Malaysia and 9 11

Malaysia and 9 11

In 1999 the CIA was aware that a meeting of al Qaeda operatives was to take place in January 2000 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (frontline: the man who knew: what if... PBS)

Two of the participants were to be Khalid Almidhar and Nawaf Alhazmi.

Reportedly, the CIA tracked Khalid Almidhar on his way to Malaysia. The CIA knew that Almidhar had been issued a multiple-entry visa to the U.S.

Once in Kuala Lumpur, the CIA made sure the Malaysian authorities photographed the Al Qaeda operatives at their meetings.

Among the men photographed were:

* Almidhar and Alhazmi - later named as hijackers of American Flight 77 which flew into the Pentagon on Sept. 11)

* Ramzi bin al-Shibh - later named as a 9 11 conspirator and roommate of Mohamed Atta.

* Tawfiq bin-Atash (AKA Khallad) - a suspected intermediary between bin Laden and plotters of the October 2000 USS Cole attack.

The CIA claims that it notified the FBI by e-mail of the Malaysia meetings, and that it did mention Almidhar had a U.S. visa.

The FBI states they have no record of this notification.

The CIA admits that it did not tell the FBI that, after the Malaysia meetings, it tracked Almidhar and Alhazmi to Los Angeles.

The CIA admits that it failed to warn the the State Department, and so the men's names were not added to a terrorist watch list.

It looks as if the CIA was protecting the al Qaeda plotters.

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