The Spy Who Almost Stopped 9/11 | Death Is Not An Option | 2

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0:18January 5th, 2000. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Ten months before al-Qaeda's attack on the USS Cole. From a nearby apartment, a surveillance officer from Special Branch, Malaysia's Secret Service, watches a secluded condominium. The condo overlooks a golf resort and would usually house tourists or businessmen. But its current guests are different. They're al-Qaeda. And the CIA has asked Special Branch to monitor this gathering of terrorists from across the globe. It's been a boring stakeout so far. dominated by stifled yawns. But as the door of the condo swings open, the officer reaches for his camera.

1:04Through the viewfinder, he sees an Arab man with a metal prosthesis in place of his right leg leave the building. He heads down the street to a payphone. As he dials a number, the officer focuses and takes a photo.

1:26Three days later, a secret location in Kuala Lumpur. A CIA officer examines the surveillance photos. They've been laid out on the table by a special branch officer. He scans the pictures, looking for familiar faces. Did you get any audio? We couldn't plant listening devices inside. The risk of detection was too high. The CIA man nods, then picks up one of the photos and peers more closely at one of the people in it. I know this guy. Khaled Al-Midar. Saudi intelligence flagged him as Al-Qaeda. I remember him because he holds a US visa. Al-Midar's been on the CIA watch list for a while. In fact, it was an NSA wiretap on his father-in-law's phone that alerted the CIA to the Al-Qaeda summit in Malaysia.

2:20He reaches for another photo. It shows another Al-Qaeda operative from Saudi Arabia. The agency only knows him by the name Nawaf. But then he notices the photo of the man with the prosthesis at the phone booth. He's new, an unknown actor. Who's the guy with the missing leg? We're not sure. He's traveling on a fake Yemeni passport under the name Saeed bin Salah. But our team overheard him being called Khalad by the others. He's booked a first-class seat to Bangkok, the same flight as Al Minda and Nawaf. Do you want us to intervene? We could use the fake passport as a pretext. The CIA man moves the photos of the three men together, then shakes his head.

3:15There's no active threat. All we do is reveal we've had eyes on them. Let them go to Bangkok. The CIA will keep watching. And in time, these men might be recruitable or lead them to more valuable intel. Sharing this information with the FBI or other law enforcement agencies would only compromise the surveillance operation. Far better to keep this knowledge within the agency. And with that, Khaled and the two future 9-11 hijackers he's traveling with are allowed to continue preparing to deliver Al-Qaeda's most deadly strike.

4:02Police in Irvine, California are investigating the double murder of a young couple in the parking lot of their apartment complex. A double homicide grabs the public's attention by the throat. We have identified Christopher Dorner as a suspect in this double homicide. A former cop and still on the loose. Considered armed and extremely dangerous. And scariest of all, he left something behind. A particular interest is a multi-page manifesto. This manifesto on Facebook is 11 pages long. Trace, this manifesto from this suspect who's targeting cops, it's stunning. Listen to the show The New Yorker calls one of the best podcasts of the summer, Dan Taberski's Manifesto.

4:43And I tell you, this manifesto, it scares the hell out of me. Listen to Dan Taberski's Manifesto wherever you get your podcasts or binge the entire series right now, only with Audible.

5:01I'm Raza Jaffrey, and this is The Spy Who, an Audible original. In the last episode, FBI counterterrorism agent Ali Soufan went to Yemen to investigate the bombing of the American Navy destroyer. the USS Cole. He and his team suspect Osama bin Laden is behind it. But proving that is an uphill struggle. Yemen's intelligence service seems out to derail the investigation, and al-Qaeda operatives lurk in the shadows. But now there's a chance of a breakthrough. Fahad al-Qasr, the man they suspect filmed the attack for al-Qaeda, is in custody. They just need to get him to talk. This is Episode 2. Death is not an option.

5:56Ten months before 9-11, November 2000, Aden, Yemen. In an interrogation room at a facility owned by Yemeni intelligence, FBI agent Ali Sufan is continuing to investigate the bombing of the USS Cole. With him is Bob McFadden, his colleague from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. And sitting opposite them is the prisoner they're here to question, Fahad Al-Qasar. They suspect Al-Qasar is the third man involved in the attack on the coal. Small and nervous, he's already contradicted his own story several times. He seems to think the FBI knows more than it does, and so he's underestimating the value of the intelligence he's sharing to feign cooperation.

6:44After careful questioning from Sufan to reinforce that belief, he's finally talking freely. So freely that Sufan takes a chance on a new strategy. Are you aware of the concept of Ahed al-Aman? Of course, it means that Muslims must guarantee the safety of any non-Muslims visiting their lands, but I don't... Yemen invited the USS Coltway then shouldn't a head al-Aman apply. The Sheikh overruled this because of the evil America does. This Sheikh is al-Qasr's first mention of the figure who organised the bombing. Sufan keeps his voice neutral. Who's the Sheikh? You know who? Bin Laden. Sufan works to keep the excitement from his face.

7:33He knows McFadden will be doing the same. This is big. Al-Qaeda has just confirmed that Al-Qaeda ordered the attack on the coal. An attack that killed 17 sailors and severely damaged a billion-dollar warship. Have you met him? Scrawny as he is, Al-Qaeda seems to swell with pride. Of course, I met him in Afghanistan. He trusts me, with other people he has guarded, but he takes me into his confidence. He told me about America's crimes and how it is the duty of Muslims to expel infidels from Arabia. Alive to the currents of interrogation, Sufan shifts the questioning to Al-Qasr's role in the attack.

8:13Al-Qasr explains how his task was to film it. He was given access to a harborside apartment, a video camera, two videocassettes, and a pager. The pager would alert him when it was time to go to the apartment and video the bombing. Eager to impress bin Laden, Al-Qasr practiced filming the apartment using one of the tapes. But you didn't actually film the attack. No, on that day the pager was set to vibrate. I didn't see the message until after morning press. I rushed there as soon as I saw the message. I was nearly at the apartment when I heard the explosion, so I turned back. Sufan allows himself to frown.

8:54He suspects Alcassa is downplaying his role, and he wants him to know that. Okay, so where's the camera and the videocassettes now? At my sister's home.

9:10The next day. Back in the interrogation room, Sufan tells Al-Qasr that Yemeni intelligence searched his sister's home. They found just one videocassette. The other is missing. Sufan crosses his arms. You want to explain this? I cannot explain this. Sufan looks to McFadden and gets a nod of encouragement. It's time to gamble on Al-Qasr's mistaken belief that the FBI knows more than it really does. So who videotaped the operation if you didn't? Al-Qasr smiles. Maybe the djinn did it. Sufan pauses to consider the man before him. If Al-Qasr's joking about genius, he may be running low on more creative excuses.

9:58Now's the time to push. But before Sufan can say anything, the Yemeni intelligence officer who's been sitting in on the interrogation interrupts. That's enough for now. This man is exhausted. He seems fine. No, no, he's right. I'm very tired. It's hard to sleep here. The interview is over. The prisoner must rest. Sufan fumes as Al-Qasr is led away. He knows that in interrogations, you often get one moment where the suspect is ready to say more. If you don't take it, they have a chance to reorganize their story.

10:42Later that day. After Al-Qasr's break, the interrogation resumes. Sufhan asks about the months before the attack. Did you have phone conversations with anyone from Al-Qaeda? In the time before the attack, Al-Khasa thinks before replying. About a year ago, I had a call from a brother who I first met in Afghanistan. His name was Khaled. Can you give me a description? Of Khaled? He's small, like me. Thick hair. Saudi accent. A beard and pretty eyes. Oh, and Khaled lost a leg fighting the Northern Alliance. The Northern Alliance is the Afghan military coalition fighting against the Taliban regime.

11:24And what did Khaled want? A favor. His father in Saudi had sent$36 ,000 for a new prosthesis to a brother in Sana 'a in Yemen. Sufan exchanged his glances with McFadden. That's a lot of money for a prosthesis. Khaled was in Asia. He needed the money brought to him in Singapore, but it's too much for one person to take through customs. He asked me to go with his brother. And you did? Yes, Khaled is a good friend and very close with Sheikh Bin Laden. Their families in Saudi are close. But Singapore refused us visas, so we got stuck in Bangkok. So Khaled came to us there. And you gave him the money?

12:09Yes, he was very pleased. And then we came home. Now it's Sufan who calls for a break in the interview.

12:24As he and McFadden get coffee in the next room, they discuss what they've just learned. Bob, you thinking what I'm thinking? McFadden nods. There's clearly more to this visit to Bangkok. Why have Al-Qasr career money when he's already central to a major attack on a warship? Also, it's way too much money for a prosthesis. And money's for something else. And whatever it is, it's important enough to risk the attack on the cold. So, something big. What's our next move? We should try and trace the number Khaled used to call our khasa. Also, let's check if the CIA has anything on this meeting in Bangkok.

13:08The next day, in a cramped meeting room, Sufan watches as his boss, FBI counter-terrorism chief John O 'Neill, eyes his paper cup of cheap coffee with suspicion. Coffee came from Yemen, you know. O 'Neill drinks and grimaces. You'd think it would taste better. Sufan smiles. It's always a boost to him to have his boss around. O 'Neill pushes the cup of coffee away and refocuses on the meeting. So, the CIA say they have nothing about Khaled meeting in Bangkok. But we did do a reverse dump of his hotel room's phone records. Sufan leans forward slightly. And? And we found that that number and associated numbers in Yemen had all been in contact with one payphone in Kuala Lumpur.

14:02Maybe that's where Khaled was before Bangkok. Al-Qasar said the original plan was to meet in Singapore. My thinking too. So did the CIA have anything on that? No. They suggested asking the NSA, but they had nothing either. Sufan's shoulders sag. I really thought we had a lead there. Yeah, sorry. But still, good work. Just because it looks like a dead end right now doesn't mean it'll stay that way. Sufan nods. Sometimes cases are made by finding that one clue that connects all the dots. But that's little conservation. O 'Neill smiles. Besides, what matters is you got Al-Qasr to confirm that Bin Laden ordered the attack on the coal.

14:47And what does that give us? Leverage. Maybe. A chance to make al-Qaeda a higher priority in Washington. Just over six months later, June 2001. The US embassy in Sunnah, the capital of Yemen. Three months before 9-11. In a meeting room, Sufan and McFadden shake hands with the US senator they've spent the past hour briefing. He's from the Senate Intelligence Committee and wanted an update on the USS Cole investigation. Thank you for your time, gentlemen. I'll bear in mind what you said about the threat from Al-Qaeda. I wish you luck with the rest of your investigation. Thank you, sir. But as the senator leaves, his chief of staff closes the door and turns to them both.

15:38A quick word. Look, we're sympathetic to what you're saying. But you need to be patient. People in the White House cannot have Al-Qaeda linked to the attack on the coal. Sufan cannot believe what he's hearing. What do you mean? Al-Qaeda is linked. Everyone with access to intelligence briefings in the US government knows it. Listen, we don't agree with the White House on this either, but they don't want Bin Laden involved with the coal. President Bush is weak right now. Half the country still thinks he stole the election from Al Gore. What's that got to do with it? The White House can't risk political capital going after al-Qaeda.

16:16If the coal bombing is publicly declared to be the work of al-Qaeda, the president is going to look weak on national security if he doesn't act. But if he goes after al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, it could split the country even more. Sufan doesn't bother to hide his look of horror at this. A look that he notices the chief of staff does his best to ignore. Also, some in the administration feel the coal attack is yesterday's news. It's eight months ago. Memories are short in Washington. As that may be. But our job is to report facts and get answers for the victims and their families. Al-Qaeda killed 17 of our servicemen.

16:57And they're just getting started.

17:04August 2001. three weeks before 9-11. Joe's Diner, Manhattan. Soufan sits with his boss, John O 'Neill, in one of their favourite New York horts, a classic 50s diner that's been the location for many team lunches and pep talks. Today feels different, though. It's O 'Neill's final day with the FBI. His abrasive manner has made him enemies at the Bureau and the CIA. He's been passed over for promotions and grown weary of battling those who want to ignore the threat from al-Qaeda. He's also facing an investigation for leaving a briefcase containing secret documents unattended during a conference.

17:46The briefcase and its contents were recovered, but the lack of support from his superiors convinced O 'Neill it was time to go. At least you'll be earning those fat private sector bucks now. How high up's your new office again, Mr Head of Security? 34th floor. So I'll be looking down on you all. No difference there. You'll probably be flipping us the bird too. Like you say, no difference there. The waitress delivers their meals. Sulfan gestures to O 'Neill's sandwich. Ham again. Don't you want to change your infidel ways? You'll go to hell. Well, at least they've got bacon there. Sulfan smiles.

18:26He and O 'Neill have grown close over the years. So, I have some news of my own. Oh yeah? And what's that? I'm going to propose to Heather. O 'Neill smiles. She's put up with you all this time, so she must be a good woman. So, how are you going to spend the rest of your last day in the FBI? O 'Neill pulls a piece of paper from his coat pocket. I've been writing to the parents of some of the sailors who died on the coal. Indulge me a little. Stefan nods. O 'Neil starts to read out the letter, his voice suddenly softer than usual. In my 31 years of service, my proudest moment was when I was selected to lead the investigation of the attack on the USS Cole.

19:17I have put my all into the investigation and truly believe that significant progress has been made. I have cried with your loss. I will keep you and all the families in my prayers, and I will continue to track the investigation as a civilian. What do you think? That was perfect. He almost expects his boss to laugh it off or give him the finger, but O 'Neill just sits there, quietly rereading the email. Sofan signals for the check.

19:56Five minutes later, they step out onto the streets of New York O 'Neill pats him on the shoulder Well, don't be a stranger I'm only working down the road You really think headquarters will let me visit someone like you? Fuck them The two friends embrace Then, O 'Neill heads down the street Towards his new workplace The World Trade Center

20:34The End

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21:40September 9th, 2001. Two days before 9-11. Raja Bahadim, Afghanistan.

21:51In the living room of a small guest house, Ahmed Shah Massoud, the commander of the Northern Alliance, greets two TV reporters. They're Belgians of Moroccan descent, and they've been asking to interview him for weeks. Massoud leads the tribes that are at war with the Taliban and its allies, al-Qaeda. He's trying to persuade the White House to increase its support for his fight, and talking to the media can help bolster his case. So today, when his driver happened to take him past the guest house where the reporters are staying, he decided to drop by and get it over with. The two reporters reorganise the room for filming.

22:33They push a coffee table back and place two chairs together. The cameraman places his tripod just half a metre in front of Masoud, who laughs at how close it is. Does your camera not have a zoom? The cameraman ignores him and heaves his heavy camera onto the tripod. Then, the interviewer sits next to Masud. Impatient to be finished, Masud hurries them along. So, what are your questions? We want to know why you called Osama bin Laden a murderer who should be removed from Afghanistan. Masud scowls. But all publicity is good publicity at the moment. Fine, start. But the cameraman mouths something under his breath, then presses the power switch on the camera.

23:27Later that day, the Sheraton Hotel, Sunnah, Yemen. In his room, Sufan and an FBI colleague stare at the news report on TV. At the scene, a clear picture has yet to emerge, but it does now appear that Ahmad Shah Massoud, the leader of the Northern Alliance, has been assassinated. Sufan is back in Yemen to continue investigating the USS Cole attack. But the news of Massoud's assassination has captured their attention. He was killed by a bomb hidden in a camera. The suicide bombers seem to have posed as a fake TV crew. Sufan's colleague looks to him for guidance. Al-Qaeda? I'm sure of it, but there's got to be more behind this.

24:14What are you thinking? Sufan stares at the TV. He's not really watching or listening what's being said. Instead, he's trying to see the story behind the story. Kering Masoud doesn't benefit Al-Qaeda. Suddenly, it clicks. He feels a chill run through him. Killing Masood benefits the Taliban far more than Al-Qaeda. So Al-Qaeda has just given the Taliban a reason to be forever grateful to them. Sufan's colleague looks confused. Aren't they allies? Yes, but they have different priorities. Masood was the Taliban's problem, not Al-Qaeda's. Bin Laden must be expecting something in return. Maybe this is a prelude to Al-Qaeda doing something big, really big.

25:02His colleague grimaces. Dude, you scare me when you say this stuff. It's like that memo of yours just before the embassy bombings. No offense, but I hope you're wrong. Sufan stares at the TV. Yeah, I hope I'm wrong too.

25:24September 11th, 2001. Near the city of Host, Afghanistan. that. Osama bin Laden lopes around the mountainside where he's gathered his inner circle. Nearby, one of his men is trying to use a satellite dish to get the TV signal. The rest of his entourage are gathered around waiting for the small TV set to show a picture. Bin Laden checks his watch. Don't worry, they can use the radio instead.