| Submit your comments on this article |
| Terror Networks |
| Iran directly involved in planning of 9/11? |
| 2004-01-21 |
| EFL, The relevant parts translated by me from the Spiegel reporting a new turn in the Hamburg 9/11 trial The federal prosecutors got hold of a man who claims to have been a high-ranking member of the Iranian secret service for many years. In this function he says to have learned about the planning of 9/11 before it happened, seen several al-Qaida bosses in Iran and known some of the death pilots from Germany by name. Up to now only the Federal Propsecution Office knows the name of the man, but he is willing to testify at court under condition of anonymity. According to the interrogation protocol the Iranian secret service agent claims that Iran was actively involved in the planning of 9/11, from page 11 onwards of the protocol he also mentions Mzoudiâs name several times. He says that friends from within the Iranian secret service apparatus have told him that the defendant was supposed to be killed by terrorists after his release in December 2003. The reason: In Iran Mzoudi was suspected to work with Western Intelligence Services or that he was released to be spied upon. In the view of the federal prosecutors the statement proves that Mzoudi must very well have been a member of the Hamburg cell and because of that had to be liquidated as a bearer of top secret information and a potential traitor. Other statements of the new witness incriminate Mzoudi heavily. The witness says that he has heard Mzoudiâs name as the guy responsible for the logistics of 9/11. The Moroccan, he says, had been responsible for the âdraft and the dispatch of information to intermediariesâ, âbecause he was familiar with codesâ. Especially these statements perfectly fit in the picture sketched by the prosecution which claims that Mzoudi was the man in the background of the terror cell. Again and again federal prosecutors have presented a puzzle of many little assistances before court in order to prove Mzoudiâs guilt. It is true though that the witness hasnât been able to prove his statements or put them in concrete terms. He only says, that he has this information from a man âat the very topâ of the Iranian Secret Service. It should be difficult for the prosecution to bolster the credibility of the new witness. The witness claims again and again that his person is known to intelligence services like the (German) BND and that he doesnât want to testify publicly at court. But it is doubtful whether the judges will accept that explanation. In the tangled web of international intelligence services the truth is difficult to filter out because of all the different interests involved and the always present desire to protect sources. First of all the ruling judge Klaus RÃŒhle intends to get his own picture of the new witness. He has summoned the two superintendents of the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) who had questioned the Iranian on January 15th in Berlin. He wants to know from them, who this witness is and what kind of impression the two investigators have about him. The further progress of the trial will only be decided after that, but at least in this week a judgement is no longer expected. The German Stern reports: Mzoudiâs defence attorney GÃŒl Pinar said that the witness was an unidentified Iranian intelligence agent claiming to have informed US authorities before September 2001 of an impending attack, but was not taken seriously. The Hamburg court received the protocol of the Berlin interrogation on January 19th. |
| Posted by:True German Ally |
| #11 A report in the Sun Herald now claims it's Hamid Reza Zakeri (the one Paul Moloney mentions). But German sources don't give a name. |
| Posted by: True German Ally 2004-1-22 12:22:01 AM |
| #10 I don't think so. At least this guy claims to actually have spoken to U.S. authorities BEFORE 9/11 but was laughed off. Germany has very good intelligence on Iran. While I don't know how credible the source is I think this is not something to be shrugged off. I guess the German BKA (and the BND) are fully aware of the political dynamite. And someone high up must have okayed the "leak". It's a tangled web we weave... |
| Posted by: True German Ally 2004-1-21 11:59:39 PM |
| #9 Thanks, TGA. Drudge had a wire service report on 9/12/01 about an Iranian prisoner in a German jail who had been begging his jailers for several days prior to 9/11 to allow him to talk to the CIA, FBI, etc, regarding an imminent attack on the US. I wonder if that case has anything to do with this? |
| Posted by: 11A5S 2004-1-21 11:14:05 PM |
| #8 An Iranian defector told an Arabic newspaper last year that Al Qaeda came to them requesting help with an 'important mission' in America, but he says that Qaeda was turned down. The translation was posted here last year. |
| Posted by: Paul Moloney 2004-1-21 11:10:18 PM |
| #7 Which authorities and did it go up the food chain? And why would we believe him? |
| Posted by: Anonymous2u 2004-1-21 11:02:30 PM |
| #6 I think we should go after the terrorist regime of Israel first and give them some serious beatings. |
| Posted by: Outsider 2004-1-21 10:54:49 PM |
| #5 Much obliged for all your help on this, TGA, you're a tribute to your screen name and your country. |
| Posted by: Dan Darling 2004-1-21 10:05:03 PM |
| #4 The international media hasn't yet seized the thing. It's dynamite. If the court now convicts Mzoudi that means that the court finds the Iranian link credible. I might add that German intelligence isn't easily bluffed with Iranians, they know the country damn well, maybe better than the CIA. So watch this! But should the court find that this potato is too hot, expect Mzoudi to be on the first plane out to Morocco. And guess who will have the flight number and exact arrival time in Casablanca? I bet you guys figure out the rest, right? |
| Posted by: True German Ally 2004-1-21 9:50:22 PM |
| #3 Erst, danke Wahrdeutscherverbundeter (or however one translates TGA). Second, if this story pans out, look for the media to use it to further the "Bush knew!" and "Iraq was the wrong target" arguments. |
| Posted by: JAB 2004-1-21 9:20:30 PM |
| #2 Very, very interesting. Will Iran be next on our list of "regimes in need of an ass-kicking?" The mullahs better hope they can get their Islamic Bomb put together quick (if it isn't already). |
| Posted by: Scooter McGruder 2004-1-21 8:53:49 PM |
| #1 thanks TGA! |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-1-21 8:11:15 PM |