SNOPES: Members of the Bin Laden family MAY have left before SEP 14th...

[AmyStrange]

SNOPES: Members of the Bin Laden family and several
Saudis MAY have left the US while almost all flights
were still grounded until Friday the 14th of
September, 2001. I have not found any evidence
otherwise. Not in any Newsweek article or in the 911
commissions reports, but I did find this on the Snopes
Urban Legend Reference pages (link to follow):

"However, records obtained from the U.S. Department of
Homeland Security under the Freedom of Information Act
(FOIA) seem to indicate that one flight carrying
approximately 46 Saudi citizens may have left the U.S.
from New York as early as September 13, before the
general ban on air travel was lifted. The records do
not identify who these passengers may have been — bin
Laden relatives, royal family members, or other Saudi
nationals. (The "Class of Admission" column in the
document lists the departing passengers as a mixture
of foreign government officials and their employees
and temporary visitors to the U.S. for either business
or pleasure.)"


THE REST OF THE WBPAGE FROM SNOPES:
http://www.snopes.com/rumors/flight.htm
Claim: Secret flights whisked bin Laden family
members out of the U.S. over the objection of the FBI
two days after the September 11 attacks, while a
general ban on air travel was still in effect, and
before the FBI had any opportunity to question them.
Status: Multiple — see below

In the two days immediately following the September 11
terrorist attacks on America, the U.S. government
allowed bin Laden family members to fly within the
country during a general ban on air travel: True.

During that same period the U.S. government allowed
bin Laden family members to fly out of the U.S.:
Undetermined.

The flights carrying bin Laden family members out of
the U.S took place over the objections of the FBI:
False.

The FBI was denied any opportunity to question
departing bin Laden family members: False.

Origins: I owe Michael Moore an apology. In a
January 2002 interview with Al D'Amato and Alan Colmes
of the FOX Network, Michael Moore said:

<SNIP>

TO READ THE REST GO HERE:
http://www.snopes.com/rumors/flight.htm

[chimpymustgo]

1. Exactly. Otherwise, why did Richard Clarke have to okay the flight?

This is something that's getting muddied in the memory hole. A high official in the Administration would not have had to okay a flight after airspace was re-opened. And didn't Clarke say during his testimony to the 9-11 Commission that the request came from the White House - and initially he said someone higher than he would have to okay it? Than it came back down through channels with apparent approval - and Clark gave the final go-ahead.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

2. IMHO, the Bin Laden family DID leave prior to September 14th...

...logic would dictate that since they were gathering up the Bin Laden family members to get them out of the country as quickly as possible, they would have done so even if the departure from the U. S. was accomplished prior to Semptember 14th, 2001.

Additionally, the NeoCons seem to have gone to a lot of trouble to hide or disguise the departure date of the Bin Laden family. Why would they have done so if the departure was on September 14th or later?

What else do we NOT know about this story?

[Ernesto]

3. Very interesting

A story that is nearly 3 years old is now seeing the light of day. Just another reason to thank Mike Moore! Don't miss him on 60 minutes tonight!

[Lefty48197]

4. Moore said about two dozen bin Laden family members left on 9/13/01

in Fahrenheit 911.