Hijacking Clues May Be Red Herrings

The terrorist cells demonstrated incredible sophistication and coordination in preparing and executing the attacks, but they left an astonishing amount of clues in their wake -- some that may lead to accomplices still operating in the United States. It is possible the perpetrators intentionally left some incriminating material to divert FBI attention, making it easier for additional terrorists to leave the country or carry out further operations.
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The attackers knew how to avoid detection by the National Security Agency and other technical intelligence outfits while organizing outside the United States. They also knew how to avoid suspicion once in the United States. That means they had a sophisticated understanding of how U.S. intelligence works and the discipline to avoid triggering suspicion.

It is nearly unbelievable that an organization capable of carrying out such a complex operation would leave behind relatively obvious evidence. Even though the suicide hijackers had little to lose, they would want to delay the FBI's investigation -- and the inevitable U.S. military response
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Today I come across this:

Terrorists’ trade in stolen identities

Had FBI agents bothered to ask college lecturers in South Wales about the terrorist bomber they supposedly taught over a decade ago, then security chiefs would have realised how Osama bin Laden had carefully created a generation of impostors.
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thanks to MetaFilter

The article assumes that bin Laden was responsible for this. There may be another answer.

A war over resources

Less than three hours after the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the US media and security apparatus began to level accusations at Saudi dissident Osama Bin Laden, holding him responsible for the greatest terrorist operation in American history. In a matter of days, the accusation had crystallised into a semi-official pronouncement, with President Bush declaring to the public that Bin Laden is the principal suspect.

And in no time at all the American administration decided to wage a large-scale war on those it describes as terrorists: Bin Laden and the extremist Islamist organisations that surround him or share his beliefs.

Nobody knows precisely how far this war will extend beyond the borders of Afghanistan, whose government shelters Bin Laden along with many Islamists of various nationalities, most of whom, however, are "Arab Afghans."

In fact the accusation is ill founded on a number of counts. Some of the doubts concerning Bin Laden's alleged role in the operation relate to the nature of violent Islamist organisations, including Bin Laden's own Al-Qa'ida (The Base), and their actual capabilities. Other doubts relate to the circumstances and details of the attacks themselves.
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Also reported Tuesday:

US 'planned attack on Taleban'

A former Pakistani diplomat has told the BBC that the US was planning military action against Osama Bin Laden and the Taleban even before last week's attacks.

Niaz Naik, a former Pakistani Foreign Secretary, was told by senior American officials in mid-July that military action against Afghanistan would go ahead by the middle of October.
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Things aren't adding up.