This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von

Snapshot · This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von

#661 - John Kiriakou

Explore episode Jun 5, 2026
History
Saudi princes connected to hijackers died

#661 - John Kiriakou · Jun 5, 2026

Three Saudi princes whose cell phone numbers were found in Abu Zubaydah's diary all died suspicious deaths — hospital surgery, a one-car accident, and thirst while camping — before the CIA could interrogate them.

Where this was said

9/11, Saudi Arabia, and Abu Zubaydah's Diary

At 43:36 · chapter starts 38:30

Kiriakou details the 6-week hunt for Abu Zubaydah across Pakistan, culminating in his capture in Faisalabad in March 2002. His confiscated diary — actually a collection of drawings, most classified top secret — contained the cell phone numbers of three Saudi princes. When the CIA demanded access to the princes, the results were swift and suspicious: one died during bariatric surgery, another in a one-car accident on a Saudi highway, and the third of thirst while camping in the desert. Kiriakou is unambiguous: Saudi Arabia killed them. He also notes that CIA Director George Tenet was the only official he ever saw 'completely lose his shit,' threatening Saudi Ambassador Prince Bandar that the CIA would start killing people 'named Al Saud' if cooperation didn't improve.

History
Saudi Princes All Died Before CIA Could Interrogate Them

#661 - John Kiriakou · Jun 5, 2026 History

Abu Zubaydah's diary contained the cell phone numbers of three Saudi princes. The CIA demanded access. Within days, one died on the operating table during bariatric surgery, another died in a one-car accident on a Saudi highway, and the third died of thirst while camping in the desert. Kiriakou says Saudi Arabia killed them.

History
Israel Had Advance Warning of 9/11 and Said Nothing

#661 - John Kiriakou · Jun 5, 2026 History

Kiriakou believes Israel had sources inside al-Qaeda and advance knowledge of the 9/11 attacks but deliberately withheld that intelligence. The reasoning: they knew the U.S. would respond by attacking Afghanistan and Iraq, killing millions of Muslims — exactly what Israel wanted. He calls the 'Dancing Israelis' incident still unresolved and is 'still mad about it.'

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