An article from USA Today dated 2/06/2002, contains compelling statements made by Saudi Arabia's Interior Minister Prince Nayef. He said, Bin Laden was a "tool" of others rather than the mastermind of the attacks against the World Trade Center, Pentagon and in Pennsylvania. He did not say who he thought was the mastermind."

Interestingly enough, I came across this article cited by a debunking website as proof all the 9/11 hi-jackers are dead. Prince Nayef alleges that Saudi leaders were shocked to learn 15 of the hijackers were from Saudi Arabia. "The names that we got confirmed that," Nayef said in an interview. "Their families have been notified." However, the most interesting thing about this article was apparently not noticed by our OCT clinger and instead a rather vague remark about contacting the family members of the 15 Saudi hi-jackers is cited as proof positive they are all dead.

Be that as it may, this does bring up a pertinent point. I think the claim that some of the hi-jackers are "alive and well" in some other country needs to be better established. And just as I do not see this article as hard evidence the hi-jackers are dead on the other hand I also do not see the few obscure BBC articles as hard evidence they are still alive. Why haven't these guys been interviewed or why haven't they written emails, or made phone calls, anything? And aren't there any other sources out there to back up the claim that they are still alive.

Either way, I find it ironic that this debunker chose an article that while hardly proving his point, had a tantalizing bit of conjecture by a Saudi official with inside information. I think it is pretty clear which is the more interesting piece of information.

Full Article: http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2002/02/06/saudi.htm