A newly released list of airplane passengers shows that at least 13 relatives of Osama bin Laden left the United States on a chartered flight 8 days after the September 11 terrorist attacks. Senator Frank Lautenberg published this list, which he claims was obtained from officials at Logan International Airport in Boston, on his website on Wednesday. The plane took off from Los Angeles and made stops in Orlando, Washington, and Boston before continuing to Saudi Arabia. Senator Lautenberg stated that President Bush should explain why his administration allowed a plane full of bin Laden relatives to leave the U.S. The Washington Post quoted a former FBI counter-terrorism unit official stating that the Federal Bureau of Investigation had screened all passengers and none were individuals that needed to be detained.
13 Relatives of Bin Laden Left the U.S. 8 Days After the September 11 Terrorist Attacks - 2004-07-22
At least 13 relatives of Osama bin Laden departed the U.S. on a chartered flight shortly after the September 11 attacks. Senator Frank Lautenberg has called for an explanation from President Bush regarding the government's decision to allow this flight. This raises questions about the treatment of individuals connected to terrorism in the aftermath of the attacks.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Thirteen relatives of Osama bin Laden left the U.S. on a chartered flight shortly after the September 11 attacks. This departure was facilitated by the U.S. government amidst security concerns.
- The flight left the U.S. 8 days after the September 11 attacks.
- The FBI screened all passengers, finding no grounds for detention.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Following the September 11 attacks, the U.S. was on high alert, leading to intense scrutiny of any actions related to terrorism. The bin Laden family, despite their relation to Osama, were not implicated in the attacks.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 85%