Former Saudi intelligence chief and long-time Ambassador to Washington Prince Bandar bin Sultan has been linked to an al-Qaeda operative by the co-chair of a recent US probe into the 9/11 terror incidents. The recently declassified part of the 9/11 report regarding suspected Saudi ties to some of the hijackers involved in the terror events revealed that a phone log maintained by an alleged senior al-Qaeda operative, identified as Abu Zubaydah, included the unlisted phone number of a Colorado company associated with Bandar as well as the phone number of a bodyguard working at the Saudi Embassy in Washington at the time, CNN reported Friday.

The company in Aspen, Colorado used to manage Prince Bandar’s estate in the Western US state. “Both of those numbers were unpublished, so they had to have gotten into Zubaydah’s phone book through a personal contact who knew what those numbers were and what they represented,” said former Senator Bob Graham, who co-chaired the congressional commission that compiled the 28 pages of the 9/11 report that remained secret until its release last month.

Although both US intelligence agencies, the CIA and FBI, concluded that there was no evidence that anyone from the Saudi royal family knowingly provided support for the 9/11 attacks, Graham insisted that connection between Zubaydah’s contact list and the company associated with the senior Saudi official was “one of the most stunning parts of the investigation” and worthy of further investigation.

Bandar served as the Saudi ambassador to the US from 1983 to 2005, during the administrations of Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. He later served as secretary general of Saudi Arabia’s National Security Council and the head of the kingdom’s General Intelligence Presidency, the equivalent of the CIA, until last year.

Bandar “is probably the most effective ambassador in Washington ever. Full stop,” said former CIA analyst Bruce Riedel. “He was highly regarded by every president.” The senior Saudi official was known to have the closest relationship with George H. W. Bush, in part due to Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in the 1990 Persian Gulf War, in which Riyadh viewed the Iraqi aggression as a threat and supported the subsequent US military action.

“Bandar was in the Bush White House, I would say, every other day and in some periods every day. It was a very, very close relationship,” Riedel added. “And I think the president and Bandar genuinely liked each other.” Saudi authorities have denied allegations on their involvement in the September 2001 incidents in which nearly 3,000 people were killed in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania. Fifteen of the 19 hijackers involved in the 9/11 attacks were Saudi nationals.

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A passenger plane has declared a mid-air emergency and seemingly disappeared from radar, according to reports.

The Air Algerie Boeing 737-600 took off from Algiers this afternoon on a flight to Marseille but let out an emergency call shortly after take-off.

Flight radar showed the plane turn around and head back towards the point where it took-off but before arriving, the jet disappeared from radar.

Plane tracking site Flight Radar 24 currently lists the plane’s status as “unknown”. Some flight enthusiasts have claimed the plane may have not been picked up below 17,000ft if it landed safely.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the West on Tuesday of “supporting terror” in Turkey and backing those who masterminded of the abortive coup of July 15. During a speech at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, the Turkish president lashed out at the country’s Western allies, saying the failed coup was a “scenario written from outside,” in an apparent reference to the involvement of foreign powers.

“Unfortunately, the West is supporting terror and standing by the coup plotters.” “This coup was not just an event planned from the inside. The actors inside acted out a scenario for a coup written from the outside,” the Turkish president stated.

The Turkish president had previously hinted at the potential involvement of foreign powers in the coup attempt, but the Tuesday remarks saw some of the strongest allegations raised by him against Turkey’s Western allies. Erdogan also denounced “those who we imagined to be friends.”

The Turkish government accuses Fethullah Gulen, a cleric based in the United States, of orchestrating the coup attempt. Ankara has even called for the extradition of Gulen. Washington, however, insists that Turkey must verify its allegations.

“How can it be, when we are strategic partners and I ask you on behalf of my country to hand someone over on the basis of a national security strategy document, you keep on hiding and sheltering him?” Erdogan asked.

German court ruling

The Turkish president also slammed Germany over a court ruling that prohibited Erdogan and other Turkish officials to address a weekend rally in the city of Cologne in support of the Turkish government.

Using heavy irony, Erdogan said, “Bravo! The courts in Germany work very fast!” More than 60,000 people have been sacked, dismissed or detained in Turkey over allegations of involvement in the coup attempt and their links to Gulen. Ankara is under fire for its heavy crackdown on elements believed to be behind the failed coup.

On Tuesday, Turkey issued arrest warrants for 100 staff, including doctors, at the main military hospital in the capital Ankara, with officials saying the move was part of an investigation into the coup

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says from now on all military commanders will report directly to the country’s defense minister and that all military academies will be closed. During an interview with the Turkish broadcaster A Haber on Saturday, Erdogan said that the new measures were aimed at bringing the military under full civilian control. He added that the military academies would be replaced with a national defense university.

“We are going to introduce a small constitutional package (to parliament) which, if approved, will bring the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and chief of staff under the control of the presidency,” he said. Erdogan also announced cuts in the size of the country’s gendarmerie security forces along with upgrades to their weaponry. He also noted that his lawyers had started work on withdrawing lawsuits against persons who had insulted him.

The Turkish president has filed hundreds of court cases against critics, including many journalists, for insulting him since he took office in August 2014. On Friday, he had announced that in the spirit of “unity” following the coup he would revoke the said lawsuits. Earlier, Turkish authorities announced the release of over 750 soldiers who were detained following the failed coup, noting that 231 soldiers still remain in custody.

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At least 16 people have been killed after a large hot air balloon caught fire and crashed into a field in the US state of Texas. The accident happened early Saturday morning near Lockhart, south of Austin, after a blaze broke out in the basket section of the balloon, according to Aviation officials.

“It does not appear at this time that there were any survivors,” the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office said. Investigators have been sent to the scene to determine the number of victims and their identities. “When the Emergency Responders and the Sheriff’s Office arrived it was apparent that the reported fire was the basket portion of a hot air balloon,” said the statement.

A photo was posted on social media reportedly showing the the balloon in the air with huge flames spurting underneath. Texas Governor Greg Abbott expressed condolences to those affected by the crash and promised an investigation into the “heartbreaking tragedy.”

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families, as well as the Lockhart community,” he said in a statement. The incident is probably the second-deadliest balloon accident in history. The first hot air balloon crash occurred in Luxor, Egypt in 2013. The balloon caught fire when it was attempting to land. The accident killed 19 of the 21 passengers on board the balloon.

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