Clockwise from top left: Author Salom Rushdie, John Ashcroft,
San Fransisco Mayor Willie Brown, and the Joint Cheifs of Staff.
There have been hundreds of warnings issued prior to the 9/11 attacks which the government had ignored and then denied receiving after the attacks took place. This page documents many of the warnings received and public statements made denying those warnings after the attacks, as well as examples of behavior suggesting prior knowledge. Much of the information on this page is taken from Cooperative Research's "Complete 9/11 Timeline."
On July 25, 2001, two months before the 9/11 attacks, radio host Alex Jones predicts terror attacks in the United States ( based on his sources within government agencies ) to be blamed on foreign enemies such as Bin Laden, and then goes on to ask his listeners to contact the White House to tell them to call off the attacks.
After the attacks, many major public officials including George Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and Condoleezza Rice had gone public to claim that no prior warnings had been received. Representatives from the FBI and CIA had gone public to make the same claim.
On the day of the 9/11 attacks a number of public officials had been warned not to fly, including Mayor Willie Brown of San Francisco, author Salmon Rushdie, Attorney General John Ashcroft, as well as high ranking Pentagon Officials.
On the day of the attacks and prior to the attacks a number of individuals and companies had engaged in behavior suggesting prior knowledge, including Jeb Bush signing an emergency Martial Law order four days before the attacks, as well as a number of key individuals such as the leaseholder Larry Silverstein canceling meetings at the World Trade Center during when the attacks took place.
At least Eleven other countries are documented attempting to warn the United States about the attacks, including Germany, Jordan, Britain, the Taliban themselves, Egypt, Russia, Israel and France.
Many individuals had given warnings or had been warned themselves about the attacks prior to and on the day of 9/11, including members of the Arab-American community as well as warnings issued from an Israeli instant messaging company.
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Alex Jones Predicting the 9/11 Attacks Two Months Before They Occur
From the Google Video Page for this two minute video:
"Alex Jones calls it 'Operation Expose Government Terrorists.' On July 25, 2001.. he predicted (based on his ... sources within government intelligence agencies) that there would be a terror attack on U.S. soil to be blamed on someone 'like Bin Laden.'"
"He goes on to warn people, ask them to warn others and to call the White House, explaining to the government that if there is a terrorist attack, we know who is behind it and to stop that terror attack."
This video may be played in the browser window, or you may visit it's Google Video Page for more information, viewing full screen and downloading to your hard drive.
After the attacks, many major public officials including George Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and Condoleezza Rice had gone public to claim that no prior warnings had been received. Representatives from the FBI and CIA had gone public to make the same claim.
Quoted passages in this section are taken from Cooperative Research's "Complete 9/11 Timeline," unless otherwise noted. The information is cited, and the full list of denials of warnings may be viewed here.
"September 16, 2001: Bush Claim That Using Planes as Missiles Was Impossible to Predict Is Contradicted by Former CIA Official"
"President Bush says, 'Never (in) anybody's thought processes ... about how to protect America did we ever think that the evil doers would fly not one but four commercial aircraft into precious US targets ... never.' [US President, 9/24/2001] A month later, Paul Pillar, the former deputy director of the CIA's Counterterrorist Center, will say, 'The idea of commandeering an aircraft and crashing it into the ground and causing high casualties, sure we've thought of it.' [Stephen Braun, Bob Drogin, Mark Fineman, Lisa Getter, Greg Krikorian, and Robert J. Lopez, n.d.] "
The New York Post has a banner headline on May 16, 2002. [Source: New York Post]
"May 15, 2002: Bush's 'Bin Laden Determined to Strike in US' Warning Is Leaked to Public"
"The Bush administration is embarrassed when the CBS Evening News reveals that President Bush had been warned about al-Qaeda domestic attacks in August 2001 (see August 6, 2001). Bush had repeatedly said that he had 'no warning' of any kind. Press Secretary Ari Fleischer states unequivocally that while Bush had been warned of possible hijackings, '[t]he president did not-not-receive information about the use of airplanes as missiles by suicide bombers.' [New York Times, 5/15/2002; Washington Post, 5/16/2002] 'Until the attack took place, I think it's fair to say that no one envisioned that as a possibility.' [MSNBC, 9/18/2002] Fleischer claims the August memo was titled 'Bin Laden Determined to Strike the US,' but the real title is soon found to end with '... Strike in US' [Washington Post, 5/18/2002] The Guardian will state a few days later, 'the memo left little doubt that the hijacked airliners were intended for use as missiles and that intended targets were to be inside the US.' It further states that, 'now, as the columnist Joe Conason points out in the current edition of the New York Observer, 'conspiracy' begins to take over from 'incompetence' as a likely explanation for the failure to heed-and then inform the public about-warnings that might have averted the worst disaster in the nation's history.' [Guardian, 5/19/2002] "
"May 17, 2002: Bush Claims He Did Not Know 'Enemy Was Going to Use Airplanes to Kill'"
"President Bush says in a speech, 'Had I known that the enemy was going to use airplanes to kill on that fateful morning, I would have done everything in my power to protect the American people.' [US President, 5/20/2002] "
"June 4, 2002: Bush Acknowledges Agencies Made Mistakes, Continues to Insist That 9/11 Could Not Have Been Prevented"
"For the first time, Bush concedes that his intelligence agencies had problems: 'In terms of whether or not the FBI and the CIA were communicating properly, I think it is clear that they weren't.' [London Times, 6/5/2002] However, in an address to the nation three days later, President Bush still maintains, 'Based on everything I've seen, I do not believe anyone could have prevented the horror of September the 11th.' [Sydney Morning Herald, 6/8/2002] Days earlier, Newsweek reported that the FBI had prepared a detailed chart showing how agents could have uncovered the 9/11 plot if the CIA had told them what it knew about the hijackers Nawaf Alhazmi and Khalid Almihdhar sooner. (FBI Director Mueller denies the existence of such a chart. [Washington Post, 6/3/2002] ) One FBI official says, 'There's no question we could have tied all 19 hijackers together.' [Newsweek, 6/2/2002] Attorney General Ashcroft also says it is unlikely better intelligence could have stopped the attacks. [Washington Post, 6/3/2002]"
"April 13, 2004: Bush Continues to Insist That 9/11 Could Not Have Been Prevented"
"In a press conference, President Bush states, 'We knew he [Osama bin Laden] had designs on us, we knew he hated us. But there was nobody in our government, and I don't think [in] the prior government, that could envision flying airplanes into buildings on such a massive scale.' [Guardian, 4/15/2004] He also says, 'Had I any inkling whatsoever that the people were going to fly airplanes into buildings, we would have moved heaven and earth to save the country.' [US President, 4/19/2004; New York Times, 4/18/2004] Two days earlier, he said, 'Had I known there was going to be an attack on America I would have moved mountains to stop the attack.' [New York Times, 4/18/2004] In July 2004, he will claim even more generally, 'Had we had any inkling whatsoever that terrorists were about to attack our country, we would have moved heaven and earth to protect America.' [New Jersey Star-Ledger, 7/22/2004] "
"September 16, 2001: Cheney Says There Was No Warning of 'Domestic Operation or Involving What Happened'"
"Vice President Cheney acknowledges that US intelligence officials received threat information during the summer of 2001 'that a big operation was planned' by terrorists, possibly striking the US. But he also says, 'No specific threat involving really a domestic operation or involving what happened, obviously-the cities, airliner and so forth.' [Washington File, 9/12/2001] "
"June 4, 2004: Rumsfeld Says US Lacked Intelligence to Stop 9/11"
"Defense Secretary Rumsfeld says the US would have stopped 9/11, but 'We lacked the intelligence that might have prevented it.' He blames the lack of 'a source inside the group of people that had planned and executed those attacks. ... Had we had a source inside there, we undoubtedly would have been able to stop it. We did not.' [Newsday, 6/4/2004] "
"National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice states, 'I don't think anybody could have predicted that these people would take an airplane and slam it into the World Trade Center, take another one and slam it into the Pentagon, that they would try to use an airplane as a missile,' adding that 'even in retrospect' there was 'nothing' to suggest that. [White House, 5/16/2002] Contradicting Rice's claims, former CIA Deputy Director John Gannon acknowledges that such a scenario has long been taken seriously by US intelligence: 'If you ask anybody could terrorists convert a plane into a missile? [N]obody would have ruled that out.' Rice also states, 'The overwhelming bulk of the evidence was that this was an attack that was likely to take place overseas.' [MSNBC, 5/17/2002] Slate awards Rice the 'Whopper of the Week' when the title of Bush's August 6 briefing is revealed: 'Bin Laden Determined to Strike in US.' [Slate, 5/23/2002] Rice later will concede that 'somebody did imagine it' but will say she did not know about such intelligence until well after this conference. [Associated Press, 9/21/2002] "
"May 16, 2002: Rice Incorrectly Claims Bush Warning Contains Only Historical Information"
"National Security Adviser Rice holds a press conference to respond to the public leak (see May 15, 2002) of the title of President Bush's August 6, 2001, Presidential Daily Briefing, 'Bin Laden Determined to Strike in US' (see August 6, 2001). She asserts, 'It was an analytic report that talked about [bin Laden]'s methods of operation, talked about what he had done historically, in 1997, in 1998. ... I want to reiterate, it was not a warning. There was no specific time, place, or method mentioned.' [White House, 5/16/2002] In April 2004, Rice will testify under oath before the 9/11 Commission and repeatedly assert that it was 'a historical memo ... not threat reporting' (see April 8, 2004). However, when the full text of the memo is released later in April 2004, it will be discovered that it does contain threat reporting based on warnings from the summer of 2001. "
Denials From the CIA About Warnings
"February 6, 2002: Tenet Is Proud of CIA's Handling of 9/11"
"CIA Director Tenet tells a Senate hearing that there was no 9/11 intelligence failure. When asked about the CIA record on 9/11, he says, 'We are proud of that record.' He also states that the 9/11 plot was 'in the heads of three or four people' and thus nearly impossible to prevent. [USA Today, 2/7/2002] "
"January 22, 2003: CIA Chief Says Intelligence Was Insufficient to Prevent 9/11"
"CIA Deputy Director for Operations James Pavitt says he is convinced that all the intelligence the CIA had on September 11, 2001, could not have prevented the 9/11 attacks. 'It was not as some have suggested, a simple matter of connecting the dots,' he claims. [Reuters, 1/23/2003]"
James Pavitt. [Source: Publicity photo]
"October 26, 2004: CIA Official Still Believes 9/11 Attacks Could Not Have Been Stopped"
"James Pavitt, the CIA's Deputy Director of Operations, states, 'Given what we now know, in all the hindsight of the year 2004, I still do not believe we could have stopped the [9/11] attacks.' [New York Times, 10/27/2004] Pavitt is said to be heavily criticized in a still-classified CIA report about that agency's failures to stop the 9/11 attacks (see January 7, 2005). "
"September 14, 2001: FBI Director Caught in Whopper"
"FBI Director Mueller describes reports that several of the hijackers had received flight training in the US as 'news, quite obviously,' adding, 'If we had understood that to be the case, we would have-perhaps one could have averted this.' It will later be discovered that contrary to Mueller's claims, the FBI had interviewed various flight school staffs about Middle Eastern militants on numerous occasions, from 1996 until a few weeks before 9/11. [Washington Post, 9/23/2001; Boston Globe, 9/18/2001] Three days later, he says, 'There were no warning signs that I'm aware of that would indicate this type of operation in the country.' [US Department of Justice, 9/17/2001] Slate magazine will contrast this with numerous other contradictory statements and articles, and will award Mueller the 'Whopper of the Week.' [Slate, 5/17/2002]"
"May 8, 2002: FBI Could Not Have Foreseen 9/11, Declares Director"
"FBI Director Mueller states, '[T]here was nothing the agency could have done to anticipate and prevent the [9/11] attacks.' [US Congress, 9/18/2002]"
"June 18, 2002: FBI Director Maintains 9/11 Attacks Could Not Have Been Prevented"
"FBI Director Mueller testifies before the Congressional 9/11 inquiry. His testimony will be made public in September 2002. [Associated Press, 9/26/2002] Mueller claims that with the possible exception of Zacarias Moussaoui, '[t]o this day we have found no one in the United States except the actual hijackers who knew of the plot and we have found nothing they did while in the United States that triggered a specific response about them.' [US Congress, 9/26/2002] The 9/11 Congressional Inquiry will later conclude near the end of 2002 that some hijackers had contact inside the US with individuals known to the FBI, and the hijackers 'were not as isolated during their time in the United States as has been previously suggested.' [Los Angeles Times, 12/12/2002] Mueller also claims, 'There were no slip-ups. Discipline never broke down. They gave no hint to those around them what they were about.' [US Congress, 9/26/2002] "
"September 25, 2002: FBI Director Denies Moussaoui Leads Could Have Prevented 9/11"
"In an interview with CBS, FBI Director Mueller states, 'I can tell you there are things I wish we had done differently. That there are things we should have followed up on. But the bottom line is I do not believe that we would have been able to prevent 9/11.' Speaking about the Zacarias Moussaoui case, he says, 'That took us several months, to follow that lead, and it also required the full support of the German authorities, and it would have been very, I think impossible to have followed that particular lead in the days between the time in which Moussaoui was detained and September 11th.' [CBS News, 9/25/2002] This negativism is in sharp contrast to a previous statement he made on May 21, 2002 (see May 21, 2002), as well as the opinion of many rank and file FBI officers, some of whom have made a chart showing how all the hijackers could have been caught if certain leads had been followed. [Newsweek, 6/2/2002] Mueller's opinion on the Moussaoui case is contradicted by many, including FBI agents working on that case. [Time, 5/21/2002] The media also does not agree. For instance the Independent suggested information on Moussaoui's computer 'might have been enough to expose the Hamburg cell, which investigators believe was the key planning unit for 11 September.' [Independent, 12/11/2001] "
"October 8, 2002: Former FBI Director Says FBI Could Not Have Stopped 9/11 Attacks"
"Testifying before the 9/11 Congressional Inquiry, former FBI Director Louis Freeh says, 'I am aware of nothing that to me demonstrates that the FBI and the intelligence community had the type of information or tactical intelligence which could have prevented September 11th. In terms of the FBI's capability to identify, investigate and prevent the nineteen hijackers from carrying out their attacks, the facts so far on the public record do not support the conclusion that these tragic events could have been prevented by the FBI and intelligence community acting by themselves.' [US Congress, 10/8/2002]"
"Michael Rolince, head of counterintelligence at the FBI's Washington office, says of the 9/11 hijackers, 'These guys were pros. For us to have done anything, these guys had to make a mistake. And they didn't. Could we have generated enough information-ever-to keep them off those planes? I doubt it.' [Vanity Fair, 11/2004] In 2002, an FBI agent called this kind of argument 'the Superman scenario.' The notion that the hijackers made no mistakes had been discredited well before Rolince's comments (see April 2002). "
"September 11-12, 2001: Senior US Officials Claim No Specific Warnings or High Threat Recently"
"The Washington Post reports, 'Several US officials said there was no warning in the days before the attacks that a major operation was in the works. 'In terms of specific warning that something of this nature was to occur, no,' one official said.' [Washington Post, 9/11/2001] An anonymous 'senior US official' tells ABC News, 'There were no warnings regarding time or place. There are always generic threats now but there was nothing to indicate anything specific of this nature. In fact, in recent weeks, we were not in all that high a period of threat warning.' [ABC News, 9/12/2001] "
"September 12, 2001: US Denies Any Hints of Bin Laden Plot to Attack in US"
"The government's initial response to the 9/11 attacks is that it had no evidence whatsoever that bin Laden planned an attack in the US 'There was a ton of stuff, but it all pointed to an attack abroad,' says one official. Furthermore, in the 24 hours after the attack, investigators would have been searching through 'mountains of information.' However, 'the vast electronic 'take' on bin Laden, said officials who requested anonymity, contained no hints of a pending terror campaign in the United States itself, no orders to subordinates, no electronic fund transfers, no reports from underlings on their surveillance of the airports in Boston, Newark, and Washington.' [Miami Herald, 9/12/2001]"
"September 25, 2001: FAA Head Says No One Imagined Airplanes Used As Lethal Weapons"
"FAA Administrator Jane Garvey claims that before 9/11, 'No one could imagine someone being willing to commit suicide, being willing to use an airplane as a lethal weapon.' [CNN, 9/25/2001]"
"October 17, 2001: Military Head Says He Hadn't Thought of 9/11-Type Scenario"
"Gen. Richard Myers, acting Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman on 9/11, says of 9/11, 'You hate to admit it, but we hadn't thought about this.' He was promoted from Vice-Chairman to Chairman three days after 9/11. [American Forces Press Service, 10/23/2001] "
On the day of the 9/11 attacks a number of public officials had been warned not to fly, including Mayor Willie Brown of San Francisco, author Salmon Rushdie, Attorney General John Ashcroft, as well as high ranking Pentagon Officials.
Quoted passages in this section are taken from Cooperative Research's "Complete 9/11 Timeline," unless otherwise noted. The information is cited, and it's full list of other warnings may be viewed here.
Salman Rushdie. [Source: Public domain]
"September 6, 2001: Author Is Banned from Internal US Flights Because of FAA Concern Something About to Happen"
"Author Salman Rushdie, the target of death threats from radical Muslims for years, is banned by US authorities from taking internal US flights. He says the FAA told his publisher the reason was that it had 'intelligence of something about to happen.' One newspaper will state, 'The FAA confirmed that it stepped up security measures concerning Mr. Rushdie but refused to give a reason.' [London Times, 9/27/2001] According to the 9/11 Commission, on this day the FAA issues a security directive requiring extra security measures for flights carrying Rushdie. It is not clear if this is in addition or instead of a ban on him flying. There is no mention as to why this security directive is issued at this time. [9/11 Commission, 8/26/2004, pp. 56 ]"
Willie Brown. [Source: San Francisco City Government]
"(1:00 a.m.) September 11, 2001: Hours Before Attacks, San Francisco Mayor Receives Warning"
"Eight hours prior to the attacks, San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown receives a warning from 'my security people at the airport,' advising him to be cautious in traveling. [San Francisco Chronicle, 9/12/2001] Later reports claim that this is because someone saw the State Department warning of September 7 (see September 7, 2001), which focused on the threat to military personnel in Asia. Brown is scheduled to fly to New York the next morning. [San Francisco Chronicle, 9/14/2001; San Francisco Chronicle, 9/12/2001; US Department of State, 9/7/2001] The source of the warning, and why it was personally issued to Brown, remains unknown."
"In an interview with the New York Times Monday, former Attorney General John Ashcroft said he was never briefed in early July 2001 by then-CIA Director George Tenet about a purported terrorist threat against the United States by al-Qaeda the spy agency had received."
"'Frankly, I'm disappointed that I didn't get that kind of briefing,' Ashcroft told the [ New York] Times. 'I'm surprised he didn't think it was important enough to come by and tell me.'"
"But Ashcroft was not being forthcoming. He was in fact warned about the possibility of a terrorist attack two months before 9/11 and told by his top officials in July 2001 to avoid traveling aboard commercial airliners because the FBI had received a credible 'threat assessment' against the United States." [ CBS News, July 26, 2001 ( cached )]
Listen to Alex Jones asking John Ashcroft some tough questions
Alex Jones asks former attorney general John Ashcroft some tough questions on Mancow Muller's syndicated show. After the interview Alex speaks with former NSA official Wayne Madsen about Ashcroft's recent questionable activities after his position as Attorney General.
from Newsweek: ".. On September 10, Newsweek has learned, a group of top Pentagon officials suddenly cancelled travel plans for the next morning, apparently because of security concerns." [ Newsweek, 9/24/01 (cached) ]
On the day of the attacks and prior to the attacks a number of individuals and companies had engaged in behavior suggesting prior knowledge, including Jeb Bush signing an emergency Martial Law order four days before the attacks, as well as a number of key individuals such as the leaseholder Larry Silverstein canceling meetings at the World Trade Center during when the attacks took place.
Quoted passages in this section are taken from Cooperative Research's "Complete 9/11 Timeline," unless otherwise noted. The information is cited, and it's full list of other warnings may be viewed here.
Jeb Bush
from WorldNetDaily:
"WHO KNEW? Jeb Bush signed Florida TWO YEAR emergency order 4 days BEFORE ATTACK"
"Did we know that the governor 'immediately' after the Trade Center's second tower fell had issued an executive order, with no termination date, declaring a state of emergency? Did we know that the governor had made the interim head of the Division of Emergency Management into a czar of anti-terrorist operations, giving him the power to seize land and personal property and order people evacuated from their homes?"
"The articles provided links directly to the executive orders themselves, and these were exactly as described. Bush, through Executive Order 01-261, had activated units of the Florida National Guard on Sept. 7, four days before the kamikaze assault on the Trade Center. His second executive order, EO 01-262, did in fact delegate awesome powers to a non-elected official, the interim head of the Division of Emergency Management, the agency responsible for implementing Florida's Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan. Moreover, the governor issued it shortly after the attacks, strongly suggesting he had been apprised of events ahead of time and was ready to sign the order with a stroke of his pen as soon as he received an appropriate signal." [ WorldNetDaily, October 25, 2001 ]
Larry Silverstein
"(8:00 a.m.) September 11, 2001: Larry Silverstein Doesn't go to WTC Due to Doctor's Appointment"
"WTC leaseholder Larry Silverstein is supposed to be working today in the temporary offices of his company, Silverstein Properties, on the 88th floor of the north tower. However, at his Park Avenue apartment, Silverstein's wife reportedly "laid down the law: The developer could not cancel an appointment with his dermatologist, even to meet with tenants at his most important property." [New York Observer, 3/17/2003; New York Magazine, 4/18/2005]"
"He is therefore not at the WTC when it is hit, and first hears of the attacks when an associate calls him from the lobby of one of the WTC buildings. [Real Deal, 1/2004] Two of Silverstein's children-his son, Roger, and daughter, Lisa-work for his company and have been regularly attending meetings with WTC tenants at Windows on the World (the restaurant at the top of the north tower). Yet this morning they are running late. According to the New York Observer, "If the attack had happened just a little later, Mr. Silverstein's children would likely have been trapped at Windows." [New York Observer, 3/17/2003] Fifty-four of Silverstein Properties' 160 staff are in the north tower when it is hit, and four of them die. [Globe and Mail, 9/7/2002] Silverstein signed the lease on the WTC less than two months previously, and later will attempt to get $7 billion in insurance for the destruction of the towers (see July 24, 2001)."
September 11, 2001: Associates of Fiduciary Trust located in the South WTC Tower are among those invited to an early morning Charity Event hosted by Billionaire Warren Buffet at the U.S. Strategic Command Center at Offutt AFB in Nebraska ( Where Bush later flew for "Safety." )From San Francisco Business Times 02/04/02:
"In a few seconds, Anne Tatlock's job turned from the daily grind of wealth management to a fight for the survival of Fiduciary Trust Co. International."
"On the morning of Sept. 11, Tatlock herself had just arrived with a small group of business leaders at Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha for a charity event hosted by Warren Buffett. She then heard the news of the first plane hitting the World Trade Center's north tower."
"Fiduciary's offices, spread among the 92nd through 97th floors of the south tower, typically at that time would be filling with the firm's 650 employees. But workers had started making their way to ground level after the first plane struck the neighboring structure."
"Moments later, back in Omaha, a television picture flashed on a large screen, and Tatlock witnessed the second plane plowing into the south tower."
"'There on the screen, I saw the second plane crash into my office,' Tatlock recalled."
"9:03 a.m. September 11, 2001: Cousin of the President Saved From Death in the South Tower Due to Changed Venue of Meeting"
Jim Pierce, a cousin of President Bush, sees the south tower of the WTC hit from the nearby Millennium Hotel. Pierce is the managing director of the AON Corporation, an insurance company with offices in WTC 2. He had arranged a business conference, to be held on the tower's 105th floor this morning. However, the previous night, the conference was moved to the Millennium Hotel because the group was too large for the original room. According to a book by former First Lady Barbara Bush, Pierce later learns that 12 people are in the room where the meeting was originally planned to take place when the south tower is hit, and only one of them survives. [Ananova, 9/18/2001; Boston Globe, 2001; Newsweek, 10/27/2003] Another AON Corporation meeting is taking place on the 105th floor of the south tower, run by business executive Mary Wieman. Of about 50 participants in attendance, only six are able to escape. [New York Times, 12/17/2001; USA Today, 9/2/2002]
"September 4, 2001: Israeli Company Moves Out of WTC"
"The Zim-American Israeli Shipping Co. moves their North American headquarters from the 16th floor of the WTC to Norfolk, Virginia, one week before the 9/11 attacks. The Israeli government owns 49 percent of the company. [Virginian-Pilot, 9/4/2001] Zim announced the move and its date six months earlier. [Virginian-Pilot, 4/3/2001] More than 200 workers had just been moved out; about ten are still in the building making final moving arrangements on 9/11, but escape. [Jerusalem Post, 9/13/2001; Journal of Commerce, 10/18/2001] The move leaves only one Israeli company, ClearForest, with 18 employees, in the WTC on 9/11. The four or five employees in the building at the time manage to escape. [Jerusalem Post, 9/13/2001] One year later, a Zim ship is impounded while attempting to ship Israeli military equipment to Iran; it is speculated that this is done with the knowledge of Israel. [Agence France-Presse, 3/29/2002]"
At least eleven countries are documented attempting to warn the United States about the attacks.
Quoted passages in this section are taken from Cooperative Research's "Complete 9/11 Timeline," unless otherwise noted. The information is cited, and the timeline's full list of warnings may be viewed here.
"June 2001: Germans Warn of Plan to Use Aircraft as Missiles on US and Israeli Symbols"
"German intelligence warns the CIA, Britain's intelligence agency, and Israel's Mossad that Middle Eastern militants are planning to hijack commercial aircraft to use as weapons to attack "American and Israeli symbols, which stand out. A later article quotes unnamed German intelligence sources who state the information was coming from Echelon surveillance technology, and that British intelligence had access to the same warnings. However, there were other informational sources, including specific information and hints given to, but not reported by, Western and Near Eastern news media six months before 9/11. [Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (Frankfurt), 9/11/2001; Washington Post, 9/14/2001; Fox News, 5/17/2002]"
From BizReport, September 13, 2001:"U.S. and Israeli intelligence agencies received warning signals at least three months ago that Middle Eastern terrorists were planning to hijack commercial aircraft to use as weapons to attack important symbols of American and Israeli culture, according to a story in Germany's daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ)..."
"Late Summer 2001: Jordan Warns US That Aircraft Will Be Used in Major Attack Inside the US"
"Jordanian intelligence (the GID) makes a communications intercept deemed so important that King Abdullah's men relay it to Washington, probably through the CIA station in Amman. To make doubly sure the message gets through it is passed through an Arab intermediary to a German intelligence agent. The message states that a major attack, code named "The Big Wedding," is planned inside the US and that aircraft will be used. 'When it became clear that the information was embarrassing to Bush administration officials and congressmen who at first denied that there had been any such warnings before September 11, senior Jordanian officials backed away from their earlier confirmations.' The Christian Science Monitor will call the story 'confidently authenticated' even though Jordan has backed away from it. [International Herald Tribune, 5/21/2002; Christian Science Monitor, 5/23/2002]"
From SundayHerald, May 19, 2002:"Britain gave President Bush a categorical warning to expect multiple airline hijackings by the al-Qaeda network a month before the September 11 attacks which killed nearly 3000 people and triggered the international war against terrorism...""U.S. and Israeli intelligence agencies received warning signals at least three months ago that Middle Eastern terrorists were planning to hijack commercial aircraft to use as weapons to attack important symbols of American and Israeli culture, according to a story in Germany's daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ)..." http://www.sundayherald.com/24822
"July 16, 2001: British Spy Agencies Warn Al-Qaeda Is in The Final Stages of Attack in the West"
"British spy agencies send a report to British Prime Minister Tony Blair and other top officials warning that al-Qaeda is in 'the final stages' of preparing an attack in the West. The prediction is 'based on intelligence gleaned not just from [British intelligence] but also from US agencies, including the CIA and the National Security Agency,' which cooperate with the British. 'The contents of the July 16 warning would have been passed to the Americans, Whitehall sources confirmed.' The report states there is 'an acute awareness' that the attack is 'a very serious threat.' [London Times, 6/14/2002]"
"Early August 2001: Britain Warns US Again; Specifies Multiple Airplane Hijackings"
"Britain gives the US another warning about an al-Qaeda attack. The previous British warning on July 16, 2001 (see July 16, 2001), was vague as to method, but this warning specifies multiple airplane hijackings. This warning is said to reach President Bush. [Sunday Herald (Glasgow), 5/19/2002]"
Taliban Foreign Minister Wakil Muttawakil. [Source: Reuters]
"Taliban Foreign Minister Wakil Ahmed Muttawakil learns that bin Laden is planning a 'huge attack' on targets inside America. The attack is imminent, and will kill thousands. He learns this from Tahir Yildash, leader of the rebel Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), which is allied with al-Qaeda at the time. Muttawakil sends an emissary to pass this information on to the US consul general, and another US official, 'possibly from the intelligence services,' also attends the meeting. The message is not taken very seriously; one source blames this on 'warning fatigue' from too many warnings. In addition, the emissary supposedly is from the Foreign Ministry, but did not say the message came from Muttawakil himself. The emissary then takes the message to the Kabul offices of UNSMA, the political wing of the UN. They also fail to take the warning seriously. [Independent, 9/7/2002; Reuters, 9/7/2002]"
"Late July 2001: Egypt Warns CIA of 20 Al-Qaeda Operatives in US; Four Training to Fly; CIA Is Not Interested"
"CBS later reports, in a long story on another topic: 'Just days after [Mohamed] Atta return[s] to the US from Spain, Egyptian intelligence in Cairo says it received a report from one of its operatives in Afghanistan that 20 al-Qaeda members had slipped into the US and four of them had received flight training on Cessnas. To the Egyptians, pilots of small planes didn't sound terribly alarming, but they [pass] on the message to the CIA anyway, fully expecting Washington to request information. The request never [comes].' [CBS News, 10/9/2002] This appears to be just one of several accurate Egyptian warnings from their informants inside al-Qaeda."
"According to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Egyptian intelligence warns American officials that bin Laden's network is in the advanced stages of executing a significant operation against an American target, probably within the US. [Associated Press, 12/7/2001; New York Times, 6/4/2002] He says he learned this information from an agent working inside al-Qaeda. US officials will deny receiving any such warning from Egypt. [ABC News, 6/4/2002]"
"Russian President Vladimir Putin warns the US that suicide pilots are training for attacks on US targets. [Fox News, 5/17/2002] The head of Russian intelligence also later states, 'We had clearly warned them' on several occasions, but they 'did not pay the necessary attention.' [Agence France-Presse, 9/16/2001] A Russian newspaper on September 12, 2001, will claim, 'Russian Intelligence agents know the organizers and executors of these terrorist attacks. More than that, Moscow warned Washington about preparation to these actions a couple of weeks before they happened.' Interestingly, the article will claim that at least two of the militants were Muslim radicals from Uzbekistan. [Izvestia, 9/12/2001]"
"Ephraim Halevy was head of the Israeli Mossad from 1998 to 2002. [Source: Associated Press]"
"August 8-15, 2001: Israel Reportedly Warns of Major Assault on the US"
"At some point between these dates, Israel warns the US that an al-Qaeda attack is imminent. [Fox News, 5/17/2002] Reportedly, two high-ranking agents from the Mossad come to Washington and warn the FBI and CIA that from 50 to 200 terrorists have slipped into the US and are planning 'a major assault on the United States.' They say indications point to a 'large scale target,' and that Americans would be 'very vulnerable.' They add there could be Iraqi connections to the al-Qaeda attack. [Daily Telegraph, 9/16/2001; Los Angeles Times, 9/20/2001; Ottawa Citizen, 9/17/2001] The Los Angeles Times later retracts its story after a CIA spokesperson says, 'There was no such warning. Allegations that there was are complete and utter nonsense.' [Los Angeles Times, 9/21/2001] Other newspapers do not retract it."
From The Telegraph, September 13, 2001:"The Telegraph has learnt that two senior experts with Mossad, the Israeli military intelligence service, were sent to Washington in August to alert the CIA and FBI to the existence of a cell of as many of 200 terrorists said to be preparing a big operation.."
"August 23, 2001: Mossad Reportedly Gives CIA List of Terrorist Living in US; at Least Four 9/11 Hijackers Named"
"According to German newspapers, the Mossad gives the CIA a list of 19 terrorists living in the US and say that they appear to be planning to carry out an attack in the near future. It is unknown if these are the 19 9/11 hijackers or if the number is a coincidence. However, four names on the list are known, and these four will be 9/11 hijackers: Nawaf Alhazmi, Khalid Almihdhar, Marwan Alshehhi, and Mohamed Atta. [Die Zeit (Hamburg), 10/1/2002; Der Spiegel (Hamburg), 10/1/2002; BBC, 10/2/2002; Ha'aretz, 10/3/2002] The Mossad appears to have learned about this through its 'art student spy ring.' Yet apparently, this warning and list are not treated as particularly urgent by the CIA and the information is not passed on to the FBI. It is unclear whether this warning influenced the decision to add Alhazmi and Almihdhar to a terrorism watch list on this same day, and if so, why only those two. [Der Spiegel (Hamburg), 10/1/2002] Israel has denied that there were any Mossad agents in the US. [Ha'aretz, 10/3/2002]"
"September 4, 2001: Mossad Gives Another Warning of Major, Imminent Attack"
"'On or around' this day, the Mossad give their 'latest' warning to the US of a major, imminent attack by al-Qaeda, according to sources close to Mossad. One former Mossad agent says, 'My understanding is that the warning was not specific. No target was identified. But it should have resulted in an increased state of security.' US intelligence claims this never happened. [Sunday Mail, 9/16/2001]"
Warnings from France "Late August 2001: French Warning to US Echoes Earlier Israeli Warning"
French intelligence gives a general terrorist warning to the US; apparently, its contents echo an Israeli warning from earlier in the month (see August 8-15, 2001). [Fox News, 5/17/2002]
"September 7, 2001: French Give 'Very Specific Information' about Possible Attack on US Soil"
The French newspaper Le Figaro will report in late 2001 that on this day, "According to Arab diplomatic sources as well as French intelligence, very specific information [is] transmitted to the CIA with respect to terrorist attacks against American interests around the world, including on US soil." A French intelligence report sent to the US this day "enumerates all the intelligence, and specifies that the order to attack [is] to come from Afghanistan." [Le Figaro (Paris), 10/31/2001] It will later be revealed that Khalid Shaikh Mohammed gives Mohamed Atta the final go-ahead in a phone call from Afghanistan the day before 9/11 (see September 10, 2001).
From the Village Voice, May 28, 2002:"A key point in unraveling why the FBI failed to follow up leads on Al Qaeda terrorism now centers on the Bureau's contemptuously brushing aside warnings from French intelligence a few days before 9-11..."
Many individuals had given warnings or had been warned themselves about the attacks prior to and on the day of 9/11, including members of the Arab-American community as well as warnings issued from an Israeli instant messaging company.
Quoted passages in this section are taken from Cooperative Research's "Complete 9/11 Timeline," unless otherwise noted. The information is cited and the full list of other warnings may be viewed here.
"July 16, 2001: New York Taxi Driver Tells of E-mails Warning Imminent al-Qaeda Attack on New York and Washington"
"A Village Voice reporter is told by a New York taxi driver, 'You know, I am leaving the country and going home to Egypt sometime in late August or September. I have gotten e-mails from people I know saying that Osama bin Laden has planned big terrorist attacks for New York and Washington for that time. It will not be safe here then.' He does in fact return to Egypt for that time. The FBI, which is not told about this lead until after 9/11, interrogates and then releases him. He claims that many others knew what he knew prior to 9/11. [Village Voice, 9/25/2002]"
"August 29, 2001: Atta Tells Bin Al-Shibh Exact Date of Attack"
"In a later interview, would-be hijacker Ramzi bin al-Shibh claims that on this day Mohamed Atta calls him (he is in Germany at the time) from the US. Atta asks him what is 'two sticks, a dash and a cake with a stick down?' The answer, which bin al-Shibh figures out, is '11-9' -the European and Arabic way of writing 9/11. [Knight Ridder, 9/9/2002; CBS News, 10/9/2002] Now knowing the date of the attack, bin al-Shibh later claims that he orders active cells in Europe, the US, and elsewhere to evacuate." "Early September 2001: Iranian Inmate in Germany Warns of Imminent Attack on WTC"
"An Iranian man known as Ali S. in a German jail awaiting deportation repeatedly phones US law enforcement to warn of an imminent attack on the WTC in early September. He calls it 'an attack that will change the world.' After a month of badgering his prison guards, he is finally able to call the White House 14 times in the days before the attack. He then tries to send a fax to President Bush, but is denied permission hours before the 9/11 attacks. German police later confirm the calls. Prosecutors later will say Ali had no foreknowledge and his forebodings were just a strange coincidence. They will say he is mentally unstable. Similar warnings also come from a Moroccan man being held in a Brazilian jail. [Deutsche Presse-Agentur (Hamburg), 9/13/2001; Ottawa Citizen, 9/17/2001; Ananova, 9/14/2001; Sunday Herald (Glasgow), 9/16/2001]" "Early September 2001: New York Mosque Warning: Stay Out of Lower Manhattan on 9/11"
"Shortly before 9/11, people attending an unnamed mosque in the Bronx district of New York City are warned to stay out of lower Manhattan on 9/11. The FBI's Joint Terrorist Task Force interviews dozens of members of the mosque, who confirm the story. The mosque leadership denies any advanced knowledge and the case apparently remains unsolved. [New York Daily News, 10/12/2001]"
"Early September 2001: Rumors in New York City's Arab-American Community About Attacks"
"A veteran detective involved with post-9/11 investigations later claims that rumors in New York City's Arab-American community about the 9/11 attacks are common in the days beforehand. The story 'had been out on the street' and the number of leads turning up later is so 'overwhelming' that it is difficult to tell who knows about the attacks from secondhand sources and who knows about it from someone who may have been a participant. After 9/11, tracking leads regarding Middle Eastern employees who did not show up for work on 9/11 are 'a serious and major priority.' [Journal News (White Plains), 10/11/2001]"
New Utrecht High School. [Source: National Geographic]
"Early September 2001: Pakistani Student Says WTC Towers 'Won't Be Here Next Week'"
"At New Utrecht High School, in Brooklyn, New York City, about one week before 9/11, a Pakistani student in a bilingual class points at the WTC during a heated political argument and declares, 'Look at those two buildings. They won't be here next week.' The teacher notifies New York police after 9/11, who in turn notify the FBI. The status of the FBI investigation into this incident is unknown as of early October 2001. [New York Daily News, 10/12/2001]"
"September 6, 2001: New York Student Forecasts Destruction of WTC"
"Antoinette DiLorenzo, teaching English to a class of Pakistani immigrants, asks a student gazing out the window, 'What are you looking at?' The student points towards the WTC, and says, 'Do you see those two buildings? They won't be standing there next week.' At the time, nothing is thought of it, but on September 13, the FBI will interview all the people in the classroom and confirm the event. The FBI later places the boy's family under surveillance but apparently is unable to find a connection to the 9/11 plot. An MSNBC reporter later sets out to disprove this 'urban myth,' but to his surprise, finds all the details of the story are confirmed. The fact that the family members are recent immigrants from Pakistan might mean the information came from Pakistan. [MSNBC, 10/12/2001] Supposedly, on November 9, 2001, the same student predicts there will be a plane crash on November 12. On that day, American Airlines Flight 587 will crash on takeoff from New York, killing 260 people. Investigators will later determine that the crash is accidental. One official at the school later says many Arab-American students have come forward with their own stories about having prior knowledge before 9/11: 'Kids are telling us that the attacks didn't surprise them. This was a nicely protected little secret that circulated in the community around here.' [
