9/11 Question

[Keeve]

@KGS

So it would seem, before the attacks, no one would have associated any September 11th with “9/11”, or “9-1-1”. As you said, that label’s a media invention.

On the contrary. In 1987, President Reagan proclaimed Sept 11 1987 to be “9-1-1 Emergency Telephone Number Day”, to promote the North American universal emergency telephone number 9-1-1.

I may have been aware of this in 1987 when it occurred, but the next time I heard of it was at 7:20 AM on Sept 11 2001, when I heard it on the radio as I was driving to the PATH train.

[Walloon]

From the 9/11 Commission Report:

KSM [Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the organizer of the 9/11 operation] claims to have faced similar pressure twice more in 2001. According to him, Bin Ladin wanted the operation carried out on May 12, 2001, seven months to the day after the Cole bombing. KSM adds that the 9/11 attacks had originally been envisioned for May 2001. The second time he was urged to launch the attacks early was in June or July 2001, supposedly after Bin Ladin learned from the media that [Israeli Prime Minister Ariel] Sharon would be visiting the White House. On both occasions KSM resisted, asserting that the hijacking teams were not ready. Bin Ladin pressed particularly strongly for the latter date in two letters stressing the need to attack early. The second letter reportedly was delivered by Bin Ladin’s son-in-law, Aws al Madani. . . .

Perhaps most significant, however, was the purchase of plane tickets for September 11. On August 23 [2001], Atta [one of hijacker pilots] again flew to Newark, probably to meet with [Nawaf al] Hazmi [another hijacker] and select flights. All 19 tickets were booked and purchased between August 25 and September 5.

It therefore appears that the attack date was selected by the third week of August [2001]. This timing is confirmed by [Ramzi] Binalshibh [of the Hamburg cell of al-Qaeda], who claims Atta called him with the date in mid-August. According to Binalshibh, Atta used a riddle to convey the date in code-a message of two branches, a slash, and a lollipop (to non-Americans, 11/9 would be interpreted as September 11). Binalshibh says he called Atta back to confirm the date before passing it to KSM.

Other evidence corroborates KSM’s account. For instance, [Khalid al] Mihdhar [another hijacker] told his cousin that the attacks were to happen in May, but were postponed twice, first to July, then to September.

@Annie-Xmas

While there is no offical connection, the suicide bombers had lived in this country for years and would have had to have known the connection.

The earliest arrivals were in January 2000.

@chappachula

But Sept 11, was a new, totally confusing process. For days, we didn’t have any idea who did it.

New York Times, Sept. 12, 2001:

Counterterrorism officials say that electronic eavesdropping intercepts obtained in hours after attacks on World Trade Center and Pentagon indicate that terrorist operation was carried out by militant Islamic organization headed by Osama bin Laden. . .

CNN, Sept. 12, 2001:

Bush’s discussions with his top national security advisers turned Wednesday toward potential U.S. responses to the numbing terror attacks in New York City and Washington.

Without detailing the evidence they have gathered since Tuesday’s attacks, senior officials told CNN that “everything points” to the al Qaeda network established by Saudi fugitive Osama bin Laden.