Four 9/11 hijackers were identified as 'Brooklyn Cell' before attack
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The discovery was made by a Pentagon intelligence unit,Able Danger, set up in 1999 by the military's Special Operations Command to gather information about al-Qa'ida around the world.
The team identified a so-called Brooklyn Cell affiliated to the terrorist group. Apart from Atta, it included Marwan al-Shehhi, as well as Khalid al-Mihdhar and Nawaf al-Hazmi - the two 19 hijackers who had also been identified by the CIA as potential threats in mid-2000, but whose names the intelligence agency did not pass on to the FBI until months before the attacks.
Details were first given in June by Curt Weldon, a Republican Congressman specialising in intelligence and security, but attracted little notice at the time. Yesterday, however, they appeared on the front page of The New York Times, which quoted not only Mr Weldon but an unidentified former defence intelligence official with knowledge of the Able Danger operation. By summer 2000, the former official said the special unit had put together a massive chart showing known al-Qa'ida networks around the world. It included the names and photographs of Brooklyn Cell members.
Able Danger recommended that the information be passed on to the FBI. This was turned down because the four either had green cards allowing permanent residence, or valid entry visas. No less astonishing, details do not appear to have been passed on to the bipartisan 9/11 Commission set up by George Bush in 2003. It was told about the existence of Able Danger - but not that Able Danger had identified Mr Atta and three colleagues.
Yesterday, Donald Rumsfeld, the Defence Secretary, flatly refused to comment on the affair.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments