(Translation of the German original) 

T O P   S E C R E T

 B a c k g r o u n d   R e p o r t

o n   9 / 1 1 / 2 0 0 1

 – DO NOT RUBBERSTAMP –

– DO NOT SIGN –

– DO NOT WRITE ON –

– DO NOT MARK –

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 “On Monday August 6, 2001, at 17:50, [German] Ambassador Ischinger personally notified the President of the United States that information developed by the Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz [German domestic secret service] as well as the BND [Bundesnachrichtendienst, German foreign secret service] indicated clearly that an attack by a radical Arab group partially based in Germany was to occur on September 10-11, 2001. The President was at that time in residence at his farm in Texas. Our [German] Ambassador was acting in direct response to instructions from Foreign Minister Fischer.

This information was developed from official surveillance of Arab extremist groups operating in the Federal Republic as well as from intercepted communications between the Embassy of Israel and the Israeli Foreign Ministry in Tel Aviv concerning this matter.

The information was “gratefully received” by the U.S. President who stated at the time that he was also aware of the same pending assaults.

Subsequent to these attacks, the office of the U.S. President, through the U.S. Department of State, made an urgent request to the Federal Government [of Germany] that no reference whatsoever should be made to the official warnings given by Ambassador Ischinger.

In order to clarify the background of this matter, this Gesamtübersicht [overall survey] of the events leading to the assault was prepared, basing on extracts of reports from our [BND’s] stations abroad.

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Overall, it is evident that the American authorities were aware of the pending attacks. Why they did nothing, is explained in the following.

Background: General Overview 

Because of the Bush family’s involvement in oil (Zapata Oil Company), many important and wealthy individuals and corporations with oil interests financially supported the Bush political career. Today, the Bush administration is therefore strongly influenced by major American business groups. 

The candidate for American Vice President, Richard “Dick” Cheney, had been the Chief Director of the Halliburton Company. This company, based in Dallas, Texas, where Bush was Governor, is the largest oil service company in the world. 

Between 1991 through 1997, such important American oil companies as Texaco, Unocal, Shell, BP Amoco, Chevron and Exxon-Mobil became involved with the former Soviet state of Kazakhstan who holds enormous oil reserves. The government of Kazakhstan was eventually paid over $3 billions of corporate money to allow these companies to secure oil rights. At the same time, these companies agreed further to give the sums of 35 billion U.S. Dollar in investments in plant and equipment to the Kazakhstan projects. A confidential project report of said U.S. firms announced that the gas and oil reserves in Kazakhstan would amount to 4 trillion U.S. Dollar. 

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The United States is not self-sufficient in oil and 50% of their supply is imported from various foreign sources. Some 80% of oil imported to the U.S. comes from OPEC-countries, the Arabian oil cartel. Because of the unconditional support by American political leaders of the state of Israel, these Arab governments have a very strained relationship with the U.S.A.

A further smaller percentage of oil imported to the U.S. comes from Venezuela. Just recently, the U.S. government has been attempting to overthrow the government of Chavez with the help of the CIA and replace it with a government “more sympathetic to American oil needs.”

A position paper prepared by the office of the later-Vice President Cheney states that the Kazakhstan oil reserves would be “more than sufficient to supply U.S. needs for at least a decade” and would further “reduce American dependence on OPEC.”

Unocal Oil Company signed an agreement with the reigning Taliban forces as well as their opponents, the Northern Alliance, in order to permit an oil pipeline to be built through Afghanistan direct through Pakistan to the Indian Ocean. By this, the exorbitant rates charged by the Russians to use their pipelines would be avoided. Unocal then opened official offices in Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan to facilitate the construction of this oil pipeline.

In December of 1997, official Taliban representatives were in the United States to attend a conference at Unocal headquarters in Texas to discuss the

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Afghanistan pipeline. These talks failed because the Taliban made what Unocal felt were excessive financial demands.

In 1998, internal strife in Afghanistan and inherent instability in Pakistan reached such levels as to render the pipeline project impossible to execute. In the same year, the Houston, Texas based firm of Enron suggested instead to build a $3 billion oil pipeline parallel to the Russian pipelines, running westwards rather than taking the shorter but more problematic route south.

In a secret memorandum by Cheney, it is stated that the Unocal company was prepared to finance the southern route. According to this, this project would take five years to complete and its annual revenues from the successful completion of this pipeline would approximate $2 billions. However, and this has been the subject of a number of secret American reports, the only thing standing in the way of the construction of this pipeline was the basic opposition of the Afghanistan government and its political supporters.

On May 8, 2001, the U.S. Department of State, in the name of the Secretary of State Powell, gave 43 million U.S. Dollars to the Taliban in order to facilitate their cooperation in the pipeline project.

On June 10, 2001, the BND warned the CIA office in the U.S. Embassy to the Federal Republic [of Germany] that certain Arab terrorists were planning to seize American commercial aircraft for use as weapons of destruction against

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significant American symbols. This was considered a general warning only. The Federal Republic’s warning of August 6, however, was specific as to date, time and places of the attacks.

On July 11, 2001, in Berlin, U.S. officials: Thomas Simmons, a former American Ambassador to Pakistan, Lee Coldren, State Department expert on Asian matters and Karl Inderfurth, Assistant Secretary of State for Asian matters met with Russian and Pakistani intelligence officers. At this meeting, which was under surveillance, it was stated by the Americans that the United States planned to launch military strikes against Afghanistan in October of that year. The purpose of these strikes was to topple the Afghanistan government and the Taliban in order to replace it with a government “more sensitive to the needs of American oil interests.”

In mid-August, 2001, President of the Russian Federation Putin ordered that the American authorities be warned of pending attacks on government buildings inside the United States. This warning was conveyed to the U.S. Ambassador in Moscow and via the Russian Ambassador’s office directly to the U.S. President.

On August 20, the Government of France, through the American Embassy in Paris and their Embassy in Washington, issued a more specific warning. This warning specified the exact date, time and places of the attacks.

On September 11, President Bush and top aides flew to the state of Florida so that the President could speak with children in

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a kindergarten. Also at that time, Vice President Cheney absented himself from Washington and went to the safety of the Presidential compound in the mountains of Maryland.

It was noted in Washington that Cheney remained sequestered in Maryland for some time and only appeared in public surrounded by heavy security.

The Role of the Israeli Mossad in the Terrorist Attacks

Note: The following two sections are considered to be extremely sensitive due to the special relationship between the Federal Republic [of Germany] and its Jewish citizens as well as the State of Israel. This material is compiled from German and American sources.

During the term of President George H.W. Bush, the government of Israel made an official, but very secret, request of the American President. This request was to permit agents of the Mossad, Israeli Foreign Intelligence, to enter the United States and conduct surveillance operations against various Arab groups residing in that country.

The stated purpose of this surveillance was to permit Israeli early warning of terrorist plots against their country. Permission for this surveillance was granted with the caveat that the Mossad would have a liaison with the FBI and report any and all findings to that agency.

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However, these conditions were not observed. The Mossad not only did not inform the FBI of any of its findings, it is known to have engaged in commerce with several groups of Israeli criminals of Russian backgrounds. These groups were engaged in extensive criminal activities inside the United States, to include the smuggling of the Ecstasy drug. Mossad agents were able to subvert American criminal investigations through their knowledge of American telephone surveillance of such groups.

It is very evident from surveillance conducted against Mossad agents in the Federal Republic as well as interceptions of Israeli diplomatic communication from the Federal Republic to Tel Aviv, that the Mossad had successfully penetrated various extremist Arab groups in both the Federal Republic and the United States.

These investigations disclosed in late May of 2001 that an attack was to be made against certain specified targets in the American cities of Washington and New York. But it was apparent that the Mossad was not only fully aware of these attacks well in advance but actually, through their own agents inside the Arab groups, assisted in the planning and the eventual execution of the attacks.

That the Israeli government was fully aware of these attacks is absolutely certain and proven. Diplomatic traffic between the Israeli Embassy in the Federal Republic and the Israeli Foreign Office made it very clear that Minister President Sharon was fully aware

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 of this pending attack and urgently wished that no attempt was made to prevent the attacks.

Although the Israeli officials were instructed to warn the American intelligence community that some kind of an attack might be possible, at no time were the specific dates and targets (known at that time to Israeli officials) to be given to the Americans.

The rationale for this attitude was expressed in a conversation on August 1, 2001, between the Israeli Military Attaché in the Federal Republic to a member of the Israeli General Staff. There it was stated that Israel believed an attack on the continental United States would so inflame American public opinion that they would permit Israel to “cleanse” their state of “Arab terrorists and those who support such terrorists.” This “cleansing” was explained as the expulsion of all Arabs, and even Christian groups, from the Palestine area.

American intelligence officials have repeatedly expressed great concern in meetings with our people that the Israeli government, through a company called Amdocs, was able to conduct surveillance of all telephone communications within the United States. It was categorically stated that this Israeli-based firm was given an American contract with 25 of the largest American telephone companies. This contract was granted over the objections and concerns of the American intelligence community.

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The official reason given for this extraordinary arrangement that permitted Israeli agencies to observe all highly confidential investigative telephone calls was that the United States had a “special relationship” with the State of Israel and they had requested this.

The Israeli Political Influence in the United States 

It should be noted here that the professional Israeli lobby in America is huge in size and is considered even by our American colleagues to be a very powerful and entirely dominant factor in American politics.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee is the largest foreign lobby in Washington and the fourth most powerful lobby in the country. Other Israeli groups also include the Anti-Defamation League (from whose national offices, along with the Israel Trade Mission and the many Israeli Consulates, many Mossad agents were working,) the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs and the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America.

These groups, in conjunction with Jewish dominated media giants like the New York Times, the Washington Post, Newsweek Magazine, the Los Angeles Times, Time-Warner-AOL and their CNN news network, basically control the dissemination of news in the United States.

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It is therefore almost impossible for any news that would be considered in opposition to Israeli interests to appear before the American public, although such stories are readily available in most European media. 

The Role of the Christian Fundamentalists in American Politics 

The so-called “Christian Right” consists of Protestant fundamentalists, where the so-called Pentecostals play a dominant role. This is a very fanatical and aggressively missionary denomination that believes in a return of a living Christ to earth and the subsequent elevation of its members to heavenly paradise. 

In order for this appearance of Christ to occur, several factors must be in place according to the vies of this denomination. In the first place, a number of Jews must convert to Christianity, and in the second, there must be a rebuilding of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. As the site of this temple is now occupied by a major Islamic mosque, it will be necessary to destroy this building.

Starting as an Episcopalian, Bush tried other Protestant denominations before joining the Pentecostals. Apart from U.S. President Bush and his Attorney General Ashcroft, other members of his administration are members of this denomination, too, which is the second largest Christian denomination after the Catholic Church. As a considerable 

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part of the American public sentiment is strongly opposed to religious fanatics, these facts have been kept very quiet.

Bush and his entourage are very strong supporters of the State of Israel because of their belief, that the founding of this nation is viewed as another requirement for the return of Christ. For this reason, Bush unconditionally supports any program put forward by the Israeli government and is a devoted follower and supporter of Sharon, the Israeli right wing extremist Minister President.

Attorney General Ashcroft has stated in a public sermon (he is a lay preacher of the Pentecostal church) that the Muslims are “agents of the Anti-Christ” and must be destroyed in the so-called “Battle of Armageddon.” According to the beliefs of fundamentalist Christians, this battle will be fought over Israel’s existence and will lead to the end of the world and the return of Christ.

It is generally known in Washington that Bush is entirely guided by his religious beliefs and that he has been attempting repeatedly to force his views onto the American public by means of various disguised programs, such as religious control of charities, unconditional support of Israel, and so forth.

Summary and Outlook

The terrorist attacks on American targets were fully known to many entities well in advance. The U.S. President was fully informed as to the

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nature and exact time of these attacks.

The U.S. government in general and the U.S. President in specific have become subservient to the wishes and plans of the Israeli government. As these plans encompass the removal of the Arab population of Israel and adjoining territories, it is evident that the population of the United States is being pushed into a situation that could easily result in more, and terrible, attacks on their home country.

In view of this possibility, the U.S. authorities are determined to limit any discussion of the 11 September attacks to the official version as it appears regularly in the U.S. media.

It also appears from confidential sources that Bush’s plans to attack Iraq are based mainly on a desire on the part of Israel to remove Saddam Hussein. Tel Aviv views Hussein as a real threat and has already attacked that country before.

There is also evidence that if Hussein is toppled by American military force, the oil resources of Iraq would be put under the control of a consortium of the American oil interests that so avidly support the Bush Administration.

Pullach, April 5, 2002”

In the period just prior to the September 11 aircraft attack on American targets, there were numerous specific reports from what can only be termed entirely reliable foreign sources (as distinct from domestic intelligence reporting).

On August 6, 2001, the German Ambassador to the United States is reported by the German BND, as quoted in the report in question, to have personally informed President Bush of an attack against American targets “on September 10/11.”

In mid-August, 2001, President Vladimir Putin of Russia made a similar report.

On August 20, 2001, the French government made a similar report.

On August 24, 2001, the head of the Israeli Mossad reported the imminence of an Arab attack against American targets and a similar report was made by the same agency on September 7, 2001.

Domestically, the picture is not as clear but it is known that:

On June 26, 2001, the CIA informed the White House that they had intercepted foreign intelligence traffic concerning possible al-Qaeda strikes in America on July 4.

On July 1, 2001, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-California) a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee stated that her staff had advised her that there was a “major probability of a terrorist incident within the next three months.” (emphasis added)    

On July 2, 2001, the FBI reported to the White House that al-Qaeda terrorist attacks outside the United States were very possible and that domestic attacks could not be discounted.

On July 5, 2001, the CIA informed the President that al-Qaeda attacks against American targets were entirely possible during the summer of that year.

On July 28, 2001, authorities in Dubai arrested one Djamel Beghal who revealed information about a planned al-Qaeda explosive attack on the U.S. Embassy in Paris

On August 6, 2001, the same day as the questioned German warning, the CIA also presented a warning to the President, explicitly concerned with terrorism inside the United States. The actual content of this message has been the subject of considerable debate, with White House officials understandably downplaying its significance.[Sources: Time May 27, 2002]

On September 10, 2001, the NSA intercepted two messages in Arabic. One message read: “Tomorrow is zero hour” and the second “The match begins tomorrow.” [Source: New York Times, August 10, 2002] On June 19, 2002, CNN reported the contents of these two National Security Agency intercepts. Other news outlets, including The Washington Post, also reported on the intercepts.  [Source: New York Times, August 10, 2002]

The FBI intensified their investigation into a Sept. 11-related classified intelligence leak and specified that 17 senators were required to turn over telephone records, appointment calendars and schedules that might reveal possible contact with reporters         

In an August 7 memo sent through the Senate general counsel's office, the FBI asked all members of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence to hand over records from June 18 and 19, 2002, according to an article in the Washington Post
Those dates are the day of and the day following a classified hearing in which the director of the National Security Agency, Lt. Gen. Michael Hayden, spoke to lawmakers about two highly sensitive messages hinting at an impending action that the agency intercepted on the eve of Sept. 11 but purportedly did not translate until Sept. 12.

It became evident that the FBI began to focus on a number of senior senators who are members of a Senate-House panel investigating Sept. 11 and who have attended most classified meetings and read all the most sensitive intelligence agency communications.. A similar request did not go to House intelligence committee members.

The request came at a time when some legal experts and members of Congress were already disgruntled that an executive branch agency, such as the FBI -- headed by a political appointee – were probing the actions of legislators whose job it is to oversee FBI and intelligence agencies.

Sen. Bob Graham, the Florida Democrat who heads the Senate intelligence committee, stated that he was cooperating with the investigation and had asked staff members to gather the requested records.

In the month of August, 2002, FBI agents interrogated nearly 100 people, including all 37 members of separate House and Senate intelligence committees and some 60 staff members. At the conclusion of their interviews with members and staff, FBI agents typically asked them if they would be willing to take polygraph tests. The majority declined.

When public pressure forced the President to relent and permit a widening of the investigative procedure, the reason for his fears quickly became evident at example after example of gross and incomprehensible bungling emerged.

The NSA, based at Fort Meade, Maryland, is one of the government's most secretive intelligence agencies. Much of its information carries a higher classification than other sorts of intelligence.

Neither congressional historians nor legal experts could recall any situation in which the FBI was probing a leak of classified information in this way, the Post said.  [Reuters, August 24, 2002] 

In all of the speculations concerning pre-knowledge of this attack, one concept stands out above all the denials and accusations:

How could an obviously sophisticated terrorist plan involving perhaps as many as 50 identified persons and in train for at least two years possibly escape the notice of our intelligence services, especially the CIA or the NSA? When one considers the number of people involved in this plot, the geographical locations of the plotters, the fact that most of them used telephones on international calls and that large amounts of cash were transferred from foreign banks to American accounts, the idea that none of the American intelligence and counter intelligence agencies had the slightest warning is completely impossible to believe.

This knowledge, coupled with reports from foreign intelligence sources and governments, makes it more than clear that such attacks were not only suspected but anticipated.

The question of the foreknowledge of President Bush and his top aides is not as easy to establish but the great mass of direct and, especially, circumstantial evidence now available, points to this appalling conclusion with considerable clarity and logic.

  The White House has made great play with what they term the failure of American intelligence agencies to detect the coming attack. The FBI has most especially been blamed for this failure but in fact, it is clearly evident that the FBI, as well as the CIA, passed their informed concerns to the White House well in advance of September