IRAQ: IRAQ DENIES INTELLIGENCE OFFICER MET ONE OF THE SUSPECTED HIJACKERS OF THE FIRST PLANE THAT CRASHED INTO THE WORLD TRADE CENTER TOWERS

Record ID: 230538

  • Title: IRAQ: IRAQ DENIES INTELLIGENCE OFFICER MET ONE OF THE SUSPECTED HIJACKERS OF THE FIRST PLANE THAT CRASHED INTO THE WORLD TRADE CENTER TOWERS
  • Date: 19th September 2001
  • Summary: (U4) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (SEPTEMBER 19, 2001)(REUTERS- ACCESS ALL) 1. VARIOUS, NEWSPAPERS HEADLINES HIGHLIGHTING PRESIDENT SADDAM HUSSEIN'S OPEN LETTER TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE (4 SHOTS) 0.23 2. SCU (SOUNDBITE)(English) IRAQI FOREIGN MINISTER NAJI SABRI SAYING: "The United States administration and its allies know very well that Iraq has no relation whatsoever with what happpened in the United States and has no relation whatsoever with the groups that are being accused now by the United States of committing what happened in the United States. They know very well that we have no relation whatsoever with all these people and with all these things. There is no such thing at all but it has now become a common fact that the United States administration started distributing accusations here and there without any evidence." 1.18 3. SCU INSIGNIA ON JACKET 1.21 4. SCU (SOUNDBITE)(Arabic) NAJI SABRI SAYING: "The U.S. and its western allies are knowing well that Iraq has no relationship with what had happened and it has no relationship with the groups which the U.S. accused them of committing acts which had taken place on the 21st of this month, but we are used to hearing such accusations from the U.S without any evidence." 1.55 5. WIDE OF NAJI SABRI BEING INTERVIEWED 2.01 6. VARIOUS, STREET SCENES OF BAGHDAD (3 SHOTS) 2.17 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 4th October 2001 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BAGHDAD, IRAQ
  • Country: Iraq
  • Reuters ID: LVA6P1YTUABOZ1171AFJUVUFPDT5
  • Story Text: Iraq has denied an intelligence officer had met a
    suspected hijacker of the first plane that crashed into the
    World Trade Center last week.



    Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri denied on Wednesday
    (September 19) that suspected hijacker Mohamed Atta had met an
    Iraqi intelligence official.

    "The United States administration and its allies know very
    well that Iraq has no relation whatsoever with what happpened
    in the United States and has no relation whatsoever with the
    groups that are being accused now by the United States of
    committing what happened in the United States. They know very
    well that we have no relation whatsoever with all these people
    and with all these things. There is no such thing at all but
    it has now become a common fact that the United States
    administration started distributing accusations here and there
    without any evidence," Sabri told Reuters Television.

    U.S. sources said on Tuesday (September 18) that Mohamed
    Atta had met earlier this year an Iraqi intelligence official
    in Europe. But senior U.S. officials had said that there was
    no evidence linking Iraq to the assaults.

    Iraq has said unfair U.S. foreign policy invited the
    attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon
    in Washington, which left thousands dead.

    U.S. sources said that Atta, a 33-year old Egyptian, had
    studied at an engineering school in Hamburg, Germany, and took
    flying lessons in Florida.

    He was on board the first plane that hit the Twin Towers
    in New York on September 11.



  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register