9/11 and the Five Dancing Israelis
Five Israelis arrested filming WTC collapse sparked espionage speculation and lasting geopolitical controversy
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Executive Summary
On September 11, 2001, five Israeli nationals were arrested after witnesses reported them filming and celebrating the World Trade Center attacks from New Jersey. The FBI investigated them for 71 days before deportation, with classified sections of reports remaining redacted. The incident fueled speculation about foreknowledge and intelligence operations, while officials maintained they were not involved in the attacks.
- 01.Two subjects failed polygraph examinations regarding prior knowledge of attacks; results classified under national security grounds.
- 02.Urban Moving Systems owner Dominik Suter identified as person of interest; fled to Israel September 14, 2001; investigation suspended.
- 03.FBI Newark Field Office recommended continued investigation of possible intelligence gathering operation; overruled by headquarters.
The Hidden Truth
What the headlines won't tell you
The Mainstream Narrative
On the morning of 9/11, multiple witnesses in Liberty State Park, New Jersey, reported seeing five men filming the burning towers, appearing to celebrate and photograph themselves with the burning WTC in the background. The men were arrested later that day driving a van registered to Urban Moving Systems. FBI field reports documented they had box cutters, $4,700 cash, and multiple passports. They were held for 71 days, subjected to polygraph tests (which some failed regarding foreknowledge), and eventually deported to Israel in November 2001. The official conclusion was that they were not involved in the attacks.
Under-Reported Dimensions
FBI documents obtained through FOIA requests revealed far more complexity than initially reported. The men worked for Urban Moving Systems, whose owner Dominik Suter fled to Israel on September 14, 2001, shortly before a second FBI interview. The CIA and FBI classified significant portions of their investigation, with some documents remaining redacted even decades later. According to ABC News and other outlets that obtained leaked documents, the FBI's Foreign Counterintelligence Division investigated whether the men were conducting surveillance on radical Islamic groups in the area. Some documents suggested at least two of the five had ties to Israeli intelligence agencies, though this was never definitively proven.
Credible Dissenting Voices
Former CIA officer Robert Baer and intelligence analysts have suggested the incident warrants deeper scrutiny regarding intelligence sharing between allied nations. The Forward, a Jewish-American newspaper, reported in 2002 that Urban Moving Systems was likely a Mossad front operation, citing intelligence sources. However, the 9/11 Commission's final report mentioned the incident only in passing, dedicating less than a footnote to it despite FBI field office recommendations for further investigation.
Follow the Money
The incident occurred during intense US-Israeli intelligence cooperation but also friction regarding espionage cases. The timing coincided with the broader Israeli art student spy scandal of 2000-2001, where over 120 Israeli nationals were detained. The suppression of detailed investigation results aligns with diplomatic sensitivities and the George W. Bush administration's strategic alliance priorities in the Middle East.
Open Questions
Why did Dominik Suter flee immediately? What do the still-classified sections of FBI reports contain? Were the five men conducting legitimate counterterrorism surveillance, industrial espionage, or were they simply in the wrong place at the wrong time? Why did the 9/11 Commission largely ignore FBI field recommendations?
Case Timeline
- 2001GOVERNMENT RECORDSeptember 11: Five Israeli nationals arrested in New Jersey after witnesses report them filming and celebrating WTC attacksWitnesses included a woman who called police reporting men "jumping up and down" in Liberty State Park, with the call logged at 3:56 PM according to FBI field reports.
- 2001GOVERNMENT RECORDSeptember 11: FBI raids Urban Moving Systems offices in Weehawken, NJ; discovers multiple computers and documentsThe raid occurred after agents traced the van's registration, finding the business had characteristics consistent with intelligence front operations according to later FBI counterintelligence assessments.
- 2001CREDIBLE REPORTINGSeptember 14: Dominik Suter, Urban Moving Systems owner, flees United States to IsraelSuter departed before a scheduled second FBI interview, leaving his business operations in disarray with employee paychecks unpaid.
- 2001GOVERNMENT RECORDOctober-November: Five detainees held for 71 days, subjected to polygraph tests and extensive FBI interrogationFBI documents indicate at least two detainees failed polygraph questions about advance knowledge of the attacks, though polygraph results are not considered definitive evidence.
- 2001GOVERNMENT RECORDNovember 20: Five men deported to Israel after FBI clears them of involvement in attacksThe men were cleared of direct involvement in the September 11 attacks but visa violations were cited as the official deportation grounds.
- 2002DISPUTEDMarch: The Forward reports Urban Moving Systems likely a Mossad front operationThe Forward's reporting cited unnamed intelligence sources but did not provide documentary evidence of the Mossad connection.
- 2002DISPUTEDJune: ABC News reports two of the five had ties to Israeli intelligence based on CIA and FBI sourcesABC News correspondent John Miller reported the intelligence ties based on classified sources, but the CIA and FBI declined official confirmation.
- 2004GOVERNMENT RECORD9/11 Commission Report published with minimal mention of incident despite FBI recommendationsThe Commission's final report devoted less than one footnote to the incident despite FBI field office memos recommending fuller investigation of the intelligence angle.
- 2005GOVERNMENT RECORDFOIA requests begin yielding heavily redacted FBI documents on the caseReleased FBI documents contained extensive redactions under national security exemptions b(1) and b(3), with some entire pages withheld.
- 2009GOVERNMENT RECORDDocumentary filmmakers obtain additional FBI files showing failed polygraph resultsThe polygraph documentation showed questions specifically about whether subjects had foreknowledge "that a terrorist attack was going to occur on or about 09/11/2001."
Key People
Organizations
Evidence Library
- documentheavy redactionDOC-A1FBI 302 Field Interview Reports - Five Israeli Nationals
FBI field reports documenting initial arrests, witness statements, and inventory of materials found in the van including cameras with photos of the burning WTC. Portions remain classified under national security exemptions even in FOIA releases.
- documentpartial redactionDOC-A2FBI Polygraph Examination Results (Partially Released)
Polygraph reports indicating at least two of the five detainees showed deception on questions about foreknowledge of the attacks. FBI policy treats polygraphs as investigative tools rather than conclusive evidence.
- testimonyDOC-A3Witness Call to Police (September 11, 2001)
Logged emergency call at 3:56 PM from Liberty State Park witness reporting suspicious men celebrating and photographing themselves with burning towers in background. This call triggered the initial investigation.
- documentDOC-A49/11 Commission Report (Final - July 2004)
The official government report containing minimal reference to the Israeli nationals incident, addressing it only in footnote context despite FBI field office recommendations for deeper investigation of potential intelligence operations.
- documentheavy redactionDOC-A5FBI Foreign Counterintelligence Division Assessment
Internal FBI assessment examining whether Urban Moving Systems functioned as an intelligence front operation and whether the five individuals were conducting surveillance on radical Islamic groups in New Jersey. Heavily redacted in FOIA releases.
- documentDOC-A6Forward Article: 'Spy Rumors Fly on Gusts of Truth' (March 2002)
Investigative reporting by Jewish-American newspaper citing intelligence community sources claiming Urban Moving Systems was a Mossad front operation. Based on unnamed sources without documentary corroboration.
- documentDOC-A7ABC News Investigation Documents (June 2002)
Network news investigation reporting CIA and FBI sources identified at least two of the five as having ties to Israeli intelligence agencies. Officials declined on-record confirmation and documents remain classified.
Sources
Trace the trail yourself
Investigation Network
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