Operation Bojinka

‘Operation Bojinka‘ was a potentially devastating but surprisingly under reported al-Qaeda plan to attack Western targets. It’s been estimated that the plan, which was at a very advanced stage, would have killed at least four thousand people if it had not been thwarted.

The actually plan involved three separate attacks executed by a terrorist cell based in Manila: (i) The assassination of Pope John Paul II was the first target, followed by (ii) a plot to destroy eleven airliners using specially prepared bombs, then (iii) a direct strike at the CIA’s headquarters using a plane packed with explosives.

Every aspect of the operation was highly organised. Detailed information, maps, timetables, route plans and sophisticated bombs were employed. The terrorists tested their timers and devices twice using smaller devices about one tenth of the power of their final bombs.

The first such test was in the Greenbelt Theatre in Manila. A timed bomb was placed beneath a seat where it exploded injuring a number of the theatre’s patrons. The second test was detonated on an actual plane when Philippines Air flight 434 was used as a trial run. It killed a passenger and forced an emergency landing.

Pope John Paul II was due to visit the Philippines on 15th January 1995. The cell intended to assassinate him during his visit using a suicide bomber dressed as a priest. The assassination of the Pope would create distraction and confusion and this would aid the attackers as they set about their second assault – a carefully planned series of bomb attacks on eleven airliners.

The third and final strike would involve a pilot trained terrorist getting a small plane, such as a Cessna, filling it with explosives, then flying it straight into the CIA’s headquarters. If a small plane could not be rented or bought there was a backup plan to hijack a 12th airliner and use that instead.

However, just two weeks before the Pope’s scheduled visit to the Philippines a chemical fire accidentally broke out in a room in Dona Josefa, which is an apartment block about 200 yards from the Vatican’s embassy in Manila. When the police investigated the fire they found bomb making material and numerous other items, including a laptop computer and disks containing full details of the planned operation.

Three members of the Manila cell were eventually captured. But they could all have very easily evaded arrest had it not been for the resolute police work of Aida D. Fariscal.

Aida’s suspicions were aroused by the fire. But in the course of her investigation she had to ask eleven judges before she could find one who would grant her a search warrant.

Interrogation, and scrutiny of their computer uncovered some very interesting facts about an alternative way they may have mounted their attacks. Due to the difficulty involved in smuggling bombs onboard it was suggested instead that it would be far easier to get martyrs to hijack the planes. With martyrs at the controls it would be an easy matter to use the planes as bombs, crashing them into specific targets across the United States.

However, the Manila cell failed to enlist enough of the right kind of volunteer for a martyr attack. And so, with too few volunteers to work with and not enough time for their pilot training they were compelled instead to rely on their original scheme. Accordingly, the cell continued to set about obtaining the timers and chemicals needed for their in-flight explosions.

It was during this bomb preparation phase that a fire sparked by the chemicals broke out in their apartment, forcing them to abandon their work and flee. With their capture, and the large amount of evidence seized, the police pieced together a detailed account of what Operation Bojinka actually entailed.

All three members of the Manila cell were eventually convicted and sentenced. But as far as 9-11 is concerned, the worrying thing is that their statements and the evidence do not seem to have served as any sort of a warning or threat.

President Clinton and the CIA knew that al-Qaeda had plans to hijack planes using martyrs. After the disclosure of Operation Bojinka it was more or less an open secret within the CIA that such attacks were very likely: “The FBI was warned six years ago of a terrorist plot to hijack commercial planes and slam them into the Pentagon, the CIA headquarters and other buildings, Philippine investigators told CNN.”

And yet before 9-11 there was very little if any mention of Operation Bojinka in the mainstream or even the alternative media. Those members of the media who have mentioned Bojinka have always carefully avoided a full description. Bill Gertz is perhaps the one exception, but even he comes after the 9-11 attacks.

The media were aware of Operation Bojinka. Why then was it not reported? Why weren’t we told in full? The CIA and the government had been warned about such attacks. Then how come 9-11 could still happen? President Bush has many critics, not least of which are the left-wing Democrats lined up against him. So why do none of them raise the matter? What easier way is there to weaken an embattled President?

Conspiracy theories concerning 9-11 are not hard to find. An industry churning out books, documentaries and videos has mushroomed. It’s not hard see why when so many questions remain unanswered.

So what now can be said about 9-11 given that it looks very likely that the government and the media are both involved in a cover-up? Why the silence? Why the cover-up?

A couple of theories look feasible. The first suggests that the Bush administration allowed the attack to take place. The Taliban in Afghanistan had to be defeated because they were an impediment to the development and exploitation of oil in the Caspian region. Accordingly, the 9-11 attack delivered the ideal excuse to invade Afghanistan.

The second theory suggests that letting the attack happen essentially makes it easier for the state to readily introduce a more rigorous, tyrannical set of laws. Liberal democracies are notoriously difficult when it comes to accepting stricter measures, however necessary they may be. But when there’s a war on such difficulties tend to quickly dissolve.

Perhaps it’s a combination of both theories: letting the attack happen means you buy one outcome and get the other one free. You know al-Qaeda are intent on attacking you in a devastating manner using hijacked planes so you let them do so if it means that you can then use their attack as a justification to whack them in their own base country. If you can also use their attack to milk the willingness of your population at home when it comes to getting some severely authoritarian laws accepted then that’s even better.

Whatever the truth, Operation Bojinka certainly needs to be recognized for what it really is – a very serious warning concerning the threat we face today and how far that threat is willing to go.