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Binladen family flown out of us Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)    http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30200-12758358,00.html http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30200-12758358,00.html FAMILY 'FLOWN OUT OF US' Members of Osama bin Laden's family were allowed to fly out of the US shortly after the September 11 terror attacks, a senior official has said. Even though American airspace had been shut down, the Bush administration allowed a jet to fly around the US picking up family members from 10 cities, including Los Angeles, Washington DC, Boston and Houston. Some 140 high ranking Saudi officials were also on the plane. The revelations come from former White House counter-terrorism chief Richard Clarke. He said the Bush administration sanctioned the repatriation of the family in the immediate aftermath of the attacks. 'Repatriation approved' "Somebody brought to us for approval the decision to let an airplane filled with Saudis, including members of the bin Laden family, leave the country," he told Vanity Fair magazine. Mr Clarke said he checked with FBI officials, who gave the go ahead. "So I said, 'Fine, let it happen'." He first asked the bureau to check that no one "inappropriate" was leaving. "I have no idea if they did a good job. I'm not in any position to second guess the FBI," he said. But Dale Watson, the FBI's former head of counter-terrorism, said the Saudis "were not subject to serious interviews or interrogations". Permission to fly Federal authorities gave permission for the plane to fly. Tom Kinton, director of aviation at Boston's Logan airport, said: "We were in the midst of the worst terrorist act in history and here we were seeing an evacuation of the bin Ladens! ... I wanted to go the highest levels in Washington." Prince Bandar bin Sultan, the Saudi ambassador to the US who is said to have organised the exodus, met President George Bush on September 13, 2001, two days after the terror attacks. It is not known if they discussed the repatriation plan. 'No secret flights' The White House has declined to comment on the claims, but sources told Vanity Fair the Bush administration was confident no secret flights took place. Mr Clarke, who headed the Counter-terrorism Security Group of the National Security Council, said he did not recall who requested approval for the flights, but believes it was either the FBI or the State Department. Special Agent John Iannarelli, the FBI's spokesman on counter-terrorism activities, said: "I can say unequivocally that the FBI had no role in facilitating these flights one way or another." The wealthy bin Laden family broke ties with bin Laden years before the September 11 strikes. Last Updated: 09:11 UK, Wednesday September 03, 2003

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