9/11 Hijackers Appear In 2000 Video

Two of the hijackers responsible for the September 11, 2001 terror attacks on the United States were seen together in a video posted on a British newspaper’s website Sunday.

Mohamed Atta, the ringleader of the attacks, smiles and jokes with Ziad Jarrah before the two turn serious and speak intently to a camera.

The British Sunday Times said the video, dated Jan. 18, 2000, was made in Afghanistan for release after the men’s deaths.

Atta flew one of the planes that crashed into the World Trade Center and Jarrah piloted United Airlines flight 93, which crashed in a Pennsylvania field.

Also included in the footage are images of Osama bin Laden speaking to supporters in Kandahar. A time stamp reveals that the footage was shot on Jan. 8, 2000.

The video has no sound and the newspaper quoted unidentified sources as saying that lip readers were unable to decipher what the men were saying.

T he men laugh and chat before they grow serious and speak directly into the camera. At one point they lean over a document the newspaper identifies as a will, studying it intently and pointing to specific sections while commenting to each another.

Ben Venzke, head of Virginia-based IntelCenter which monitors terrorism communications, said the video was probably raw footage which al-Qaida had intended to edit into a package similar to one released in September showing the last testament of two of the Sept. 11 hijackers, Wail al-Shehri and Hamza al-Ghamdi.

Bin Laden once said he was saving the release of Atta’s last testament for a special occasion.

“It is highly unlikely that al-Qaida wanted the material to be released in this manner and it is not consistent with any previous release,” Venzke said.

To see the video, click here.

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