THE PRAGUE CONNECTION

Prague Revisited. The evidence of an Iraq/al-Qaida connection hasn't gone away (Edward Jay Epstein, Slate, 11/19/03)

In 1998, an Iraqi defector claimed that, while posted at the Iraqi Embassy in Prague, he had been given $150,000 to arrange a bombing of the Radio Free Europe headquarters in Prague. His replacement was watched thereafter, and surveillance was increased after the replacement was observed taking pictures of Radio Free Europe's building.

[O]n April 8, 2001, a BIS [Czech intelligence] watcher saw al-Ani [of the Iraqi Embassy] meeting in a restaurant outside Prague with an Arab man in his 20s. This set off alarm bells because a BIS informant in the Arab community had provided information indicating that the person with whom al-Ani was meeting was a visiting "student" from Hamburg—and one who was potentially dangerous. . . .

The issue re-emerged three days after the 9/11 attack when the CIA intelligence liaison was told by the BIS that the Hamburg "student" who had met with al-Ani on April 8 had been tentatively identified as the 9/11 hijacker Mohamed Atta. Since al-Ani was an officer of Saddam Hussein's intelligence (and diplomatic) service, this identification raised the possibility that Saddam might have had a hand in the 9/11 attack. It could also be potentially embarrassing, as Kavan pointed out, "if American intelligence had failed before 9/11 to adequately appreciate the significance of the April meeting." . . .

[After rumours of the April meeting leaked to the press, denials started surfacing claiming that the FBI had proof that Atta had been in the US at the time of the Prague meeting. It turns out, however, that the denials were incorrect and that the claimed proof could not exist.]

But just because Atta could have been in Prague did not mean that he met al-Ani there on April 8, 2001. Eyewitness identification can often be mistaken. It was known, however, that Atta had business in Prague prior to the 9/11 attack. Kmonicek, the deputy foreign minister, had found a paper trail of passport records showing that Atta had applied for a visa to visit the Czech Republic on May 26, 2000 in Bonn, Germany. Atta must have had business there, since he could have transited through the Czech Republic on Czech Air without a visa.

Atta's business appeared to be extremely time sensitive and specific to May 30. When Atta learned in Hamburg that his Czech visa would not be ready until May 31, he nevertheless flew on May 30 to the Prague International Airport, where he would not be allowed to go beyond the transit lounge. Although a large part of this area is surveiled by cameras, he managed to spend all but a few minutes out of their range. After some six hours, he then caught a flight back to Hamburg. From this visaless round trip, Czech intelligence inferred that Atta had a meeting on May 30 that could not wait, even a day—and that whoever arranged it was probably familiar with the transit lounge's surveillance. Finally, the BIS determined that the Prague connection was not limited to a single appointment since Atta returned to Prague by bus on June 2 (now with visa BONN200005260024), and, after a brief wait in the bus station, disappeared for nearly 20 hours before catching a flight to the United States.

Everyone give a big right wing "howdy" to Slate, newest member of the VRWC.

MORE: Why is the press avoiding the Weekly Standard's intelligence scoop? (Jack Shafer, Slate, 11/18/03)

Posted by David Cohen at November 19, 2003 3:01 PM