27 Sep. - 3 Oct. 2001
Issue No.553
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online 27 Sep. - 3 Oct. 2001 Issue No.553 |
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A family in anguish
The father of an Egyptian suspected of commandeering an American airliner and crashing it into the World Trade Center says his son was framed. Jailan Halawiattends a news conference
Mohamed Atta, one of the alleged hijackers on American Airlines Flight 11 that flew into the northern tower of New York's World Trade Center on 11 September, is innocent of the charge, according to his father, lawyer Mohamed El- Amir Atta.
Mohamed El- Amir Atta
At a news conference at the Foreign Press Association on Monday, the father said his son had telephoned him three days after the attacks from Hamburg, Germany, where he is studying. He denied his son had travelled to the US.
Atta Sr believes his son had been kidnapped and that he might have been killed by his kidnappers.
"I was in Alexandria when my son called. I had no knowledge of the attacks as I don't read newspapers or watch television while on vacation. We had a normal father-son chat," Atta Sr said.
Upon his return to Cairo, the father was apparently informed by his daughters of the attacks and the accusations against his son. "I saw his pictures in the newspapers and was dumbfounded and upset that my son was accused of mass murder," he said.
Atta Sr began the news conference by condemning the assaults on the US, citing a verse from the Holy Qur'an that may be translated as: "He who unjustly takes a soul has, in effect, taken so many more lives." He then gave an account of his son's childhood, describing him as a "wonderful" and "pious" boy.
Atta Sr said the photo published in American newspapers showing his son along with an alleged Saudi suspect, Abdel-Aziz El-Emari, on their way from Portland airport to Boston was a fake.
El-Emari was later said to have been found alive in Riyadh.
Commenting on reports by US officials that an Arabic airplane navigation manual, the Holy Qur'an and a United Arab Emirates passport in Atta's name had been found in a car at Boston airport, he said, "I need the US officials to tell me how my son could have been at two places at the same time? If he was heading for Boston when his photo was taken at Portland airport, how could he have parked his car at Boston airport?"
Asked why his son was seen on video at Boston airport on the same day of the attacks, Atta replied: "I have strong evidence that this video recording was forged. The man in the video is bigger than my son. Moreover, the Saudi national [El-Emari] who appeared behind my son in the shots was in Riyadh at the time of the attacks and is still alive. Now, you tell me how this could all be authentic."
Atta Sr accused the Israeli intelligence service, Mossad, of being behind the New York and Washington attacks.
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