Atta's final base, a stone's throw from NSA HQ

[TonyGosling]

JAMES BAMFORD: "Well, that's the ultimate irony, was they eventually travel across country from San Diego, and they set up their final base of operations-these are the-this is the crew that was about to attack the Pentagon-about a month before, they set up their base of operations in Laurel, Maryland, of all places, that happens to be the same city that NSA is headquartered. So they set up their base of operations in this Valencia Motel, and almost across the Baltimore-Washington Parkway is NSA headquarters. The director's office is on the eighth floor, and, except for some trees, he could almost see the motel where they're staying. So, NSA is over there trying to find terrorists, and here is the 9/11 terrorists sitting right opposite the NSA on the other side of the parkway making their final plans."



"Mohamed Atta flew there for summit meetings. And they had to take three hotels at one point to put all the people there. So, as NSA is looking for them, they're having their final summit meetings there, and they're walking around the Safeway, they're exercising in Gold's Gym, they're eating in the restaurants there, they're mingling with NSA employees. That's NSA's company town. It's just the ultimate irony that here you have the terrorists and the eavesdroppers living side by side in the month before the final attack."

http://www.radiodujour.com/people/bamford_james/