Mohamed Atta's Father Praises London Attacks

By Daveed Gartenstein-Ross

Mohamed Atta's father made some truly remarkable comments to CNN this week:

[Atta's father] El-Amir said the attacks in the United States and the July 7 attacks in London were the beginning of what would be a 50-year religious war, in which there would be many more fighters like his son.  He declared that terror cells around the world were a "nuclear bomb that has now been activated and is ticking."  The man, who gave his age as "at least 70," said he had no sorrow for what happened in London . . . .  He passionately vowed that he would do anything within his power to encourage more attacks.  When asked if he would allow a CNN crew to videotape another interview with him, el-Amir said he would give his permission -- for a price of $5,000.  That money, he said, would not be kept for himself, but would be donated to someone to carry out another terror attack.

It's interesting to note how Atta's father has changed his tune over the past few years.  In late September of 2001, the L.A. Times reported that Atta's father maintained his son's innocence, and even claimed that he had spoken with his son by phone after 9/11:

Atta's father says he believes many of the suspects in the hijackings have been framed.  The father, Mohammed Al-Amir Awad Al-Sayed Atta, has seen the airport videotape purporting to show two of the suspected hijackers before the attack.  The father said one of the men appears to be his son but that the tape must have been doctored.  He insisted he had talked to his son by telephone since the hijackings.  "Neither me nor my son has been involved in any political party.  We are people who keep to ourselves.  We don't mix a lot with people.  We are all successful," he said.  "Even the security officials were polite when they asked questions about Mohamed, which is not really their habit, because they knew we are good people."

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