Zacarias Moussaoui is a convicted member of al-Qaeda and the alleged, would-be 20^th hijacker in the 9/11 terror plot. Moussaoui was arrested on August 16, 2001, almost a month before the attacks on September 11, 2001. He was tried and convicted of conspiracy charges and was sentenced to life in prison in 2006.“Moussaoui formally sentenced, still defiant,” NBC News, May 4, 2006, http://www.nbcnews.com/id/12615601/ns/us_news-security/t/moussaoui-formally-sentenced-still-defiant/#.WUFcCGgrJEY. Moussaoui is currently imprisoned in a maximum-security prison in Colorado.Jerry Markon and Timothy Dwyer, “Jurors Reject Death Penalty For Moussaoui,” Washington Post, May 4, 2006, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/03/AR2006050300324.html.

Moussaoui, of Moroccan descent, was born in France on May 30, 1968.“A Review of the FBI’s Handling of Intelligence Information Related to the September 1 Attacks: Chapter Four: The FBI’s Investigation of Zacarias Moussaoui,” Office of the Inspector General, November 2004, https://oig.justice.gov/special/s0606/chapter4.htm. Before 2001, he lived in the United Kingdom, having obtained a masters’ degree in international business from South Bank University in London in 1995.“Indictment of Zacarias Moussaoui,” U.S. Department of Justice, December 11, 2001, https://www.justice.gov/archives/ag/indictment-zacarias-moussaoui;
“Zacarias Moussaoui Fast Facts,” CNN, last updated June 12, 2017, http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/03/us/zacarias-moussaoui-fast-facts/index.html. While in the United Kingdom, Moussaoui reportedly frequented mosques with suspected ties to al-Qaeda, such as one where U.N.-sanctioned terrorist Abu Hamza al-Masri served as a prayer leader.“Indictment of Zacarias Moussaoui,” U.S. Department of Justice, December 11, 2001, https://www.justice.gov/archives/ag/indictment-zacarias-moussaoui. During this time, Moussaoui also traveled to Afghanistan to attend an al-Qaeda training camp.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 275-6, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. According to his indictment, he was present at the Khalden camp in Afghanistan, an al-Qaeda-affiliated training facility, in April of 1998.“Indictment of Zacarias Moussaoui,” U.S. Department of Justice, December 11, 2001, https://www.justice.gov/archives/ag/indictment-zacarias-moussaoui.

According to the 9/11 Commission, 9/11 architect Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (KSM) sent Moussaoui to Malaysia in the fall of 2000 to enroll in flight training there, but Moussaoui was unable to find a school that he liked and instead began working on other terrorist plots. KSM instructed him to return to Pakistan and to attend flight training in the United States instead. Moussaoui returned to London in October of 2000, and began sending inquiries to a flight school in the United States.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 225, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. Moussaoui is suspected to have made a second trip to Afghanistan via Pakistan in late 2000. He departed England for Pakistan on December 9, 2000, returning on February 7, 2001.“Indictment of Zacarias Moussaoui,” U.S. Department of Justice, December 11, 2001, https://www.justice.gov/archives/ag/indictment-zacarias-moussaoui.

After returning from Pakistan in February 2001, Moussaoui traveled to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program, which allows citizens of select countries, including France, to enter the United States for up to 90 days without a visa.“A Review of the FBI’s Handling of Intelligence Information Related to the September 1 Attacks: Chapter Four: The FBI’s Investigation of Zacarias Moussaoui,” Office of the Inspector General, November 2004, https://oig.justice.gov/special/s0606/chapter4.htm. After arriving in the United States at Chicago, Moussaoui enrolled in a beginner flight course at the Airman Flight School in Norman, Oklahoma.“A Review of the FBI’s Handling of Intelligence Information Related to the September 1 Attacks: Chapter Four: The FBI’s Investigation of Zacarias Moussaoui,” Office of the Inspector General, November 2004, https://oig.justice.gov/special/s0606/chapter4.htm. He stopped attending his course in May 2001, but remained in the United States after his allotted 90-day legal stay.“A Review of the FBI’s Handling of Intelligence Information Related to the September 1 Attacks: Chapter Four: The FBI’s Investigation of Zacarias Moussaoui,” Office of the Inspector General, November 2004, https://oig.justice.gov/special/s0606/chapter4.htm. According to the 9/11 Commission, he was a very inexperienced pilot at this point, having undergone only about 50 hours of flight time and no solo flights. Nonetheless, he began making inquiries about flight materials and simulator training for Boeing 747s. On July 10, he made a deposit of $1,500 for a flight simulator training course at the Pan Am International Flight Academy in Eagan, Minnesota. Soon after, he received a schedule for training between August 13 and August 20.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 246-7, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. The course  was designed for experienced pilots who already had commercial licenses.“A Review of the FBI’s Handling of Intelligence Information Related to the September 1 Attacks: Chapter Four: The FBI’s Investigation of Zacarias Moussaoui,” Office of the Inspector General, November 2004, https://oig.justice.gov/special/s0606/chapter4.htm.

Around this time, Moussaoui also purchased knives and made inquiries about GPS equipment. According to the 9/11 Commission, these were “activities that closely resembled those of the 9/11 hijackers during their final preparations for the attacks.”National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 247, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. In July 2001, KSM instructed 9/11 facilitator Ramzi bin al-Shibh to wire $15,000 to Moussaoui in the United States. Bin al-Shibh later reported that he did not know the reason for this instruction, but assumed that it was “within the framework” of the 9/11 operation. The 9/11 Commission suspects that KSM may have considered Moussaoui a potential substitute for hijacker-pilot Ziad Jarrah, as there were concerns that Jarrah might drop out of the operation.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 246, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. Later, however, KSM claimed that he never actually considered letting Moussaoui participate in the 9/11 attacks, and instead intended for him to participate in a future “second wave” of attacks.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 247, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. Bin al-Shibh later claimed that KSM did not approve of Moussaoui, only intending to use him as a last resort, but that Moussaoui had been selected for the 9/11 operation by Osama bin Laden himself.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 247, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf;
“Zacarias Moussaoui Fast Facts,” CNN, last updated June 12, 2017, http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/03/us/zacarias-moussaoui-fast-facts/index.html.

On August 10, 2001, Moussaoui drove from Oklahoma to Minnesota. Three days later, he paid $6,800 in cash to Pan Am for his flight simulator training. His conduct––including the cash payment and lack of experience––raised suspicious. While the typical student in Pan Am training held a commercial pilot license, was employed by an airline, and had several thousand flight hours, Moussaoui claimed that he had no intention of becoming a commercial pilot and instead said that he wanted to learn to “take off and land” planes because it was an “ego boosting thing.” Furthermore, he specifically asked to fly a simulated flight from London’s Heathrow Airport to New York’s JFK airport.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 247, 273, 540, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. His instructor became suspicious and reported him to the FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office on August 15.“A Review of the FBI’s Handling of Intelligence Information Related to the September 1 Attacks: Chapter Four: The FBI’s Investigation of Zacarias Moussaoui,” Office of the Inspector General, November 2004, https://oig.justice.gov/special/s0606/chapter4.htm. On August 16, Moussaoui was arrested by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) on immigration charges, as he had outstayed his legal stay under the Visa Waiver Program. A deportation order for Moussaoui was signed on August 17.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 247, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf.

During an investigation, the FBI quickly realized that Moussaoui held fundamentalist beliefs. He also behaved suspiciously in other ways, such as reacting strongly to questions about materials in his laptop and about his membership in a group.“A Review of the FBI’s Handling of Intelligence Information Related to the September 1 Attacks: Chapter Four: The FBI’s Investigation of Zacarias Moussaoui,” Office of the Inspector General, November 2004, https://oig.justice.gov/special/s0606/chapter4.htm. According to the 9/11 Commission, he became “agitated” when he was questioned regarding his religious beliefs, and when asked about his travels to Pakistan. He said he planned to receive martial arts training and purchase a GPS, and could not provide an explanation for the $32,000 in his bank account. After the investigation, a FBI agent concluded that Moussaoui was “an Islamist extremist preparing for some future act in furtherance of radical fundamentalist goals,” and even concluded that he might be planning to hijack a plane.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 273-4, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf.

At the time of his arrest, Moussaoui possessed two knives, flight manuals and software programs for a Boeing 747, fighting gloves and shin guards, and a computer disk regarding the use of aerial pesticides.“Indictment of Zacarias Moussaoui,” U.S. Department of Justice, December 11, 2001, https://www.justice.gov/archives/ag/indictment-zacarias-moussaoui. Nonetheless, FBI headquarters in Washington deemed there to be insufficient probable cause to obtain a criminal warrant to search Moussaoui’s laptop, so Minneapolis agents sought to prove that Moussaoui was acting as an agent of a foreign power, contacting authorities in France and Britain throughout August and early September. At one point, a CIA message to the British government even described Moussaoui as a possible “suicide hijacker.” French authorities were able to reveal a connection between Moussaoui and a rebel leader in Chechnya, but this was still not enough to obtain a warrant.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 274, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf.

After 9/11, authorities moved Moussaoui to New York and held him as a material witness.“Timeline: The Case Against Zacarias Moussaoui,” NPR, May 3, 2006, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5243788. On September 13, British authorities received information that Moussaoui had attended an al-Qaeda training camp in Afghanistan.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 275-6, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. Additionally, after the attacks, authorities found that he possessed bin al-Shibh’s contact information and discovered that he had received funds from bin al-Shibh.Sarah Downey, “Who Is Zacarias Moussaoui?” NBC News, December 14, 2001, http://www.nbcnews.com/id/3067363/t/who-zacarias-moussaoui/#.WUFWZWgrJEZ. The 9/11 Commission believes that the 9/11 plot could have been uncovered had authorities investigated further and discovered Moussaoui’s communications with bin al-Shibh before the attacks.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 276, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. The Commission concluded, “FBI headquarters [did] not recognize the significance of the information regarding Moussaoui’s training and beliefs and thus [did] not take adequate action…to determining what Moussaoui might be planning.”National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 356, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf.

On December 11, 2001, Moussaoui was indicted by a federal judge on six conspiracy accounts.“Timeline: The Case Against Zacarias Moussaoui,” NPR, May 3, 2006, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5243788. The charges, as listed on the indictment published by the U.S. Department of Justice, included conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, conspiracy to commit aircraft piracy, conspiracy to destroy aircraft, conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction, conspiracy to murder United States employees, and conspiracy to destroy property.“Indictment of Zacarias Moussaoui,” U.S. Department of Justice, December 11, 2001, https://www.justice.gov/archives/ag/indictment-zacarias-moussaoui. On December 13, Moussaoui was denied bail and moved to Alexandria, Virginia, to await trial.“Timeline: The Case Against Zacarias Moussaoui,” NPR, May 3, 2006, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5243788. Nonetheless, in the following years, Moussaoui’s trial would face various delays and complications.

Moussaoui asked to represent himself in his trial. He was granted the right to do so in June of 2002 following a court-ordered mental evaluation.“Timeline: The Case Against Zacarias Moussaoui,” NPR, May 3, 2006, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5243788. That same year, Judge Leonie Brinkema entered multiple pleas of “not guilty” on Moussaoui’s behalf, due to his lack of cooperation and her belief that he did not properly understand the law and the case against him.“Timeline: The Case Against Zacarias Moussaoui,” NPR, May 3, 2006, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5243788;
“Zacarias Moussaoui Fast Facts,” CNN, last updated June 12, 2017, http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/03/us/zacarias-moussaoui-fast-facts/index.html. The prosecutors in the case sought the the death penalty for Moussaoui.“Timeline: The Case Against Zacarias Moussaoui,” NPR, May 3, 2006, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5243788.

According to NPR, Moussaoui was prone to “intemperate rants” and other unprofessional conduct throughout his trial.“Timeline: The Case Against Zacarias Moussaoui,” NPR, May 3, 2006, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5243788. In November of 2003, Brinkema would remove Moussaoui’s right to represent himself in court, citing his unprofessional and inflammatory behavior.“Timeline: The Case Against Zacarias Moussaoui,” NPR, May 3, 2006, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5243788. He was removed from the courtroom in February 2006 due to a disruptive outburst in which he declared, “I am al Qaeda. I am a sworn enemy.”“Zacarias Moussaoui Fast Facts,” CNN, last updated June 12, 2017, http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/03/us/zacarias-moussaoui-fast-facts/index.html.

In May 2003, Moussaoui claimed that he had not been preparing for the 9/11 attacks, but for a different al-Qaeda operation. In June 2004, the 9/11 Commission concluded that Moussaoui’s precise role in the 9/11 attacks was “unclear.”“Zacarias Moussaoui Fast Facts,” CNN, last updated June 12, 2017, http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/03/us/zacarias-moussaoui-fast-facts/index.html. On April 22, 2005, Moussaoui pled guilty to all six charges against him.“Zacarias Moussaoui Fast Facts,” CNN, last updated June 12, 2017, http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/03/us/zacarias-moussaoui-fast-facts/index.html. On March 27, 2006, in a blow to his defense, Moussaoui testified that he had been training to crash a plane into the White House in a fifth attack on 9/11 with accomplices that included so-called “shoe bomber” Richard Reid. He also testified that he lied to authorities after his arrest so that the 9/11 attacks would proceed as planned. On April 3, jurors determined that Moussaoui was responsible for at least one death in the 9/11 attacks, and was therefore eligible for the death penalty.“Timeline: The Case Against Zacarias Moussaoui,” NPR, May 3, 2006, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5243788.

On April 17, Michael First, a widely respected psychiatrist, testified that Moussaoui was schizophrenic and suffered from delusions and disorganized thinking. First testified that Moussaoui had a frequent delusion of President George Bush freeing him from prison as part of a prisoner exchange with al-Qaeda.Phil Hirschkorn, “Defense experts call Moussaoui schizophrenic,” CNN, April 19, 2006, http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/04/19/moussaoui.trial/index.html;
“Timeline: The Case Against Zacarias Moussaoui,” NPR, May 3, 2006, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5243788. A clinical psychologist named also Xaiver Amador testified that Moussaoui’s delusions were what had led him to claim his involvement in the 9/11 attacks. Amador suggested that Moussaoui’s alleged schizophrenia may have also been the reason that he had experienced so much difficulty in his flight training.Phil Hirschkorn, “Defense experts call Moussaoui schizophrenic,” CNN, April 19, 2006, http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/04/19/moussaoui.trial/index.html.

On May 3, the jury rejected the death penalty for Moussaoui in favor of a life sentence in prison without parole. The jury rejected the defense’s argument that he suffered from mental illness. Additionally, the jury rejected a second argument that the death penalty would effectively allow him to die as he desired––as a martyr. However, the jury still preferred a life sentence in prison over the death penalty, due to doubts that Moussaoui actually played a significant role in the 9/11 attacks despite his own claims that he did.“Moussaoui formally sentenced, still defiant,” NBC News, May 4, 2006, http://www.nbcnews.com/id/12615601/ns/us_news-security/t/moussaoui-formally-sentenced-still-defiant/#.WUFcCGgrJEY. Testimony given in April 2006 by Mohammed al-Kahtani, an al-Qaeda member captured in December 2001, suggested that Kahtani had been the intended 20^th hijacker in the 9/11 attacks rather than Moussaoui.Phil Hirschkorn, “Defense experts call Moussaoui schizophrenic,” CNN, April 19, 2006, http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/04/19/moussaoui.trial/index.html. Furthermore, an al-Qaeda audiotape was released in 2006 in which bin Laden stated that he “never assigned brother Zacarias” to be part of the 9/11 attacks.Kristina Sgueglia and Deborah Feyerick, “9/11 terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui claims Saudi involvement,” CNN, November 18, 2014, http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/17/world/zacarias-moussaoui-saudi-arabia/index.html?iref=allsearch. On May 13, Moussaoui was transferred to the highest security prison in the United States, a maximum-security facility in Florence, Colorado.Phil Hirschkorn, “Defense experts call Moussaoui schizophrenic,” CNN, April 19, 2006, http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/04/19/moussaoui.trial/index.html;
“Timeline: The Case Against Zacarias Moussaoui,” NPR, May 3, 2006, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5243788.

In February 2008, Moussaoui’s lawyers requested a federal appeals court to revoke Moussaoui’s guilty plea on the grounds that some of his U.S. constitutional rights had been violated during the trial. However, this appeal was rejected in January 2010, and the 4^th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals reaffirmed Moussaoui’s guilt and life sentence.“Zacarias Moussaoui Fast Facts,” CNN, last updated June 12, 2017, http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/03/us/zacarias-moussaoui-fast-facts/index.html.

While in prison, Moussaoui wrote multiple letters to courts claiming that he had inside knowledge about al-Qaeda, asking to testify in terrorism-related lawsuits, and making various other demands.Curt Anderson, “’20^th hijacker’ Zacarias Moussaoui seeks transfer to Guantanamo,” Miami Herald, December 10, 2014, http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/guantanamo/article4409077.html. Moussaoui wrote two handwritten letters that were filed in federal court in November 2014. In these letters, he claimed that while taking flying lessons in Oklahoma, Saudi royalty gave him money to fund the 9/11 plot. He also claimed that he had been privy to a Saudi plot to shoot down Air Force One in order to assassinate former U.S. president Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary Clinton, on a visit to the United Kingdom.Kristina Sgueglia and Deborah Feyerick, “9/11 terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui claims Saudi involvement,” CNN, November 18, 2014, http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/17/world/zacarias-moussaoui-saudi-arabia/index.html. In December 2014, he wrote two letters to a federal judge in south Florida requesting a transfer to the Guantanamo Bay military prison in Cuba on the grounds that he was being harassed by other inmates, including Ramzi Yousef, mastermind of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, at his maximum-security prison in Colorado. He signed the letters as the “so-called 20^th hijacker” and “Slave to Allah.”Curt Anderson, “’20^th hijacker’ Zacarias Moussaoui seeks transfer to Guantanamo,” Miami Herald, December 10, 2014, http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/guantanamo/article4409077.html.

In 2015, Moussaoui wrote letters to Army Colonel James L. Pohl, the judge in the 9/11 war crimes trial of five Guantanamo Bay inmates charged in relation to the attacks.“About the 9/11 war crimes trial,” Miami Herald, May 15, 2017, http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/guantanamo/article1928877.html;
Carol Rosenberg, “’20^th hijacker’ wants to testify at Guantanamo’s 9/11 trial,” Miami Herald, March 23, 2017, http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/guantanamo/article140400503.html. Moussaoui reportedly offered to give testimony about “the real 9/11 mastermind” in this letter, naming members of the Saudi royalty as key conspirators and donors.Carol Rosenberg, “’20^th hijacker’ wants to testify at Guantanamo’s 9/11 trial,” Miami Herald, March 23, 2017, http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/guantanamo/article140400503.html;
“About the 9/11 war crimes trial,” Miami Herald, May 15, 2017, http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/guantanamo/article1928877.html. In response, the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia distributed a press release claiming that there was no factual basis for Moussaoui’s claims. The release stated that the 9/11 Commission cleared Saudi Arabia of any wrongdoing and that Moussaoui was a “deranged criminal.”“Saudi Embassy Dismisses Moussaoui’s Allegations,” Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, February 3, 2015, https://www.saudiembassy.net/saudi-embassy-dismisses-moussaouis-allegations.

In January 2017, Moussaoui again wrote Pohl, stating that he would be willing to testify in the 9/11 trial, even if it meant that he would be incriminated with the death penalty. Edward MacMahon, a former defense attorney for Moussaoui, has speculated that Moussaoui wrote letters and asked to testify not out of any true desire to help but rather because “he would like to be in the spotlight and is bored in solitary.”Carol Rosenberg, “’20^th hijacker’ wants to testify at Guantanamo’s 9/11 trial,” Miami Herald, March 23, 2017, http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/guantanamo/article140400503.html.

In April 2020, Moussaoui filed a handwritten motion in Alexandria, Virginia federal court in which he renounced terrorism and al-Qaeda. The motion denounced “Osama bin Laden as a useful idiot of the CIA/Saudi [Arabia],” and “proclaim[ed] unequivocally” Moussaoui’s “opposition to any terrorist action, attack, propaganda against the US.” He further stated that he wanted to “warn young Muslims against the deception and manipulation of these fake jihadis.” Moussaoui’s alleged condemnation of jihadism was part of a petition seeking to ease his prison conditions. The judge denied his request and said that any further grievance over his prison conditions should be filed in Colorado, where he is serving his sentence.Associated Press, “Only man convicted over 9/11 says he is renouncing terrorism and Bin Laden,” Guardian, May 20, 2020, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/20/zacarias-moussaoui-september-11-al-qaida-bin-laden.

Gregory Hubbard is an American citizen who was arrested on July 21, 2016, along with Dayne Atani Christian and Darren Arness Jackson, for conspiring and attempting to provide material support to ISIS. Hubbard expressed praise and support for ISIS and ISIS-related acts of terrorism, and also made arrangements to travel to Syria with a confidential FBI source in order to join ISIS and engage in acts of terrorism. He was arrested at Miami International Airport before his intended departure.“Two Florida Men Plead Guilty to Conspiring to Provide Material Support to ISIL,” U.S. Department of Justice, April 4, 2017, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/two-florida-men-plead-guilty-conspiring-provide-material-support-isil;
“United States of America v. Gregory Hubbard, Dayne Antani Christian, and Darren Arness Jackson,” George Washington University’s Center for Cyber & Homeland Security, July 22, 2016, https://cchs.gwu.edu/sites/cchs.gwu.edu/files/downloads/Hubbard%20Complaint.pdf.

Hubbard was born in Albany, Georgia.John Pacenti, “ISIS in Florida: Former FBI agent on why arrests didn’t come sooner,” Palm Beach Post, July 24, 2017, http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/crime--law/isis-florida-former-fbi-agent-why-arrests-didn-come-sooner/Pezdh6eBg1C3B1zVDMKVuI/. He entered the U.S. Marine Corps at age 19, working in aviation supply, but later made his living as an artist and sculptor.Mimi Pirrault, “ISIS in Florida: 2007 Post profile of artist Gregory Hubbard,” Palm Beach Post, July 23, 2016, http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/crime--law/isis-florida-2007-post-profile-artist-gregory-hubbard/PyoJHEAZtb9tLmY2M2eqhM/;
Paula McMahon, “Guilty pleas expected for two Palm Beach County men arrested in terror sting,” Sun Sentinel, March 14, 2017, http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/palm-beach/fl-reg-palm-beach-terror-sting-update-20170314-story.html. Hubbard reportedly became depressed and homeless after falling victim to fraud, although court records reveal that he sought treatment for his mental health issues.Skyler Swisher, “Three Palm Beach County men plead not guilty in alleged conspiracy to help terrorists,” Sun Sentinel, July 27, 2016, http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/palm-beach/fl-palm-isil-arraignment-20160727-story.html;
Paula McMahon, “Guilty pleas expected for two Palm Beach County men arrested in terror sting,” Sun Sentinel, March 14, 2017, http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/palm-beach/fl-reg-palm-beach-terror-sting-update-20170314-story.html.

At some point in 2015, Hubbard was contacted by a confidential FBI informant pretending to be an ISIS follower.Paula McMahon, “Second man pleads guilty in Palm Beach terrorism sting,” Sun Sentinel, April 4, 2017, http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/palm-beach/fl-pn-terrorism-sting-plea-palm-beach-20170403-story.html;
“United States of America v. Gregory Hubbard, Dayne Antani Christian, and Darren Arness Jackson,” George Washington University’s Center for Cyber & Homeland Security, July 22, 2016, 5, https://cchs.gwu.edu/sites/cchs.gwu.edu/files/downloads/Hubbard%20Complaint.pdf. Hubbard––also known as “Jibreel”––introduced the FBI informant to Christian on August 15, 2015, and to Jackson on May 11, 2016.“United States of America v. Gregory Hubbard, Dayne Antani Christian, and Darren Arness Jackson,” George Washington University’s Center for Cyber & Homeland Security, July 22, 2016, 4-5, https://cchs.gwu.edu/sites/cchs.gwu.edu/files/downloads/Hubbard%20Complaint.pdf. The FBI informant would record more than 200 hours of conversation among Christian, Jackson, and Hubbard over the course of the subsequent year.Jane Musgrave, “Second PBC man pleads guilty in plot to help ISIS,” Palm Beach Post, April 4, 2017, http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/crime--law/second-pbc-man-pleads-guilty-plot-help-isis/8o3UPtnn7sX8YgYv0trNCP/. The men reportedly used code words to communicate, including the phrase “soccer team” in reference to ISIS, and “playing soccer” in reference to violent activity.“United States of America v. Gregory Hubbard, Dayne Antani Christian, and Darren Arness Jackson,” George Washington University’s Center for Cyber & Homeland Security, July 22, 2016, 5, https://cchs.gwu.edu/sites/cchs.gwu.edu/files/downloads/Hubbard%20Complaint.pdf.

Hubbard was known to engage with and propagate extremist propaganda on multiple occasions, including ISIS videos and lectures by the American al-Qaeda cleric Anwar al-Awlaki. In April of 2015, Hubbard emailed the FBI informant a 100-page manual in e-book form published by ISIS for its supporters. Hubbard told the informant that he previously wrote two articles that he sent to ISIS for publication, and was currently working on a third.“United States of America v. Gregory Hubbard, Dayne Antani Christian, and Darren Arness Jackson,” George Washington University’s Center for Cyber & Homeland Security, July 22, 2016, 6, https://cchs.gwu.edu/sites/cchs.gwu.edu/files/downloads/Hubbard%20Complaint.pdf. He sent the manual to the informant again on November 2, also mentioning some ISIS-related videos that he had watched.“United States of America v. Gregory Hubbard, Dayne Antani Christian, and Darren Arness Jackson,” George Washington University’s Center for Cyber & Homeland Security, July 22, 2016, 7, https://cchs.gwu.edu/sites/cchs.gwu.edu/files/downloads/Hubbard%20Complaint.pdf. In June 2016, Hubbard discussed violent ISIS videos with Christian and the FBI source, expressing “favorable views” of at least one of the videos, according to the criminal complaint filed against him.“United States of America v. Gregory Hubbard, Dayne Antani Christian, and Darren Arness Jackson,” George Washington University’s Center for Cyber & Homeland Security, July 22, 2016, 13, https://cchs.gwu.edu/sites/cchs.gwu.edu/files/downloads/Hubbard%20Complaint.pdf. On other occasions that same month, Hubbard played an Awlaki lecture on his phone for the FBI informant and sent a group text message containing a link to an Awlaki video that encouraged violent jihad.“United States of America v. Gregory Hubbard, Dayne Antani Christian, and Darren Arness Jackson,” George Washington University’s Center for Cyber & Homeland Security, July 22, 2016, 15, 18, https://cchs.gwu.edu/sites/cchs.gwu.edu/files/downloads/Hubbard%20Complaint.pdf.

Hubbard also explicitly expressed support and praise for ISIS and ISIS-related acts of terrorism, as detailed by the criminal complaint filed against him. On one occasion, he stated that there were only two types of people, those with ISIS and those against ISIS, and deemed ISIS to be “exciting.”“United States of America v. Gregory Hubbard, Dayne Antani Christian, and Darren Arness Jackson,” George Washington University’s Center for Cyber & Homeland Security, July 22, 2016, 6, https://cchs.gwu.edu/sites/cchs.gwu.edu/files/downloads/Hubbard%20Complaint.pdf. He also stated that “jihad is the skin of Islam” and that the only way to deal with one’s enemy was to “cut off his head.”“United States of America v. Gregory Hubbard, Dayne Antani Christian, and Darren Arness Jackson,” George Washington University’s Center for Cyber & Homeland Security, July 22, 2016, 7, https://cchs.gwu.edu/sites/cchs.gwu.edu/files/downloads/Hubbard%20Complaint.pdf. Hubbard publicly praised the December 2, 2015 mass shooting in San Bernardino and claimed that the attack and other instances of violent jihad were justified by the U.S.-led airstrikes in Syria.“United States of America v. Gregory Hubbard, Dayne Antani Christian, and Darren Arness Jackson,” George Washington University’s Center for Cyber & Homeland Security, July 22, 2016, 7-8, https://cchs.gwu.edu/sites/cchs.gwu.edu/files/downloads/Hubbard%20Complaint.pdf. He also praised the 2009 mass shooting in Fort Hood, Texas, stating that the shooter did the right thing.“United States of America v. Gregory Hubbard, Dayne Antani Christian, and Darren Arness Jackson,” George Washington University’s Center for Cyber & Homeland Security, July 22, 2016, 8, 10, https://cchs.gwu.edu/sites/cchs.gwu.edu/files/downloads/Hubbard%20Complaint.pdf. On another occasion, Hubbard told Christian that if he left town, would leave behind ammunition for one of Christian’s “own mission[s],” according to the criminal complaint filed against him.“United States of America v. Gregory Hubbard, Dayne Antani Christian, and Darren Arness Jackson,” George Washington University’s Center for Cyber & Homeland Security, July 22, 2016, 17, https://cchs.gwu.edu/sites/cchs.gwu.edu/files/downloads/Hubbard%20Complaint.pdf. Hubbard stated that he “wanted to bring America to its knees” and hoped that ISIS would attack the Pentagon or the White House.“United States of America v. Gregory Hubbard, Dayne Antani Christian, and Darren Arness Jackson,” George Washington University’s Center for Cyber & Homeland Security, July 22, 2016, 10, https://cchs.gwu.edu/sites/cchs.gwu.edu/files/downloads/Hubbard%20Complaint.pdf. In July 2016, Hubbard praised both the terrorist attack in Nice, France, and the shooting of police officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the day after each respective attack occurred.“United States of America v. Gregory Hubbard, Dayne Antani Christian, and Darren Arness Jackson,” George Washington University’s Center for Cyber & Homeland Security, July 22, 2016, 19, 20, https://cchs.gwu.edu/sites/cchs.gwu.edu/files/downloads/Hubbard%20Complaint.pdf.

Hubbard intended to travel to Syria to join ISIS and wage violent jihad there, making definite arrangements for his travel. He applied for a renewed passport in August of 2015 and received it on December 9.“United States of America v. Gregory Hubbard, Dayne Antani Christian, and Darren Arness Jackson,” George Washington University’s Center for Cyber & Homeland Security, July 22, 2016, 6, 8, https://cchs.gwu.edu/sites/cchs.gwu.edu/files/downloads/Hubbard%20Complaint.pdf. Upon receiving it, Hubbard became “excited” and stated that it was time to travel to Syria, according to the criminal complaint filed against him.“United States of America v. Gregory Hubbard, Dayne Antani Christian, and Darren Arness Jackson,” George Washington University’s Center for Cyber & Homeland Security, July 22, 2016, 8, https://cchs.gwu.edu/sites/cchs.gwu.edu/files/downloads/Hubbard%20Complaint.pdf. On March 3, 2016, Hubbard indicated to the FBI informant that he wanted to leave soon, and discussed logistics concerning flights, storage of personal belongings, and finances.“United States of America v. Gregory Hubbard, Dayne Antani Christian, and Darren Arness Jackson,” George Washington University’s Center for Cyber & Homeland Security, July 22, 2016, 11-12, https://cchs.gwu.edu/sites/cchs.gwu.edu/files/downloads/Hubbard%20Complaint.pdf. Later that month, he stated that he intended to depart that summer and not return to the United States.“United States of America v. Gregory Hubbard, Dayne Antani Christian, and Darren Arness Jackson,” George Washington University’s Center for Cyber & Homeland Security, July 22, 2016, 12, https://cchs.gwu.edu/sites/cchs.gwu.edu/files/downloads/Hubbard%20Complaint.pdf. On May 17, Hubbard solicited the FBI informant’s opinion on travel routes to Syria.“United States of America v. Gregory Hubbard, Dayne Antani Christian, and Darren Arness Jackson,” George Washington University’s Center for Cyber & Homeland Security, July 22, 2016, 12, https://cchs.gwu.edu/sites/cchs.gwu.edu/files/downloads/Hubbard%20Complaint.pdf. Later that month, in preparation for his departure, Hubbard packed his personal belongings into a rental moving truck and transported them to a storage unit in Albany, Georgia.“United States of America v. Gregory Hubbard, Dayne Antani Christian, and Darren Arness Jackson,” George Washington University’s Center for Cyber & Homeland Security, July 22, 2016, 13, https://cchs.gwu.edu/sites/cchs.gwu.edu/files/downloads/Hubbard%20Complaint.pdf. On June 7, Hubbard booked an airline ticket from Miami, Florida, to Berlin, Germany, and researched train travel from Berlin to Istanbul, Turkey, where he intended to travel before crossing the border to Syria. He also sold his van a few days later.“United States of America v. Gregory Hubbard, Dayne Antani Christian, and Darren Arness Jackson,” George Washington University’s Center for Cyber & Homeland Security, July 22, 2016, 15, https://cchs.gwu.edu/sites/cchs.gwu.edu/files/downloads/Hubbard%20Complaint.pdf. On June 20, Hubbard and the FBI source booked a hotel reservation for Berlin, as Hubbard wanted it to appear that they were legitimate tourists.“United States of America v. Gregory Hubbard, Dayne Antani Christian, and Darren Arness Jackson,” George Washington University’s Center for Cyber & Homeland Security, July 22, 2016, 17, https://cchs.gwu.edu/sites/cchs.gwu.edu/files/downloads/Hubbard%20Complaint.pdf. On July 18, Hubbard discussed finances for the trip with the FBI informant, declaring that he would bring $6,000. On this date, Hubbard also gave the FBI informant several boxes of his artwork to store at the informant’s place of residence, stating that he did not plan to return from Syria.“United States of America v. Gregory Hubbard, Dayne Antani Christian, and Darren Arness Jackson,” George Washington University’s Center for Cyber & Homeland Security, July 22, 2016, 20-21, https://cchs.gwu.edu/sites/cchs.gwu.edu/files/downloads/Hubbard%20Complaint.pdf.

Also in preparation for his travel to Syria, Hubbard attended target practice at local shooting ranges with Jackson, Christian, and the FBI source between May and July of 2016.“United States of America v. Gregory Hubbard, Dayne Antani Christian, and Darren Arness Jackson,” George Washington University’s Center for Cyber & Homeland Security, July 22, 2016, https://cchs.gwu.edu/sites/cchs.gwu.edu/files/downloads/Hubbard%20Complaint.pdf. At one practice, Hubbard remarked that he felt persecuted because he was Muslim and assumed that the others at the shooting range were training to kill Muslims.“United States of America v. Gregory Hubbard, Dayne Antani Christian, and Darren Arness Jackson,” George Washington University’s Center for Cyber & Homeland Security, July 22, 2016, 5-6, https://cchs.gwu.edu/sites/cchs.gwu.edu/files/downloads/Hubbard%20Complaint.pdf. On another instance, he brought his own weapons to the practice and provided his companions with instructions on the handling of firearms.“United States of America v. Gregory Hubbard, Dayne Antani Christian, and Darren Arness Jackson,” George Washington University’s Center for Cyber & Homeland Security, July 22, 2016, 15-16, https://cchs.gwu.edu/sites/cchs.gwu.edu/files/downloads/Hubbard%20Complaint.pdf.

On July 21, 2016, Jackson drove Hubbard and the FBI agent in his car from West Palm Beach to Miami International Airport, so that they could depart on a flight bound for Berlin, Germany, from where they planned to travel to Syria to join ISIS. Hubbard was arrested at the airport after he and the FBI informant obtained their boarding passes and cleared the TSA checkpoint.“United States of America v. Gregory Hubbard, Dayne Antani Christian, and Darren Arness Jackson,” George Washington University’s Center for Cyber & Homeland Security, July 22, 2016, 21, https://cchs.gwu.edu/sites/cchs.gwu.edu/files/downloads/Hubbard%20Complaint.pdf;
“Two Florida Men Plead Guilty to Conspiring to Provide Material Support to ISIL,” U.S. Department of Justice, April 4, 2017, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/two-florida-men-plead-guilty-conspiring-provide-material-support-isil.

On July 26, 2016, Hubbard was indicted with charges of conspiring and attempting to provide personnel to ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization, as he expressed support for ISIS and made an attempt to travel to Syria to join ISIS himself.“Two Florida Men Plead Guilty to Conspiring to Provide Material Support to ISIL,” U.S. Department of Justice, April 4, 2017, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/two-florida-men-plead-guilty-conspiring-provide-material-support-isil. Although Christian and Jackson pled guilty to their charges of material support, Hubbard continued to fight his allegations.Paula McMahon, “Second man pleads guilty in Palm Beach terrorism sting,” Sun Sentinel, April 4, 2017, http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/palm-beach/fl-pn-terrorism-sting-plea-palm-beach-20170403-story.html;
“Two Florida Men Plead Guilty to Conspiring to Provide Material Support to ISIL,” U.S. Department of Justice, April 4, 2017, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/two-florida-men-plead-guilty-conspiring-provide-material-support-isil.

On February 8, 2018, Hubbard pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide material support to ISIS.Jennifer Tinter, “West Palm Beach Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring with ISIS,” WPTV Channel 5, February 9, 2018, https://www.wptv.com/news/region-c-palm-beach-county/west-palm-beach/west-palm-beach-man-pleads-guilty-to-conspiring-with-isis; David J. Neal, “He Wanted to Join Islamic State. He Got as Far as Airport Security,” Miami Herald, February 13, 2018, https://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article199701919.html. On May 16, 2018, he was sentenced to 12 years in prison, followed by a lifetime of post-release supervision. His codefendants were sentenced on the same day: Christian was sentenced to eight years in prison, while Jackson was sentenced to four years in prison.“Three Florida Men Sentenced for Conspiring to Provide Material Support to ISIS,” U.S. Department of Justice – Office of Public Affairs, May 16, 2018, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/three-florida-men-sentenced-conspiring-provide-material-support-isis; Chuck Weber, “Men Sentenced in 'Homegrown' Terrorism Case,” CBS 12 News, May 16, 2018, https://cbs12.com/news/local/men-sentenced-in-homegrown-terrorism-case.

Hubbard is currently incarcerated at Schuylkill Federal Correction Institution in Pennsylvania, with a scheduled release date of November 21, 2026.“GREGORY HUBBARD,” Find an Inmate – Federal Bureau of Prisons, accessed April 7, 2021, https://www.bop.gov/inmateloc/.

Hani Hanjour was the hijacker-pilot of American Airlines Flight 77, flown into the Pentagon as the third of the four 9/11 plane hijackings.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 10; 239, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. Hanjour underwent pilot training in the United States in the 1990s, as the only pilot trained prior to being selected for the 9/11 plot.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 225-6, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. According to findings from the 9/11 Commission, Hanjour was specifically assigned to attack the Pentagon because he was the operation’s most experienced pilot.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 530, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf.

The 9/11 Commission Report summarizes Hanjour’s upbringing and some details regarding his path to radicalization. Hanjour reportedly traveled from his hometown of Ta’if, Saudi Arabia, to Afghanistan in the 1980s to participate in jihad against the Soviets, but ended up working in a relief agency because the war had already ended when he arrived. Hanjour, a “rigorously observant Muslim,” according to the Commission, first came to the United States in 1991 to take English as a Second Language classes at the University of Arizona. He returned again to the United States in 1996 to attend flight school, enrolling at schools in Florida, Arizona, and California, but did not progress far in his training and soon returned to Saudi Arabia. In 1997, Hanjour again returned to Arizona to undertake flight training, obtaining his private pilot’s license and, in April 1999, his commercial pilot certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration. The 9/11 Commission notes the possible significance of Hanjour’s time in Arizona, mentioning that Hanjour was known to have associated with other extremist individuals there. According to the report, various al-Qaeda-affiliated individuals lived in Tucson or attended the University of Arizona in the 1980s and 1990s, and other known extremists enrolled in aviation training there.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 225-6, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf.

After leaving the United States in April 1999, Hanjour spent some time at home in Saudi Arabia. He applied to a flight school in Jeddah, but was rejected. At some point, he told his family he was leaving for the United Arab Emirates to work for an airline, but is believed to have traveled to Afghanistan during this time instead. Hanjour was known to be in Afghanistan by the spring of 2000, where spent time at al-Faruq, an al-Qaeda training camp near Kandahar. He was sent to meet 9/11 architect Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (KSM) in Karachi after either Osama bin Laden or al-Qaeda military commander Mohammed Atef found out that he was a trained pilot.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 226, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. All of the hijackers, including Hanjour, volunteered for suicide missions.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 234, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf.

Hanjour returned to Saudi Arabia on June 20, 2000, where he obtained a U.S. student visa on September 25. He then traveled to the United Arab Emirates to meet with 9/11 facilitator Ali Abdul Aziz Ali, who provided Hanjour with funds. On December 8, he traveled to San Diego, California, where he met up with fellow 9/11 hijacker Nawaf al Hazmi.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 226, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. The two traveled to Arizona, where they rented an apartment together.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 226, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf;
Federal Bureau of Investigation, “9/11 Chronology Part 02 of 02,” accessed July 7, 2017, 111, https://vault.fbi.gov/9-11%20Commission%20Report/9-11-chronology-part-02-of-02/. Hanjour enrolled in refresher training at his old flight school, Arizona Aviation, and also trained at the Pan Am Internation Flight Academy in Mesa, but according to the 9/11 report, he was repeatedly advised to discontinue when instructors found his work “well below standard.” Nonetheless, Hanjour continued and completed his training in March of 2001, at which point he drove east with Hazmi to await the arrival of the “muscle hijackers,” who would help al-Qaeda’s pilots take over the 9/11 planes. They arrived in Falls Church, Virginia, by April 4, 2001.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 226-7, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf.

While in Falls Church, Hanjour and Hazmi attended the Dar al Hijra mosque, where al-Qaeda propagandist Anwar al-Awlaki served as an imam. There, they met a Jordanian man named Eyad al Rababah who helped them rent an apartment in Alexandria, Virginia. Rababah also helped them search for an apartment in Paterson, New Jersey, without success. He offered to take them to Connecticut to look for a place to live there instead. The 9/11 Commission suspects that Awlaki may have instructed Rababah to assist Hanjour and Hazmi.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 229-30, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. When two other 9/11 muscle hijackers, Ahmed al Ghamdi and Majed Moqed, arrived in the United States in early May, they moved into Hanjour and Hazmi’s apartment in Alexandria.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 528, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. On May 8, 2oo1, the four hijackers traveled from Virginia to Fairfield, Connecticut, with Rababah, allegedly to look for a place to live. That evening, Rababah drove the four to Paterson, New Jersey, then back to Connecticut, after which point he claims to never have seen them again.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 230, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf;
Federal Bureau of Investigation, “9/11 Chronology Part 01 of 02,” accessed July 10, 2017, 132, 141, https://vault.fbi.gov/9-11%20Commission%20Report/9-11-chronology-part-01-of-02/.

The four hijackers returned to New Jersey and began renting an apartment in Paterson on May 21, 2001.“9/11 Chronology Part 01 of 02,” Federal Bureau of Investigation, accessed July 10, 2017, 144, https://vault.fbi.gov/9-11%20Commission%20Report/9-11-chronology-part-01-of-02/. They were joined there by three other 9/11 hijackers, Salem al Hazmi, Abdul Aziz al Omari, and Khalid al Mihdhar, in the subsequent weeks.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 230, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. While living in New Jersey, Hanjour opened a mailbox and bank account,“9/11 Chronology Part 02 of 02,” Federal Bureau of Investigation, accessed July 7, 2017, 166-7, https://vault.fbi.gov/9-11%20Commission%20Report/9-11-chronology-part-02-of-02/. activated a cell phone,“9/11 Chronology Part 02 of 02,” Federal Bureau of Investigation, accessed July 7, 2017, 168, https://vault.fbi.gov/9-11%20Commission%20Report/9-11-chronology-part-02-of-02/. rented a car,“9/11 Chronology Part 02 of 02,” Federal Bureau of Investigation, accessed July 7, 2017, 198, https://vault.fbi.gov/9-11%20Commission%20Report/9-11-chronology-part-02-of-02/. obtained identification cards,“9/11 Chronology Part 02 of 02,” Federal Bureau of Investigation, accessed July 7, 2017, 201, https://vault.fbi.gov/9-11%20Commission%20Report/9-11-chronology-part-02-of-02/. and even frequented a gym.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 243, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf;
Federal Bureau of Investigation, “9/11 Chronology Part 01 of 02,” accessed July 10, 2017, 132, 141, https://vault.fbi.gov/9-11%20Commission%20Report/9-11-chronology-part-01-of-02/. Hanjour also continued flight training through August of 2001.“9/11 Chronology Part 02 of 02,” Federal Bureau of Investigation, accessed July 7, 2017, 222, https://vault.fbi.gov/9-11%20Commission%20Report/9-11-chronology-part-02-of-02/. On May 29, he flew along the Hudson River with Air Fleet Training Systems based in Teterboro, New Jersey, but was denied his second request to fly the route because of what his instructor deemed his “poor piloting skills.”“9/11 Chronology Part 02 of 02,” Federal Bureau of Investigation, accessed July 10, 2017, 150, https://vault.fbi.gov/9-11%20Commission%20Report/9-11-chronology-part-02-of-02/;
National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 242, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. Hanjour then trained at the Caldwell Flight Academy in Fairfield, New Jersey, where he took a practice flight that passed Washington, D.C. the The pilot hijackers also did reconnaissance flights in the early summer of 2001, traveling in first class to case their aircraft-types and determine the feasibility of bringing and using box cutters to hijack the plane.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 242, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. On August 13, Hanjour and Hazmi flew from Washington, D.C., to Las Vegas, on a Boeing 757, returning via Minneapolis the following day.“9/11 Chronology Part 02 of 02,” Federal Bureau of Investigation, accessed July 7, 2017, 217, 220, https://vault.fbi.gov/9-11%20Commission%20Report/9-11-chronology-part-02-of-02/;
National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 248, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. On August 31, Hanjour purchased his ticket for American Airlines Flight 77, bound from Washington, D.C. to Los Angeles, at a travel agency in New Jersey.“9/11 Chronology Part 02 of 02,” Federal Bureau of Investigation, accessed July 7, 2017, 217, 220, https://vault.fbi.gov/9-11%20Commission%20Report/9-11-chronology-part-02-of-02/.

On the morning of September 11, 2001, Hani Hanjour and the four other hijackers of American Airlines Flight 77 checked in between 7:15 and 7:35 a.m. for the flight, scheduled to depart at 8:10 a.m., at Washington Dulles International Airport.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 2-3, 8, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. Hanjour and two others were selected by a computerized prescreening system at the airport, but were ultimately able to clear the security checkpoint and board the plane without issue. Hanjour sat in seat 1B, in the first-class cabin.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 3-4, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. American Airlines Flight 77 departed from the ground at 8:20 a.m.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 8, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf.

The plane hijacking on American Airlines Flight 77 began sometime between 8:51 and 8:54 a.m.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 8, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. According to reports from passengers and flight attendants who made calls before the plane crashed, the hijackers used knives and possibly box cutters to carry out the hijacking, forcing the passengers to move to the back of the plane so that Hani Hanjour could enter the cockpit and take control of the aircraft. At some point, Hanjour made an announcement that the plane had been hijacked.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 8, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. At 8:54 a.m., the aircraft veered off course, turning back toward Washington D.C., and at 9:00 a.m., communications with the plane were lost. At 9:34 a.m., the aircraft made a 330-degree turn and began a 2,200-ft descent toward downtown Washington, D.C. Hanjour advanced the aircraft’s throttles to maximum power and began a high-speed dive toward the Pentagon.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 9, 334, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. At 9:37 a.m., American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon at approximately 530 miles per hour, instantly killing everyone on board and an unknown number of people in the building.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 10, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. The 9/11 attacks—including attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the thwarted attack headed for the White House or Capitol—left nearly 3,000 people dead in the single deadliest attack in U.S. history.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 7, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf.

Abdul Aziz al Omari was one of the so-called “muscle hijackers” of American Airlines Flight 11, flown into the World Trade Center’s north tower as the first of the four 9/11 plane hijackings.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 231; 437, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. As a muscle hijacker, Omari helped to storm the cockpit and keep passengers under controlNational Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 227, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. so that the hijacker-pilot, Mohamed Atta, could take control of the plane. The flight’s hijackers used pepper spray and the threat of a bomb to carry out the hijacking, during which they stabbed at least two unarmed flight attendants and one passenger.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 5, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf.

Abdul Aziz al Omari was from Saudi Arabia’s Asir Province, an impoverished region in the country’s southwest. According to the 9/11 Commission, Omari was an accomplished student, having graduated from high school with honors and having obtained a degree from the Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University. He was married and had a daughter, and served as an imam at his mosque.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 232, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf;
Federal Bureau of Investigation, “9/11 Chronology Part 02 of 02,” accessed July 7, 2017, 2, https://vault.fbi.gov/9-11%20Commission%20Report/9-11-chronology-part-01-of-02/. According to an FBI report, in the summer of 2000, he traveled to al Qassim, a region at the core of the ultra-conservative Wahhabi Islamic movement in Saudi Arabia where two other 9/11 hijackers may have been radicalized.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 233, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf;
National Security Archive, “The Plot and the Plotters,” Central Intelligence Agency Intelligence Report, June 1, 2003, 35, https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/368989/2003-06-01-11-september-the-plot-and-the.pdf. The 9/11 Commission reports that he was a student of a radical Saudi cleric, Sulayman al Alwan, whose mosque, which was located there, has been dubbed a “terrorist factory” by other clerics.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 233, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf.

The 9/11 Commission reports that most of the Saudi muscle hijackers began to break with their families in 1999 or 2000, and that some claimed that they intended to wage violent jihad against Russian forces in Chechnya.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 232-33, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. Omari reportedly expressed a desire to travel to Chechnya,National Security Archive, “The Plot and the Plotters,” Central Intelligence Agency Intelligence Report, June 1, 2003, 35, https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/368989/2003-06-01-11-september-the-plot-and-the.pdf. but as he was not one of the hijackers found to actually have documentation suggesting that they traveled to Russia, it is likely that this was a pretext for his travels to Afghanistan, where he reportedly spent most of the fall of 2000.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 232-33, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf;
National Security Archive, “The Plot and the Plotters,” Central Intelligence Agency Intelligence Report, June 1, 2003, 35, https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/368989/2003-06-01-11-september-the-plot-and-the.pdf. Many of the hijackers reportedly intended to travel to Russia but were instead diverted to Afghanistan, where they volunteered to be suicide attackers after hearing Osama bin Laden’s speeches.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 232-33, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. Omari reportedly met 9/11 architect Khalid Sheikh Mohammed when he was working in security at the airport in Kandahar, Afghanistan.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 233-34, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. The hijackers underwent basic training in weaponry use at al-Faruq, an al-Qaeda training camp near Kandahar in Afghanistan. All of the hijackers volunteered for suicide missions.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 234, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf.

After completing their basic training sometime in 2000, the muscle hijackers were instructed to return to their home countries and acquire new passports and U.S. visas before returning to Afghanistan.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 234-5, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. It is unclear if Omari followed this protocol, as records show that he received his passport in Jeddah on June 5, 2000––before his initial travel to Afghanistan––and a U.S. visa from Saudi Arabia the following year, on June 18, 2001––days before he would depart for the United States.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 525, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf;
Federal Bureau of Investigation, “9/11 Chronology Part 01 of 02,” accessed July 7, 2017, 68, https://vault.fbi.gov/9-11%20Commission%20Report/9-11-chronology-part-01-of-02/. The 9/11 Commission reports that Omari’s passport was recovered after September 11, 2001.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 525, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. According to his passport stamps, he traveled to Bahrain, Egypt, Malaysia, and the United Arab Emirates in 2000 and 2001.Federal Bureau of Investigation, “9/11 Chronology Part 01 of 02,” accessed July 7, 2017, 72, 141, 148, 157, https://vault.fbi.gov/9-11%20Commission%20Report/9-11-chronology-part-01-of-02/. However, there is reason to doubt that he actually traveled to all of these countries, as the 9/11 Commission reports that Suqami’s passport was found to have been doctored by al-Qaeda.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 525, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. The FBI also reports that Malaysian entry stamps, in particular, were used to “disguise travel to and from Afghanistan.”Federal Bureau of Investigation, “9/11 Chronology Part 01 of 02,” accessed July 7, 2017, 141, https://vault.fbi.gov/9-11%20Commission%20Report/9-11-chronology-part-01-of-02/.

According to the 9/11 Commission Report, the so-called “muscle hijackers” returned to Afghanistan for special training in late 2000 or early 2001, where they learned to conduct hijackings. Again, it is unclear if Omari actually departed Afghanistan after he received training there in the fall of 2000.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 235-6, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. All of the muscle hijackers were personally chosen by bin Laden during this time, after which they committed to carrying out a suicide operation and filmed a so-called “martyrdom video.”National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 235, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf.

Abdul Aziz al Omari was part of the last pair of muscle hijackers to arrive in the United States. He flew from the Dubai to New York via Zurich with American Airlines Flight 77 muscle hijacker Salem al Hazmi, arriving at New York’s JFK airport on June 29, 2001. The 9/11 Commission speculates that they were picked up by Salem’s older brother, Nawaf al Hazmi, who took them to an apartment in Paterson, New Jersey, where a group of hijackers were already living.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 230, 528, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. Omari remained in Paterson until he traveled with United Airlines Flight 175 hijacker Ahmed al Ghamdi from Newark to Miami on August 9.Federal Bureau of Investigation, “9/11 Chronology Part 01 of 02,” accessed July 10, 2017, 144, https://vault.fbi.gov/9-11%20Commission%20Report/9-11-chronology-part-01-of-02/. While living in Paterson, Omari obtained a U.S. photo identification card and opened a bank account.Federal Bureau of Investigation, “9/11 Chronology Part 02 of 02,” accessed July 10, 2017, 173, 182, 195, https://vault.fbi.gov/9-11%20Commission%20Report/9-11-chronology-part-02-of-02/. The 9/11 Commission Report suggests that the four hijacking teams were likely not assigned to their respective flights until August, when Omari flew to Florida––where the rest of the Flight 11 hijackers were living.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 248, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf;
Federal Bureau of Investigation, “9/11 Chronology Part 01 of 02,” accessed July 10, 2017, 132, 141, https://vault.fbi.gov/9-11%20Commission%20Report/9-11-chronology-part-01-of-02/.

On August 28, Flight 11 hijacker-pilot Mohammed Atta booked flight reservations for American Airlines Flight 11, bound from Boston to Los Angeles, for himself and Omari.Federal Bureau of Investigation, “9/11 Chronology Part 02 of 02,” accessed July 10, 2017, 241, https://vault.fbi.gov/9-11%20Commission%20Report/9-11-chronology-part-02-of-02/. On September 6, Omari traveled from Ft. Lauderdale to Boston with fellow Flight 11 hijacker Sutam al Suqami.Federal Bureau of Investigation, “9/11 Chronology Part 02 of 02,” accessed July 7, 2017, 258, https://vault.fbi.gov/9-11%20Commission%20Report/9-11-chronology-part-02-of-02/. On September 10, Omari and Atta traveled from Boston to Portland, Maine, in the car that Atta had rented two days prior.Federal Bureau of Investigation, “9/11 Chronology Part 02 of 02,” accessed July 10, 2017, 266, 278, 279, https://vault.fbi.gov/9-11%20Commission%20Report/9-11-chronology-part-02-of-02/. The 9/11 Commission cannot find a satisfactory explanation for their trip to Portland, as they did not seem to do anything out of the ordinary on the night of September 10.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 253, 451, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. A CIA report suggests that they may have been following al-Qaida guidelines to enter an attack site from different places.National Security Archive, “The Plot and the Plotters,” Central Intelligence Agency Intelligence Report, June 1, 2003, 15, https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/368989/2003-06-01-11-september-the-plot-and-the.pdf.

On the morning of September 11, Omari and Atta took a 6:00 a.m. flight from Portland to Boston, arriving at Boston Logan International Airport at 6:45.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 1, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. They were able to clear the security checkpoint and board the flight without issue. American Airlines Flight 11 departed at 7:59 a.m.,National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 4, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. scheduled to fly with nonstop service from Boston to Los Angeles. Omari sat in seat 8G in business class, in the same row as Atta.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 2, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf.

The hijacking is believed to have begun at around 8:14 a.m.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 4, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. Based on reports from two flight attendants, the attack began when two hijackers stabbed the two unarmed flight attendants preparing for cabin service. A passenger was also stabbed. The flight’s hijackers claimed that they had a bomb, and sprayed pepper spray in the first-class cabinso that the hijacker-pilot, Atta, could enter the cockpit––possibly accompanied by Omari, according to the 9/11 Commission––and gain control of the aircraft.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 5, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. At 8:46 a.m. American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center, killing everyone on board and an unknown number of people in the tower.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 6-7, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. The 9/11 attacks—including attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the thwarted attack headed for the White House or Capitol—left nearly 3,000 people dead in the single deadliest attack in U.S. history.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 7, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf.

In September 2002, an al-Qaeda video was released in which bin Laden praised the 9/11 attackers. The video featured Omari, who vowed to “humiliate” and “never stop following” the United States and praised Osama bin Laden.“Al-Jazeera: Bin Laden tape praises hijackers,” CNN, September 9, 2002, http://www.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/meast/09/09/binladen.tape/.

Wail al Shehri was one of the so-called “muscle hijackers” of American Airlines Flight 11, flown into the World Trade Center’s north tower as the first of the four 9/11 plane hijackings.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 231; 437, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. As a muscle hijacker, Shehri helped to storm the cockpit and keep passengers under controlNational Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 227, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. so that the hijacker-pilot, Mohamed Atta, could take control of the plane. According to reports, Wail and his brother Waleed al Shehri, another muscle hijacker on the flight, likely initiated the hijacking by stabbing two unarmed flight attendants preparing for cabin service.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 5, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf.

Wail al Shehri was from Saudi Arabia’s Asir Province, an impoverished region in the country’s southwest.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 232, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf;
“Hijackers’ Timeline,” 2, https://web.archive.org/web/20081012013300/http://www.nefafoundation.org/miscellaneous/FeaturedDocs/FBI911Timeline.pdf. He was from the city of Khamis Musayet,Federal Bureau of Investigation, “9/11 Chronology Part 01 of 02,” accessed July 7, 2017, 1, https://vault.fbi.gov/9-11%20Commission%20Report/9-11-chronology-part-01-of-02/;
“Profiles of 9/11 Saudi Hijackers Revealed,” Saudi Information Agency, September 11, 2002, https://web.archive.org/web/20071107064223/http://www.arabiaradio.org/english/article.cfm. where his father was a tribal leader.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 524, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. Reports detailing his background are conflicting, but according a CIA report, he allegedly came from a relatively affluent family of 20 children.National Security Archive, “The Plot and the Plotters," Central Intelligence Agency Intelligence Report, June 1, 2003, 37, https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/368989/2003-06-01-11-september-the-plot-and-the.pdf. A Boston Globe article from 2002 reports that the Shehri children were brought up in the strict tradition of the Wahhabi school of Islam and forbidden any link to the modern world, including access to TV or the Internet. While the 9/11 Commission Report alleges that Wail had begun university studies,National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 232, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. another source reports that he graduated from a teacher’s college in the neighboring city of Abha in 1999.“Profiles of 9/11 Saudi Hijackers Revealed,” Saudi Information Agency, September 11, 2002, https://web.archive.org/web/20071107064223/http://www.arabiaradio.org/english/article.cfm. He had been employed as a physical education teacher at an elementary school at the local airbase.“Profiles of 9/11 Saudi Hijackers Revealed,” Saudi Information Agency, September 11, 2002, https://web.archive.org/web/20071107064223/http://www.arabiaradio.org/english/article.cfm;
National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 524, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. The brothers were reportedly recruited into Osama bin Laden’s network at the Seqeley mosque in Khamis Musayet, where they worshipped, and pledged themselves to engage in violent jihad in the spring of 2000,“Profiles of 9/11 Saudi Hijackers Revealed,” Saudi Information Agency, September 11, 2002, https://web.archive.org/web/20071107064223/http://www.arabiaradio.org/english/article.cfm;
Charles M. Sennott, “Before oath to jihad, drifting and boredom,” Boston Globe, March 3, 2002, http://www.webcitation.org/5bTYljW3A?url=http://www.boston.com/news/packages/underattack/news/driving_a_wedge/part1_side.shtml. after which they traveled to Afghanistan.“Profiles of 9/11 Saudi Hijackers Revealed,” Saudi Information Agency, September 11, 2002, https://web.archive.org/web/20071107064223/http://www.arabiaradio.org/english/article.cfm;
Charles M. Sennott, “Before oath to jihad, drifting and boredom,” Boston Globe, March 3, 2002, http://www.webcitation.org/5bTYljW3A?url=http://www.boston.com/news/packages/underattack/news/driving_a_wedge/part1_side.shtml. The 9/11 Commission Report affirms that many of the muscle hijackers were recruited through local mosques.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 233, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf.

Shehri also reportedly became depressed and left his work in either 1999 or 2000 to seek help from a religious healer in an Islamic holy city, accompanied by his brother Waleed.“Fathers Say 9-11 Suspects Gave No Warning,” ABC News, March 22, 2002, http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=123939;
Charles M. Sennott, “Before oath to jihad, drifting and boredom,” Boston Globe, March 3, 2002, http://www.webcitation.org/5bTYljW3A?url=http://www.boston.com/news/packages/underattack/news/driving_a_wedge/part1_side.shtml;
Mutlaq Al-Buqami, “Al-Shihri says sons missing for 10 months,” Arab News, September 17, 2001, http://www.webcitation.org/5bTh4Uvav?url=http://www.arabnews.com;
National Security Archive, “The Plot and the Plotters," Central Intelligence Agency Intelligence Report, June 1, 2003, 38, https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/368989/2003-06-01-11-september-the-plot-and-the.pdf. Multiple sources report that the Shehri brothers traveled to Afghanistan in the spring of 2000.“Profiles of 9/11 Saudi Hijackers Revealed,” Saudi Information Agency, September 11, 2002, https://web.archive.org/web/20071107064223/http://www.arabiaradio.org/english/article.cfm;
Charles M. Sennott, “Before oath to jihad, drifting and boredom,” Boston Globe, March 3, 2002, http://www.webcitation.org/5bTYljW3A?url=http://www.boston.com/news/packages/underattack/news/driving_a_wedge/part1_side.shtml. The 9/11 Commission Report explains that many of the muscle hijackers originally intended to travel to Chechnya to wage jihad against Russian forces there but were instead diverted to Afghanistan, where they volunteered to be suicide attackers after hearing bin Laden’s speeches. The report does not specify if this was the case for the Shehri brothers, but notes that they are believed to have met 9/11 architect Khalid Sheikh Mohammed when they were working in security at the airport in Kandahar, Afghanistan.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 233-34, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. The hijackers underwent basic training in weaponry at al-Faruq, an al-Qaeda training camp near Kandahar.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 234, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf;
“Profiles of 9/11 Saudi Hijackers Revealed,” Saudi Information Agency, September 11, 2002, https://web.archive.org/web/20071107064223/http://www.arabiaradio.org/english/article.cfm. All of the hijackers volunteered for suicide missions.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 233, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf.

After completing the basic training sometime in 2000,National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 234-5, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. Shehri returned to Saudi Arabia, where he obtained a clean passport on October 3, 2000Federal Bureau of Investigation, “9/11 Chronology Part 01 of 02,” accessed July 7, 2017, 93, https://vault.fbi.gov/9-11%20Commission%20Report/9-11-chronology-part-01-of-02/. and a U.S. visa on October 24, on which he claimed Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to be his hometown and “South City” to be his destination in the United States.Federal Bureau of Investigation, “9/11 Chronology Part 01 of 02,” accessed July 7, 2017, 98, https://vault.fbi.gov/9-11%20Commission%20Report/9-11-chronology-part-01-of-02/. The Shehri brothers had a relative in the Saudi passport office who provided them their new passports.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 525, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf.

Wail was part of a group that traveled from Saudi Arabia to Lebanon and Iran in November 2000. While the purpose of this trip is unknown, the 9/11 Commission suggests that they may have met with and sought support from Hezbollah officials.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 240, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. The so-called “muscle hijackers” then returned to Afghanistan for special training in late 2000 or early 2001, where they learned to conduct hijackings.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 235-6, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. All of the muscle hijackers were personally chosen by bin Laden during this time, after which they committed to carrying out a suicide operation and filmed a so-called “martyrdom video.”National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 235, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. The video featuring Wail al Shehri was released in September of 2006.Jim Popkin, “Video showing Atta, bin Laden is unearthed,” NBC News, October 1, 2006, http://www.nbcnews.com/id/15082633/ns/us_news-security/t/video-showing-atta-bin-laden-unearthed/#.WV5eI9MrKt8.

Wail al Shehri flew from the United Arab Emirates to Miami, Florida, through London, alongside fellow 9/11 hijacker Ahmad al Haznawi, arriving in Miami on June 8, 2001.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 528, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. The hijackers stayed in various motels and apartments in southern Florida in the subsequent months.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 241, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. Records show that he opened a bank account,Federal Bureau of Investigation, “9/11 Chronology Part 02 of 02,” accessed July 7, 2017, 162, https://vault.fbi.gov/9-11%20Commission%20Report/9-11-chronology-part-02-of-02/. obtained a Florida state ID card,Federal Bureau of Investigation, “9/11 Chronology Part 02 of 02,” accessed July 7, 2017, 176, https://vault.fbi.gov/9-11%20Commission%20Report/9-11-chronology-part-02-of-02/. and even joined a gym.Federal Bureau of Investigation, “9/11 Chronology Part 02 of 02,” accessed July 7, 2017, 178, https://vault.fbi.gov/9-11%20Commission%20Report/9-11-chronology-part-02-of-02/.

On August 28, Shehri booked a first-class ticket on American Airlines Flight 11,Federal Bureau of Investigation, “9/11 Chronology Part 02 of 02,” accessed July 7, 2017, 237, 241, https://vault.fbi.gov/9-11%20Commission%20Report/9-11-chronology-part-02-of-02/. bound from Boston to Los Angeles. On September 3, Shehri and his brother Waleed contacted American Airlines to change their seat assignments the other side of the plane, where they would have a direct view of the cockpit.Federal Bureau of Investigation, “9/11 Chronology Part 02 of 02,” accessed July 7, 2017, 249, https://vault.fbi.gov/9-11%20Commission%20Report/9-11-chronology-part-02-of-02/. On September 5, the brothers flew from Fort Lauderdale to Boston, later checking into a motel in Newton, Massachusetts,Federal Bureau of Investigation, “9/11 Chronology Part 02 of 02,” accessed July 7, 2017, 257, https://vault.fbi.gov/9-11%20Commission%20Report/9-11-chronology-part-02-of-02/. where they stayed until the morning of September 11.

On the morning of September 11, all five hijackers of American Airlines Flight 11 checked in at Boston Logan International Airport between 6:45 and 7:40 a.m. Shehri and two of the flight’s other hijackers were selected by a computerized prescreening system at Boston Logan, but were ultimately able to clear the security checkpoint and board the flight without issue. American Airlines Flight 11 departed at 7:59 a.m.,National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 4, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. scheduled to fly with nonstop service from Boston to Los Angeles. Waleed sat in seat 2B in the first class cabin, next to his brother in seat 2A.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 2, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf.

The plane hijacking on American Airlines Flight 11 is believed to have begun at around 8:14 a.m.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 4, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. Based on reports from two flight attendants who made calls before the plane crashed, it began when two hijackers stabbed the two unarmed flight attendants preparing for cabin service. Given their seat location, these hijackers were most likely Wail and Waleed al Shehri. The flight’s hijackers claimed that they had a bomb, and sprayed pepper spray in the first-class cabinNational Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 5, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. so that hijacker-pilot Mohamed Atta could enter the cockpit and wrest control of the aircraft. At 8:46 a.m. American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center, killing everyone on board and an unknown number of people in the tower.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 6-7, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. The 9/11 attacks—including attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the thwarted attack headed for the White House or Capitol—left nearly 3,000 people dead in the single deadliest attack in U.S. history.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 311, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf.

Mohamed Amiin Ali Roble is a U.S.-born foreign fighter with ISIS who was part of a pro-ISIS cell in Minnesota. In October 2014, at 18 years old, Roble left the United States and flew back and forth from China and Istanbul before traveling to Syria that December.“Eleventh Twin cities Man Charged with Conspiracy to Provide Material Support to ISIL,” United States Department of Justice, August 24, 2016, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/eleventh-twin-cities-man-charged-conspiracy-provide-material-support-isil. Roble funded his travel with the more than $91,000 he was awarded upon turning 18 as a payout from lawsuits related to a collapse of an I-35 bridge in Minnesota, 2007.Mark Berman, “FBI says Minnesota man who survived 2007 bridge collapse got a settlement and used it to join ISIS,” Washington Post, August 25, 2016, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/08/25/fbi-says-minnesota-man-who-survived-2007-bridge-collapse-got-a-settlement-and-used-it-to-join-isis/?utm_term=.79286a5a8a75.

According to reports, Roble left the United States less than two months after receiving the I-35 bridge settlement. Roble informed his parents that he would be attending a study program in China.Stephen Montemayor, “I-35 bridge collapse survivor becomes 11^th Twin Cities man charged with supporting ISIL,” Star Tribune, August 25, 2016, http://www.startribune.com/i-35-bridge-collapse-survivor-becomes-11th-twin-cities-man-charged-with-supporting-isil/391229031/. Roble left China and twice traveled to Istanbul, spending a day in Turkey in November 2014 and returned there again in December. Roble never returned to China from this second trip. According to authorities, Roble travelled back and forth across the border from Turkey to Syria numerous times between December 2014 and May 2015.Stephen Montemayor, “I-35 bridge collapse survivor becomes 11^th Twin Cities man charged with supporting ISIL,” Star Tribune, August 25, 2016, http://www.startribune.com/i-35-bridge-collapse-survivor-becomes-11th-twin-cities-man-charged-with-supporting-isil/391229031/. Roble was scheduled to return to the United States in June 2015, but he never did.“AP: Bridge collapse survivor linked to ISIS in Syria,” CBS News, May 27, 2016, http://www.cbsnews.com/news/isis-link-minnesota-man-survivor-minneapolis-bridge-collapse-ap/.

Roble made numerous withdrawals from his bank account while in Turkey, totaling approximately $47,000.Stephen Montemayor, “I-35 bridge collapse survivor becomes 11^th Twin Cities man charged with supporting ISIL,” Star Tribune, August 25, 2016, http://www.startribune.com/i-35-bridge-collapse-survivor-becomes-11th-twin-cities-man-charged-with-supporting-isil/391229031/. According to the testimony of Guled Ali Omar, the alleged ringleader of a Minnesotan cell, Roble brought an additional $20,000 with him when he traveled to the region.Mark Berman, “FBI says Minnesota man who survived 2007 bridge collapse got a settlement and used it to join ISIS,” Washington Post, August 25, 2016, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/08/25/fbi-says-minnesota-man-who-survived-2007-bridge-collapse-got-a-settlement-and-used-it-to-join-isis/?utm_term=.79286a5a8a75. Roble allegedly used the money to support himself and other members of ISIS, purchasing vehicles and funding the weddings of his compatriots.Stephen Montemayor, “I-35 bridge collapse survivor becomes 11^th Twin Cities man charged with supporting ISIL,” Star Tribune, august 25, 2016, http://www.startribune.com/i-35-bridge-collapse-survivor-becomes-11th-twin-cities-man-charged-with-supporting-isil/391229031/. Roble is also reported to have used the money to purchase sporting equipment, clothing, and electronics during his frequent border crossings into Turkey.Mark Berman, “FBI says Minnesota man who survived 2007 bridge collapse got a settlement and used it to join ISIS,” Washington Post, August 25, 2016, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/08/25/fbi-says-minnesota-man-who-survived-2007-bridge-collapse-got-a-settlement-and-used-it-to-join-isis/?utm_term=.3c0b1d082d7b. According to Omar, Roble was generous with his money upon reaching Syria, handing it out “like candy.”Mark Berman, “FBI says Minnesota man who survived 2007 bridge collapse got a settlement and used it to join ISIS,” Washington Post, August 25, 2016, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/08/25/fbi-says-minnesota-man-who-survived-2007-bridge-collapse-got-a-settlement-and-used-it-to-join-isis/?utm_term=.3c0b1d082d7b.

Roble, a suspected member of the pro-ISIS cell in Minnesota, was one of only two pro-ISIS members from the cell known to have made it to Syria.Erik Ortiz, “Minneapolis Bridge Collapse Survivor Mohamed Roble Charged With Joining ISIS,” NBC News, August 25, 2016, http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/isis-terror/minneapolis-bridge-collapse-survivor-mohamed-roble-charged-joining-isis-n637636. The other member of the cell who traveled to Syria was Roble’s uncle, Abdiwali Nur.“Minnesota bridge collapse survivor accused of trying to join Islamic State after getting settlement,” Chicago Tribune, August 24, 2016, http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-minnesota-bridge-collapse-survivor-islamic-state-20160824-story.html. One month after Roble left the country, four of his compatriots were caught at the airport attempting to depart.Stephen Montemayor, “I-35 bridge collapse survivor becomes 11th Twin Cities man charged with supporting ISIL,” Star Tribune, August 25, 2016, http://www.startribune.com/i-35-bridge-collapse-survivor-becomes-11th-twin-cities-man-charged-with-supporting-isil/391229031/. The list of accused pro-ISIS members grew to nine, all supposedly inspired by Nur, who was the first to travel to Syria, reportedly joining up with ISIS in May 2014.Mukhtar Ibrahim and Laura Yuen, “Informant’s role emerges as key in counterterror sweep,” MPR News, April 20, 2015, http://www.mprnews.org/story/2015/04/20/counterterror-informant. Roble’s name surfaced as a co-conspirator of the Minnesotan defendants during their trial of three other members.Erik Ortiz, “Minneapolis Bridge Collapse Survivor Mohamed Roble Charged With Joining ISIS,” NBC News, August 25, 2016, http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/isis-terror/minneapolis-bridge-collapse-survivor-mohamed-roble-charged-joining-isis-n637636. One co-conspirator, Abdirizak Warsame, claimed to have seen photographs of Roble in a desert setting, at times holding either an assault rifle of the black flag of ISIS.“United States of America v. Mohamed Amiin Ali Roble: Criminal Complaint,” United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, August 24, 2016, https://cchs.gwu.edu/sites/cchs.gwu.edu/files/downloads/Roble%20Criminal%20Complaint%2C%20Signed%20Affidavit.pdf.

Some of the Minnesotan defendants suggested under testimony that they were aware of Roble’s payout from the I-35 bridge incident, and admitted that they had asked Roble to help fund their own trips to Syria.Jennifer Mayerle, “I-35W Bridge Collapse Survivor Linked To ISIS,” CBS News, May 27, 2016, http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2016/05/27/bridge-collapse-survivor-islamic-state/. Six defendants in the conspiracy pled guilty and did not go to trial, receiving reduced sentences.Eleventh Twin Cities Man Charged with Conspiracy to rovide Material Support to ISIL,” United States Department of Justice, August 24, 2016, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/eleventh-twin-cities-man-charged-conspiracy-provide-material-support-isil. Members of the cell included Omar, Nur, Warsame, Abdurahman Yasin Daud, Mohamed Abdihamid Farah, Hanad Mustafe Musse, Adnan Farah, Zacharia Yusuf Abdurahman, Abdullahi Yusuf, and Hamza Naj Ahmed.

Roble’s radicalization process appears to date back to a traumatic incident in 2007. On August 1, 2007, the I-35W bridge over the Mississippi river in Minneapolis collapsed during rush hour.Stephen Montemayor, “I-35 bridge collapse survivor becomes 11^th Twin Cities man charged with supporting ISIL,” Star Tribune, August 25, 2016, http://www.startribune.com/i-35-bridge-collapse-survivor-becomes-11th-twin-cities-man-charged-with-supporting-isil/391229031/. Roble was a passenger on a school bus that was on the bridge when it collapsed, suffering headaches, arm, neck and back pain, nightmares, and post-traumatic stress disorder after the incident.Jennifer Mayerle, “I-35W Bridge Collapse Survivor Linked To ISIS,” CBS News, May 27, 2016, http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2016/05/27/bridge-collapse-survivor-islamic-state/. Following the incident, Roble’s therapist reported that he seemed traumatized and that Roble held the “spiritual belief that God had saved him for a purpose.”Jennifer Mayerle, “I-35W Bridge Collapse Survivor Linked To ISIS,” CBS News, May 27, 2016, http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2016/05/27/bridge-collapse-survivor-islamic-state/. According to reports, Roble considered himself jinxed after the incident, and did not continue the suggested counseling sessions.“AP: Bridge collapse survivor linked to ISIS in Syria,” CBS News, May 27, 2016, http://www.cbsnews.com/news/isis-link-minnesota-man-survivor-minneapolis-bridge-collapse-ap/.

Roble’s parents filed a lawsuit against the state of Minnesota, as well as the contractors involved in building and maintaining the bridge.Mark Berman, “FBI says Minnesota man who survived 2007 bridge collapse got a settlement and used it to join ISIS,” Washington Post, August 25, 2016, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/08/25/fbi-says-minnesota-man-who-survived-2007-bridge-collapse-got-a-settlement-and-used-it-to-join-isis/?utm_term=.79286a5a8a75. Because the collapse was due to design error, the state court ruled in Roble’s favor in 2009, deciding to award Roble a lump sum payment upon his 18^th birthday.Mark Berman, “FBI says Minnesota man who survived 2007 bridge collapse got a settlement and used it to join ISIS,” Washington Post, August 25, 2016, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/08/25/fbi-says-minnesota-man-who-survived-2007-bridge-collapse-got-a-settlement-and-used-it-to-join-isis/?utm_term=.79286a5a8a75. Roble turned 18 years old on August 19, 2014, receiving $65,431.22 from the State of Minnesota, as well as payouts from two companies that worked on the bridge: $11,167.00 from a contracting firm, and $15,056.00 from a consulting firm.“United States of America v. Mohamed Amiin Ali Roble: Criminal Complaint,” United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, August 24, 2016, https://cchs.gwu.edu/sites/cchs.gwu.edu/files/downloads/Roble%20Criminal%20Complaint%2C%20Signed%20Affidavit.pdf.

On August 24, 2016, Roble was charged in absentia with providing and conspiring to provide material support to ISIS.“United States of America v. Mohamed Amiin Ali Roble: Criminal Complaint,” United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, August 24, 2016, https://cchs.gwu.edu/sites/cchs.gwu.edu/files/downloads/Roble%20Criminal%20Complaint%2C%20Signed%20Affidavit.pdf. Roble is the eleventh member of the pro-ISIS Minnesotan cell to be formally charged by the U.S. government.Abigail Abrams, “Man Who Survived Minneapolis Bridge Collapse Charged With Joining ISIS,” Time Magazine, August 25, 2016, http://time.com/4466076/minnesota-man-charged-isis/. According to the FBI as of August 2016, Roble was believed to be living in Syria with his uncle Nur.“AP: Bridge collapse survivor linked to ISIS in Syria,” CBS News, May 27, 2016, http://www.cbsnews.com/news/isis-link-minnesota-man-survivor-minneapolis-bridge-collapse-ap/;
Ricky Campbell, “Mohamed Amiin Ali Roble: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know,” Heavy.com, August 25, 2016, http://heavy.com/news/2016/08/mohamed-amiin-ali-roble-minnesota-isis-i35-bridge-collapse-terrorist-fbi-isil-islamic-state/. Although the Minnesotan cell is believed to have conspired in person, the group has also used social media and other online platforms to communicate particularly with Nur and Roble, who used Skype to communicate with other members of the cell.Jennifer Mayerle, “I-35W Bridge Collapse Survivor Linked To ISIS,” CBS News, May 27, 2016, http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2016/05/27/bridge-collapse-survivor-islamic-state/.

Samer El Debek is a naturalized U.S. citizen living in Dearborn, Michigan, who allegedly plotted on behalf of Hezbollah against U.S., Israeli, and Panamanian targets in New York City and Panama. The U.S. Department of Justice did not identify where El Debek emigrated from, but he holds a Lebanese passport in addition to his U.S. passport.“United States of America v. Samer El Debek,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 31, 2017, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972416/download. The FBI arrested El Debek on terrorism-related charges on June 1, 2017.“Bronx Man And Michigan Man Arrested For Terrorist Activities On Behalf Of Hizballah’s Islamic Jihad Organization,” U.S. Department of Justice, June 8, 2017, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/bronx-man-and-michigan-man-arrested-terrorist-activities-behalf-hizballah-s-islamic.

The FBI alleges that El Debek belonged to Hezbollah’s Islamic Jihad Organization (IJO), responsible for Hezbollah’s intelligence and terrorist activities outside of Lebanon. According to the FBI, El Debek was looking for potential terrorist targets in Panama and New York City on behalf of the IJO.“United States of America v. Samer El Debek,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 31, 2017, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972416/download.

In July 2006, El Debek purportedly praised Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in an e-mail he sent to his private account from his work account. The FBI alleges that the IJO recruited El Debek in late 2007 or early 2008.“United States of America v. Samer El Debek,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 31, 2017, 10, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972416/download. During interviews prior to his arrest, El Debek told the FBI that he suspected Hezbollah recruited him because of his U.S. passport, though he did not know specifically why he had been recruited.“United States of America v. Samer El Debek,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 31, 2017, 10, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972416/download. El Debek said that between 2008 and 2015, Hezbollah paid him more than $1,000 per month plus medical expenses.“United States of America v. Samer El Debek,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 31, 2017, 18, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972416/download.

In 2008, El Debek traveled to Lebanon to attend Hezbollah training camps.“United States of America v. Samer El Debek,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 31, 2017, 10, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972416/download. Between 2008 and 2014, El Debek allegedly received religious and militant training that included surveillance and bomb-making techniques and how to use automatic assault rifles, according to the FBI.“United States of America v. Samer El Debek,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 31, 2017, 10, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972416/download. In May 2009, El Debek traveled to Thailand to remove evidence of a Hezbollah cell from a compromised safe house.“Bronx Man And Michigan Man Arrested For Terrorist Activities On Behalf Of Hizballah’s Islamic Jihad Organization,” U.S. Department of Justice, June 8, 2017, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/bronx-man-and-michigan-man-arrested-terrorist-activities-behalf-hizballah-s-islamic. El Debek traveled from Lebanon to Malaysia using his Lebanese passport and then to Thailand using his U.S. passport.“United States of America v. Samer El Debek,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 31, 2017, 13, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972416/download. According to El Debek’s account, he removed 50 boxes of ammonium nitrate from the house. “United States of America v. Samer El Debek,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 31, 2017, 10, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972416/download.

In 2011, El Debek traveled to Panama to locate the U.S. and Israeli embassies, and identify hardware stores from which to purchase explosive materials such as acetone and battery acid. El Debek also told the FBI that he learned how to drive in Panama and took Spanish lessons.“United States of America v. Samer El Debek,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 31, 2017, 14, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972416/download. El Debek allegedly returned to Panama in early 2012 to identify weaknesses in the Panama Canal.“Bronx Man And Michigan Man Arrested For Terrorist Activities On Behalf Of Hizballah’s Islamic Jihad Organization,” U.S. Department of Justice, June 8, 2017, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/bronx-man-and-michigan-man-arrested-terrorist-activities-behalf-hizballah-s-islamic.

Between December 2015 and April 2016, Hezbollah allegedly detained El Debek in Lebanon on suspicion that he was a spy for the United States.“Bronx Man And Michigan Man Arrested For Terrorist Activities On Behalf Of Hizballah’s Islamic Jihad Organization,” U.S. Department of Justice, June 8, 2017, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/bronx-man-and-michigan-man-arrested-terrorist-activities-behalf-hizballah-s-islamic. El Debek claimed during his FBI interviews that Hezbollah suspected him of being a spy before they sent him on his international missions. El Debek claimed he gave Hezbollah a false confession that he worked for the FBI, CIA, and police. El Debek further claimed that the U.S. government had paid him $500,000.“United States of America v. Samer El Debek,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 31, 2017, 18, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972416/download.

The Justice Department did not reveal how El Debek escaped Hezbollah’s custody. Between September 8, 2016, and May 23, 2017, the FBI interviewed El Debek several times over the phone and in person.“United States of America v. Samer El Debek,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 31, 2017, 9, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972416/download. During his interviews, El Debek identified Mohamed Husseini, the Hezbollah bomber who blew up an Israeli tour bus in Bulgaria in 2012, as a distant relative.“United States of America v. Samer El Debek,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 31, 2017, 11, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972416/download. El Debek described his recruitment, training and missions to the FBI. He also told the FBI that unlike ISIS, Hezbollah doesn’t kill indiscriminately. He said that Hezbollah’s violent actions are sometimes meant to send a political message, but that Israelis are always a target.“United States of America v. Samer El Debek,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 31, 2017, 10, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972416/download.

The FBI arrested El Debek in Livonia, Michigan, on June 1, 2017. Authorities brought him to New York City, where he was formally charged in federal court on June 5.“Bronx Man And Michigan Man Arrested For Terrorist Activities On Behalf Of Hizballah’s Islamic Jihad Organization,” U.S. Department of Justice, June 8, 2017, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/bronx-man-and-michigan-man-arrested-terrorist-activities-behalf-hizballah-s-islamic.

El Debek has been charged with:

• providing material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization
• conspiracy to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization
• receiving military-type training from a designated foreign terrorist organization
• conspiracy to receive military-type training from a designated foreign terrorist organization
• possessing, carrying, and using firearms and destructive devices during and in relation to crimes of violence
• making and receiving a contribution of funds, goods, and services to and from Hezbollah
• conspiracy to make and receive a contribution of funds, goods, and services to and from Hezbollah.“Bronx Man And Michigan Man Arrested For Terrorist Activities On Behalf Of Hizballah’s Islamic Jihad Organization,” U.S. Department of Justice, June 8, 2017, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/bronx-man-and-michigan-man-arrested-terrorist-activities-behalf-hizballah-s-islamic.

If convicted, El Debek faces up to life in prison.“Bronx Man And Michigan Man Arrested For Terrorist Activities On Behalf Of Hizballah’s Islamic Jihad Organization,” U.S. Department of Justice, June 8, 2017, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/bronx-man-and-michigan-man-arrested-terrorist-activities-behalf-hizballah-s-islamic. As of May 2020, he is still awaiting trial.“Hezbollah Member Convicted in US for Planning Attacks,” Al Arabiya, May 20, 2020, https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2019/05/17/Hezbollah-member-convicted-in-US-for-planning-attacks.

Ali Kourani is a naturalized U.S. citizen from Lebanon convicted of plotting on behalf of Hezbollah against U.S. government and military targets in New York City. According to the FBI, Kourani received training in Lebanon from Hezbollah’s Islamic Jihad Organization (IJO), the group’s division responsible for overseas operations. The FBI arrested Kourani in Bronx, New York, on June 1, 2017.“Bronx Man And Michigan Man Arrested For Terrorist Activities On Behalf Of Hizballah’s Islamic Jihad Organization,” U.S. Department of Justice, June 8, 2017, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/bronx-man-and-michigan-man-arrested-terrorist-activities-behalf-hizballah-s-islamic. He was convicted in May 2019 and subsequently sentenced to 40 years in federal prison. Kourani was the first member of the IJO to be convicted and sentenced for crimes against the United States. “Hizballah Operative Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Covert Terrorist Activities on Behalf of Hizballah’s Islamic Jihad Organization,” U.S. Department of Justice, December 3, 2019, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/hizballah-operative-sentenced-40-years-prison-covert-terrorist-activities-behalf-hizballah-s.

In 2000, Kourani allegedly attended a 45-day Hezbollah training camp in Lebanon when he was approximately 16 years old. He allegedly learned to use AK-47 assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers. Kourani told the FBI that he was allowed to attend because he was related to a high-ranking Hezbollah official. Kourani also allegedly told the FBI that one of his brothers is “the face” of Hezbollah in the Lebanese village of Yatar, and that his family name is akin to the “Bin Ladens of Lebanon.” He traveled to the United States in 2003 using his Lebanese passport but returned to Lebanon soon after. Kourani fled to Syria during the summer 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel and then returned to the United States.“United States of America v. Ali Kourani,” U.S. Department of Justice May 31, 2017, 10-11, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972421/download.

The IJO purportedly recruited Kourani in early 2008. Kourani told the FBI that he believes the IJO recruited him because of his education and U.S. residency in order to use him as a sleeper agent.“United States of America v. Ali Kourani,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 31, 2017, 10-11, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972421/download. According to the federal complaint against him, Kourani allegedly met with multiple members of the IJO in Lebanon during his interview process. Kourani was allegedly assigned a handler known alternatively as “Fadi” or “Hajj,” who instructed Kourani to obtain U.S. citizenship.“United States of America v. Ali Kourani,” U.S. Department of Justice May 31, 2017, 12, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972421/download. After Kourani returned to the United States, he and Fadi would communicate over e-mail using coded messages, according to the criminal complaint against Kourani.“United States of America v. Ali Kourani,” U.S. Department of Justice May 31, 2017, 15-16, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972421/download. The FBI noted that Kourani’s passport showed that he traveled to Lebanon at least once a year between 2008 and 2015.“United States of America v. Ali Kourani,” U.S. Department of Justice May 31, 2017, 10, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972421/download. Fadi purportedly worked with Kourani until September 2015.“United States of America v. Ali Kourani,” U.S. Department of Justice May 31, 2017, 12, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972421/download.

Kourani returned to the United States later in January 2008.“United States of America v. Ali Kourani,” U.S. Department of Justice May 31, 2017, 12, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972421/download. That August, he applied for U.S. citizenship, which he received the following April.“Bronx Man And Michigan Man Arrested For Terrorist Activities On Behalf Of Hizballah’s Islamic Jihad Organization,” U.S. Department of Justice, June 8, 2017, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/bronx-man-and-michigan-man-arrested-terrorist-activities-behalf-hizballah-s-islamic. Kourani wrote in his naturalization request that he had never belonged to or had any association with a terrorist organization or ever lied on immigration forms, which the U.S. Department of Justice would later use to charge him with naturalization fraud.“United States of America v. Ali Kourani,” U.S. Department of Justice May 31, 2017, 13, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972421/download. Within a week after receiving his citizenship, Kourani received a U.S. passport. That May, Kourani traveled to Guangzhou, China, where he allegedly visited a manufacturer of ammonium nitrate-based First Aid ice packs. The IJO has used these ice packs in terrorist operations, according to the FBI.“United States of America v. Ali Kourani,” U.S. Department of Justice May 31, 2017, 13-14, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972421/download.

Kourani returned to Lebanon in July 2011 for weapons training at Hezbollah camps. According to information he gave the FBI, Kourani trained with rocket-propelled grenades, AK-47 assault rifles, an MP5 submachine gun, a PKS machine gun, and a Glock pistol.“United States of America v. Ali Kourani,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 31, 2017, 17-18, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972421/download. Fadi allegedly ordered Kourani to survey potential government and military targets in New York City. These included FBI offices in Manhattan, a U.S. Army National Guard facility in Manhattan, a U.S. Secret Service facility in Brooklyn, and a U.S. Army Armory facility in Manhattan.“United States of America v. Ali Kourani,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 31, 2017, 18, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972421/download.

Fadi also allegedly directed Kourani to surveil New York airports and to cultivate contacts who could supply weaponry. Kourani also collected intelligence on former members of the Israel Defense Forces living in New York, according to the criminal complaint.“United States of America v. Ali Kourani,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 31, 2017, 19, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972421/download. The FBI alleges that Kourani used Google Maps to examine terminals at New York’s LaGuardia Airport and visited the websites of weapons retailers in search of body armor, uniforms, guns, and tactical equipment.“United States of America v. Ali Kourani,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 31, 2017, 20, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972421/download.

The FBI further alleges that between January and May 2009 Kourani conducted several Internet searches on the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel, as well as Al-Manar, Hezbollah’s U.S.-sanctioned media arm. In January 2013, Kourani allegedly searched online for the phrase “if Hizballah was defeated,” which led him to an Al-Manar propaganda video featuring Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Kourani later searched the names of Hezbollah operatives who had carried out international acts of terrorism.“United States of America v. Ali Kourani,” U.S. Department of Justice May 31, 2017, 14-15, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972421/download.

Fadi allegedly asked Kourani if he could obtain employment at the Department of Motor Vehicles, but Kourani believe that would draw suspicion because of his educational background.“United States of America v. Ali Kourani,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 31, 2017, 19, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972421/download. While allegedly working on behalf of Hezbollah, Kourani earned an undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering and a master’s of business administration.“United States of America v. Ali Kourani,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 31, 2017, 10, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972421/download. According to Kourani’s LinkedIn page, he received his engineering degree from City College of New York in 2009 and his MBA from DeVry University’s Keller Graduate School in 2013.Ali Kourani LinkedIn page, accessed June 14, 2017, https://www.linkedin.com/in/ali-kourani-5b7820b/.

After finishing graduate school, Kourani worked at Metro PCS stores in Chicago, New York, and Greenbay, Wisconsin, according to his LinkedIn page. In March 2017, he took a position in New York City as an analyst with Integreon, an international legal and business research service.Ali Kourani LinkedIn page, accessed June 14, 2017, https://www.linkedin.com/in/ali-kourani-5b7820b/.

Kourani claims the IJO deactivated him in September 2015.“United States of America v. Ali Kourani,” U.S. Department of Justice May 31, 2017, 12, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972421/download. According to the criminal complaint against him, Kourani met with the FBI several times in 2016 and 2017 for a series of interviews during which he identified himself as an undercover Hezbollah sleeper agent. Kourani allegedly agreed to the interviews in the hope of obtaining immigration benefits for his family, though the FBI denies such an arrangement.“United States of America v. Ali Kourani,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 31, 2017, 7, 11, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972421/download. Based on the information Kourani provided, the FBI arrested him in Bronx, New York, on June 1, 2017.“Bronx Man And Michigan Man Arrested For Terrorist Activities On Behalf Of Hizballah’s Islamic Jihad Organization,” U.S. Department of Justice, June 8, 2017, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/bronx-man-and-michigan-man-arrested-terrorist-activities-behalf-hizballah-s-islamic.

Kourani has been charged with:

• providing material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization
• conspiracy to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization
• receiving military-type training from a designated foreign terrorist organization
• conspiracy to receive military-type training from a designated foreign terrorist organization
• conspiracy to possess, carry, and use firearms and destructive devices during and in relation to crimes of violence
• makingand receiving a contribution of funds, goods, and services to and from Hezbollah, in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA)
• conspiracy to makeand receive a contribution of funds, goods, and services to and from Hezbollah, in violation of IEEPA
• naturalization fraud in connection with an act of international terrorism.“Bronx Man And Michigan Man Arrested For Terrorist Activities On Behalf Of Hizballah’s Islamic Jihad Organization,” U.S. Department of Justice, June 8, 2017, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/bronx-man-and-michigan-man-arrested-terrorist-activities-behalf-hizballah-s-islamic.

Kourani was convicted of all eight charges in Manhattan Federal Court on May 17, 2019.“Ali Kourani Convicted in Manhattan Federal Court for Covert Terrorist Activities on Behalf of Hizballah’s Islamic Jihad Organization,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 17, 2019, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/ali-kourani-convicted-manhattan-federal-court-covert-terrorist-activities-behalf-hizballah-s. On December 3, 2019, he was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison to be followed by five years of supervised release.“Hizballah Operative Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Covert Terrorist Activities on Behalf of Hizballah’s Islamic Jihad Organization,” U.S. Department of Justice, December 3, 2019, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/hizballah-operative-sentenced-40-years-prison-covert-terrorist-activities-behalf-hizballah-s. In April 2021, Kourani appealed his sentence on the basis that he did not realize he faced prosecution when the FBI interviewed him. According to Kourani’s attorney, the FBI never informed Kourani he faced prosecution and he believed he would receive immunity from prosecution.Nina Pullano, “Hezbollah Sleeper Agent Looks to Beat 40-Year Sentence,” Courthouse News Service, April 13, 2021, https://www.courthousenews.com/hezbollah-sleeper-agent-looks-to-beat-40-year-sentence/.

Samy el-Goarany was a U.S.-born foreign fighter for ISIS who died in combat.Faith Karimi, “New York college student killed after joining ISIS in Syria,” CNN, October 19, 2016, http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/19/us/isis-new-york-student-killed-in-syria/. El-Goarany traveled to the Middle East in January 2015.Jake Pearson, “Terror mystery: How US man went from suburban bliss to jihad,” Monterey Herald, December 13, 2016, http://www.montereyherald.com/business/20161213/terror-mystery-how-us-man-went-from-suburban-bliss-to-jihad. He arrived in Syria via Turkey, having made contacts with ISIS facilitators prior to his departure.“Arizona Man Convicted In Manhattan Federal Court For Material Support To ISIS,” U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, January 30, 2017, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/arizona-man-convicted-manhattan-federal-court-material-support-isis. El-Goarany died in November 2015 while fighting alongside ISIS in Syria.Faith Karimi, “New York college student killed after joining ISIS in Syria,” CNN, October 19, 2016, http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/19/us/isis-new-york-student-killed-in-syria/.

In February 2015, el-Goarany contacted his brother Tarek el-Goarany to apologize for his sudden disappearance, informing Tarek that he was undergoing religious training for his new “company,” as he referred to ISIS, and that once the training was complete, he would be able to communicate more regularly.James Nani, “Local ISIS fighter was radicalized in 2014, prosecutors say,” Times Herald-Record, October 20, 2016, http://www.recordonline.com/news/20161020/local-isis-fighter-was-radicalized-in-2014-prosecutors-say.

Following the start of an FBI investigation into el-Goarany’s disappearance, Samy’s father Mohamed el-Goarany traveled to Turkey in March 2015 in an effort to find his son.Kaja Whitehouse, “Shame made father lie about son ditching college to join ISIS,” New York Post, January 19, 2017, http://nypost.com/2017/01/19/shame-made-father-lie-about-son-ditching-college-to-join-isis/. The two exchanged messages over social media in which Mohamed begged his son to find time to see him.Katie Zavadski, “Mom and Dad Hid a terrible ISIS Secret,” Daily Beast, January 17, 2017, https://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/01/17/mom-and-dad-hid-a-terrible-isis-secret. Samy denied his father’s request, reportedly telling him to stop wasting his time and money in Istanbul and to return to the United States.Katie Zavadski, “Mom and Dad Hid a terrible ISIS Secret,” Daily Beast, January 17, 2017, https://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/01/17/mom-and-dad-hid-a-terrible-isis-secret. During this time, Mohamed reportedly met with Samy el-Goarany’s contact in Turkey, Ateia Aboualala.“Arizona Man Convicted In Manhattan Federal Court For Material Support To ISIS,” U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, January 30, 2017, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/arizona-man-convicted-manhattan-federal-court-material-support-isis. Aboualala confirmed for Mohamed el-Goarany that Samy had traveled to Syria to fight with ISIS. Mohamed, who had traveled to Turkey against the advice and without the knowledge of the FBI, testified in court in 2016 that he “[didn’t] want them to arrest Samy. If I [Mohamed] bring him back with me they don’t arrest him.”aja Whitehouse, “Shame made father lie about son ditching college to join ISIS,” New York Post, January 19, 2017, http://nypost.com/2017/01/19/shame-made-father-lie-about-son-ditching-college-to-join-isis/. His statements appear to have been made to justify his attempt to retrieve his son without the approval of the FBI.Kaja Whitehouse, “Shame made father lie about son ditching college to join ISIS,” New York Post, January 19, 2017, http://nypost.com/2017/01/19/shame-made-father-lie-about-son-ditching-college-to-join-isis/.

On November 23, 2015, el-Goarany’s family was contacted online by a suspected ISIS fighter to inform them of their son’s death. The suspected ISIS fighter sent pictures taken of a handwritten letter purportedly authored by el-Goarany and intended to be sent to his family upon his death.Faith Karimi, “New York college student killed after joining ISIS in Syria,” CNN, October 19, 2016, http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/19/us/isis-new-york-student-killed-in-syria/;
“Arizona Man Convicted In Manhattan Federal Court For Material Support To ISIS,” U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, January 30, 2017, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/arizona-man-convicted-manhattan-federal-court-material-support-isis. The letter read, “If you’re reading this then know that I’ve been killed in battle and am now with our Lord InshAllah… I want you to know how much I love you ... but I don't think words will ever be enough to describe it.”Faith Karimi, “New York college student killed after joining ISIS in Syria,” CNN, October 19, 2016, http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/19/us/isis-new-york-student-killed-in-syria/.

El-Goarany’s parents chose to hide the circumstances behind their son’s death from friends and family, claiming that he died in a car crash, and that the body was too badly burned to be identified.Erika Norton, “Community reacts to Goshen grad’s alleged ISIS involvement,” Warwick Advertiser, October 27, 2016, http://www.warwickadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20161027/NEWS01/161029957/-1/news/Community-reacts-to-Goshen-grad%92s-alleged-ISIS-involvement. El-Goarany’s neighbors, acquaintances, and members of the Islamic Center of Middletown, New York, held funeral services for el-Goarany in November 2015.Erika Norton, “Community reacts to Goshen grad’s alleged ISIS involvement,” Warwick Advertiser, October 27, 2016, http://www.warwickadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20161027/NEWS01/161029957/-1/news/Community-reacts-to-Goshen-grad%92s-alleged-ISIS-involvement;
Katie Zavadski, “Mom and Dad Hid a terrible ISIS Secret,” Daily Beast, January 17, 2017, https://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/01/17/mom-and-dad-hid-a-terrible-isis-secret. The truth surrounding el-Goarany’s death surfaced when his name was used publically in October 2016 during the trial of Ahmed Mohammed el Gammal, who was accused of providing material support to ISIS as well as helping el-Goarany become involved with the organization.“Arizona Man Convicted In Manhattan Federal Court For Material Support To ISIS,” U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, January 30, 2017, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/arizona-man-convicted-manhattan-federal-court-material-support-isis. El-Goarany’s father claims that Gammal manipulated Samy into joining ISIS and that the decision was not Samy’s alone.“How a New York man went from comfortable suburban life to jihad,” CBS News, December 13, 2016, http://www.cbsnews.com/news/samy-el-goarany-how-a-new-york-man-went-from-comfortable-suburban-life-to-isis-jihad/.

Several acquaintances and community members spoke out against el-Goarany’s actions, expressing surprise at his radicalization. Al-Tariq condemned el-Goarany’s behavior as well as ISIS, calling the group “the number one enemy of Islam.”Erika Norton, “Community reacts to Goshen grad’s alleged ISIS involvement,” Warwick Advertiser, October 27, 2016, http://www.warwickadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20161027/NEWS01/161029957/-1/news/Community-reacts-to-Goshen-grad%92s-alleged-ISIS-involvement. Peter Kwon, a friend of el-Goarany, posted on Facebook that he “had been close to this guy for the past 10 years, and I honestly wouldn’t have suspected him of joining this deplorable group.”“How a New York man went from comfortable suburban life to jihad,” CBS News, December 13, 2016, http://www.cbsnews.com/news/samy-el-goarany-how-a-new-york-man-went-from-comfortable-suburban-life-to-isis-jihad/. Multiple acquaintances, who wished to remain anonymous, reported being “stunned.”Jake Pearson, “Terror mystery: How US man went from suburban bliss to jihad,” Monterey Herald, December 13, 2016, http://www.montereyherald.com/business/20161213/terror-mystery-how-us-man-went-from-suburban-bliss-to-jihad.

Samy el-Goarany’s brother, Tarek el-Goarany, acknowledged being aware of Samy’s intentions to join ISIS. Tarek testified that in the summer of 2014 that Samy became “increasingly obsessed” with ISIS and that Samy had asked him if Tarek thought he should join ISIS. Tarek claims to have advised Samy not to join the group, but said that he did not inform anyone of Samy’s plans to travel abroad because he believed he could prevent Samy from leaving the country. According to Tarek, he joined his brother in shopping for supplies to help prepare for joining ISIS, supposedly to give him more time to attempt to convince his brother. Tarek also initially lied to the FBI during their investigation because “I [Tarek] didn’t know what would happen to my family.” Tarek began cooperating with the FBI in summer 2015 with an agreement that he would not be prosecuted.Victoria Bekiempis, “Brother of Baruch College student who joined ISIS says he helped him get ready for Syria but didn’t want him to fight,” New York Daily News, January 17, 2017, http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/brother-baruch-isis-fighter-choice-shocked-article-1.2948723.

El-Goarany and Gammal first came into contact with one another in August 2014, when el-Goarany discovered Gammal’s pro-ISIS Facebook posts.“Arizona Man Convicted In Manhattan Federal Court For Material Support To ISIS,” U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, January 30, 2017, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/arizona-man-convicted-manhattan-federal-court-material-support-isis. El-Goarany messaged Gammal via Facebook Messenger on August 14, 2014, and according to court documents, the two began communicating using an unnamed encrypted messaging platform shortly thereafter.“Arizona Man Convicted In Manhattan Federal Court For Material Support To ISIS,” U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, January 30, 2017, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/arizona-man-convicted-manhattan-federal-court-material-support-isis. According to authorities, Gammal sent el-Goarany with a video on ISIS’s training process.“Arizona Man Convicted In Manhattan Federal Court For Material Support To ISIS,” U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, January 30, 2017, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/arizona-man-convicted-manhattan-federal-court-material-support-isis. Gammal and el-Goarany would regularly delete their electronic correspondence in an attempt to destroy any incriminating evidence, according to court documents.“Arizona Man Convicted In Manhattan Federal Court For Material Support To ISIS,” U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, January 30, 2017, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/arizona-man-convicted-manhattan-federal-court-material-support-isis. Gammal met with el-Goarany in person in October 2014, travelling from Phoenix, Arizona to New York City, where el-Goarany was living at the time.“Arizona Man Convicted In Manhattan Federal Court For Material Support To ISIS,” U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, January 30, 2017, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/arizona-man-convicted-manhattan-federal-court-material-support-isis. During this time, Gammal allegedly vetted el-Goarany as a potential recruit for ISIS and passed along contact information for his associate in Turkey, Ateia Aboualala, who would later help el-Goarany travel from Turkey to Syria.“Arizona Man Convicted In Manhattan Federal Court For Material Support To ISIS,” U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, January 30, 2017, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/arizona-man-convicted-manhattan-federal-court-material-support-isis. Shortly after arriving in Turkey, el-Goarany reportedly used Facebook Messenger to contact Aboualala, using coded conversation to avoid detection.Katie Zavadski, “Mom and Dad Hid a terrible ISIS Secret,” Daily Beast, January 17, 2017, https://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/01/17/mom-and-dad-hid-a-terrible-isis-secret.

Later in August, el-Goarany bought an airline ticket for Istanbul to depart in November 2014, but canceled it. El-Goarany then bought a ticket for January 27, 2015. On January 26, 2015, el-Goarany left his parents’ house in New York, and departed from JFK airport on January 27 to arrive in Istanbul on January 28. The next day, on January 29, 2015, el-Goarany met with Aboualala to begin arrangements to travel into Syria.Erika Norton, “Community reacts to Goshen grad’s alleged ISIS involvement,” Warwick Advertiser, October 27, 2016, http://www.warwickadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20161027/NEWS01/161029957/-1/news/Community-reacts-to-Goshen-grad%92s-alleged-ISIS-involvement.

El-Goarany gave conflicting cover stories to friends and acquaintances prior to his departure. According to prosecutors, el-Goarany told his parents that he was returning to NYC to continue his studies before leaving the country.Faith Karimi, “New York college student killed after joining ISIS in Syria,” CNN, October 19, 2016, http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/19/us/isis-new-york-student-killed-in-syria/;
Larry Neumeister, “Testimony by NY Man’s Family May Be Key at Terrorism Trial,” New York Law Journal, January 13, 2017, http://www.newyorklawjournal.com/id=1202776824218/Testimony-by-NY-Mans-Family-May-Be-Key-at-Terrorism-Trial?slreturn=20170425125222. According to one of Gammal’s lawyers, Annalisa Miron, el-Goarany had said that his intentions in travelling were to join the humanitarian relief effort aiding Syrian refugees.Victoria Bekiempis, “NYC college student who died fighting for ISIS got help from Arizona man: feds,” New York Daily Post, January 10, 2017, http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-student-died-isis-arizona-man-feds-article-1.2943040;
Katie Zavadski, “Mom and Dad Hid a terrible ISIS Secret,” Daily Beast, January 17, 2017, https://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/01/17/mom-and-dad-hid-a-terrible-isis-secret. In exchanges with Gammal, el-Goarany referred to his activities in Syria as being employed by a “company.” He sent messages back to Gammal expressing his eagerness to begin an “internship,” presumably referring to ISIS. This is believed to be code designed to keep el-Goarany’s true intentions discreet.John Riley, “Lawyer: Baruch College student chose on his own to join ISIS,” Newsday, January 25, 2017, http://www.newsday.com/news/new-york/lawyer-baruch-college-student-chose-on-his-own-to-join-isis-1.13015855.

In September 2015, el-Goarany appeared in an ISIS video released on YouTube, stating that he had joined ISIS of his own free will.Victoria Bekiempis, “NYC college student died fighting for ISIS in Syria last year,” New York Daily News, October 19, 2016, http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-college-student-died-fighting-isis-syria-year-article-1.2835483. El-Goarany specifically named Gammal in this video, who had recently been arrested, stating that Gammal “had nothing to do” with el-Goarany’s decision to join ISIS.Victoria Bekiempis, “NYC college student died fighting for ISIS in Syria last year,” New York Daily News, October 19, 2016, http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-college-student-died-fighting-isis-syria-year-article-1.2835483. The video was later used in the U.S. trial against Gammal.

El-Goarany also operated a page on social media site Tumblr. There, he posted about social justice, criticizing U.S. policy abroad and competing Islamist groups, like the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.Katie Zavadski, “Mom and Dad Hid a terrible ISIS Secret,” Daily Beast, January 17, 2017, https://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/01/17/mom-and-dad-hid-a-terrible-isis-secret. In the summer of 2014, prior to his first interactions with Gammal, el-Goarany began expressing a more direct interest in militant Islam online, posting gifs of jihadists onto Tumblr and defending ISIS in debates online about the group’s alleged war crimes.Katie Zavadski, “Mom and Dad Hid a terrible ISIS Secret,” Daily Beast, January 17, 2017, https://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/01/17/mom-and-dad-hid-a-terrible-isis-secret. In December 2014, el-Goarany posted in a social media message that ISIS was the solution to “the real problem,” which according to el-Goarany is “US imperialism, mass murder, economic exploitation, systematic torture, the whole 9 yards.”James Nani, “Local ISIS fighter was radicalized in 2014, prosecutors say,” Times Herald-Record, October 20, 2016, http://www.recordonline.com/news/20161020/local-isis-fighter-was-radicalized-in-2014-prosecutors-say.

Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri is an al-Qaeda recruiter and planner responsible for plotting various al-Qaeda attacks on the Arabian Peninsula, and is considered the mastermind of the USS Cole bombing in October 2000, which left seventeen American soldiers dead.“The Guantanamo Docket: Abd al Rahim al Nashiri: JFT – GTMO Assessment,” New York Times, accessed August 16, 2017, 3-4, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/guantanamo/detainees/10015-abd-al-rahim-al-nashiri/documents/11;
Carol Rosenberg, “In a first, former CIA captive appeals Guantanamo trial to Supreme Court,” Miami Herald, March 18, 2017, http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/guantanamo/article139424468.html;
National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 152, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. Nashiri was captured in November 2002 and transferred to Guantanamo in 2006 after four years in CIA custody.“The Guantanamo Docket: Abd al Rahim al Nashiri: JFT – GTMO Assessment,” New York Times, accessed August 16, 2017, 6, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/guantanamo/detainees/10015-abd-al-rahim-al-nashiri/documents/11. In September 2011, he was charged by a military commission on nine counts related to his involvement in planning al-Qaeda attacks.Carol Rosenberg, “Alleged al Qaida bomber emerges from CIA shadows, waves,” Miami Herald, November 9, 2011, http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/guantanamo/article1938976.html. His trial has repeatedly faced delays, primarily owing to claims by the defense related to the torture that he underwent while in CIA detention.Carol Rosenberg, “In a first, former CIA captive appeals Guantanamo trial to Supreme Court,” Miami Herald, March 18, 2017, http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/guantanamo/article139424468.html.

Nashiri was born in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.“The Guantanamo Docket: Abd al Rahim al Nashiri: JFT – GTMO Assessment,” New York Times, accessed August 16, 2017, 1, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/guantanamo/detainees/10015-abd-al-rahim-al-nashiri/documents/11. Little is known about his early life. According to the 9/11 Commission, he participated in the Afghan jihad against the Soviets in the 1980s.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 152, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. According to the U.S. Department of Defense’s Joint Task Force Guantanamo (JTF), he also waged violent jihad in Tajikistan from 1992 to 1993, when he met al-Qaeda operatives, including Hamza al-Ghamdi, bodyguard for Osama bin Laden. In 1993, Nashiri went to train at the Jihad-Wal Camp, an al-Qaeda training camp near Khowst, Afghanistan. The following year, Nashiri met bin Laden for the first time while staying at one of his guesthouses in Jalalabad, Afghanistan.“The Guantanamo Docket: Abd al Rahim al Nashiri: JFT – GTMO Assessment,” New York Times, accessed August 16, 2017, 2, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/guantanamo/detainees/10015-abd-al-rahim-al-nashiri/documents/11.

Nashiri attempted to return to fight in Tajikistan in 1995, but was unable to enter the country and traveled to Afghanistan instead. While in Kandahar, Afghanistan, in 1996, he saw bin Laden for the second time and heard him talk about his plans to fight the United States.“The Guantanamo Docket: Abd al Rahim al Nashiri: JFT – GTMO Assessment,” New York Times, accessed August 16, 2017, 2-3, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/guantanamo/detainees/10015-abd-al-rahim-al-nashiri/documents/11. He was encouraged to swear loyalty to bin Laden, but according to the 9/11 Commission, “found the notion distasteful and refused.” He then returned to Saudi Arabia and Yemen, where he reportedly first conceived of the idea to attack a ship.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 233, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. At some point he returned to Afghanistan, where he fought for the Taliban against the United Islamic Front for the Salvation of Afghanistan in 1997. He reportedly contracted malaria on the front lines and returned to Kandahar, where he recovered while staying in bin Laden’s guesthouse.“The Guantanamo Docket: Abd al Rahim al Nashiri: JFT – GTMO Assessment,” New York Times, accessed August 16, 2017, 2-3, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/guantanamo/detainees/10015-abd-al-rahim-al-nashiri/documents/11.

Nashiri formally joined al-Qaeda in 1998, after he learned that his cousin, Jihad Harazi, was one of the suicide bombers in the August 1998 al-Qaeda attack on the U.S. embassy in Nairobi.“The Guantanamo Docket: Abd al Rahim al Nashiri: JFT – GTMO Assessment,” New York Times, accessed August 16, 2017, 3, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/guantanamo/detainees/10015-abd-al-rahim-al-nashiri/documents/11. According to the 9/11 Commission, earlier that year, he had helped one of the embassy bombing operatives obtain a Yemeni passport, and also led a plot to smuggle missiles into Yemen.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 233, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. Later that year, Nashiri met privately with bin Laden, who suggested the idea of attacking a warship off of the coast of Yemen. The JTF’s report that such an attack was bin Laden’s idea conflicts with the 9/11 Commission’s claim that it was Nashiri himself who conceived the idea. He traveled to Yemen a week later, but returned to Afghanistan in late 1998 or early 1999 after an associate of his was arrested by Yemeni officials. Nashiri returned to Yemen in the spring of 1999, tasked by bin Laden to purchase a boat and observe U.S. ships off of the coast. Nashiri returned to Afghanistan that fall and reported his findings to bin Laden.“The Guantanamo Docket: Abd al Rahim al Nashiri: JFT – GTMO Assessment,” New York Times, accessed August 16, 2017, 3, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/guantanamo/detainees/10015-abd-al-rahim-al-nashiri/documents/11.

In February 2000, Nashiri reportedly attempted to lead an attack on USS ship The Sullivans, which failed because the explosives used on board were too heavy and capsized the craft. Bin Laden instructed him to attempt the operation a second time. In September 2000, Nashiri returned to Yemen, selecting two suicide operatives for the operation. Nashiri learned that bin Laden disapproved of his choices, but instructed the suicide operatives to carry out the attack anyway. Nashiri returned to Afghanistan to tell bin Laden that he could not replace the operatives, and the operatives carried out the attack on the next U.S. ship to enter the port of Aden––the USS Cole on October 12, 2000.“The Guantanamo Docket: Abd al Rahim al Nashiri: JFT – GTMO Assessment,” New York Times, accessed August 16, 2017, 3-4, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/guantanamo/detainees/10015-abd-al-rahim-al-nashiri/documents/11. According to the 9/11 Commission, the success of the attack brought Nashiri “instant status” within al-Qaeda, and he was later recognized as the head of al-Qaeda operations in the Arabian Peninsula.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 153, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf.

In 2001, as instructed by bin Laden, Nashiri began planning an attack on a ship in the Straight of Hormuz. Nashiri spent time in Pakistan recruiting operatives and researching boats for the operation. Following the 9/11 attacks, Nashiri returned to Afghanistan, where he met with 9/11 architect Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (KSM) in Kandahar to discuss the Straight of Hormuz operation. In the following months, Nashiri traveled around Afghanistan and Pakistan, meeting with al-Qaeda associates and helping plan other attacks. In April 2002, Nashiri was denied entry into Saudi Arabia. Around this time, for an unspecified reason, the Straight of Hormuz operation was cancelled. That summer, Nashiri rented an apartment in Dubai, and began plotting an attack on Dubai’s Port Rashid.“The Guantanamo Docket: Abd al Rahim al Nashiri: JFT – GTMO Assessment,” New York Times, accessed August 16, 2017, 4-6, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/guantanamo/detainees/10015-abd-al-rahim-al-nashiri/documents/11. On October 6, the French oil tanker M/V Limburg was targeted in an al-Qaeda operation. Prosecutors later accused Nashiri of helping to plan this operation in a claim also made by the 9/11 Commission; however, the charges were discarded in 2014 due to lack of evidence.Charlie Savage, “Guantanamo Detainee Pleads Guilty in 2002 Attack in Tanker off Yemen,” New York Times, February 20, 2014, https://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/21/us/guantanamo-detainee-ahmed-muhammed-haza-al-darbi.html; Carol Rosenberg, “New Guantanamo judge throws out Limburg charges in USS Cole case,” Miami Herald, August 11, 2014, http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/article1979349.html; National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 153, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. Nonetheless, Nashiri was known to have celebrated the success of the attack with another al-Qaeda associate in October 2002.“The Guantanamo Docket: Abd al Rahim al Nashiri: JFT – GTMO Assessment,” New York Times, accessed August 16, 2017, 6, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/guantanamo/detainees/10015-abd-al-rahim-al-nashiri/documents/11.

Nashiri was captured in November 2002, while living in the United Arab Emirates. As of November 21, he was in U.S. custody.“The Guantanamo Docket: Abd al Rahim al Nashiri: JFT – GTMO Assessment,” New York Times, accessed August 16, 2017, 6, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/guantanamo/detainees/10015-abd-al-rahim-al-nashiri/documents/11. After his capture, Nashiri was kept in several undisclosed CIA black sites in Eastern Europe, including in Poland, Romania, and Lithuania, where he was subjected to various torture techniques, including waterboarding.Peter Beaumont, “Bombshell report on CIA interrogations is leaked,” Guardian, August 22, 2009, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/aug/22/cia-interrogation-report-leaked; Charlie Savage, “Accused Al-Qaeda Leader Is Arraigned in U.S.S. Cole Bombing,” New York Times, November 9, 2011, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/10/us/abd-al-rahim-al-nashiri-arraigned-in-uss-cole-bombing.html; Charlie Savage, “C.I.A. Torture Left Scars on Guantanamo Prisoner’s Psyche for Years,” New York Times, March 17, 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/17/us/politics/guantanamo-bay-abd-al-rahim-al-nashiri.html. Nashiri was transferred to Guantanamo Bay on September 4, 2006.“The Guantanamo Docket: Abd al Rahim al Nashiri: JFT – GTMO Assessment,” New York Times, accessed August 16, 2017, 6, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/guantanamo/detainees/10015-abd-al-rahim-al-nashiri/documents/11. That December, the JTF concluded that Nashiri posed a high risk and was of high intelligence value.“The Guantanamo Docket: Abd al Rahim al Nashiri: JFT – GTMO Assessment,” New York Times, accessed August 16, 2017, 2, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/guantanamo/detainees/10015-abd-al-rahim-al-nashiri/documents/11.

In February 2009, the United States dropped its charges against Nashiri after an order from President Barack Obama to freeze the proceedings of all cases involving Guantanamo inmates pending their review.“U.S. drops Guantanamo charges per Obama order,” Reuters, February 5, 2009, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-guantanamo-dropped-idUSTRE5150IL20090206. On April 20, 2011, federal prosecutors reopened the case and levied eleven different charges against Nashiri related to his direction of the USS Cole attack and other al Qaeda plots, with the intent of seeking the death penalty.Carol Rosenberg, “Pentagon seeks death for accused USS Cole bomber,” Miami Herald,  April 20, 2011, http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/guantanamo/article1938015.html. In July 2011, Nashiri’s lawyers moved to have the death penalty revoked as an option, claiming that in using torture on Nashiri, the United States forfeited the right to try, convict, and put him to death.Charley Keyes, “Guantanamo detainee lawyers ask that death penalty case be dropped,” CNN, July 19, 2011, http://edition.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/07/19/guantanamo.detainee/. In September, the Guantanamo war court that would try Nashiri issued nine of the prosecutors’ initial eleven charges against Nashiri for the trial.Carol Rosenberg, “Alleged al Qaida bomber emerges from CIA shadows, waves,” Miami Herald, November 9, 2011, http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/guantanamo/article1938976.html.

Nashiri made his first court appearance on November 9, 2011, for his arraignment.Carol Rosenberg, “Alleged al Qaida bomber emerges from CIA shadows, waves,” Miami Herald, November 9, 2011, http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/guantanamo/article1938976.html. The start of Nashiri’s trial has since been repeatedly delayed owing to efforts by the defense to argue against the legitimacy of the case and to acquire evidence about his torture while in CIA detention.Carol Rosenberg, “In a first, former CIA captive appeals Guantanamo trial to Supreme Court,” Miami Herald, March 18, 2017, http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/guantanamo/article139424468.html. In February 2013, the court heard testimony from Dr. Vincent Iacopino, an expert on torture, in light of the defense’s allegations that Nashiri suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder from his CIA interrogations.Carol Rosenberg, “Judge orders mental health exam for waterboarded Guantánamo captive,” Miami Herald, February 4, 2013, http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/guantanamo/article1946950.html. In December 2014, Nashiri submitted a petition for habeas corpus, claiming that that the attempt to try him in a war court was unlawful given that Nashiri’s criminal actions did not take place in the context of a recognized war due to claims that at the time, the armed conflict between the United States and al-Qaeda had not yet officially begun.“Al-Nashiri v. Obama, 76 F. Supp. 3d 218,” District Court for the District of Columbia, December 29, 2014, https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?q=In+re+Al-Nashiri&hl=en&as_sdt=2006&case=17913061328848492746&scilh=0; Jonathan Hafetz, “The DC Circuit’s Latest Ruling in Al-Nashiri: Why the Military Commissions Cannot Escape the Taint of CIA Torture,” Just Secturity, September 9, 2016, https://www.justsecurity.org/32820/dc-circuits-latest-ruling-al-nashiri-military-commissions-escape-taint-cia-torture/.

In August 2016, a panel of judges from the United States Court of Appeals rejected the defense’s appeals to have Nashiri prosecuted in a civilian court instead of a military court, stating that the case had to run its course before Nashiri could appeal his conviction.Charlie Savage, “C.I.A. Torture Left Scars on Guantanamo Prisoner’s Psyche for Years,” New York Times, March 17, 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/17/us/politics/guantanamo-bay-abd-al-rahim-al-nashiri.html. In March 2017, newly declassified documents from the National Security Council revealed that Nashiri suffers from long-term psychological damage from torture.Charlie Savage, “C.I.A. Torture Left Scars on Guantanamo Prisoner’s Psyche for Years,” New York Times, March 17, 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/17/us/politics/guantanamo-bay-abd-al-rahim-al-nashiri.html.

In May 2018, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled that the Romanian government had violated the rights of Nashiri by hosting one of the CIA “black sites” where he was detained and reportedly tortured. The ECHR characterized his 2003-2005 detention in Romania as an “extremely harsh detention regime” where he suffered “inhumane treatment . . . which Romania had enabled by co-cooperating with the CIA.” The ruling held that Nashiri’s detention in Romania was in contravention of Article Three of the European Convention on Human Rights, “Prohibition of Torture,” and awarded Nashiri damages in the amount of €100,000 ($117,000).“Lithuania and Romania Complicit in CIA Torture – European Court,” BBC News, May 31, 2018, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-44313905.

On April 16, 2019, the District of Columbia Circuit Court threw out more than two years’ worth of decisions issued by the military judge overseeing the U.S. government’s death penalty case against Nashiri. The decision stemmed from concern that the military judge on the case, Colonel Vance Spaeth, failed to disclose a potential conflict of interest. The situation was found “especially troubling” to Nashiri’s due process rights, and the court invalidated all of the judge’s decisions on the Nashiri case between November 2015 and February 2018.Carol Rosenberg, “Court Rejects 2 Years of Judge’s Decisions in Cole Tribunal,” New York Times, April 16, 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/16/us/politics/cole-bombing-case-judge.html.

On May 18, 2021, the military judge presiding over the case agreed to consider information obtained during Nashiri’s torture by CIA interrogators to support an argument in pretrial proceedings at Guantánamo Bay. It was the first publicly known time that prosecutors had been allowed to use information gained from torture in the proceedings at Guantánamo Bay.Carol Rosenberg, “Judge Permits Information from C.I.A. Torture in Terror Case,” New York Times, June 3, 2021, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/03/us/politics/cia-torture-terror-guantanamo-bay.html.