Pakistan: Passports Linked to 9/11 Found

Weeks into U.S.-Backed Assault on Waziristan, Pakistan Military Seeks to Show Progress

(AP)  Pakistani soldiers battling their way into a Taliban stronghold along the Afghan border have seized passports that may be linked to 9/11 suspects, as they confront an enemy skilled in operating in a mountainous terrain with endless ways to wage a guerrilla war.

The military on Thursday took foreign and local journalists for a first look inside the largely lawless territory since it launched a ground offensive here in mid-October. The U.S.-backed operation is focused on a section of the tribal region where the Pakistani Taliban are based and are believed to shelter al Qaeda.

Soldiers displayed passports seized in the operation, among them a German document belonging to a man named Said Bahaji. That matches the name of a man thought to have been a member of the Hamburg cell that conceived the 9/11 attacks. Bahaji is believed to have fled Germany shortly before the attacks in New York and Washington.

The passport included a tourist visa for Pakistan and a stamp indicating he'd arrived in the southern city of Karachi on Sept. 4, 2001.

Another passport, from Spain, bears the name of Raquel Burgos Garcia. Spanish media have reported that a woman with the same name is married to Amer Azizi, an alleged al Qaeda member from Morocco suspected in both the 9/11 attacks and the Madrid train bombings in 2004.

Her family in Madrid has had no news of her since 2001, according to Spanish media. Her passport included visas to India and Iran, and the army displayed a Moroccan document with Burgos Garcia's photo and other information.

It was impossible to determine whether the passports are genuine, and German and Spanish officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas, the army's chief spokesman, said he had not realized the passports matched any prominent names, and declined further comment other than to say European militants were sprinkled throughout the area.

The U.S. has maintained for years that South Waziristan and other parts of the rugged frontier have sheltered Osama bin Laden and his senior lieutenants.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, visiting this country on Thursday, said Pakistan squandered opportunities over the years to kill or capture al Qaeda leaders responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks.

"I find it hard to believe that nobody in your government knows where they are and couldn't get them if they really wanted to," Clinton said in an interview with Pakistani journalists in Lahore. "Maybe that's the case. Maybe they're not gettable. I don't know."

Although the military spent months using airstrikes to soften up targets in South Waziristan, nearly two weeks into the ground offensive it has captured only a few areas, none with significant strategic value. The army has seized weapons but is still trying to secure the main roads and regularly comes under rocket fire.

"It's a long-drawn haul," Abbas said. "They are offering resistance, and we are also striking them hard."

Pakistan's tribal belt, a semiautonomous stretch of land where the government has long had little influence, is usually off-limits to foreigners. In recent years, as the militants' influence has spread, even many Pakistanis dare not venture here.

The tribal regions are some of the poorest, most underdeveloped areas in the world and have long been guided by traditional codes and councils. The Taliban have slaughtered hundreds of tribal elders in their rise to power.

In Sherwangai, a sparsely populated district along one of the offensive's three major fronts, army commanders said they had killed 82 insurgents and lost six soldiers in their attempt to secure the area, where the hills are covered in brush, rocks and dust and strong winds whip high ridges. Many battle-hardened Uzbek militants are believed to have taken shelter here.

The military is slowly capturing isolated hamlets as it encircles the small town of Kaniguram, its next target in the push forward. But even where the army has taken control, much of the area remains dangerous, filled with land mines and roadside bombs.

After an initial surge of resistance, many militants have been fleeing. Because the army has sealed off the main passes, "they will not be able to go out in a major way," said Maj. Gen. Khalid Rabbani, a top battlefield commander.

Yet, he added, "If somebody chooses even to cross Mount Everest, he will be able to do it. So there are going to be a few, changing their disguise - taking care of their beards and long hair - they will be able to get out."

In addition to the passports, the military displayed papers and dozens of weapons and large amounts of ammunition it said it had recovered from Sherwangai.

Civilians were nowhere to be seen during Thursday's trip - some 155,000 have left the region in the past few months. South Waziristan normally has about 500,000 people.

At one military outpost, in a large mud compound in Sherwangai, smoke could be seen rising in the distance from villages under army fire. Officials assured reporters the civilians had left those areas.

The military previously estimated that the South Waziristan offensive would take at least two to three months, and officials were hesitant Thursday to give a deadline. They also declined to give a time frame for how long troops would have to stay to prevent militants from returning.

It also is unclear whether Islamabad has any plans for how to govern the territory effectively and prevent the insurgency from again taking root.

The army has deployed three divisions - about 30,000 troops - to take on some 5,000 to 8,000 militants, Abbas said, lowering a previous estimate of 10,000 militants. His estimate included up to 1,500 foreign fighters, most of them Uzbeks. Afghan fighters are also reportedly filtering in from across the border.

This is the fourth major offensive the Pakistani army has launched in South Waziristan since 2004, and this time the military has promised a fight to the finish. The previous operations ended in setbacks or peace deals that left the militant groups even stronger.

[mullerohana]

What you are seeing is called "Big Lie Theory" in action. Google it if you haven't heard of it. Basically, a population is more apt to fall for a big, astounding lie, rather than a small one. It's a propaganda technique first tested and successfully implemented by Hitler and Goebels. And it is a fact that once the lie is stated enough, and the media has accepted it, the populace will not only accept it as well, but fight to defend the lie, even in the face of contradictory evidence. At this point, with the overwhelming evidence (unexploded thermite and iron microspherules in all wtc dust samples, freefall exceleration of all the buildings, and most importantly, the molten IRON at the foundations of all three buildings), those who are still not convinced will continue to listen to Big Brother until Big Brother tells them otherwise. BTW, "Truthers" are not the liberal version of "Birthers". Try visiting ae911truth.org; the Truth movement is now spearheaded by mostly conservative engineers, architects, military, and intelligence professionals.

[jefleshman]

Fink after you digest the facts that you are a challenged and "special" person, in my response to your "Mental Outburst you typed".

Riddle me this batman...

If you believe the conspiracy theory (which we all know you do) and OBL was in Pakistan on 10 Sep 01, where was he on Oct 7, 2001?


Oh and before I forget, tell your doctor in the nursing home DSM V is expected to be out in 2012 but use the DSM IV for now.

Fink this is a friend to a friend, tell him to do a liver test on you and if all is well see if he thinks Prozac and Lithium would be good for you. It may help.

Ok, thought I would get that quality info to you before I forgot.

[chonder2]

Gee, when are they going to find the hand drawn map with a pirateX marking the Binladen cave??

[kaylag04]

"no muslim hand was involved in the mastermind, financial, planning, and execution of 911. Bush and his goons are."

thought Bush & Co. were so incompetent that a)Bush couldn't say 'Nuclear'; b) They couldn't keep secret prisons secret c)He couldn't pass classes at Yale d)messed up Katrina, etc,etc,...but he somehow masterminded 9/11 AND sprinkled random passports around the world?

[hungry1968-17]

The ONLY thing that Bush had to do with 9/11, is the fact that he ignored all of the intelligence which allowed the attack to happen.

"Truthers" are the lunatic left's version or the right wings "birthers", and neither should be taken seriously.

[hungry1968-17]

by guyinpa1960 October 30, 2009 7:10 AM EDT
Anyone here who thinks that terrorists exist only in Pakistan is a totally clueless.






No kidding.

Just look at America.

Here, we call them "conservatives", and they've done far more damage to America than ALL terrorists organizations COMBINED.

[nokia3210c]

please, come on. not the same old story again. (sic). if i can put this way:- there was no muslim hand in the 9/11. if anybody wants some proof go..911truth.com; weknowthetruth.com, or just make a search on 911 and look for yourselves the story which attracts ou more. but seriously, no muslim hand was involved in the mastermind, financial, planning, and execution of 911. Bush and his goons are.

[writer10]

LOLOLOLOL!!!!!!! Yeah...Bin Laden is just a peaceful Buddhist! LOLOLOLOLOL!!!!!! Didn't realize they let you patients use the computers in the nut-house!

[jefleshman]

I love the "you invaded the wrong country" line.

HELLO World: Taliban and AQI in Afghanistan 2001(OBL and Mullah Omar)

Tapping on the screen *TAP *TAP *TAP, they were NOT in Pakistan at the time!

Also, I do not buy the passport STORY, it just is too fishy...Fox news even has pictures of these passports and papers. Make your own decision on it.

I find it very much a "chance" as Sec Of State Clinton accusing them of not doing enough (also find it very ironic her husband was the POTUS and she was the 1st Lady and OBL was on the radar). Then a couple of days later, these documents magically appear?????


Anyone thinking the same?

[nextgenman09]

The republitarded are always looking for something fishy after getting instructions for FOX.

[jefleshman]

Lets see Fink

(only you deny that OBL was not in Afghanistan and Holy Cow Mullah Omar was the head of the Taliban Governement - everyone knows this to be true)

EVERY person in Afghanistan including the woman who I believe to be one of the "silent" Heros in Afghanistan.


Suraya Sadeed (http://www.lightparty.com/On9-11/LetterFromSuraya.html)

Pretty POWERFUL letter written to Pres. Bush days after 9-11 from an Afghan to the POTUS ... small excerpt:

"The fear that I have had for years has been realized. I knew that Afghanistan would have to pay for having Osama Bin Laden as its unwanted Ïguest.Ó The fact that Osama bin Laden is in Afghanistan has nothing to do with the Afghan people themselves. He is not an Afghan and, he is not supported by Afghans. He came by force and will only leave by force. Did the Afghan people invite him? No. Can they remove him? No. Afghans are terrorized themselves. For the past nine years, I have traveled 17 times to Afghanistan to deliver humanitarian aid. I have seen the unspeakable pain and agony of millions who are in constant fear, living a powerless shackled existence where even learning and showing a womanÌs face in public is now outlawed. Afghans did not elect their government, they have no voice. For too long ours has been a forgotten nation--one that paid a heavy price by fighting a war for freedom against the invading Soviet Union, which benefited the United States and the world - a war that helped bring the end of the cold war.

Our small nation sacrificed over one million lives, had 5 million refugees, two million widows, over one million orphans, over 500,000 amputees. Afghanistan is a country in enormous pain and is drowning in her sorrows. A nation that has sought freedom and civility for decades, now has received the title of "Terrorist nation". I hope the U.S. Government and American people realize that the people of Afghanistan have been terrorized themselves and kept hostage for years."

[jefleshman]

***whispering Fink***

Ummm, your question earlier and I quote:

"who told you that"

I did not need to be told, I am a big boy and did not need to be told where OBL or Mullah Omar where.

As far as your "other" demands, Like I said, I am a big boy and do not need to be told, I can research myself.

[jefleshman]

Fink,

Did you see OBL ever in person? Exactly...

Your a "scientist" figure out other ways to confirm time and place and there you have it; Good luck!

Tapping on the screen *TAP *TAP *TAP, and "everything is not a conspiracy in life fink"

"eye witnesses claim OBL was in the hospital in Pakistan the day before 9-11" yes, eye witnesses are such a wonderful thing to rely on!

Like I said, I could see an event and so can 10 other people and we all see something the same and something different. (Oh how many reports was there of Saddam floating around? Oh how many reports of people who were 100% that was there missing child and then it turns out it isnt?

Fink the scientist, draw your own conclusions from your "lab" behind a computer. I have my reasons and logic based on the information I believe to be true and so do you.

NEXT!

[jefleshman]

Fink...

No one has to tell me. I do my own work. I am not like you and a child that has to be told everything, because you are not intelligent enough to do your own research!

Hmmmm made up quote?
http://www.infowars.com/dead-or-alive-osama-bin-laden-a-marketing-tool-for-us-nato-military-operations/

Or try this one fink:
http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/CHO311A.html

You are really not that smart are you? It must stink to have everyone tell you information.

[spaceatoms]

Then you take out the the weasles. No we can do it more like this. Well, we are looking into it and there have been some reports; thats the setup statement, now, as time goes on and Wall Street goes up, I will continue to turn my head to the 600 percent profits in the last 6 months and we are right back to the beginning with nothing learned at all except gas will go to 5.00 a gallon as we welcome back speculation. Have a good day!

[Lawyers-Guns-n-Money-01]

by stn_sage October 29, 2009 11:33 PM EDT
etichsh:

Let ME GUESS? You're one of the 'simple folk' who believe the story book like tale of how buildings made of heavy steel totally disintegrate and collapse by plane fires that can't and don't reach a temperature high enough to cause that effect? You must also believe that the radiation levels indicative of a small nuclear device and the molten flows of metal it produces...and they found on site...is also unreal? Or, that demolitions that bring down buildings in a 'free-fall'...and were OBSERVED here...didn't happen, either? On and on and on..or, that the commission instilled to look into this didn't even bother to examine physical evidence...you must think that didn't happen either, huh?

===============================================================

No, but I believe space aliens killed Kennedy, the earth is flat and the moon is made out of green cheese.

[nokia3210c]

what is your point!!

[Lawyers-Guns-n-Money-01]

by wzdhappy October 30, 2009 1:34 AM EDT
Pakistan is fighting while you are here complaining,America just supply weapons,but the soldiers of Pakistan are dying!
==================================================================

Oh great. Now you want the U.S. to roll into Pakistan as well? Anybody else on your hit parade we can help out with?

[jefleshman]

Laughing, Thanks Lawyers...another chuckle, you have a great sense of humor!

[ibsteve2u]

"That matches the name of a man thought to have been a member of the Hamburg cell that conceived the 9/11 attacks."

So we attacked Afghanistan for something planned in Germany...

Makes me think the idea of "war" to solve this problem is baloney. They're too mobile...this should have been an intense international police effort backed up with the tactical use of special ops forces and air power when required.

lolll....of course, actually solving the problem of terrorism didn't fit into PNAC's objectives.

[Lawyers-Guns-n-Money-01]

by hermitdave October 29, 2009 9:56 PM EDT
============================

I remember a guy named Ted Kaczynski. He also was a hermit. And kinda nutty also.

[hermitdave]

One thing about TED he was an American terror dude, he didn't have to take CIA training in Pakistan like the Muslim terror dudes.

[berlinfoto-2009]

Are you truly sure that Ted Kacznski, did not have CIA training? I read somewhere that he had plenty of very special CIA training at Harvard, lots and lots of CIA LSD. Prior to this he was an extremely brilliant man.

[stn_sage]

WHAT?!!! I'm laughing my fanny off over this one, gang!

The Pakistani military wants to show it's cooperating with the U.S....so, they find some PASSPORTS that...MIGHT...be related to 911?! They're not even claiming that's the case! But hey, they should have pictures and names, so why CAN'T they definitively say, it's the case?

MORE passports? How many sets did the members of this group have?
They appear to have more passports, than I have sets of socks! Geesh!

And they ALWAYS seem to show up, when some authority group is trying to look good to someone (politicking) or get something from another (money).

Hey, I'd be kinda 'ticked' if I were the C.I.A., this sort of thing could cause the public to 'wake up' and start questioning the authenticity of all those tapes Bin Laden is nice enough to send to them!

Gee, these type of events could cause one to believe the War on Terror is a fake, 'false flag' operation, that individuals have been falsely accused of things they didn't do, and OUR GOVERNMENTS know much more about all this...but just aren't telling us the truth!

Thanks, Pakistan!

[Lawyers-Guns-n-Money-01]

Hey hermitdave, I found someone else that might like to share an isolated and austere cabin with you.

(Either of you guys like fruitcake?)

[curiously1]

Anything terror related is hidden in Pakistan. We have Afghanistan in control, Iran is scared to death to shelter these bastards. The Saudis have tightened the screws. All the other butt-naked arab poops are watching their steps. It's all in Pakistan now. Go U.S troops !

[askagain]

What if it took Pakistan eight years to build and train its army to the point that it could be successful? Pakistan does not appear to be one of the wealthier countries. It also appears that Pakistan may have thought it could negotiate peaceful settlements with the Taliban and Al Qaeda, There are people in America and throughout the world who think all conflicts can be avoided through negotiations and statesmanship. It is so easy to be critical of Pakistan, claim they've done nothing, and question their sincerity. We have the fortune and benefit of not having Taliban and Al Qaeda within our borders. We may have a few hidden among us, but Pakistan has its hands full with them.

[melchg07]

Pretty well worded thoughts there.

Now that the Pakistani government has finally acted (within the last year) to push against the Taliban and Al Qaeda in their own borders they simply can't just stop. They have let the cat out of the bag (so to speak) and there really isn't any going back to the way their country was.

We should not be considering leaving Afghanistan now that Pakistan seems really willing to do what is necessary (even though it isn't popular with their citizens.....of course which country would really enjoy having a war within their own country).

For the past the first 7 years we've had a whopping 28,000 soldiers over in Afghanistan. We are finally just beginning to show our strength over there. With Pakistan making a push the extremists simply can't just run across the border to a safe haven like they did before (running to pakistan).

With Iraq getting under control and Iran having a major rebellion the middle east is starting to reshape itself.

Not to mention if you look at the map.....if Pakistan becomes a full US ally and Afghanistan leans towards US policy and Iraq follows suit......
...you have Iran sitting smack in the middle of all of them. I believe that would put them between a rock and a hard place....especially when the moderates in their own country are pushing against their government.

[Lawyers-Guns-n-Money-01]

Except it's NOT contained in Pakistan. Somalia is a lawless wasteland that appeals to these extremist nutcases and Yemen is becoming a hotbed for them too.

It's like whack-a-mole.

[askagain]

melchg07 and Lawyers-Guns-n-Money-01 - These are all valid points. There must be ways to contain the Taliban and Al Qaeda. It would seem that if the Pakistani Army can push them toward Afghanistan, the Afghanistan army and the U.S. can pick them off as they flee into Afghanistan. Somehow our government tamed our wild west. You would think that the same could be done in Pakistan and Afghanistan. And we do have trouble spots such as Somalia and Yemen. Perhaps they can be cleaned up after the problems in Pakistan and Afghanistan are resolved.

[wzdhappy]

Pakistan is fighting while you are here complaining,America just supply weapons,but the soldiers of Pakistan are dying!

[jefleshman]

Ask, melch and lawyers,

Good points of view.

Lawyers, the same could be said about any movement such as the Nazi movement which is still present all ove the worl but at a containable level.

Lawyers,

I would be interested in knowing your solution to it all.

[hermitdave]

OK boys and girls it is 9/11/01 story time again. With the original story fading from some of the stupidest humans on earth memory, it is time to again reinforce the LIE of the century. With the CIA find a VCR tape of Osama Bin Laden confessing he planned 9/11/01 in living color pretty much shut down. With audio only tapes of the guy Ms Bhutto told David Frost was murdered, a month before she was murdered, not playing that well, the western world needs something to keep the LIE alive.

So how about a story of finding passports of evil terror dudes the CIA can claim were planners of 9/11/01. Finding pieces of paper is one of the miracles of 9/11/01. Remember in the massive rubble of the demolition of the twin towers, they found the drivers license of a evil Muslim terror dude who was flying one of the airliners that they say hit a tower.

So listen up all you ignorant masses, Hillary Clinton is asking why the government of Pakistan did not capture and turn over the planners of 9/11/01. Of course that begs the question if most of them were in Pakistan, why did Dick Cheney invade Afghanistan? Was the CIA rely that much in the dark? Considering they knew Osama Bin Laden was a former operative and CIA had a rather large contingent of soldiers of fortune operating in both countries. I know this all begs some answers, however I also know that no way are there going to be any forthcoming. It would take a huge increase in human intelligence by those in the western world. Considering what the real evil doers have got away with over the last 20 years this is of course next to impossible.

[armyoftwelve]

Well, it's about time. This really isn't a surprise at all is it?

If Pervex Musharraf had done this 8 years ago we wouldn't have had to invade iraq!

[wzdhappy]

I want to say that America invided iraq in the name of anti-terrorism ?but in fact is for the Oil and Gas

[Lawyers-Guns-n-Money-01]

Oh sure, NOW you tell us. Eight years and two countries later. Thanks Pakistan.

[edgy44]

B-52's could help. Let's Roll!

[bubbadubba]

Let me guess, the passports are signed and approved by GW Bush and Cheney?

[erichsh]

Let me guess, you're one of the loons that think Bush/Cheney personally ordered 9/11, right? Admit it.

[stn_sage]

etichsh:

Let ME GUESS? You're one of the 'simple folk' who believe the story book like tale of how buildings made of heavy steel totally disintegrate and collapse by plane fires that can't and don't reach a temperature high enough to cause that effect? You must also believe that the radiation levels indicative of a small nuclear device and the molten flows of metal it produces...and they found on site...is also unreal? Or, that demolitions that bring down buildings in a 'free-fall'...and were OBSERVED here...didn't happen, either? On and on and on..or, that the commission instilled to look into this didn't even bother to examine physical evidence...you must think that didn't happen either, huh?

Well...I'd say YOU have no knowledge of the 911 event, or you do...but, you just can't handle it! Which is it, name-caller!?