Why Protect Saudi Royals and Pakistani Military?
by Gerald Posner
Miami Herald
On Wednesday, President Bush admitted officially for the first time that the CIA held some foreign terror suspects abroad. In his remarks, he spoke about Abu Zubaydah, whom I discussed at length in Chapter 19, ''The Interrogation,'' of my 2003 book, Why America Slept.
Bush acknowledged some of the information I disclosed, that Zubaydah was wounded when captured, that he did not initially cooperate with his interrogators and that eventually when he did talk, his information was, according to Bush, "quite important.''
Bush credits Zubaydah with helping, in part, to capture terror kingpin Khalid Sheik Mohammed, giving information that stopped a previously unknown terror strike from happening, and providing details about other al Qaeda operatives.
But Bush did not mention what I had disclosed -- that Zubaydah had also named three Saudi princes -- one of whom was the king's nephew -- and the chief of Pakistan's air force, as his chief contacts in those two countries. Moreover, Zubaydah told American investigators that two of those he named -- and for which he provided their private telephone numbers -- had advance knowledge about the 9/11 attacks.
It would be nice to pursue the investigation of these men, but all four named by Zubaydah are now dead. As for the three Saudi princes:
* The king's 43-year-old nephew, Prince Ahmed bin Salman bin Abdul-Aziz, died of either a heart attack or blood clot, depending on which report you believe.
* The second, 41-year-old Prince Sultan bin Faisal bin Turki al-Saud, died the following day in a one-car accident.
* And the third Saudi prince named by Zubaydah, 25-year-old Prince Fahd bin Turki bin Saud al-Kabir, died, according to the Saudi Royal Court, "of thirst.''
The head of Pakistan's Air Force, Mushaf Ali Mir, died together with his wife and fifteen of his top aides when his plane blew up -- suspected as sabotage -- in February 2003. Read more
Miami Herald
On Wednesday, President Bush admitted officially for the first time that the CIA held some foreign terror suspects abroad. In his remarks, he spoke about Abu Zubaydah, whom I discussed at length in Chapter 19, ''The Interrogation,'' of my 2003 book, Why America Slept.
Bush acknowledged some of the information I disclosed, that Zubaydah was wounded when captured, that he did not initially cooperate with his interrogators and that eventually when he did talk, his information was, according to Bush, "quite important.''
Bush credits Zubaydah with helping, in part, to capture terror kingpin Khalid Sheik Mohammed, giving information that stopped a previously unknown terror strike from happening, and providing details about other al Qaeda operatives.
But Bush did not mention what I had disclosed -- that Zubaydah had also named three Saudi princes -- one of whom was the king's nephew -- and the chief of Pakistan's air force, as his chief contacts in those two countries. Moreover, Zubaydah told American investigators that two of those he named -- and for which he provided their private telephone numbers -- had advance knowledge about the 9/11 attacks.
It would be nice to pursue the investigation of these men, but all four named by Zubaydah are now dead. As for the three Saudi princes:
* The king's 43-year-old nephew, Prince Ahmed bin Salman bin Abdul-Aziz, died of either a heart attack or blood clot, depending on which report you believe.
* The second, 41-year-old Prince Sultan bin Faisal bin Turki al-Saud, died the following day in a one-car accident.
* And the third Saudi prince named by Zubaydah, 25-year-old Prince Fahd bin Turki bin Saud al-Kabir, died, according to the Saudi Royal Court, "of thirst.''
The head of Pakistan's Air Force, Mushaf Ali Mir, died together with his wife and fifteen of his top aides when his plane blew up -- suspected as sabotage -- in February 2003. Read more
posted by exoplanet at 10:49 AM
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