MOST HIJACKERS - Unaware it was suicide mission

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Telegraph - Most hijackers 'unaware it was suicide mission'

By Ben Fenton in Washington (Filed: 10/10/2001)

THE FBI believes that most of the hijackers who died in the September 11 attacks did not know in advance that they were going on a suicide mission.

Investigators, initially surprised that the operation was conducted with such secrecy despite the number of suicidal hijackers, say an explanation is that most of the terrorists were ignorant of their imminent deaths.

It appears that while six of the terrorist suspects left suicide notes or told their relatives that they would not return, the foreign intelligence services found no notes from the other 13 men, who were younger and were seen as "muscle" to control passengers on the hijacked aircraft, according to the New York Post.

The paper quoted an unnamed source as saying: "Is it a coincidence? No one thinks so."

Lee Colwell, a former assistant director of the FBI and specialist in counter-terrorism, said: "It makes sense, from the point of view of keeping the operation secure that as few people as possible knew it was a suicide mission."

The investigation into the hijackings, which led to the deaths of an estimated 5,600 people, has been reduced as John Ashcroft, the Attorney General, ordered the 4,000 FBI agents to stop surveillance of suspects and pursue any leads indicating further attacks in retaliation for the bombing of Afghanistan.

The change in emphasis is another sign that the FBI is increasingly concerned about more attacks. "The investigative staff has to be made to understand that we're not trying to solve a crime now," an FBI source said. "Our number one goal is prevention."

-- Anonymous, October 10, 2001


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