"ryanm" wrote in message
...

But didn't most of them get into the country before Bush took office?


No. The following dates and events are taken from "FreeRepublic.com" - a
self-described conservative news forum.

- The two Al-Shehri brothers arrived in the US on 4/1/01

- In January the CIA learns Almidhar was involved in the bombing of the US
Cole, but doesn't put him on the watch list until August - after he has
enetered the US

- On 4/13/01, because he IS on the watch list, Jarrah is detained in Dubai
while changing planes from Afghanistan. But since he has a valid US visa,
he is released. He re-enters the US on 4/13/01, goes abroad again and
re-enters again on 8/4/01.

- 2/23/01 - Moussaoui arrives in the US for the first time

- Mohammed Atta travelled quite a bit. He is in the US at the beginning of
2001, but travels to Germany on 3/11, Toronto also during March, Prague on
4/8, returns to the US on 4/9, travels to Germany again on 4/20, returns to
the US, Goes to Madrid and Rome beginning on 7/8, and returns to the US
again on 7/19.

- Al Shehhi is in Amsterdam on 4/18

- Al-Ani is expelled from the Czech Republic for violating the terms of his
visa in April.

- Between 4/23 and 6/29, the "Jeddah Thirteen" arrive in the US. Some
arrive clandestinely, but confirmed a Mohand AL-SHEHRI, Waleed AL-SHEHRI,
Hamza ALGHAMDI, and ALNAMI enter the U.S. sometime in May; Saeed ALGHAMDI,
ALOMARI, and Salem ALHAZMI enter the U.S. sometime in June

- On or about 7/1/01, Atta, Al-Shehhi, and Hanjour all make separate trips
abroad.

- 7/17 - INS approves Atta's student visa (which is finally delivered--to a
flight school--in the spring of '02)

- 8/16 Moussaoui is interviewed at a flight school in Florida by the FBI.
When they question his presence in the USA, he says he is simply interested
in learning to fly. He tells them that, upon competing training, he
"intended to engage in sightseeing in New York City and Washington." He
insists that he is a successful salesman, but when they ask what company, he
can't recall the name (Infocus Tech) of the firm he works for. He is then
placed under arrest for visa irregularities. He is found with: two knives;
one pair of binoculars; flight manuals for the Boeing 747 Model 400; a
flight simulator computer program; fighting gloves and shin guards; a piece
of paper referring to a handheld Global Positioning System receiver and a
camcorder; software that could be used to view pilot procedures for the
Boeing 747 Model 400; a notebook listing two German telephone numbers,
including the Duesseldorf number that MOUSSAOUI called on July 29th; a
manual for a crop-duster; the name "Ahad Sabet," and a laptop computer (see
August 18-20). Letters indicating that MOUSSAOUI is a marketing consultant
in the United States for Infocus Tech; a computer disk containing
information on the aerial application of pesticides; a handheld aviation
radio. For three weeks, Moussaoui, 33, sits in jail in Minnesota with
"no-one coming near him", according to the administrator of the jail.

- August 19, 2001-ATTA is finally put on the Watch List for Terrorists

- August 23, 2001-ALMIDHAR and NawaqALHAZMI are put on the FBI terrorist
watch list to prevent them from entering the country-only twenty months
after they were recorded plotting the Cole bombing, and when they had
already been in the country for a month and a half. The FBI has no idea
where they are. The San Diego FBI office is not notified of the two
hijackers' change in status until September 13.

- August 27, 2001-Allegedly, the CIA sends a message coded "IMMEDIATE" (the
second-highest priority) to the FBI, Justice Department, and Customs warning
that ALMIDHAR and ALHAZMI are in the country. The FBI later claims that it
took "aggressive action" in response to the warning. The LA Times later
pointed out that the FBI's "aggressive action" did not include checking
California drivers' license records or VISA card records (the VISA cards are
used the same day to buy Flight 77 tickets), on both of which the two were
listed under their own names. ALHAZMI was listed in the 2001 San Diego phone
book.

There's a lot more, but if this doesn't convince you of the Bush
administration's cavalier attitude toward terrorism prior to 9/11, nothing
will. See the full timeline for yourself at
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/683026/posts.

Bill Balmer