Coast to Coast AM July 19th 2009 - Intelligence & Terrorism

Intelligence & Terrorism

Date:
07-19-09

Host:
George Knapp

Guests:
Peter Lance

George Knapp was joined by investigative reporter Peter Lance for a discussion of how America's intelligence services have fumbled in the pursuit of terrorists. The FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office were more interested in bringing down the Mob than dealing with terrorism, he said, and because they didn't reform or refocus their methods, they took their eyes off al Qaeda at a crucial time, paving the way for 9-11 to happen.
Lance outlined various players (featured in his Triple Cross timeline) such as Ali Mohamed, a U.S. Army Sergeant at Fort Bragg who started a sleeper cell that later executed the 1993 World Trade Center bombing; FBI Special Agent Nancy Floyd who recruited Emad Salem to infiltrate the blind Sheikh's cell; and Gregory Scarpa Jr., a member of the Colombo crime family who shared a prison cell with Ramzi Yousef, who was involved in the 'Bojinka Plot', and in the downing of TWA Flight 800, according to Lance.
He also talked about efforts by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald to quash the paperback release of his book, Triple Cross. Fitzgerald sent 32 pages of letters to the book's publisher, but the publisher stood by Lance, and despite threats of lawsuits, moved forward with its publication.