Shortly Before October 2006: FBI Says It Is Unsure Who Perpetrated 9/11

The FBI admits it is uncertain about who was responsible for the 9/11 attacks. In a book published in October 2006, investigative journalists Joseph Trento and Susan Trento will report that the US government’s no-fly list, which comprises the names of people who are prohibited from boarding commercial aircraft that depart from or arrive in the United States, still includes the names of 14 of the 19 men accused of being responsible for the 9/11 hijackings in official accounts, even though these men supposedly died five years ago (see March 2006). They will suggest that a possible reason for this anomaly is that “the FBI has never been able to confirm the real identities of many of the 9/11 hijackers” and note that on September 21, 2001, CNN reported that FBI Director Robert Mueller “acknowledged that some of those behind [the 9/11 attacks] may have stolen the identification of other people.” They will add that a “top FBI official” said there is uncertainty over who was responsible for 9/11. According to the unnamed official, “There is a real fear we have no assurances as to who really carried out the attacks.” [CNN, 9/21/2001; Trento and Trento, 2006, pp. 189-190, 192] The FBI has also stated that it has found “no hard evidence connecting [Osama] bin Laden to 9/11” (see June 6, 2006). [Milli Gazette, 6/11/2006]