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July 23, 2004
Al-Qadea mastermind planned to crash plane into Eilat

MAARIV: Al-Qadea mastermind planned to crash plane into Eilat

Al-Qaeda mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed offered Osama Bin Laden in the spring of 2001 to perpetrate a terror attack on the Israeli resort town of Eilat, the report published by the 9/11 investigative commission reveals.

According to the report, Mohammed raised the idea of crashing an airplane on the city but the al-Qaeda leader rejected his idea.

The panel of five Republicans and five Democrats on Thursday released the findings of its 20-month investigation into the deadliest terror attack in U.S. history. They called for an overhaul of America's intelligence agencies to stop the next terror attack. Citing multiple government failures, the report called for a national counterterrorism center headed by a Cabinet-level director to centralize intelligence efforts.

Posted by Laurence Simon at July 23, 2004 10:44 AM | TrackBack
Comments

Not an important enough target. Besides, Israel didn't have troops in Saudi Arabia -- and that was what ObL was focused on at the time.

Posted by: Don [TypeKey Profile Page] at July 23, 2004 11:04 AM


Or he simply didn't want to tip his hand, given that he already was working on the bigger attack.

Posted by: DWC [TypeKey Profile Page] at July 23, 2004 11:48 AM

To use ObL's own pronouncement, "Why use an axe when you could use a bulldozer?"

A plane crash in Eilat would barely make the news for a couple of days. It surely wouldn't provoke the US into an over-reaction.

Posted by: Don [TypeKey Profile Page] at July 23, 2004 05:44 PM


No, because 9/11 itself didn't provoke an overreaction.

The Muslim world has no idea of what our overreactions are like, and they do not want to find out.

Posted by: DWC [TypeKey Profile Page] at July 23, 2004 06:32 PM

DWC: Going to war with a nation that had not attacked us is an Overreaction.

The Muslim world already sees it that way.

Posted by: Don [TypeKey Profile Page] at July 23, 2004 06:40 PM


Yes, they may well see it that way.

But again, they have no idea of what our overreactions are like.


Posted by: DWC [TypeKey Profile Page] at July 23, 2004 08:42 PM

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