Prelude to 9/11 attack on United States - a plan by Russia, Iran and India to strike Taliban regime in Afghanistan. The Massoud connection in Panjsher valley is important to India and Kashmir.
My hypothesis: the attack on NY and Washington was a pre-emptive strike by the Taliban and al-Qaida!
India in anti-Taliban military plan
Public Affairs Magazine - NewsInsight
New Delhi - June 2001
[IMPORTANT date: 3 months before Sept. 11!]
Indian officials say that India and Iran will only play the role of "facilitator" while the US and Russia will combat the Taliban from the front with the help of two Central Asian countries, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, to push Taliban lines back to the 1998 position 50 km away from Mazar-e-Sharief city in northern Afghanistan.
FULL story below line:
T I M E L I N E O F P R E L U D E T O 9 / 1 1
Taliban and al-Qaida of Osama Bin Laden pre-emptive strike
- Sept. 9 Afghan Lion - Ahmad Shah Massoud assassinated
- Sept. 11 Multiple plane hijackings NY and Boston a surprise
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
US, Iran, Russia had plans ready to attack Taliban regime
- main story and excerpts listed below
- neighboring Central Asian states would cooperate
Plan of attack on Afghanistan was ready
- a success story
- UF leader Massoud connection
- Pakistan role of Musharraf and ISI
Invasion of Iraq a golden opportunity not to be wasted.
- A strategic blunder
- Arab and Muslim neighbors were not amused
- Open borders leads to foreign insurgents
S P E C I A L R E P O R T S
India in anti-Taliban military plan
Public Affairs Magazine - NewsInsight
- QUOTE
[IMPORTANT date: June 2001 = 3 months before Sept. 11!]
Indian officials say that India and Iran will only play the role of "facilitator" while the US and Russia will combat the Taliban from the front with the help of two Central Asian countries, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, to push Taliban lines back to the 1998 position 50 km away from Mazar-e-Sharief city in northern Afghanistan.
Afghan Taliban forces engaged
with Northern Alliance in 2001
Indian foreign secretary Chokila Iyer attended a crucial session of the second Indo-Russian joint working group on Afghanistan in Moscow amidst increase of Taliban's military activity near the Tajikistan border. Russia's FSB chief Nicolai Patroshev is visiting Teheran this week in connection with Taliban's military build-up.
Diplomats say that the anti-Taliban move followed a meeting between US Secretary of State Colin Powell and Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov and later between Powell and Indian foreign minister Jaswant Singh in Washington.
Central Asian countries as Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan are threatened by the Taliban that is aiming to control their vast oil, gas and other resources by bringing Islamic fundamentalists into power. Now all the CIS nations are seeking assistance of Russia's Federal Border Guard Service to overcome the Taliban threat.
All parties have interest in security and downfall of Taliban
Russia says it has evidence that the Taliban aims to create "liberated zones" all across Central Asia and Russia and links its Chechnya problem to the rise of Taliban fundamentalism.
The US is directly hit by the anti-US thrust of Islamic groups who use Afghanistan as their base for terrorism and is demanding extradition of Osama Bin Laden to face trial in the East Africa embassy bombing case. Pakistan and ISI are allies to Taliban regime and Osama Bin Laden. Taliban regime is also recognized by Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates [UAE].
Similarly, India is apprehensive about the increasing infiltration of Afghan-trained foreign mercenaries into Kashmir. Security agencies have reported that as many as 15,000 hardcore militants have received training in such places in Afghanistan as Khost, Jalalabad, Kabul and Kandahar since 1995. There are 55 terrorist training camps located in Afghanistan that are funded and aided by Islamic fundamentalists to carry out attacks against non-Islamic nations.
- END QUOTE
Analysis: Massoud Calls European Visit
source Afghan.com
Western Analysts View Trip Favorably, See Challenges Ahead and a Possible Visit to the US
AAR News Analysis By Omar Samad
WASHINGTON, April 16, 2001 - Ahmad Shah Massoud, the military leader of the United Front alliance opposing the Taliban, says he had "second thoughts" about heading a high-powered delegation to the West two weeks ago, but today, as he returns to Afghanistan, he is satisfied about the outcome of his maiden visit to Europe.
He called it a "turning point in the struggle against the Taliban," and their foreign backers, and a "new season in the quest for durable peace," in his embattled country. Western analysts gave him credit for "pulling off quite a coup" in Europe by "enhancing his stature as a political leader," but cautioned that aside from the military and political obstacles that Massoud faces inside Afghanistan, it is not yet clear to what extent the warm reception will actually translate into real support for an uphill battle against a growing network of terrorists and fanatics backed by powerful Pakistani and Arab extremist lobbies.
...
The European Parliament's Nicole Fontaine, EU's Javier Solanas and Chris Patten, and numerous leaders of major European political blocks met Massoud in Strasbourg and in Brussels, voicing their support and recognition of the Afghan side represented by the legendary chieftain. For his part, Massoud told journalists in Dushanbe, Tajikistan that the Europeans officially recognized his political side and agreed to exert real pressure on Pakistan to cease its support of the Taliban.
While in Europe, Massoud predicted increasing resistance against the Pakistan-Bin-Laden-backed Taliban phenomena and announced the formation of a 20,000-man national army drawn from all regions of the country.
Sebastian Junger on Afghanistan's Slain Rebel Leader
[National Geographic Adventure]
The Perfect Storm author spent a month with anti-Taliban warrior Ahmad Shah Massoud in 2000. Now he offers his reaction to the recent murder of the Northern Alliance leader--and the subsequent attacks on the U.S.
In November 2000 Adventure sent contributing editor Sebastian Junger and photojournalist Reza to profile Afghan resistance leader Ahmad Shah Massoud. The resulting article appeared in our March/April 2001 issue and has just been reprinted in Fire, a collection of Junger's journalistic work.
On September 9, 2001, suicide bombers killed Massoud. Two days later the U.S. was under attack. Here Junger offers his thoughts on those two days of terror and their implications.
BBC news - US 'planned attack on Taliban'
[date: Sept. 18, 2001]
Terror from the sky by Rohan Gunaratna
[Jane's International Security News]
Inside al-Qaida Part II . . by Rohan Gunaratna
[The Eurasian Politician - November 2003]
Connecting the dots ...
Too many loose ends and questions did not get answered, success of Afghanistan campaign within three months and quick pull back of resources, CIA intelligence officers These resources were needed for War on Terror and finding OBL.
A distraction and turning to Iraq for an invasion that was unwarranted. Disregarding warnings of all Arab states not to invade Iraq because of upheaval in Middle East. Shunning the opinions of our allies before Iraq. Many extra months of planning, left the US nevertheless with a poor performance on doing and completing job in Iraq. Keeps me wondering what did really happen and why.
Call it an hypothesis, but I never got logical policy statements from Bush & Co or NeoCons. The major failure of CIA and Intelligence community is beyond credibility.
Thoughts to develop as your comments are entered.
[edited zat. 041218 – Links to NewsInsight added]
From conspiracy theorists, not my cup of tea,
nevertheless warning to be heeded:
9/11 Prior Knowledge and Government Complicity
Born a Liberal, voting Liberal, dying as a Liberal: á la Vie á la Mort
