December 5, 2009
Andrew Alexander
Ombudsman
The Washington Post
Dear Mr. Alexander:
RE: On Flight 77: 'Our Plane Is Being Hijacked'
By Marc Fisher and Don Phillips
September 12, 2001; Page A01
According to the Washington Post, Barbara K. Olson
called her husband twice on September 11, 2001 in
the final minutes of Flight 77. Her last words to
him were, "What do I tell the pilot to do?"
"She called from the plane while it was being
hijacked," said Theodore Olson -- 42nd Solicitor
General of the United States. "I wish it wasn't so,
but it is."
However, prosecution exhibit P200054 (attached) in
United States v. Zacarias Moussaoui
http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov/notablecases/
moussaoui/exhibits/prosecution/flights/P200054.html
shows that Barbara Olson made only one phone call
-- it did not connect, and it lasted for 0 seconds!
Both accounts of Barbara Olson's phone calls -- the
Solicitor General's and the prosecution's in United
States v. Zacarias Moussaoui -- cannot be correct.
This is not a trivial issue.
The Solicitor General's account of this phone call
was picked up by major news media around the world,
it helped define the narrative of September 11,
2001, was repeated in "The 9/11 Commission Report"
(page 9), and it could impact the trial of the
alleged 9/11 "mastermind" Khaled Sheikh Mohammed.
The Post owes its readers a correction of the
record of this historic, tragic day.
Sincerely,
Enver Masud
Founder and CEO
The Wisdom Fund
www.twf.org
xxxx Hayes Street
Arlington, VA 22202
Phone: 703-xxx-xxxx
---
December 6, 2009
Mr. Masud,
Thanks for writing. I will forward your e-mail to
The Post's National desk, so they are aware of the
issue you've raised.
Best wishes,
Andy Alexander
Washington Post Ombudsman