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U.S. Interests Pre-9/11: Mideast Dominance and Oil Politics

Explore the significant events and interests shaping U.S. policies in the Middle East before 9/11, including the Project for a New American Century, Central Asian oil cooperation, and geopolitical strategies.

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U.S. Interests Pre-9/11: Mideast Dominance and Oil Politics

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  1. Before (and after) 9/11 What didn’t happen, and what was going on elsewhere?

  2. Three main “Before” threads • What the U.S. saw as its interests in the Mideast • The activities surrounding the alleged hijackers in the U.S. • What were they doing here? • The (non) investigations • Osama bin Laden (OBL or UBL) • Warnings and Foreknowledge

  3. U. S. Interestsin the Mideast dominance, oil & gas

  4. U.S. InterestsProject for New American Century (PNAC) • Devoted to matters of “maintaining US pre-eminence, thwarting rival powers and shaping the global security system according to US interests.” • Consistent position: regime change in Iraq • Rebuilding America's Defenses: Strategies, Forces, and Resources For a New Century (2000) • Massive modernization, transformation, expansion of military • Will take massive infusion of money [from entitlements] • Because of public and institutional resistance, "the process of transformation, even if it brings revolutionary change, is likely to be a long one, absent some catastrophic and catalyzing event – like a new Pearl Harbor.” • Clip: Everybody’s Gotta Learn Sometime (6:37-12:17)

  5. U.S. Interests: PNAC

  6. U.S. Interests: PNAC in Bush Admin

  7. U.S. Interests Union Oil Company of California • 1890: founded • 1995: cooperating with CIA, turning over information gained on Central Asian negotiating trips (part of larger CIA use of business) • 1996: opens office in Kandahar during Taliban take-over • 1996: anti-Taliban Massoud claims Unocal and CIA gave Taliban the money needed to take over Kandahar; later CIA and Unocal said to give Taliban weapons and instructors • 1997: agrees to pay ~$1M to set up facility (near Bin Laden compound) to train Pashtuns for building pipeline • 1998-2005: discussed later • 2005: China tries to buy, stymied by U.S. government “national security” concerns; merged into Chevron

  8. U.S. InterestsCentral Asia Cheney (CEO Halliburton): "I cannot think of a time when we have had a region emerge as suddenly to become as strategically significant as the Caspian.”

  9. U.S. InterestsPetroleumhttp://commdocs.house.gov/committees/intlrel/hfa48119.000/hfa48119_0.HTM 1998: Congressional testimony by Unocal • Caspian/Central Asia rich in untapped petroleum • Area is isolated • Most pipelines were built during Russian Afghanistan era, head north, none south & east • Europe and former Soviet republics slow demand growth • Asia is where big demand expected, where pipelines should go • One main pipeline option is across Afghanistan, requiring a stable government having the confidence of governments, leaders, and our company

  10. U.S. InterestsUnocal India Pipeline

  11. U.S. InterestsHistory 79-91 Based mostly on http://www.ringnebula.com/Oil/Timeline.htm • 7/79: Carter orders aid to anti-govt forces in Afghanistan to induce Soviet invasion (ZbigBrz) • 12/79: Soviets comply, after initial resistance • mid/late 80’s: CIA works with Saudis to create an army to inject into Afghanistan • Saudis pick OBL (wealthy construction family, close ties to royal family) • 1989: Soviets leave Afghanistan • 12/91: Soviet Union collapses • Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan formed

  12. U.S. InterestsHistory 93-96 • 1993: Oil companies start moving for the oil (200 billion barrel estimate); also natural gas • 1995: Unocal signs oil & gas pipeline agreements with Turkmenistan • Rt: Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, to Indian Ocean • 1995-97: Bridas (Argentine oil co.) in competing negotiations w/Turkmenistan/Taliban/Pakistan • 8/96: Unocal & Delta/Saudi sign memorandum of understanding with Russian & Turkmen gas companies for building pipeline (same route)

  13. U.S. InterestsHistory 97 • 1997: Congress declares Caspian/Caucasus a “zone of vital American interest” • 10/97: Unocal & others form Central Asia Gas Pipeline Ltd (CentGas) to build Afghan pipeline • 12/97: Unocal invites Taliban reps to its Texas headquarters

  14. U.S. InterestsHistory • 1/98: Unocal and Pak/Turkmenistan/Taliban sign agreement on gas pipeline financing, with Unocal also considering an oil pipeline • 1/98: Bridas wins the competition (?????) • 2/98: Unocal VP tells Congress Taliban should be removed, replaced w/govt acceptable to Unocal • 3/98: Unocal announces delay in finalizing project due to ongoing civil war

  15. U.S. InterestsHistory • 8/98: OBL-linked terrorists bomb African embassies • 8/98: Clinton calls in 75-80 cruise missiles on Afghanistan and Sudan;Unocal suspends pipeline development • 11/98: Trade & Development Agency commissions Enron to investigate another route to Turkish coast (~$1bil more expensive) • 12/98: Unocal cites “business reasons,” withdraws from the agreement

  16. U.S. InterestsHistory • 4/99: Pak/Turkmen/Afghan reactivate agreement without the U.S. interests • 7/99: Clinton freezes Afghan assets, prohibits trade and other transactions • 10/99: 1st UN Security Council Res 1267 sanctions Taliban, demands OBL turnover without delay • 10/00: USS Cole attacked • 12/00: 2nd UN Security Council Res 1333: more sanctions on Taliban, demands 1267 compliance

  17. U.S. InterestsHistory 2001 1-2/01: Bush administration (BA) • Cheney, Condoleeza Rice and Secy’s of Commerce, Interior, and Army are all previous oil-related execs • Secy of Energy rec’d more oil $ as senator than all but 3 others • BA immediately engages in active negotiations w/Taliban • Taliban hires long-time Mujaheddin ally Laila Helms (niece of Richard Helms (former CIA head & Iran ambassador) as go-between

  18. U.S. InterestsHistory 2001 • 5/01: BA to Taliban on pipeline placement: "Either you accept our offer of a carpet of gold, or we bury you under a carpet of bombs.” • 6/01: Ambassador to Yemen prevents FBI’s John O’Neill from entering Yemen to investigate aQ/Cole • 7/01: Senior US officials tell former Pak foreign secretary that US military action against Afghanistan would start by mid-October [BBC] • 9/11/01: .................................

  19. U.S. InterestsHistory 2001 • 9/01: 3rd UN Security Council Resolution 1373: more sanctions • 10/7/01: Aerial bombardment of Afghanistan begins, allegedly to get OBL and 9/11 accomplices • 10/14/01: Taliban offers to turn over OBL to neutral country if US stops bombing and gives evidence of 9/11 guilt; Bush rejects: “We know he’s guilty.” • 10/16/01: Taliban moderate drops demand for proof; but U.S. wants Taliban hard-liners out

  20. U.S. InterestsHistory: interlude • 11/01: Bush order -- sitting or previous president (or family) can seal all presidential and/or vice-presidential records, including those of previous administrations; does so for Reagan/Bush1 (also Clinton?) • 1/02: Bush asks Daschle to limit Congressional 9/11 investigations

  21. U.S. InterestsHistory 2001-02 • 12/01: US-backed government takes over, under Hamid Karzai (former Unocal consultant) • 12/01: Bush appoints Zalmay Khalilzad as special envoy to Afghanistan (former Unocal consultant in talks with Taliban in 1997) • 2/02: Karzai and Pakistan pres agree to revive pipe-line; Turkmenistan says it hopes will soon be built • 5/02/02: Karzai and Turkmenistan/Pakistan counterparts hold talks on pipeline;Afghan minister for Mines and Industries says Unocal is “the lead company” for building it. • 5/30/02: Afghanistan,Turkmenistan and Pakistan agree to build the pipeline

  22. U.S. InterestsHistory - later • 4/10: Afghan, Pakistan, and India sign agreement to buy gas from Turkmenistan • 12/10: Gas pipeline agreement signed • 5/30/02: Afghanistan,Turkmenistan and Pakistan agree to build the pipeline • 04/12: Failure to agree on gas transit fees • India/Afghanistan re: Afghan segment • India/Pakistan: re Pakistan segment • 05/12: Afghan parliament approves pipeline;India signs gas purchase agreement w/Turkmenistan

  23. The Hijackers • Did they even exist? • What were they doing here? • The (non)investigations • Osama Bin Laden

  24. The Hijackers Where did FBI get IDs? • Head of Customs & Boarder Protection testifies before 9/11 Commission • On the morning of 9/11, they pulled manifests from airlines, noticed several suspicious • Ran through lookout list • In 45 minutes, they forwarded list of hijackers and passengers to FBI • By 11AM, saw list with all 19 hijackers, all of whom turned out to be correct. • Note: original list had only 18 hijackers

  25. The Hijackers (per FBI on 9/14) Flight 11 • Amir Bukhari 9/13 (died in small plane crash in 2000) • Waleed al-Shehri • Adnan Bukhari 9/13 (alive in FL, passed polygraph) • Wail al-Shehri (Saudi pilot, contacted officials to deny • Abdulrahman al-Omari 9/13 (Saudi Air pilot, complained) • Abdul Aziz al-Omari (confirmed name & DoB, Saudi embassy says passport stolen in 1996) • Amer Kamfar 9/13 • Satam al-Suqami (passport found before (FBI) or after (911C) North tower collapse) • Mohamed Atta

  26. The Hijackers (per FBI on 9/14) Flight 175 • Marwan al-Shehhi • Faez Banihammad [FBI: “Ahmed”] • Mohand [FBI: “Mohald”] al-Shehri • Ahmed al-Ghamdi • Hamza al-Ghamdi (also booked flights in Saudi Arabia for end of September)

  27. The Hijackers (per FBI on 9/14) Flight 77 • Salem al-Hazmi (says never been to U.S., not out of Saudi Arabia in 2 years) • Nawaf [FBI: “Nawaq”] al-Hazmi • Majed Moqed • Khalid al-Midhar • “Mosead Caned” (9/14 morning DoJ unreleased list) • Hani Hanjour (not on passenger manifest)

  28. The Hijackers (per FBI on 9/14) Flight 93 • Saeed al-Ghamdi (Saudi pilot; name, residence, DoB, occupation match; “shocked and furious”) • Ahmed al-Nami • Ahmad al-Haznawi • Ziad Jarrah [FBI: “Jarrahi” -- correct on later versions of “original” manifests that were supposedly basis for identification]

  29. The Hijackers The Atta Story - 9/11 Comm • Atta and al-Omari drive to Portland in rented blue Nissan • Stay overnight • Catch commuter flight to Boston • Arrives at 6:45, an hour before Flight 11 departure • Atta’s bags don’t make the transfer, though everyone else’s do (though Atta was flagged by CAPPS -- Computer Assisted Passenger Pre-Screening)

  30. The Hijackers The Atta Story - Problems • Portland trip -- ringleader risks delay forcing postponement or cancellation of operation • Atta’s bags -- why didn’t they make the transfer (and why was there a will in them?)

  31. The Hijackers The Atta Story develops • CNN (9/12) • Bukharis involved • 2 individuals photographed going through Portland security • Arabic flight training manuals found in car at Logan • CNN (early 9/13, according to law-enforcement): • Bukharis rent silver blue Nissan Altima in Boston • Drive to Portland 9/10, drive back next morning • Mitsubishi sedan found at Logan w/Arabic flight manuals, rented by Atta

  32. The Hijackers The Atta Story develops • CNN (later 9/13) • Apology for Bukhari mistake (based on multiple law-enforcement reports) • Still say flight manuals in Boston car w/references pointing to Atta and al-Shehhi • CNN (9/14) -- “Arabic language manuals” in car • CNN (later 9/14; per Portland Police) • Atta one of two who boarded flight to Boston • Nissan rented from same place as Boston car used by “additional suspects” • WashPost (9/16) -- incriminating materials found in Atta’s luggage

  33. The Hijackers The Atta Story -- FBI 10/5 • Photo from Portland Jetport gas station • Atta & al-Omari (A&O) at 8:28 PM (date cropped) • “same picture” at Moussaoui trial (2006) -- date shows as 11-10-01 (Saturday) though stamped MON • Timeline has other pictures of A&O at other places at 8:31 and 8:41, getting to Jetport at 9:15

  34. The Hijackers The Atta Story -- FBI Affidavit • Signed by FBI agent and US magistrate judge • Dated 9/12, 9:53 AM • Blue Nissan Altima rented by Atta • A&O on AA flight 11 • AA personnel found A’s two bags • Magistrate authorized search • Found incriminating evidence, including A’s will • So why all the misinformation on 9/13-14?

  35. Hijackers -- what were they doing? Entry into US • 91: Hanni Hanjour comes to Arizona

  36. Hijackers -- what were they doing? Entry into US • 1/00: Khaled Almihdhar & Nawaf Alhazmi to LA • Passports flagged as terror-related by Saudis • CIA knows them, puts them on NSA watch list (for intercepts) but not State Dept watch list (to prevent entry) until 8/01, claims lost them in Bangkok after Malaysia aQ summit • But Almihdhar tells KSM they were followed • Thailand cables CIA about them in March, CIA claims no one saw this until May • Settle in San Diego w/help from al-Bayoumi (called “Saudi or other foreign intel” by FBI’s best source in the area) • Live openly (in phone book, cell phone registered, etc.) • Almihdhar leaves 6/00, returns to Yemen communication hub

  37. Hijackers -- what were they doing? Entry into US • 6/00: Ziad Jarrah arrives in Georgia • Tourist visa from Berlin • Stopped in Dubai • UAE officials say stop was requested by CIA, question him for 4 hours, inform US, US says to let him go, they’ll track him • US denies knowing (but appears unlikely) • Flies to Venice, FL, settles there

  38. Hijackers -- what were they doing? Entry into US http://newsmine.org/content.php?ol=9-11/suspects/hijackers-visa-express-program-started-3-months-before-911.txt (original WP article gone) • Visa Express program -- started June 2001 • Only at the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia, to cut long lines, frees staff time to more thoroughly check suspicious ones • No interviews or background checks -- data checks done by travel agencies (but 12 of 15 Saudi hijackers interviewed) • Richard Armitage (PNAC) rejects requests from the Foreign Terrorist Tracking Task Force (FTTTF) to deny some visas (in July 2002) • “The information we have received from the FTTTF so far has been insufficient to permit a consular office to deny a visa. The information we have received states only that the FTTF believes the applicants may pose a threat to national security.”

  39. Hijackers -- what were they doing? Flying • Ziad Jarrah • Florida Flight Training Center (FFTC), Jun-? 2000 • Aiming for multi-engine license

  40. Hijackers -- what were they doing? Flying • Mohammed Atta & Marwan Alshehhi • Huffman Aviation (Venice), Jul-Dec 2000 • aiming for commercial licenses • Atta already has private license • Soloing by July • Obnoxious: attitude/authority problem, instructor wants to expell, owner Dekker talks to them, they improve • Rent planes, gone for days at a time • Go to Sarasota School (Sept), thrown out, return to Huffman • Dekker says they leave after paying in Dec, but reportedly practice night-landing Huffman planes at another airport in Jan/Feb

  41. Hijackers -- what were they doing? Flying

  42. Hijackers -- what were they doing? Devout? • Atta and Alshehhi • Venice: frequent two pubs, drink beer • Atta never visits mosques or associates with Muslims • Coral Springs: Atta chain smoking • Lots more (Las Vegas lap dancers, etc.)

  43. Hijackers -- what were they doing? Living openly • Nawaf Alhamzi and Ziad Jarrah • Living in motel a few miles from NSA headquarters during Aug/early-Sept 2011

  44. Hijackers -- what were they doing? Living Openly

  45. Hijackers -- How did they get here? U.S. Saudi visa office

  46. Hijackers -- the (non) investigations2002 Congressional Inquiry [Before 9/11, the] “intelligence community possessed no intelligence or law enforcement information linking 16 of the 19 hijackers [including Atta] to terrorism or terrorist groups.” Well....

  47. Hijackers -- the (non) investigations The Yemen Comm Hub 1 • 96?: NSA monitoring OBL phone picks up Yemen number, later turns out to be a hub • 8/98: East Africa embassy bombing • 8/98: That investigation id’s Yemen al-Qaeda communication hub (run by Almihdhar’s father-in law; wife there) • NSA & CIA plant bugs, tap phones, satellite-watch visitors • “Intelligence bonanza” -- counter-terrorism officials

  48. Hijackers -- the (non) investigations The Yemen Comm Hub 2 • 12/99: major info review to prevent Millennium attacks • turns up two HJs connected to Yemen hub (& heading to Malaysia aQ summit) also connected to East Africa bombing; • NSA identifies a number of HJs, fails to pass some of the info to CIA • NSA report at the time shows clear knowledge of HJs’ connection to OBL

  49. Hijackers -- the (non) investigations The Yemen Comm Hub 3 • 00-01 -- many calls to/from hijackers • 9/11 Commission: NSA shared some but not all info w/CIA and FBI • FBI agents working on aQ/Yemen said they never heard of the calls • NSA says it didn’t share Almihdhar-in-US info because didn’t know he was there (obviously false from other evidence)

  50. Hijackers -- the (non) investigations Malaysia aQ Summit (1/00) 1 • Many of OBL’s close associates there • CIA tracks Khalid Almihdhar from Dubai (where they copied his passport, which had a U.S. multi-entry visa) • KA presence at summit provided to FBI (in an odd way), but existence of the visa NOT! • CIA notifies Malaysia authorities about the summit, but doesn’t tell them what to look for, so Malaysians concentrate on locals

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