1996, YOU SAY?

WASHINGTON (AP) — Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks, has told American interrogators that he first discussed the plot with Osama bin Laden in 1996 and that the original plan called for hijacking five commercial jets on each U.S. coast before it was modified several times, according to interrogation reports reviewed by The Associated Press.

I guess we can’t blame it on failure to ratify Kyoto, then.

UPDATE: A reader emails:

I guess we can’t blame it the failure of the Oslo Agreement, or Netanyahu, or Barak, or Sharon either.

Huh. You think they just hate us because we threaten their 12th century view of politics and gender relations?

ANOTHER UPDATE: A reader suggests that it should be “7th century,” not 12th century. Fair enough. And some folks recommend Losing Bin Laden by Richard Miniter for more on the 90s activities of Al Qaeda. I haven’t read the book — the publisher sent me a copy, but it was immediately seized by the InstaWife — but it seemed, for the brief instant that it was actually in my possession, as if it might be interesting.