security response of the U.S. officials after the attacks. ...They were surprised? Sheesh, these guys were dumber than we thought. Mike |
| Posted by: Mike Kozlowski 2006-03-28 20:15 |