Need help on the Saudis leaving the country after 9-11

Need help from the smart kids on the story about the Saudis leaving the country after 9-11. I believe Vanity Fair did a story about this, though I haven't read it. Need to know when they left; if they did, indeed, leave BEFORE the U.S. citizens could board planes. Thanks!

n/t

Bin Laden family allowed 9/11 leave

NEW YORK, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- The bin Laden family were granted extraordinary White House privileges to fly out of U.S. airspace following the attacks of Sept. 11th, 2001.

Former White House counter terrorism expert Richard Clarke told Vanity Fair the Bush administration decided to allow a group of Saudis to fly out of U.S. airspace just after Sept. 11-- a time when access to the United States was still restricted and required special government approval.

According to the magazine's sources, at least four flights with about 140 Saudis, including roughly two-dozen members of the bin Laden family, flew to Saudi Arabia that week without even being interviewed or interrogated by the FBI.

Clarke, who headed the counter terrorism security group of the National Security Council, said he does not now recall who initiated the request for approval. He said it was probably either the FBI or the State Department, both of which have denied playing any such role.

http://washingtontimes.com/upi-breaking/20030902-094941-3712r.htm

White House Admits Letting Bin Laden's out of the Country on 9/12

On 9/11 and 9/12 all the planes were grounded. A well-known but never admitted fact was that the Bin Laden family had several members in the country as of 9/11. During the mayhem, President Bush gave the okay for them to leave the country while the rest of the nations' planes were grounded.
Source: TheTip, 2003-09-04 00:00:00.000
Candidate: President George Bush
The White House offered no explanation, but the official "leaked" explanation is that the Bin Laden's were known not to have anything to do with the hijacking.

This leads to several embarassing questions:

If the White House knew so much about which Bin Ladens were and were not involved in the 9/11 attack BEFORE THE incident, why didn't they know enough to stop the attack?

What made the Bin Laden's so special that they were allowed to travel, but for instance, no UN members were allowed to leave?

Whatever the true story, the official version makes no sense.

http://www.thetip.org/art_White_House_Admits_Letting_Bin_Laden_s_out_of_the_Country_on_____510_icle.html

DAY OF INFAMY 2001
Bin Ladens evacuated from U.S. after 9-11
Former White House official confirms operation said to be rumor

Posted: September 4, 2003
5:00 p.m. Eastern


© 2003 WorldNetDaily.com

In the immediate aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks while U.S. airspace was restricted, planes sanctioned by the Bush administration flew about the country gathering some 140 high-ranking Saudi Arabians – including several relatives of al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden – who were then spirited out of the country within a week of the terror, according to a senior official.

While the Saudis have long denied involvement in the massacre that claimed the lives of some 3,000 people, 15 of the 19 hijackers came from the kingdom.

Former White House counterterrorism chief Richard Clarke described the Saudi exodus in an interview for the current issue of Vanity Fair on newsstands today. Clarke, who left the White House in February, lends confirmation to reports of the evacuation which first surfaced in September 2001, but have been dispelled as rumor and urban legend.

Citing Clarke, the magazine reports that within a week of the hijackings private planes picked up individuals from 10 cities, including Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Houston and Boston. Aviation officials complained the flights took place before the government had lifted flight restrictions for the general public.

CONTINUED...

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=34405

EDIT: added NewsMax to make it "fair 'n' balanced."