If you were flipping through a French weekly called Le Point on March 19, 1979, you would have seen this full-page, eye-catching advertisement for Pakistan International Airlines. The big bold shadow cast upon the dominance of the Twin Towers — it’s really quite striking.
Twenty-two years later, we all know what happened to the World Trade Center, and we all know the role certain aspects of Pakistan’s geography, military and government played in aiding and abetting Osama bin Laden in that task. But this … this is just a spooky coincidence.
Is it real? Very, says some research:
The advertisement is definitely real. This has been verified by a reference librarian at UCLA’s Charles E. Young Research Library (which, apparently, is the only library in America that has back copies of Le Point). The advertisement appeared on p.143 of the March 19, 1979 issue, #339. The ad also ran in other issues, such as April 2, 1979, p.163. (Thanks to J Fontane for tracking down and verifying the authenticity of the ad.)