The Darkened Hour

Thomas Drake is a former senior executive with the National Security Agency, a United States Air Force and Navy veteran, computer software expert, and whistleblower. During his career at the Air Force, Drake was an Airborne Voice Processing Specialist, with fluency in German, and went on ELINT (electronic intelligence) missions. While at NSA he became a senior-executive holding top security clearance and later he blew the whistle on multi-billion fraud, loss of intelligence, wrongdoing and a secret dragnet electronic surveillance and data mining program conducted on a vast scale by the NSA after 9/11. The name of the program was called Trailblazer. This program violated and subverted the Constitution as well as individual sovereignty and privacy, while weakening national security and fundamentally eroding civil liberties. In April 2010 he was charged by the US Department of Justice with a 10 felony count Espionage Act indictment facing 35 years in prison, until the government's case against him collapsed in June 2011. Drake rejected several deals because he refused to "plea bargain with the truth". He eventually pleaded to one misdemeanor count for exceeding authorized use of a computer. He is the 2011 recipient of the Ridenhour Prize for Truth Telling while also awarded the Sam Adams Associates for Integrity in Intelligence (SAAII) award and the Hugh M. Hefner First Amendment Award.

Robert Wright Jr. was a former FBI counter-terrorism agent out of the Chicago Field Office who once spearheaded an intricate investigation into suspected money laundering of terrorist groups by Islamic relief charities, code named "Vulgar Betrayal". By the time the investigation started, Wright noted how top brass at the Chicago and FBI headquarters in Washington DC looked to upend Wright's investigative team, by not providing him with the necessary financing or manpower to further their operation. Wright would later complain that "FBI management intentionally and repeatedly thwarted and obstructed my attempts to launch a more comprehensive investigation to identify and neutralize terrorists." Information about the Holy Land Foundation, BMI Inc, and their ties to terrorist groups like Al Qaeda and Hamas were intentionally thwarted or mismanaged which led to the abrupt end of the "Vulgar Betrayal" investigation. Afterwards, Wright would author a detailed book, to which, the FBI prevented him from publishing with threats of criminal prosecution. By 2006 a court ruling would approve of the book's release. The FBI's PRE-9/11 VULGAR BETRAYAL Volume 1: The TRUE STORY of the FBI's Negligent Closing of the FBI Terrorism Investigation That Could Have Prevented 9/11: https://www.amazon.com/FBIs-PRE-9-VULGAR-BETRAYAL-Investigation/dp/B0F844KD1Q

In this episode i talk about the raw intelligence and data that the US intelligence services had which could had prevented the September 11th 2001 terrorist attacks, from being an operational success. But because of internal grievances, malfeasance and nefarious agendas, the intelligence was not shared with each other. Even when the attacks were taking place, the national defense failed us. I read from numerous media sources, and play congressional inquiry audio, to give you a brief look into the malfeasance, conspiracy and coverups involving various facets of the intelligence agencies, media and department of defense.

Mark Rossini, served as an FBI representative to the CIA’s Counter-terrorist Center (CTC) at CIA Headquarters and he was one of the founding executives of the National Counter-terrorism Center (NCTC). He was then situated in the 1997 NYC joint terrorism task force where he served under the I-48 counter terrorism unit which investigated Hezbollah, which was the unit next to the legendary I-49 unit which was the team investigating Al Qaeda. In todays episode, Mark returns to discuss the FBI's investigation of the 1998 East Africa Bombings of two US embassy's, the lack of any congressional inquiry in the aftermath, how Bin Laden and Al Qaeda judged the Clinton White House afterwards, and the Office of Military Commissions latest findings in the Canestraro document. Mark Rossini Document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JzbBB8bH4747gQ808BPTG3yj5RhdWsy3/edit?pli=1&tab=t.0

In this episode i cover the initial entry of a known radical cleric from the Egyptian fundamentalist group, Gamma Islamiyyah, Omar Abdel Rahman, into the United States. Also known as the "Blind Sheikh" due to the effects of blindness from an early age, Rahman had been linked to the assassination of Egyptian president, Anwar Sadat, but later released under house arrest. However he escaped, and would later be given residency into the United States, while on a terrorist watchlist approved by the CIA. This discussion involves the years of Rahman's initial entry into the country, the CIA's close relationship with Rahman and other radical Islamists including Ali Mohamed (a triple agent for CIA, FBI and Al Qaeda). By 1990 the collapse of the Soviet Union with the assistance of the agency and Pakistan ISI thru the program, "Operation Cyclone", The hatred for the West would come in the form of guerilla terrorism warfare which was seemingly born out of either malfeasance or a more nefarious conspiracy to later engage in an endless war on terrorism abroad.

In this episode, i read from the various files from the FBI's Newark office and their 9/11 investigation code named "PENTTBOM", which involved an investigation of the Israeli nationals who were operating out of moving companies such as Urban Moving Systems in the United States. The FBI reports detail an intricate intelligence operation that concentrated out of Weehawken, New Jersey and Hollywood, Florida. Incidentally, these areas are also where some of the members of the Hamburg Cell (the 9/11 pilot hijackers) were living as well. In a previous episode, we spoke on the infamous East Ruthersford police report and the FBI's own report on the Israeli operators. These reports however concentrate on the FBI agents interviews of the employees and eyewitnesses who saw the Israeli nationals in the days prior and post 9/11 attacks. However, lacking specific details we cannot say for certain on what the Israeli intelligence operators knew. But, we can surmise that they knew an Al Qaeda attack was imminent. In the weeks after the attacks, all of the Israeli nationals were deported. Taking with them whatever intelligence they had collected between the years 2000-2001. FBI PENTTBOM File: file:///D:/September%2011th%202001%20Files%20&%20Documents/911%20&%20Israel%20Connection/911%20Dancing%20Israeli's%20PENTTBOM%20Investigation.pdf

In the aftermath of the September 11th 2001 terrorist attacks, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), along with the Department of Defense (DoD), began the process of perusing the terrorists and their associates involved. In the timeframe between 2002-2006, the CIA's "rendition program" was given a green light while Pentagon and State Department officials hired CIA psychologists who implemented the "enhanced interrogation program" called SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape) on those captured. Reports were leaked about secret CIA prisons in the Middle East and Europe that used barbarous torture methods to extract information on subjects they believed were behind the 9/11 attacks. In 2006 a Senate Committee was formed headed by Senator Dianne Feinstein (United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence), and released it's findings in a 6,700 page report entitled "The Committee Study of the Central Intelligence Agency's Detention and Interrogation Program". In the many pages of the report, the Committee investigated the CIA and its torture of many inmates which showed the results of their brutal practices. In this episode i speak about the Committee's final conclusions of the CIA's enhanced interrogation techniques, the FBI's report on what they saw in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the laws that were changed in the days after September 11th 2001, that led to the creation of the agency's program that was universally condemned while the CIA tried to coverup their involvement.

With us today is "Guido" and Sarah Adams. Guido, of course is a cover name, for he is an undercover operative. After 9/11 he found himself in a Mossad safehouse, where he uncovered a critical internal leak within the Dutch intelligence agency, AIVD, and spearheaded their first cyber operations. His expertise quickly drew the attention of the CIA, who approached him with a highly unconventional mission: to go undercover in Pakistan as a convert. Over the course of more than 20 years, he has developed an unparalleled understanding of Al-Qaeda’s inner workings. His ability to digitally infiltrate the organization not only helped thwart a major attack on U.S. soil, but also granted him a vast network of sources deep within the group. His covert operations and intelligence-gathering efforts within Al-Qaeda, which continue to this day, have positioned him as one of the Netherlands' foremost experts on the terrorist organization. Sarah Adams is an award-winning targeting officer and global threat advisor with extensive domestic and international experience. With a career spanning the government, private, and non-profit sectors, she has worked overseas on behalf of the U.S. Government's intelligence mission in Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia. Presently, she oversees Department of Defense's (DoD) research and development projects, aiming to discover, develop, and deploy innovative solutions to address complex national security challenges. Previously, she served as a Senior Advisor to the U.S. House of Representatives after being recruited as an executive appointment from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). She is also the co-author of Benghazi: Know Thy Enemy, a cold case, open-source investigation into the al-Qa'ida terrorists who attacked the U.S. Consulate and CIA Annex in Benghazi in 2012. She holds a Master's Degree in International Relations from the University of San Diego and a Bachelor's of Science in International Business from the University of Central Florida. Today we will talk about their compact laden book, which they contributed much of the information to author William Archer, 'Al Qaeda 2.0 The Upcoming Attack On The United States & Europe Unveiled'. Al Qaeda 2.0 The Upcoming Attack On The United States & Europe Unveiled: https://www.amazon.com/Al-Qaeda-2-0-Upcoming-Unveiled-Understanding/dp/B0DG564RGM

In December 1999, NSA analysts working on a covert signals intelligence operation on an Al Qaeda network hub in Sana'a , Yemen, pick up an important phone call from Malaysia. The caller tells someone by the name of "Khalid", to tell the two others, to come to a meeting in Malaysia. The caller was identified as someone by the name of "Khallad". The CIA, which heads all international operations, had then asked Malaysian authorities to conduct a surveillance team from the Special Branch, and take photographs of anyone at this meeting. Afterwards, two of the meetings occupants, 'Khalid' and 'Nawaf', who possessed US visas, were coming to the United States. NSA and CIA then blocked the FBI from sharing this intelligence from being shared with FBI headquarters. Question is why? In this episode, we will go over the factual information regarding this meeting, where some of the information comes from Chapter 1 of Bob Graham's excellent book, "The CIA, The FBI, Saudi Arabia, And The Failure Of America’s War On Terror" Bob Graham's book: https://www.amazon.com/Intelligence-Matters-Arabia-Failure-Americas/dp/0700616268

Richard Kammen is a criminal defense lawyer with his office in Indianapolis, Indiana. He concentrates his practice in serious felonies, white-collar defense, complex crimes and death penalty defense. He is of Counsel to the law firm of Kammen and Moudy. He has defended over three hundred homicide cases including approximately forty death penalty cases in both State and Federal courts. No client that Mr. Kammen has represented at trial has been sentenced to death. Until October of 2017, Mr. Kammen served as “Learned Counsel” in United States v. Abdul Rahim Al-Nashiri who is charged before a Military Commission at Guantanamo Bay Cuba. Al-Nashiri is alleged to have been a central figure in the bombing of the U.S.S. Cole in 2000 in Aden, Yemen. He is also the recipient of the Pro Bono Award given by the Indiana Bar Association and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Indiana Public Defender Council. Richard is also the author of two books, one in which we will speak at some length today, "Tortured Justice: Guantanamo Bay" Tortured Justice: Guantanamo Bay: https://www.amazon.com/Tortured-Justice-Guantanamo-Richard-Kammen/dp/1614938717

Alka Pradhan is an American human rights attorney who has represented Guantanamo Bay detainees, civilian drone strike victims, and other torture victims. She currently works for the U.S. Department of Defense, Military Commissions Defense Organization and represents Ammar al-Baluchi in the case of United States v. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. Pradhan also works as a defense attorney at the International Criminal Court. Additionally, she is an active participant in the UN human rights mechanisms, with submissions or presentations on behalf of clients to the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the UN Committee Against Torture, the Human Rights Committee, and the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. She has co-written or advised on several amicus curiae briefs submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court. In this interview, Ms. Pradhan speaks at length regarding her initial career as a litigator while working alongside the International Criminal Court., Military Commissions Defense Organization and co-counsel for Ammar al-Baluchi (one of the defendants charged for the Sept 11th attacks).

According to breaking reports from 60 Minutes and Florida Bulldog, video footage shot by a Saudi government employee, Omar al-Bayoumi, which was obtained by news outlets shows a group of men driving around a neighborhood and sometimes pointing out landmarks like the White House, the Washington Monument and the Capitol building. Also, a cell phone linked to a top Saudi prince was also used to contact two future 9/11 hijackers which was never used again, shows that there very well could be a direct connection between certain individuals within the Saudi Kingdom and the 9/11 hijackers and the attacks. Investigators for 9/11 families examine video taken by man with ties to Saudi intelligence referencing a "plan": https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bayoumi-video-examined-as-september-11-evidence-60-minutes/ Saudi prince’s cell phone linked to 9/11 hijackers: https://www.floridabulldog.org/2024/06/saudi-princes-cell-phone-linked-to-9-11-hijackers/

Seth Hettena is a contributing editor at Rolling Stone and a freelance journalist. He reports on politics, organized crime, and international affairs. From 1997-2006, Hettena was a reporter and correspondent at The Associated Press in Detroit, Sacramento, Baltimore, and San Diego. Prior to that, he worked at two small newspapers in Iowa. He is the author of two books, Trump/Russia: A Definitive History and Feasting on the Spoils: The Life and Times of Randy "Duke" Cunningham, History's Most Corrupt Congressman. He is also runs a Weekly column at SpyTalk where we will discuss two of his articles at length involving the FBI investigation into Saudi government funding of two future 9/11 hijackers, Operation Encore, and the Canestraro documents revelations, as well as the current pre-hearings of four of the 9/11 defendants, at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Exclusive: FBI Agents Accuse CIA of 9/11 Coverup: https://www.spytalk.co/p/exclusive-fbi-agents-accuse-cia-of Yet Another Delay in Saudi-Related 9/11 Docs Case: https://www.spytalk.co/p/yet-another-delay-in-saudi-related

In this episode, i talk about the capture and eventual torture of the man alleged to have operated and planned the September 11th 2001 terrorist attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. Mohammed was captured while hiding in Rawalpindi, Pakistan on March 1st 2003. While in CIA custody, Mohammed underwent various torture methods, also known as, the enhanced interrogation techniques. Mohammed was subjected to punching to the face and stomach, sleep deprivation, rectal rehydration and waterboarding. He was transferred to various countries where secret CIA black sites were held including, Poland, Lithuania, Afghanistan and Romania. As of September 2006, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is a prisoner at the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba where he currently awaits trial for conspiracy and other charges in facilitating the September 11th 2001 terrorist attacks. However, because Mohammed was tortured, along with the 4 others charged in the conspiracy, his admission's cannot be used as evidence. What does the federal government and CIA have as evidence then? The Rendition Project: https://www.therenditionproject.org.uk/prisoners/khaled-sheikh-mohammed.html Senate Select Committe on Intelligence Regarding CIA's Use of Torture: https://www.intelligence.senate.gov/sites/default/files/publications/CRPT-113srpt288.pdf

Cole M. Bunzel is a fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. A historian and Arabist, he studies the history and contemporary affairs of the Islamic Middle East, with a particular focus on violent Islamism and the Arabian Peninsula. He is the editor of the blog Jihadica and has written widely on the ideology of Sunni jihadism. His current book project, "Wahhabism: The History of a Militant Islamic Movement" which draws on an array of rare manuscripts and other primary sources in Arabic, provides a new account of the history and doctrine of Wahhabism, the puritanical Islamic revivalist movement that arose in central Arabia in the 18th century, will be the main focus of our conversation today. Bunzel received his MA in international relations from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and his BA and PhD in Near Eastern Studies from Princeton University. He has been a research fellow in Islamic law and civilization at the Yale Law School, and is a nonresident fellow at the George Washington University Program on Extremism. Wahhābism: The History of a Militant Islamic Movement: https://www.amazon.com/Wahh%C4%81bism-History-Militant-Islamic-Movement/dp/0691241597 Jihadica: https://www.jihadica.com/

In this episode, i conduct a detailed report on the two 9/11 congressional investigations, the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (also known as the 9/11 Commission and the The Joint Inquiry into Intelligence Community Activities before and after the Terrorist Attacks of September 11, 2001. I will be speaking in regards to the various failures of the state and federal levels of government and our domestic intelligence services between the Clinton and Bush administration. This will be a comprehensive breakdown of those failures and also i add some additional information in between making it clear that we still have not had an honest and open ended investigation into the 9/11 attacks.

After the terrorist events of September 11th 2001, the Bush White House, led by its legal counsel, drafted memorandums that would not only infringe on the rights of detained foreign prisoners, but also deny them any protections afforded to them by the Geneva Conventions. The State Department also authorized the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to implement a strategy at obtaining information "through any means necessary". So in 2002, the CIA would hire Mitchell, Jessen and Associates, to conduct a method on detainees entitled the SERE program where acts of torture would be implemented by captured prisoners to elicit information. Most of which would turn out to be false data. The manipulation of minds:reckoning with the legacy of the american post 9/11 torture program (Maria Hartwig & Mark Fallon): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36519198/ The Guantánamo Docket: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/us/guantanamo-bay-detainees.html

In this special episode of the Darkened Hour, i bring a very laid back attitude and offer some personal and direct thoughts on multiple facets of the 9/11 attacks before and after that i never entertained before! The conversation centers on various areas that include the intelligence services, radical arab fundamentalism, Israel and Saudi Arabia and the 9/11 truth movement. Who, What, When, Where, Why and How, i offer many differing thoughts on these questions while also explaining how i become involved with 9/11 and what we need in the future to open a new criminal investigation.

Ray Holcomb has over 30 years’ experience as a law enforcement and intelligence officer. He served for 23 years as an FBI Special Agent; 8 as a Strategic Planner with the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC); and 4 as a state Homeland Security Advisor. Ray’s FBI career included 15 years investigating foreign espionage, major drug trafficking organizations, organized crime and National Security matters. He also served as a member of the FBI’s New York office SWAT team and was appointed Commander of the team from 1998 to 2001. Under Ray’s leadership, the NY SWAT team assumed an expanded role, being involved in high risk domestic arrests and providing overseas security and enhanced investigative capability for FBI teams deploying internationally in response to terrorism. In 2003 Ray was promoted to Section Chief of the FBI’s Operational Response Section which managed the Fly Away Team, the FBI’s Military Liaison/Detainee Unit and the National Joint Terrorism Task Force, overseeing operations and budget of nearly 60 state-based terrorism task forces. In addition to overseeing Special Agents detailed worldwide to the various Unified Combatant Commands, the Military Liaison/Detainee Unit had oversight of the FBI’s interrogation of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. The Operational Response Section comprised a full-time complement of 58 Special Agents and 12 analysts. He is the author of Endless Enemies: Inside FBI Counterterrorism. Endless Enemies: Inside FBI Counterterrorism: https://www.amazon.com/Endless-Enemies-Inside-FBI-Counterterrorism/dp/1597973610

In this episode, i cover the period of Afghanistan between, 1992-1996, and the Taliban's war against the Northern Alliance while giving refuge to Osama Bin Laden, and Al Qaeda which became a brewing cesspool that would later shape the Middle East for decades to come and the rest of the world forever. Were the CIA and Pakistan ISI partly responsible for facilitating the fundamnetlist problem while arming them against the Soviets ten years prior? Or was this a case of willful ignorance and malfeasance which led to the predicament of international terrorism that simply reacted to US foreign policy?