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American Morning

America's New War: Money Trail Leads to Middle East

Aired October 01, 2001 - 11:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: We begin now, this hour, again, with the hard facts about cold cash. Any seasoned investigator will tell you, the money trail can be as valuable a clue as any forensic evidence.

In Washington, CNN's Eileen O'Connor working that angle, joins us live now with more. Eileen, good morning to you.

EILEEN O'CONNOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill. Well, sources say that there is some evidence that the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were funded via the Middle East. Now, through the man authorities believe was very much the ringleader here in the United States, Mohamed Atta.

Atta is believed to have been at least one of the pilots on American Airlines Flight 11 that flew into first World Trade Center tower. Sources say he received at least $100,000 in wire transfers over time, via Pakistan. Those came to Atta in Florida. Now, Pakistan is a common conduit for money going in and out of Afghanistan. But it's not clear where the money originated from.

Now the money came in via two banks in Florida, then Atta would purchase money orders for distribution to some of the other 19 hijackers. Sources have also confirmed that Atta and at least two other hijackers sent back some $15,000 in three separate wire transfers to a man in the United Arab Emirates, named Mustafad Akmed Ha-Sali (ph), according to sources who say this may have been leftover cash. Ha-Sali (ph), sources say, left UBE for Karachi on September 11th, the day of the attacks.

Now Atta's will, Bill, translated from the German and obtained by German and U.S. authorities talk about giving what money he has back to Islam. Bill?

HEMMER: Eileen O'Connor in Washington. Eileen, thanks to you.

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