assaad says while he was posing as a bombmaker, he's the run on the right. and producing weapons for the wannabes, the real terrorists were left alone. shortly after the attacks, assaad said he identified atta as the man the fbi told him to leave alone. >> i was very angry. i was very upset. >> reporter: you were that close? >> to confirm what my suspicious recollect. i was right. i was 100% right. >> reporter: in a statement, the fbi challenged assaad's account. and said the claims and factual conclusions are, quote, not supported by the evidence, unquote. the fbi did not specify this claims. but we checked with assaad. and he said he told us the truth and stands by his story. brian ross, abc news, new york. >>> space shuttle "discovery" is still circling the earth this morning, after bad weather delayed its landing. there could be another attempt to touch down today. but the forecast for florida is even worse. nasa says the shuttle may have to land at edwards air force base in california. "discovery" has been in space for 14 days. it has enough supplies to

. >> reporter: in 2001, the fbi sent assaad to infiltrate this mosque. there, he says he spots and recorded conversations with the man later identified as the leader, at that, as well as others in his group. you saw them? >> yes. and even i prayed in the mosque, the private mosque, and i went to certain private meetings. >> reporter: but assaad says over his objections, the fbi told him to leave atta alone, and instead, to set up and sting two men that he calls wannabe terrorists. assaad says while he was posing as a bomb maker, he's on the right, and producing weapons, the real terrorists were left alone. >> this is yet another example of the way the system broke down prior to 9/11. and if the system had worked, we might have been able to identify these people before the attacks. >> reporter: shortly after the attacks, assaad says he identified atta as the man the fbi told him to leave alone. >> i was very angry. i was very upset. >> reporter: you were that close. >> confirm what my suspicions were correct. i was right. i was 100% right. >> reporter: as

his real name is elie assaad of lebanon. >> i gave 13 years. it's time for people to understand what i did. >> reporter: eight years after the 9/11 attacks, he's going public with an account of how he said he and the fbi missed a chance to stop the hijackers. you could have stopped the attacks? >> yes, i could. i'm not a hundred percent, i'm a million percent positive. >> reporter: in early 2001 the fbi sent assaad to infiltrate this small mosque outside miami. there he said he spotted and recorded conversations with the man later identified as the 9/11 hijack leader mohammed atta, as well as several others in his group. you saw them? >> yes, and even i prayed in the private mosque and went to certain private meetings. >> reporter: but assaad said over his fbi objections the fbi told him to leave atta alone and to set up and sting two men he called wanna-be terrorists. assaad said while he was posing as a bomb maker and producing weapons for the wanna-bes, the real terrorists were left alone. >> this is yet another example of the way the system

. >> reporter: in 2001, thbi f sent assaad to infiltrate this mosque. there, he says he spots and recorded conversations with the man later identified as the leader, at that, as well as others in his group. you saw them? >> yes. and even i prayed in the mosque, the private mosque, and i went to certain private meetings. >> reporter: but assaad says over his objections, the fbi told him to leave atta alone, and instead, to set up and sting two men that he calls wannabe terrorists. assaad says while he was posing as a bomb maker, he's on the right, and producing weapons, the real terrorists were left alone. >> this is yet another example of the way the system broke down prior to 9/11. and if the system had worked, we might have been able to identify these people before the attacks. >> reporter: shortly after the attacks, assaad says he identified atta as the man the fbi told him to leave alone. >> i was very angry. i was very upset. >> reporter: you were that close. >> confirm what my suspicions were correct. i was right. i was 100% right. >> reporter: as

his real name is elie assaad of lebanon. >> i gave 13 years. it's time for people to understand what i did. >> reporter: eight years after the 9/11 attacks, he's going public with an account of how he said he and the fbi missed a chance to stop the hijackers. you could have stopped the attacks? >> yes, i could. i'm not a hundred percent, i'm a million percent positive. >> reporter: in early 2001 the fbi sent assaad to infiltrate this small mosque outside miami. there he said he spotted and recorded conversations with the man later identified as the 9/11 hijack leader mohammed atta, as well as several others in his group. you saw them? >> yes, and even i prayed in the private mosque and went to certain private meetings. >> reporter: but assaad said over his fbi objections the fbi told him to leave atta alone and to s setp anststing o memehehe caed w wna-be terrists.. assa saiaid whwhile hehe was po as a bomomb makeker r anproduci weweaps fofor thwanna-s,s, t realal t terroris reeft alone. >>>> this s is yetnother example ior to 9/1and d ifif the

nancy pelosi met with syria's bashir assaad against the request of president george w. bush, in this climate where there is no good or evil, any right or wrong anymore, i mean, good heaven! i mean, acorn was talking about bringing people in across the border 13 years old and having them engage in prostitution, and the people in congress this week are still sitting on their hands on this! it makes you wonder sometimes, whose side are we on, but let me tell you something. when it comes to the police officers, when it comes to the troops, i stand firmly in their corner. i think the american people know who side with their own. we stand with the troops and the police officers and mr. president, please, if they're not the right guys, if you disagree with their mission, if there's a problem, let's face it right now and get it done. give them the tools to do their job. give them the men and the women that they need or bring them home, please. there a lot of important stories in the news, stories, i mean, it's like "sophie's choice" each day looking at the news and wondering wh