KOMITET SENATU - TERRORYSCI 9/11 FINANSOWANI

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Centre for Research on Globalisation
Centre de recherche sur la mondialisation


Senate Committee Hearing opens a "Can of Worms":
Terrorism Financing:
FBI acknowledges 9/11 was financed out of Pakistan
31 July Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs 2003
www.globalresearch.ca 5 August 2003
The URL of this article is: http://globalresearch.ca/articles/SEN308A.html


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EXCERPT:

" The FBI conducted a detailed financial investigation/analysis of the19
hijackers and their support network, following the September 11th attacks.
This investigation initially identified the Al Qa'ida funding sources of the
19 hijackers in the UAE and Germany. The financial investigation also
provided the first links between Ramzi Binalshibh and the 9/11 operation. A
continuing investigation, in coordination with the PENTTBOMB Team, has traced
the origin of the funding of 9/11 back to financial accounts in Pakistan,
where high-ranking and well-known Al Qa'ida operatives played a major role in
moving the money forward, eventually into the hands of the hijackers located
in the U.S. (Senate Committee Statement by FBI'S John Pistole, 31 July 2003.
For complete statement see below)

Comment

This report by John Pistole of the FBI counter terrorism division opens up "a
can of worms".

If indeed the funding of 9/11 is out of Pakistan, as stated by FBI's John
Pistole, what was the role of Pakistan's military intelligence (ISI) in the
transfer of funds to the 9/11 terrorists.

1. John Pistole' s statment seems to corroborate the FBI's September 2001
Report on the financing of the 9/11 terrorist attacks out of Pakistan, which
was made public by ABC News (September 30, 2001.

2. This September 2001 FBI report was later confirmed by a report of Indian
Intelligence (Times of India Oct 9, 2001) which pointed to the role of the
(former) head of Pakistan Intelligence (ISI) General Mahmoud Ahmad, who
allegedly was instrumental in transferring $100,000 to the 9/11 terrorists.

3. Ahmad was on an official visit to Washington at the time of the 9/11
attacks and met senior Bush officials, including Colin Powell, Richard
Armitage and George Tenet, not to mention the two chairmen of House and
Senate select committees on Intelligence Sen Bob Graham and Rep. Porter Goss.

"As to September 11th, federal authorities [FBI] have told ABC News they have
now tracked more than $100,000 from banks in Pakistan, to two banks in
Florida, to accounts held by suspected hijack ring leader, Mohammed Atta. As
well . . . "Time Magazine" is reporting that some of that money came in the
days just before the attack and can be traced directly to people connected to
Osama bin Laden. It's all part of what has been a successful FBI effort so
far to close in on the hijacker's high commander, the money men, the planners
and the mastermind."(ABC News, This Week, Statement of Brian Ross reporting
on information conveyed to him by the FBI, September 30, 2001.)

The US authorities sought his [Ahmad] removal after confirming the fact that
$100,000 were wired to WTC hijacker Mohammed Atta from Pakistan by Ahmad Umar
Sheikh at the instance of Gen. Mahmoud. Senior government sources have
confirmed that India contributed significantly to establishing the link
between the money transfer and the role played by the dismissed ISI chief.
While they did not provide details, they said that Indian inputs, including
Sheikh's mobile phone number, helped the FBI in tracing and establishing the
link.

A direct link between the ISI and the WTC attack could have enormous
repercussions. The US cannot but suspect whether or not there were other
senior Pakistani Army commanders who were in the know of things. Evidence of
a larger conspiracy could shake US confidence in Pakistan's ability to
participate in the anti-terrorism coalition. (Times of India, 9 Oct 2001
reporting on an Indian Intelligence Report)

A highly-placed government source told AFP that the "damning link" between
the General and the transfer of funds to Atta was part of evidence which
India has officially sent to the US. `The evidence we have supplied to the US
is of a much wider range and depth than just one piece of paper linking a
rogue general to some misplaced act of terrorism,' the source said. 21
(Agence France Presse, 10 October 2001)

4. At a time when fingers are pointing at Saudi Arabia, John Pistole's
statement inevitably raises the issue of "State sponsorship" of Al Qaeda by
America's puppet regime in Pakistan. This in turn raises the broader issue of
the Bush administration's relationship to the terror network.

Michel Chossudovsky, 5 August 2003

For further details on the Pakistan ISI Connection, see
http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/CHO206A.html


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Press Report

A senior official of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation has informed US
lawmakers that funding for the Sept 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United
States was traced to Pakistan.

John S. Pistole, deputy assistant director of the FBI's counter-terrorism
division, told the Senate governmental affairs committee on Thursday
afternoon [31 July] , that investigators had "traced the origin of the
funding of the 9/11 attacks back to financial accounts in Pakistan."

He said high-ranking and well-known Al Qaeda operatives in Pakistan "played a
major role in moving the money forward, eventually into the hands of the
hijackers located in the United States."

Mr Pistole did not specify in his testimony how those accounts in Pakistan
were funded.

The FBI has estimated that the 9/11 attacks cost between $175,000-250,000.
That money, which paid for flight training, travel and other expenses, flowed
to the hijackers through associates in Germany and the United Arab Emirates.

Al-Qaeda associates reported to Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, who managed much of
the planning for the attacks from Pakistan, the FBI said. Mr Pistole did not
discuss reports that some support for the Sept 11 hijackers came from Saudi
Arabia as well.

(DAWN, 1 August 2003)


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Statement of John S. Pistole Deputy Assistant Director Counterterrorism
Division Federal Bureau of Investigation

Committee on Senate Governmental Affairs

July 31, 2003

"Terrorism Financing: Origination, Organization, and Prevention"
Good morning Madam Chair Collins, Senator Lieberman, and other distinguished
members of the committee. It is an honor to testify before this committee
regarding the FBI's efforts in identifying, tracking and dismantling the
financial structure supporting terrorist groups.

Prior to the events of September 11, 2001 (9/11), the FBI had no mechanism to
provide a comprehensive, centralized, focused and pro-active approach to
terrorist financial matters. While the FBI examined financial records at the
time of previous terrorist attacks, as part of the investigation into each of
the attacks, the events of 9/11 identified a critical need for a more
comprehensive, centralized approach to financial matters. The Terrorist
Financing Operations Section (TFOS) of the FBI's Counterterrorism Division
was formed, after 9/11, in response to this critical need. The mission of the
TFOS has since evolved into a broader strategy to identify, investigate,
prosecute, disrupt and dismantle incrementally, all terrorist related
financial and fund-raising activities.

Identifying, tracking and dismantling the financial structure supporting
terrorist groups is critical to successfully dismantling the organizations
and preventing future terrorist attacks