The plan was as simple as it was devastating. All that it required was some young fanatics and, we are told, Islam has plenty of them. In return they would be granted martyrdom and eternal blessings, whilst in this world a blow would be struck at the very heart of the enemies of Islam.
At least that’s what the mainstream media would have us believe; but while the fiery demise of the World Trade Centre has left many shocked it was not entirely unexpected.
The attack itself bears a remarkable resemblance to a 1991 plan to crash hijacked planes into Madrid. According to Rafael Vera, Spain’s then Secretary for Security, Muslim extremists had planned to hijack two planes. The first plane was to be crashed into the Spanish Royal Palace, which was scheduled to host a reception for world leaders; whilst the second was to slam into a hotel used by the Russian delegation. The plot was foiled with the help of Arab intelligence agencies but the warning signs were clear.
Thus in 1995 a follower of bin Laden, the alleged mastermind behind the WTC attack, was arrested in the Philippines. During interrogation Abdul Hakim Murad told of a plot to wreak havoc across the United States. According to Rudolfo Mendoza, a Philippine Intelligence officer, Murad spoke of a plan to hijack planes and ram them into “the CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, and also the Pentagon.” Evidence was also found targeting commercial towers in San Francisco, Chicago and New York City: all of which was duly passed on to U.S. Intelligence.
Then, 3 months before the World Trade Centre was hit both French and German Intelligence warned of an impending attack; French officials told La Monde magazine that they had “repeatedly” warned U.S. Intelligence and the FBI that bin Laden’s organisation was training pilots for suicide attacks.
Why were these warnings ignored? Was U.S. Intelligence really that blind or stupid? Or were these attacks simply “allowed” to happen. Could it be that elements within the U.S. establishment actually wanted to see such attacks in order to further their own agenda?
This is not as far-fetched as it may seem, in fact it’s happened before. In 1941 Japanese aircraft launched a sudden attack on the US Pacific fleet, berthed at Pearl Harbour. To those in the fleet it came as a complete surprise but some in Roosevelt’s administration, including the President himself, had prior intelligence of the attack and used it to propel a reluctant America into WWII.
As politicians and the mainstream media herd popular opinion toward another war, it’s worth bearing this in mind. The alleged “failure of intelligence” may have been more than a simple oversight.
In the wake of the attack, almost on cue, came calls for the introduction of new laws. Even before the dust had settled around the WTC legislative bodies were being asked to consider new of “anti-terrorism” legislation. Although most were still too shocked to notice, some of the proposals were potentially draconian. In the weeks following the British Home Secretary announced that compulsory ID cards were being considered “very seriously” to combat terrorism. Likewise similar proposals were put before George Bush, although few seemed concerned about this. Most were too busy waving flags or calling for “justice,” when in fact they may be helping to usher in exactly the opposite.
Sources: The Times London, 14-9-2001, Pearl Harbour: the facts behind the fiction by James Perloff featured in the Seeker no 12, Maria Ressa, CNN correspondent and the Drudge Report.
Last updated 14/02/2003
Homepage