MGOH:

"My point about "purchased in the USA" was that the equipment used was all local - plane tickets and box-cutter knives. No need for multi-million dollar backing and all that stuff. And the essential ingrediant was a bunch of people who felt fanatical about wanting to hit the USA, and were ready to die to do it."

Kevin, the operation was 24 to 18 months in the planning. Those responsible did not do this as an "off-the-cuff" operation.

1. Initial training

2. Their move to countries away from their home countries

3. Establishing their cover within those countries

4. They had to do a recon - to establish security routines (sadly lacking on American domestic flights) - to determine just what they could get onboard the aircraft - to identify which were the best airports and flights to board to achieve their objectives.

5. Pilot training because they knew that they would have to fly the aircraft.

All of the above took time and it took money, it involved extensive travel, it required co-ordination. All of which they got from others. I do not believe there was any link between the September 11th attack and Iraq - the current American administration is on record as having stated exactly that.

The September 11th attack groups, Quarter-master was recently tried and found guilty in Hamburg - he was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment. Khalid Sheik Mohammed, recently captured in Pakistan was thought to have been the behind the attack - his interrogation should fill in more of the gaps - might not be multi-million dollar backing Kevin - but the money has to come from somewhere - and that can be found and traced.

The threat, and this IS where countries and regimes such as those that exist in Iraq come into the picture, is that an international terrorist group (not necessarily Al-Qaeda) gets aid from Iraq. What before took 24 to 18 months to plan, would now take less time - the resources behind the planning are that much more extensive. With the focus of effort of intelligence services of 90-odd countries directed at terrorist organisations, these organisations need places where they are not subject to that sort of scrutiny. September 11th, could not have happened without the existance of the Al-Qaeda bases in Afghanistan - that was where the plan was originated - that was where the initial training was done. If you doubt the importance of Afghanistan - consider this - without his secure base - Al-Qaeda's second in command only remained at liberty for approximately 18 months in an area of a country largely sympathetic to his cause - he still got captured.