It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Planning of the September 11, 2001 attacks. (Discuss)

Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... The Planning of the September 11, 2001 attacks was a complex, lengthy, and highly studied series of events. ... The September 11, 2001 attacks were a series of coordinated attacks carried out in the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. ... September 11, 2001 attacks timeline Background History 1972: One World Trade Center completed. ... At the beginning of the 21st century, the United States strongest allies in west Asia are Turkey (a member of NATO), Israel and Egypt. ... The Planning of the September 11, 2001 attacks was a complex, lengthy, and highly studied series of events. ... The September 11, 2001 attacks, often referred to simply as 9/11 (spoken as Nine Eleven), in addition to being traumatic for those directly involved, caused extreme tension for the United States as a nation and many others around the world. ... All times, except where otherwise noted, in New York Time (EDT). ... All times, except where otherwise noted, in New York Time (EDT). ... This article talks about the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks. ... Any tributes to the individuals hurt or injured in this tragedy are welcome and encouraged at our memorial site New York City According to the 9/11 Commisson, approximately 16,400 to 18,800 civilians were in the World Trade Center complex at the time of the attacks. ... Any tributes to the individuals lost in this tragedy are welcome and encouraged at our memorial site Australia: 10 Belgium: 1 Bermuda: 1 Brazil: 3 Canada: 24 Peoples Republic of China: 4 Côte dIvoire: 1 Colombia: 17 Democratic Republic of the Congo: 2 Dominican Republic: 1 El... American Airlines Flight 11 was an American Airlines flight aboard a Boeing 767-223ER, N334AA aircraft. ... United Airlines Flight 175 was a morning flight that regularly flew from Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts, to LAX in Los Angeles, California (Boston-Los Angeles route). ... Security Camera image of the moment that American Airlines Flight 77 hit the Pentagon American Airlines Flight 77 was a morning flight that routinely flew from Washington Dulles International Airport in Fairfax and Loudoun Counties, Virginia, near Washington DC, to LAX in Los Angeles, California (IAD-LAX). ... United Airlines Flight 93 was a flight that regularly flew from Newark International Airport (now known as Newark Liberty International Airport) in Newark, New Jersey to San Francisco International Airport. ... The twin towers, photographed from the west The World Trade Center in New York City was a complex of seven buildings leased by Larry Silverstein from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey around a central plaza, near the south end of Manhattan in the downtown financial district. ... A pre-9/11 view of The Pentagon, looking east with the Potomac River and Washington Monument in the distance. ... Photo of George W. Bush and Laura Bush visiting Shanksville on September 11, 2002 Shanksville is a borough located in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. ... September 11, 2001 was the sole day that defined the first term of President George W. Bush. ... All United Kingdom military bases increased their level of security awareness. ... It is usually claimed that the September 11, 2001 attacks had immediate and far-ranging economic effects. ... Box-cutter knives were apparently used in the September 11, 2001 attacks, though such knives are not usually considered weapons. ... Following wankers September 11, 2001 attacks, several institutions responded with closures, cancellations, and postponements. ... The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 had an important impact on the audiovisual entertainment business, not just in terms of television coverage. ... The area surrounding the World Trade Center became the site of the greatest number of casualties and missing, and physical destruction. ... Charities and relief agencies raised over $657 million in the three weeks following the September 11, 2001 attacks, the vast bulk going to immediate survivors and victims families. ... The first memorials to the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks began to take shape online, as hundreds of webmasters posted their own thoughts, links to the Red Cross, and other rescue agencies, photos and eyewitness accounts. ... Responsibility for the September 11, 2001 attacks has been found to lie with Osama bin Laden and his organization al-Qaida. ... Many individuals were directly responsible for the September 11, 2001 attacks. ... Communications problems and successes played an important role in the September 11, 2001 attacks and their aftermath. ... Various terms and catchphrases Nine-eleven (or 9/11 in the US date notation for September 11th) Lets roll—the last known words of Todd Beamer. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into 9/11 conspiracy theories. ... There were isolated cases of commercial opportunism following the September 11, 2001 attacks and subsequent 2001 anthrax attack. ... The Joint Inquiry into Intelligence Community Activities before and after the Terrorist Attacks of September 11, 2001 is the official name of the inquiry conducted by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence into the activities of the U.S. Intelligence Community in... The Commissions seal The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, also known as the 9/11 Commission, was set up in late 2002 to prepare a full and complete account of the circumstances surrounding the September 11, 2001 attacks including preparedness for and the immediate response...

The conception

According to the governments of the USA and the Philippines, the September 11, 2001 Attacks originated with Operation Bojinka, which was conceived by Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and Ramzi Yousef. The first stage would be the assassination of Pope John Paul II and the bombing of eleven airplanes. The second and third stages called for small airplanes loaded with explosives to be crashed into the CIA headquarters and other targets. The plot was discovered by Manila police on January 6, 1995 and Abdul Hakim Murad was arrested. Ramzi Yousef was arrested in Pakistan in February 1995. Wali Khan Amin Shah escaped after his arrest, but was re-arrested in Malaysia in December 1995. Khalid Sheik Mohammed escaped, and Riduan Isamuddin, aka Hambali, was overlooked. The September 11, 2001 attacks were a series of coordinated attacks carried out in the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. ... Operation Bojinka (also known as Project Bojinka, Bojinka Plot, Bojinga, from Arabic: بجنكة – slang in many dialects for explosion and pronounced Bo-JIN-ka, except in Egyptian where it is Bo-GIN-ka) was a planned large-scale attack on airliners in 1995, and was a precursor to the September... Khalid Shaikh Mohammed (Arabic: خالد شيخ محمد; also transliterated as Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Khalid Shaikh Mohammad, and other ways) (March 1, 1964 or April 14, 1965 – present) was an important figure in Osama bin Ladens al-Qaeda organization, where he masterminded numerous plans and came to head the groups propaganda operations... Ramzi Ahmed Yousef or Ramzi Mohammed Yousef (also transliterated as Ramzi Yusuf, Ramzi Youssef), birth name possibly Abdul Basit Karim. ... Jack Ruby murdered the alleged assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, in a very public manner. ... The Pope is the Catholic Bishop and patriarch of Rome, and head of the Roman Catholic Church. ... The Servant of God Pope John Paul II (Latin: ), born Karol Józef WojtyÅ‚a (May 18, 1920 – April 2, 2005), reigned as pope of the Catholic Church for almost 27 years, from 16 October 1978 until his death, making his the third-longest reign in the history of the... Massive ordinance air-burst bomb. ... Fixed-wing aircraft is a term used to refer to what are more commonly known as aeroplanes in Commonwealth English (excluding Canada) or airplanes in North American English. ... The CIA Seal The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is one of the American foreign intelligence agencies, responsible for obtaining and analyzing information about foreign governments, corporations, and individuals, and reporting such information to the various branches of the U.S. Government. ... Manila (Filipino: Maynila) is the capital city of the Philippines. ... January 6 is the 6th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1995 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Abdul Hakim Murad (terrorist) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Ramzi Ahmed Yousef or Ramzi Mohammed Yousef (also transliterated as Ramzi Yusuf, Ramzi Youssef), birth name possibly Abdul Basit Karim. ... February is the second month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Wali Khan Amin Shah (He had many aliases, including Osama Turkestani, Osama Asmuray, and Grabi Ibrahim Hahsen) was an Al-Qaida member that allegedly controlled the purse strings for the foiled Operation Bojinka terrorist attack plot. ... December is the twelfth and last month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... Riduan Isamuddin Riduan Isamuddin (also transliterated as Riduan Isamudin, Riduan Isomuddin, and Riduan Isomudin, better known by the nom de guerre Hambali, born as Encep Nurjaman, born April 4, 1966) was the leader of the Indonesian terrorist organization Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), which allegedly has a partnership with Al Qaeda. ...

Mohammed moved to Qatar. Before the government there could arrest him (after a request by the United States), he fled to Afghanistan. The leaders of Al-Qaida liked the idea of the modified Phases II and III Mohammed presented to them. Instead of using small airplanes loaded with explosives, as Murad planned to do, Mohammed planned to use commercial airliners. Mohammed and Abu Zubaydah became the managers of the plot. During late 1996 and 1997, Khalid Sheik Mohammed stayed in the Czech Republic, as the Taliban would not approve of his womanising. German officials believe that the leaders of Al-Qaida planned almost the entire September 11 plot in Afghanistan. Six of the hijackers that got chosen later down the line would have some say in the plot. Al-Qaeda (Arabic: القاعدة, the foundation or the base) is the name given to a worldwide network of militant Islamist organizations under the leadership of Osama bin Laden. ... Abu Zubaydah is the highest_ranking al-Qaida leader in U.S. custody Abu Zubaydah (1973 - present) (Arabic: ابو زبيدة) was a high_ranking member of al-Qaida and close associate of Osama bin Laden. ... 1996 is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... 1997 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Taliban (Pashtun and Persian: طالبان; students), also transliterated as Taleban, is an Islamist and Pashtun nationalist movement which ruled most of Afghanistan from 1996 until 2001, despite having diplomatic recognition from only three countries: the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia. ...

According to the September 11 Commission Khalid Shaikh Mohammed envisioned a hijacking of ten planes on both the East Coast and the West Coast of the United States, and for nine of them to be crashed into the World Trade Center, The Pentagon, either the White House or the United States Capitol, the tallest buildings in California (The Library Tower, now the U.S. Bank Tower), and Washington State (Space Needle), and other buildings. The commission stated that Mohammed also wanted to personally hijack a tenth airliner, kill all of the adult males on board, land the plane in the U.S., make a political speech, and then free all of the women and children on the plane. The Commissions seal The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, also known as the 9/11 Commission, was set up in late 2002 to prepare a full and complete account of the circumstances surrounding the September 11, 2001 attacks including preparedness for and the immediate response... The East Coast (also known as the Eastern Seaboard) is a term referencing the easternmost coastal states in the United States of America. ... The West Coast States. ... The twin towers, photographed from the west The World Trade Center in New York City was a complex of seven buildings leased by Larry Silverstein from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey around a central plaza, near the south end of Manhattan in the downtown financial district. ... A pre-9/11 view of The Pentagon, looking east with the Potomac River and Washington Monument in the distance. ... The southern side of the White House The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States. ... United States Capitol The Capitol when first occupied by Congress, 1800. ... State nickname: The Golden State Other U.S. States Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) Official languages English Area 410,000 km² (3rd)  - Land 404,298 km²  - Water 20,047 km² (4. ... U.S. Bank Tower in Downtown Los Angeles is the tallest North American building west of Chicago. ... State nickname: The Evergreen State Other U.S. States Capital Olympia Largest city Seattle Governor Christine Gregoire (D) Official languages None Area 184,824 km² (18th)  - Land 172,587 km²  - Water 12,237 km² (6. ... The Space Needle is the Pacific Northwests most recognizable landmark and is the symbol of Seattle, Washington. ... The term adult describes any mature organism, but normally it refers to a human: one that is no longer a child / minor and is now either a man or a woman. ... Male symbol Male is the sex of an organism, or a part of an organism, which produces sperm. ... Image of a woman on the Pioneer plaque sent to outer space. ... A male Caucasian toddler child A child (plural: children) is a young human. ...

The commission said that Khalid Shaikh Mohammed probably would have arranged to have six planes hijacked, even later on, if he was able to find more hijackers. He also considered a Phase II, but he and his colleagues spent so much time on the current plot that they couldn't make a Phase II.

Osama bin Laden himself decided to only use four airplanes in the plot. According to several captured Al-Qaida members, the leaders decided that World Trade Center, The Pentagon, and the United States Capitol were the targets, and that leaders rejected the White House as it was too difficult to see from the air. According to captured member Abu Zubaydah, the White House was the intended target of United Airlines Flight 93. The southern side of the White House The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States. ... Abu Zubaydah is the highest_ranking al-Qaida leader in U.S. custody Abu Zubaydah (1973 - present) (Arabic: ابو زبيدة) was a high_ranking member of al-Qaida and close associate of Osama bin Laden. ... United Airlines Boeing 777 taking off at Schiphol, Amsterdam. ... United Airlines Flight 93 was a flight that regularly flew from Newark International Airport (now known as Newark Liberty International Airport) in Newark, New Jersey to San Francisco International Airport. ...

The Commission stated that Osama bin Laden favored the White House as the Washington, DC target while Mohammed Atta and Khalid Shaikh Mohammed favored the Capitol.

U.S. Intelligence officials say that Mohammed came back to Germany in 1999 to meet up with the new terrorist cell he formed out of men chosen by Osama bin Laden for being cosmopolitan and technically proficient.

Financial Support

The 9/11 Commission stated in their final report that the "9/11 plotters eventually spent somewhere between $400,000 and $500,000 to plan and conduct their attack" but the "origin of the funds remains unknown." The Commission noted: "we have seen no evidence that any foreign government-or foreign government official-supplied any funding."[1] Some people have claimed that the operation was financed by elements of the Pakistani government, specifically within the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), as well as agents of the Saudi Arabian government working from within the United States. The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, also known as the 9/11 Commission, was set up in late 2002 to prepare a full and complete account of the circumstances surrounding the September 11, 2001 attacks including preparedness for and the immediate response to the attacks. ... The Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence (also Inter-Services Intelligence or I.S.I.) is the principal intelligence body of the nation of Pakistan. ... The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a country on the Arabian Peninsula. ...

A senior-level U.S. government source told CNN in October of 2001 that U.S. investigators believed Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh (Ahmed Umar Syed Sheikh), a long time ISI asset, using the alias Mustafa Muhammad Ahmad, sent more than $100,000 from Pakistan to Mohammed Atta, the suspected hijack ringleader of the September 11, 2001 attacks. CNN or Cable News Network is a cable television network that was founded in 1980 by Ted Turner & Reese Schonfeld [1] [2] (although he currently is not recognized in CNNs official history). ... Known as Sheikh Omar, Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh is a British citizen, of Pakistani descent, with links to various Islamic-based terrorist organisations, including Al-Qaeda and Harkat-ul-Mujahideen. ... Known as Sheikh Omar, Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh is a British citizen, of Pakistani descent, with links to various Islamic-based terrorist organisations, including Al-Qaeda and Harkat-ul-Mujahideen. ... Mustafa Muhammad Ahmad, is the presumed alias of a terrorist operative who is believed to have provided funds to Mohammed Atta, the suspected hijack ringleader in the September 11, 2001 attacks. ... Mohammed Atta is a name commonly used to refer to the following individuals: Mohamed Atta al Sayed was the Al-Qaeda suicide pilot of the first plane to crash into the World Trade Center during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. ... The September 11, 2001 attacks were a series of coordinated attacks carried out in the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. ...

"Investigators said Atta then distributed the funds to conspirators in Florida in the weeks before the deadliest acts of terrorism on U.S. soil that destroyed the World Trade Center, heavily damaged the Pentagon and left thousands dead...

Syed also is described as a key figure in the funding operation of al Qaeda, the network headed by suspected terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden."[2] Known as Sheikh Omar, Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh is a British citizen, of Pakistani descent, with links to various Islamic-based terrorist organisations, including Al-Qaeda and Harkat-ul-Mujahideen. ...

The Pittsburgh Tribune notes "There are many in Musharraf's government who believe that Saeed Sheikh's power comes not from the ISI, but from his connections with our own CIA."[3] Known as Sheikh Omar, Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh is a British citizen, of Pakistani descent, with links to various Islamic-based terrorist organisations, including Al-Qaeda and Harkat-ul-Mujahideen. ...

CNN later confirmed that it was "Ahmed Umar Syed Sheikh, whom authorities say used a pseudonym to wire $100,000 to suspected hijacker Mohammad Atta, who then distributed the money in the United States."[4] CNN or Cable News Network is a cable television network that was founded in 1980 by Ted Turner & Reese Schonfeld [1] [2] (although he currently is not recognized in CNNs official history). ... Known as Sheikh Omar, Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh is a British citizen, of Pakistani descent, with links to various Islamic-based terrorist organisations, including Al-Qaeda and Harkat-ul-Mujahideen. ...

Soon after the money transfer was discovered, the head of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence, Gen. Mahmood (Mahmud) Ahmed, resigned from his position. Indian news outlets reported the FBI was investigating the possiblity that Gen. Mahmood Ahmed ordered Saeed Sheikh to send the $100,000 to Atta, while most Western media outlets only reported his connections to the Taliban as the reason for his departure from the ISI. [5] The Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence (also Inter-Services Intelligence or I.S.I.) is the principal intelligence body of the nation of Pakistan. ... The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is a Federal police force which is the principal investigative arm of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). ... Known as Sheikh Omar, Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh is a British citizen, of Pakistani descent, with links to various Islamic-based terrorist organisations, including Al-Qaeda and Harkat-ul-Mujahideen. ... The Taliban (Pashtun and Persian: طالبان; students), also transliterated as Taleban, is an Islamist and Pashtun nationalist movement which ruled most of Afghanistan from 1996 until 2001, despite having diplomatic recognition from only three countries: the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia. ...

The Wall Street Journal was one of the only Western news organizations to follow up on the story, citing the Times of India: "US authorities sought [Gen. Mahmud Ahmed's] removal after confirming the fact that $100,000 [was] wired to WTC hijacker Mohammed Atta from Pakistan by Ahmad Umar Sheikh at the instance of Gen Mahumd."[6] The best coverage came from The Daily Excelsior, reporting "The FBI’s examination of the hard disk of the cellphone company Omar Sheikh had subscribed to led to the discovery of the "link" between him and the deposed chief of the Pakistani ISI, Gen. Mehmood Ahmed. And as the FBI investigators delved deep, sensational information surfaced with regard to the transfer of 100,000 dollars to Mohammed Atta, one of the Kamikaze pilots who flew his Boeing into the World Trade Centre. Gen. Mehmood Ahmed, the FBI investigators found, fully knew about the transfer of money to Atta."[7] The Wall Street Journal is an influential international daily newspaper published in New York City, New York with a worldwide average daily circulation of more than 2. ... Known as Sheikh Omar, Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh is a British citizen, of Pakistani descent, with links to various Islamic-based terrorist organisations, including Al-Qaeda and Harkat-ul-Mujahideen. ... Known as Sheikh Omar, Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh is a British citizen, of Pakistani descent, with links to various Islamic-based terrorist organisations, including Al-Qaeda and Harkat-ul-Mujahideen. ...

According to the Washington Post, "on the morning of Sept. 11, [Porter] Goss and [Bob] Graham were having breakfast with a Pakistani general named Mahmud Ahmed -- the soon-to-be-sacked head of Pakistan's intelligence service"[8] On September 12 and 13, Lt. Gen. Mahmood met with Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, Senator Joseph Biden, the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Secretary of State Colin Powell. An agreement on Pakistan's collaboration in the new "war on terror" was negotiated between Mahmood and Armitage.[9][10][11][12] Lt Gen Mehmood Ahmed then lead a six-member delegation to to the Afghan city of Kandahar in order to hold crisis talks with the Taliban leadership, supposedly in an attempt to persuade them to hand over Osama bin Laden.[13] ... Richard Lee Armitage (born April 26, 1945) is the current United States Deputy Secretary of State, the second-in-command at the State Department. ... The war on terrorism or war on terror (abbreviated in U.S. policy circles as GWOT for Global War on Terror) is an effort by the governments of the United States and its principal allies to destroy groups deemed to be terrorist (primarily radical Islamist organizations such as al-Qaeda... The Taliban (Pashtun and Persian: طالبان; students), also transliterated as Taleban, is an Islamist and Pashtun nationalist movement which ruled most of Afghanistan from 1996 until 2001, despite having diplomatic recognition from only three countries: the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia. ... Osama bin Laden Usāmah bin Muhammad bin `Awad bin Lādin (born March 10, 1957) (Arabic: ), commonly known as Osama bin Laden (Arabic: ), is usually considered to be the figurehead of al-Qaeda, a Sunni Islamist terrorist network that has been involved in attacks against civilians and military targets...

In June of 2001, a "high-placed member of a US intelligence agency" told BBC reporter Greg Palast that "after the [2000] elections, the agencies were told to "back off" investigating the Bin Ladens and Saudi royals".[14] The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) was formed in 1927 by means of a royal charter. ...

In May of 2002, former FBI Agent Robert Wright delivered a tearful press conference apologizing to the families who lost loved ones on 9/11. He described how his superiors intentionally obstructed his investigation into Al-Qaeda financing.[15][16] The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is a Federal police force which is the principal investigative arm of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). ... Al-Qaeda (Arabic: القاعدة, the foundation or the base) is the name given to a worldwide network of militant Islamist organizations under the leadership of Osama bin Laden. ...

Agent Wright would later tell ABC's Brian Ross: "September 11th is a direct result of the incompetence of the FBI's International Terrorism Unit," specifically referring to the Bureau's hindering of his investigation into Yassin al-Qadi (al Kadi), who Ross described as a powerful Saudi Arabian businessman with extensive financial ties in Chicago.[17] One month after 9/11, the US government officially identified Yassin al-Qadi as one of Osama bin Laden's primary financiers and a specially designated global terrorist.[18] The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is a television and radio network in the United States. ... 9-11 can refer to: The September 11, 2001 attacks A collection of interviews of Noam Chomsky by a variety of European publications and individual interviewers during the month after the September 11, 2001 attacks September 11 (month-day date notation) 9 November (day-month date notation) The North American... Osama bin Laden Usāmah bin Muhammad bin `Awad bin Lādin (born March 10, 1957) (Arabic: ), commonly known as Osama bin Laden (Arabic: ), is usually considered to be the figurehead of al-Qaeda, a Sunni Islamist terrorist network that has been involved in attacks against civilians and military targets...

In an interview with Computerworld Magazine, a former business associate described his relationship with al-Qadi: "I met him a few times and talked to him a few times on the telephone. He never talked to me about violence. Instead, he talked very highly of his relationship with [former President] Jimmy Carter and [Vice President] Dick Cheney."[19] Richard Bruce Cheney (born January 30, 1941), widely known as Dick Cheney, is an American politician and businessman affiliated with the U.S. Republican Party. ...

The Muwafaq Foundation, which U.S. authorities have confirmed was an arm of bin Laden's terror organization, was headed by Yassin al-Qadi,[20] who was also known as the owner of Ptech[21] -- a company that has supplied high-tech computer systems to the FBI, the IRS, Congress, the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, NATO, the FAA, and the White House. A former FBI Counter Terrorism Agent commented: "For someone like [al-Qadi] to be involved in a capacity, in an organization, a company that has access to classified information, that has access to government open or classified computer systems, would be of grave concern." Also sitting on Ptech's board of directors was Yacub Mirza— “a senior official of major radical Islamic organizations that have been linked by the US government to terrorism.” In addition, Hussein Ibrahim, the Vice President and Chief Scientist of Ptech, was vice chairman of a now defunct investment group called BMI, a company the FBI has named as a conduit used by al-Qadi to launder money to Hamas terrorists.[22] The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is a Federal police force which is the principal investigative arm of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). ... IRS is short for U.S. Internal Revenue Service short for Indian Revenue Service short for Independent rear suspension, used in automobiles. ... A congress is a gathering of people, especially a gathering for a political purpose. ... A nations army is its military, or more specifically, all of its land forces. ... U.S. Navy supercarrier USS Nimitz on November 3, 2003. ... An air force is a military organization that primarily operates in air-based war. ... The flag of NATO NATO 2002 Summit The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), sometimes called North Atlantic Alliance, Atlantic Alliance or the Western Alliance, is an international organisation for defence collaboration established in 1949, in support of the North Atlantic Treaty signed in Washington, D.C., on April 4, 1949. ... The Federal Aviation Administration is the entity of the United States government which regulates and oversees all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S. // Activities Along with the European Joint Aviation Authorities, the FAA is one of the two main agencies worldwide responsible for the certification of new aircraft. ... The southern side of the White House The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States. ... The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is a Federal police force which is the principal investigative arm of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). ... The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is a Federal police force which is the principal investigative arm of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). ...

According to Senator Bob Graham, who was chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee from June 2001 through the buildup to the Iraq war, "Two of the Sept. 11, 2001, hijackers had a support network in the United States that included agents of the Saudi government, and the Bush administration and FBI blocked a congressional investigation into that relationship," as reported by the Miami Herald. This article is about the American politician. ... The Miami Herald is a daily newspaper owned by Knight Ridder. ...

"And in Graham's book, Intelligence Matters, obtained by The Herald Saturday, he makes clear that some details of that financial support from Saudi Arabia were in the 27 pages of the congressional inquiry's final report that were blocked from release by the administration, despite the pleas of leaders of both parties on the House and Senate intelligence committees."[23]

Students in Germany

The Hamburg cell was formed starting in 1998 shortly after Mohammed got approval by the top brass for his plot. Mohammed Atta, Marwan al-Shehhi, Ziad Jarrah, Ramzi Binalshibh, Said Bahaji, Zakariyah Essabar, and fifteen others were all members. The cell was set in Germany as only one man in the German government had the part- time job of keeping tabs on radical Islam. It was at this Marienstraße apartment where many of the September 11 conspirators met to plan their futures. ... Mohammed Atta is a name commonly used to refer to the following individuals: Mohamed Atta al Sayed was the Al-Qaeda suicide pilot of the first plane to crash into the World Trade Center during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. ... Al-Shehhi, here in a rare undated photograph Marwan al-Shehhi (Arabic: مروان الشحي, also transliterated Alshehhi) (May 9, 1978 - September 11, 2001) was named by the FBI as the suicide pilot aboard United Airlines flight 175 that crashed into the second World Trade Center tower on September 11, 2001. ... Ziad Samir Jarrah (May 11, 1975 - September 11, 2001) (Arabic: زياد سمير جراح), was named by the FBI as one of the hijackers of United Airlines Flight 93 as part of the September 11, 2001 attacks. ... Ramzi Binalshibh (Arabic: رمزي بن الشيبة; also transliterated as Ramzi bin al-Shibh, Ramzi bin al-Shaibah, and several other ways; born 1973), is a citizen of Yemen and according to the United States, Germany, and several other countries, a key al-Qaida member who helped in planning the September... Said Bahaji is an at-large al-Qaida member, wanted for his role in the September 11 attacks. ... Zakariyah Essabar is a known member of al-Qaida Zakariyah Essabar (Arabic: زكريا الصبار) is, according to the governments of the United States, Germany, and other countries, a member of al-Qaida and an associate of many of the organizers of the September 11, 2001 attacks. ... Islam   listen? (Arabic: al-islām) the submission to God is a monotheistic faith, one of the Abrahamic religions, and the worlds second largest religion. ...

The men arrived in Germany over a course of five years, starting in 1992, when Mohammed Atta arrived from Egypt. A friend of Atta's recalled meeting him at the Al-Quds mosque in 1993; it is not known when he started going there. Atta had always lived as a strict Muslim. He studied architectural planning at the Technical University of Hamburg-Harburg. 1992 is a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1993 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ...

Atta went to Mecca in 1995. This article is about the holy city in Saudi Arabia. ...

Ramzi Binalshibh went under the name "Ramzi Omar". He claimed to be a political refugee from Sudan. He asked for asylum in 1995. The judge refused the asylum request, and Binalshibh returned to the Hadramaut region of Yemen. Binalshibh later got a German visa under his real name. 1995 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Hadhramaut, (also Hadramawt) now part of Yemen, is the coastal region of the south Arabian peninsula on the Gulf of Aden in the Arabian Sea, extending eastwards from Yemen to the Dhofar region of Oman. ...

Said Bahaji came over to Germany in 1995. he was born there, but moved to Morocco at age 9. In 1996, Said Bahaji enrolled in the electrical engineering program at the technical university. He spent weekdays at a student home and weekends at the home of his aunt, Barbara Arens. Arens, his "high tech aunt", kicked Bahaji out of the house when she saw his religious beliefs turn more radical. 1995 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1996 is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ...

In Spring 1996, Ziad Jarrah came to Greifswald from Lebanon. He met a female medical student named Aysel Senguen. She came over to live with him. Giuseppe Arcimboldo, Spring, 1573. ... 1996 is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... Ziad Samir Jarrah (May 11, 1975 - September 11, 2001) (Arabic: زياد سمير جراح), was named by the FBI as one of the hijackers of United Airlines Flight 93 as part of the September 11, 2001 attacks. ... Greifswald (German Greif=griffin, Wald=forest) is a city in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. ... This article or section should be merged with Aysel Sengün Aysel Sengün is the German-born Turkish girlfriend of September 11 hijacker Ziad Jarrah. ...

Al-Shehhi enrolled in a language institute in 1996 and boarded with a local family in Bonn. It took two years for him to learn enough of the German language to enroll. 1996 is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... Bonn is a city in Germany (Population (2004 est): 313,605 ; the 19th largest city in Germany), in the Bundesland of North Rhine-Westphalia, located about 20 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine. ... German (called Deutsch in German; in German the term germanisch is equivalent to English Germanic), is a member of the western group of Germanic languages and is one of the worlds major languages. ...

Atta came to Hamburg around 1996 and 1997.

In 1997, Jarrah and Senguen moved to Hamburg, where Jarrah studied aeronautical engineering. In the summer of that year, he worked at a paint shop factory for Volkswagen in Wolfsburg. In the fall of that year, Zakariya Essabar enrolled in an applied sciences course in Hamburg. 1997 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... In electronics, a summer is a circuit or system that adds one or more input voltages or currents together (usually by means of operational amplifiers), giving an output equal to the algebraic sum of the inputs. ... Volkswagen (VW) is an automobile manufacturer based in Wolfsburg, Germany. ... Weser watershed Wolfsburg is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany. ... Zakariyah Essabar is a known member of al-Qaida Zakariyah Essabar (Arabic: زكريا الصبار) is, according to the governments of the United States, Germany, and other countries, a member of al-Qaida and an associate of many of the organizers of the September 11, 2001 attacks. ...

Also in Winter 1997, Mohammed Atta told his roommate that he was going to Mecca, but he most likely instead went to Afghanistan. Atta had already taken his Mecca pilgrimage 18 months earlier. According to Al Jazeera journalist Yosri Fouda, Atta went to the mosque around this time period "not to pray but to sign his death will." This article is about the holy city in Saudi Arabia. ... Al Jazeera logo Al Jazeera (الجزيرة), meaning The Island or The (Arabian) Peninsula (whence also Algiers) is an Arabic television channel based in Qatar. ... Born in Egypt, Yosri Fouda initially worked for the BBCs short-lived Arabic-subsidiary covering the ongoing struggle in Bosnia with veteran reporter Martin Bell before joining the newly-forming Al Jazeera in 1996. ... Tulip Mosque in Ufa, Russia. ... Prayer is an effort to communicate with a God, or to some deity or deities, either to offer praise to the deity, to make a request of the deity, or simply to express ones thoughts and emotions to the deity. ...

Formation of the Hamburg Cell

It was at this Marienstraße apartment where many of the September 11 conspirators met to plan their futures.

The recruitment of members in Germany began in 1998. A report made by the September 11 Commission stated that Osama bin Laden chose the hijackers and that he pushed for the attack to occur as soon as possible. He sought to carry out the plan as early as the year 2000. Hamburg cell apartment, from http://news. ... The Commissions seal The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, also known as the 9/11 Commission, was set up in late 2002 to prepare a full and complete account of the circumstances surrounding the September 11, 2001 attacks including preparedness for and the immediate response... Osama bin Laden Usāmah bin Muhammad bin `Awad bin Lādin (born March 10, 1957) (Arabic: ), commonly known as Osama bin Laden (Arabic: ), is usually considered to be the figurehead of al-Qaeda, a Sunni Islamist terrorist network that has been involved in attacks against civilians and military targets... This article is about the year 2000. ...

Investigators think that a postal worker named Mohammed bin Nasser Belfas first recruited members, either knowingly or unknowingly, by "converting" them to radical Islam in his regularly held study meetings on Islam in his apartment. Mohammed Atta became a regular member, as did Marwan al-Shehhi. Investigators say that an automobile mechanic named Mohammed Haydar Zammar acted as a "travel agent" to Afghanistan. Al-Shehhi, here in a rare undated photograph Marwan al-Shehhi (Arabic: مروان الشحي, also transliterated Alshehhi) (May 9, 1978 - September 11, 2001) was named by the FBI as the suicide pilot aboard United Airlines flight 175 that crashed into the second World Trade Center tower on September 11, 2001. ... Mohammed Haydar Zammar recruited Muslims for al-Qaida membership, reportedly including many of the 9/11 hijackers. ...

In 1998, Atta, Bahaji, and Binalshibh were living together when German police put them under "limited surveillance". But nothing came out of it and the surveillance ended. Later in 1998, al-Shehhi spent several months trying to pass the language exams in Hamburg. Position of Hamburg in Germany Hamburgs central broadway Jungfernstieg at the Alster lake, between 1900 and 1914 This article is about the city in Germany. ...

Atta returned to Germany in 1998. Binalshibh left his container camp that spring and spent time with Belfas. In the summer, Atta, Binalshibh, al-Shehhi, and Belfas worked in a computer warehouse together packing crates.

Al-Shehhi failed his language exams and went back to Bonn. Soon afterwards, a man named Atif bin Mansour arrived in Hamburg. He was a co-applicant with Atta for a room at the Islamic study group at the technical university. In the winter, Atta, Binalshibh, and Bahaji moved to an apartment at Marienstraße 54. Marienstraße 54 has been described by Yosri Fouda, an Al-Jazeera journalist, as the "kitchen" of the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks. Bonn is a city in Germany (Population (2004 est): 313,605 ; the 19th largest city in Germany), in the Bundesland of North Rhine-Westphalia, located about 20 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine. ... Born in Egypt, Yosri Fouda initially worked for the BBCs short-lived Arabic-subsidiary covering the ongoing struggle in Bosnia with veteran reporter Martin Bell before joining the newly-forming Al Jazeera in 1996. ... Al Jazeera (Arabic: ), meaning The Island or The (Arabian) Peninsula is an Arabic television channel based in Qatar. ... A kitchen is a room used for food preparation. ... The World Trade Center on fire The September 11, 2001 attacks were a series of coordinated terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001. ...

When Mansour's brother, a member of the Pakistani armed forces, died in combat in 1999, Mansour went back to Pakistan for good. Al-Shehhi came back to Hamburg shortly afterwards. 1999 is a common year starting on Friday of the Common Era, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ...

Atta often attended Belfas' study group in 1999. A member named Volker Harum Bruhn told Atta to stay away from Islamic extremists, but this came in vain.

Atta got his master's degree in October and went back to Cairo for the last time. His aunt said that he asked his ill mother if he could remain in Egypt indefinitely. The mother told him to get an education. October is the tenth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... Although technically in Giza, The Great Pyramids have become a symbol of Cairo internationally Cairo (Arabic: القاهرة; romanized: al-Qāhirah) is the capital city of Egypt (and previously the United Arab Republic) and has a metropolitan area population of approximately 15. ...

German police said that they found data that Atta, al-Shehhi, Jarrah, and Binalshibh flew to Pakistan. They then went to a training camp in Kandahar. Al-Shehhi, who was paid a 2,000 dollar stipend per month from the United Arab Emirates Army withdrew 6,000 dollars and paid for airline tickets for flights from Germany to Karachi via Istanbul. Kandahār (or Qandahār) is a city in southern Afghanistan, the capital of Kandahar province. ... Karachi (کراچي) is the largest city of Pakistan and the capital of the province of Sindh. ... Shows the Location of the Province İstanbul Istanbul (Turkish: İstanbul; contraction of the citys previous Greek name Constantinople) is the largest city in Turkey, and arguably the most important. ...

After the Afghanistan visit, Mohammed Atta reported his passport stolen, probably to erase travel visas to Afghanistan.

By 1999, the members of the Hamburg cell were already committed to Al Qaida.

2000 Al-Qaida Summit

Main article: 2000 Al-Qaida Summit This article needs cleanup. ...

Several Al-Qaida members are said to have attended a meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia that regarded the USS Cole bombing and the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks. Hambali, Ramzi Binalshibh, Nawaf al-Hazmi, Khalid al-Mihdhar, and Tawfiq bin Attash attended the meeting, which lasted from January 5 to January 8, 2000. The men were also photographed when they came out of the meeting. U.S. investigators did not identify these men until much later. The meeting wasn't wiretapped, but it was videotaped. Mayor Datuk Ruslin Hasan District Kuala Lumpur District Area  - Total (City) 243. ... Damage to USS Cole The USS Cole bombing was a suicide bombing attack against the guided missile destroyer USS Cole (DDG 67) on October 12, 2000. ... The World Trade Center on fire The September 11, 2001 attacks were a series of coordinated terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001. ... Riduan Isamuddin Riduan Isamuddin (also transliterated as Riduan Isamudin, Riduan Isomuddin, and Riduan Isomudin, better known by the nom de guerre Hambali, born as Encep Nurjaman, born April 4, 1966) was the leader of the Indonesian terrorist organization Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), which allegedly has a partership with Al Qaeda. ... Ramzi Binalshibh (Arabic: رمزي بن الشيبة; also transliterated as Ramzi bin al-Shibh, Ramzi bin al-Shaibah, and several other ways; born 1973), is a citizen of Yemen and according to the United States, Germany, and several other countries, a key al-Qaida member who helped in planning the September... This photograph of Nawaf al-Hazmi was released by the FBI in the days following the attack. ... This photograph of Khalid al-Midhar was released by the FBI in the days following the attack. ... Tawfiq bin Attash, aka Khallad, is an Al Qaeda member of long standing. ... January 5 is the 5th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... January 8 is the 8th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... This article is about the year 2000. ...

Were plotters already in the United States?

Some of the men who would be involved in the September 11 plot may have already been to the United States on previous occasions during the mid-to-late 1990s. // Events and trends The 1990s are generally classified as having moved slightly away from the more conservative 1980s, but otherwise retaining the same mindset. ...

Real estate records show that a man named Waleed al-Shehri lived in Daytona Beach, Florida during that time period, probably starting in 1993, since the spokeswoman for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the school which al-Shehri attended, said that it was a four year program; al-Shehri graduated in 1997. The manager of the Anatole Apartments nearby the airport of Daytona Beach, Florida says that Ahmed al-Ghamdi lived in the apartment complex in 1995, while Waleed al-Shehri lived there in 1997, from May to December. School officials say that Al-Ghamdi never came to the school. Federal Aviation Administration records show that Al-Shehri had a pilot's license. This photograph of Waleed al-Shehri was released by the FBI in the days following the attack. ... Daytona Beach is a city located in Volusia County, Florida. ... 1993 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... Daytona Beach is a city located in Volusia County, Florida. ... This photograph of Ahmed al_Ghamdi was released by the FBI in the days following the attack. ... 1995 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This photograph of Waleed al-Shehri was released by the FBI in the days following the attack. ... 1997 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the month of May. ... December is the twelfth and last month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... The Federal Aviation Administration is the entity of the United States government which regulates and oversees all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S. // Activities Along with the European Joint Aviation Authorities, the FAA is one of the two main agencies worldwide responsible for the certification of new aircraft. ...

In 1999, Al-Shehri rented a house on Orrin street in Vienna, Virginia and moved into Vienna from Florida. A woman named Diane Albritton, who lives across the street from the rental house, said, "There were always people coming and going. Arabic people. Some of them never uttered a word; I don't know if they spoke English. But they looked very focused. We thought they might be dealing drugs, or illegal immigrants." (quote from [24]). It is not clear when he moved out of the house. 1999 is a common year starting on Friday of the Common Era, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... Vienna is a town located in Fairfax County, Virginia. ... The term the Middle East sometimes applies to the peninsula alone, but usually refers to the Arabian Peninsula plus the Levant, Mesopotamia, and Iran. ...

The Waleed Al-Shehri that came to the U.S. in the mid to late 1990's may have been another man with the same name.

It is known that Hani Hanjour had been to Arizona in the late 1990's before coming back in late 2000. This photograph of Hani Hanjour was released by the FBI in the days following the attack. ... State nickname: The Grand Canyon State, The Copper State Other U.S. States Capital Phoenix Largest city Phoenix Governor Janet Napolitano (D) Official languages English Only State Area 295,254 km² (6th)  - Land 294,312 km²  - Water 942 km² (0. ... This article is about the year 2000. ...

Arrival to the United States

Al-Mihdhar and al-Hazmi arrived in Los Angeles on January 15, 2000. On January 18, Marwan al-Shehhi applied for a visa into the United States while he was in the United Arab Emirates. He was the first member to apply for a visa in the Hamburg cell. In March, Mohammed Atta began e-mailing thirty flight schools in the United States. The Downtown Los Angeles skyline. ... January 15 is the 15th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... This article is about the year 2000. ... January 18 is the 18th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Al-Shehhi, here in a rare undated photograph Marwan al-Shehhi (Arabic: مروان الشحي, also transliterated Alshehhi) (May 9, 1978 - September 11, 2001) was named by the FBI as the suicide pilot aboard United Airlines flight 175 that crashed into the second World Trade Center tower on September 11, 2001. ... An entry visa valid in all Schengen treaty countries A visa (short for the Latin carta visa, lit. ... March is the third month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...

By the end of June, Atta, Jarrah, and al-Shehhi left for the United States. Binalshibh and Essabar wanted to join Atta, al-Shehhi, and Jarrah, but they were denied U.S. Visas several times. Binalshibh's visa was denied since he was a citizen of Yemen. Binalshibh decided to support the cell by sending money to it. Mohammed was making repeated trips to Indonesia and the Philippines in Southeast Asia at the time. Jarrah nearly abandoned his role in the plot and probably would have been replaced by Zacarias Moussaoui had he done so. June is the sixth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four with the length of 30 days. ... Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ... Moussaoui mugshot Zacarias Moussaoui (born May 30, 1968) is a French terrorist of Moroccan descent involved in the conspiracy that resulted in the September 11, 2001 attacks. ...

A man named Omar al-Bayoumi was in San Diego, California since 1995. He raised a family, and that he received a monthly stipend from his former employer, an aviation company in Saudi Arabia. He videotaped places all the time. Al-Bayoumi was quick to house immigrants who needed housing. In 2000, he settled in Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar. According to al-Hazmi, al-Bayoumi met him and al-Mihdhar at a restaurant in Los Angeles. Al-Bayoumi offered a ride to San Diego after he heard the men speak Arabic. Al-Bayoumi threw the men a welcome party and al-Hazmi, who said he was here to learn English, signed a six-month lease. He often surfed the Internet from the San Diego State Library. Omar al-Bayoumi (Arabic: عمر البيومي) is a Saudi national who befriended two of the 9/11 hijackers in the United States. ... City nickname: Americas Finest City Location of San Diego within San Diego County County San Diego Mayor vacant Area   â€“Land   â€“Water 372. ... 1995 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year 2000. ... Arabic (العربية al-arabiyyah, or less formally arabi) is the largest member of the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family (classification: South Central Semitic) and is closely related to Hebrew and Aramaic. ...

The first two months of the lease were paid for, yet the men complained that the lease was too expensive. In the Spring, al-Hazmi told a friend that someone was going to wire $5000 to him, and that the money would come from Saudi Arabia. Al-Hazmi told his friend that he had no account. The friend agreed, and later found that the money came from a man named "Ali", and that it didn't originate from the United States. The two men wanted to take flight lessons, which is why they got the money. A friend took them to Montgomery Field and arranged lessons for them. They took one and quit. Fereidoun "Fred" Sorbi, the instructor, recalled, "The first day they came in here, they said they want to fly Boeings. We said you have to start slower. You can't just jump right into Boeings." Giuseppe Arcimboldo, Spring, 1573. ...

Al-Hazmi had season passes to the San Diego Zoo and SeaWorld. The men often hung at a men's club called Cheetah's, which is nearby the Islamic Center, which praised multiculturalism and openly attacked Islamism; men who were passing leaflets praising Osama bin Laden found their leaflets taken and found themselves forced to leave. Al-Mihdhar and al-Hazmi frequently drove to Las Vegas in the Toyota sedan they bought. The San Diego Zoo in San Diego, California is one of the largest, most progressive zoos in the world. ... For the unrelated theme park in Australia, see Sea World. ... Islamism is a neologism of Western etymological origins referring to a set of political ideologies derived from conservative religious views of Muslim fundamentalism which hold that Islam is not only a religion, but also a political system that governs the legal, economic and social imperatives of the state. ... Osama bin Laden Usāmah bin Muhammad bin `Awad bin Lādin (born March 10, 1957) (Arabic: ), commonly known as Osama bin Laden (Arabic: ), is usually considered to be the figurehead of al-Qaeda, a Sunni Islamist terrorist network that has been involved in attacks against civilians and military targets... This article is about the city of Las Vegas in Nevada. ... Toyota redirects here. ...

On the go

Al-Mihdhar left the United States in June 2000. Ramzi Binalshibh had wired $115,000 to a Suntrust bank account shortly after Atta and al-Shehhi arrived in Florida. Mohammed Atta and Marwan al-Shehhi started taking flight lessons at Huffman Aviation International in Venice, Florida. Atta claimed that he was of royal Saudi descent, and that al-Shehhi was his bodyguard. The men may have received money financing the plot from Ali Abdul Aziz Ali and Mohammed Yousef Mohamed Alqusaidi, who may be al-Shehhi's brother. June is the sixth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four with the length of 30 days. ... Ramzi Binalshibh (Arabic: رمزي بن الشيبة; also transliterated as Ramzi bin al-Shibh, Ramzi bin al-Shaibah, and several other ways; born 1973), is a citizen of Yemen and according to the United States, Germany, and several other countries, a key al-Qaida member who helped in planning the September... SunTrust Banks, Inc. ... Venice is a city located in Sarasota County, Florida. ... Ali Abdul Aziz Ali (Arabic: علي عبدالعزيز علي) is a member of the al-Qaida terrorist organization and reportedly a nephew or cousin of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, an important leader in the organization. ... Mohammed Yousef Mohamed Alqusaidi is the name or alias of an imdividual who was responsible for a great deal of the funding of the September 11, 2001 attacks against the World Trade Center. ...

Meanwhile, Ziad Jarrah arrived in the United States in late June 2000. He left the country five times in the next thirteen months. Al-Hazmi took a job washing cars at a Texaco station that was owned by Palestinians. The gas station was a hangout for Arabs, who drank coffee as they sat at a picnic table outside. Al-Hazmi often rambled about how he feels that Muslims were discriminated against. According to his family, al-Hazmi never told his friends that he fought in Chechnya three years earlier after leaving Saudi Arabia. Back in Europe, Said Bahaji told his employer and his family that he was quitting his job and was going to be an intern in Pakistan. His aunt, Barbara Arens, says that she was suspicious and that she went to the police and pleaded to them "to do something." She says that police took no action against Bahaji. June is the sixth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four with the length of 30 days. ... This article is about the year 2000. ... Texaco was the name of an American oil company that was merged into ChevronTexaco in 2001. ... The Palestinians are a mainly Arabic-speaking people with family origins in Palestine. ... Coffee beans and a cup of coffee Coffee as a drink, usually served hot, is prepared from the roasted seeds (beans) of the coffee plant. ... The Chechen Republic (Chechen: Нохчийн Республика/Noxçiyn [Nokhchiyn] Respublika, Russian: Чеченская Республика), informal Chechnya (Chechen: Нохчичьо/Noxçiyçö/Nokhchiyno, Russian: Чечня), Ichkeria, Chechnia or Chechenia, is currently a constituent republic of the Russian Federation. ... Said Bahaji is an at-large al-Qaida member, wanted for his role in the September 11 attacks. ...

The men in the September 11 plot were always on the move, spending thousands of dollars on airline tickets and logging many miles into rental cars. They often stayed in Econo Lodges. The men often went to cities that had one or more Mail Boxes Etc. stores. They obtained mail boxes there and used them as permanent addresses to get drivers licenses and admissions into flight schools. Mail Boxes Etc. ...

On October 20, 2000, Atta's mentor, Mohammed Belfas, and an Indonesian architecture student that Belfas knew for years, named Agus Budiman, arrived in the suburbs of Washington, DC. Both men had been coming to the United States for many years. He said that he wanted to move to the United States for good, and that he had family in Northern Virginia. Belfas even had a Virginia driver's license. While in the United States, Belfas accompanied Budiman while he worked as his job as a driver for a take-out-taxi restaurant delivery service. When Belfas offered to help Budiman if he got Belfas a U.S. driver's license, Budiman explained that he didn't need one. Belfas said that he wanted one for a souvenir. On November 4, they went to the first trip to the Department of Motor Vehicles office in Arlington County, Virginia. They swore that Belfas lived in Arlington County, so he got his Virginia Identification card. The men obtained his driver's license two days later using the ID. Within the week, Belfas went back to Germany. October 20 is the 293rd day of the year (294th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 72 days remaining. ... This article is about the year 2000. ... Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United... November 4 is the 308th day of the year (309th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 57 days remaining. ... Location in the state of Virginia Formed 9 July 1846 Seat Arlington Area  - Total  - Water 41. ...

Also in October, Zacarias Moussaoui allegedly received 35,000 U.S. dollars and travel documents from Yazid Sufaat, a cohort of Hambali, while Moussaoui was in Malaysia. Sudaat provided the money and documents on Hambali's orders. October is the tenth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... Moussaoui mugshot Zacarias Moussaoui (born May 30, 1968) is a French terrorist of Moroccan descent involved in the conspiracy that resulted in the September 11, 2001 attacks. ... Yazid Sufaat (a. ... Riduan Isamuddin Riduan Isamuddin (also transliterated as Riduan Isamudin, Riduan Isomuddin, and Riduan Isomudin, better known by the nom de guerre Hambali, born as Encep Nurjaman, born April 4, 1966) was the leader of the Indonesian terrorist organization Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), which allegedly has a partership with Al Qaeda. ...

In December, a man who al-Hazmi called "Hani" arrived in San Diego. "Hani" was actually Hani Hanjour, who spent most of three years in the late 1990's in Arizona training to be a pilot. Every account of him stated that he was a bad student, but he got his license and returned to Saudi Arabia. He and al-Hazmi then left San Diego and started training to be a pilot in Arizona. December is the twelfth and last month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... This photograph of Hani Hanjour was released by the FBI in the days following the attack. ... State nickname: The Grand Canyon State, The Copper State Other U.S. States Capital Phoenix Largest city Phoenix Governor Janet Napolitano (D) Official languages English Only State Area 295,254 km² (6th)  - Land 294,312 km²  - Water 942 km² (0. ...

Atta and al-Shehhi practiced flying on a Boeing 727 flight simulator on December 29 and December 30. The simulator was at the SimCenter flight school in Opa-Locka, Florida. According to Henry George, the instructor, the men told him that they wanted to be commercial pilots back in their home countries. The instructor didn't think that they had skill to be real pilots. He commented, "All they were doing is making themselves both prepared for the task." During the three hours apiece training, the men made a lot of turns and maneuvers. Although they could take off and land well, the instructor called the simulator, "a mini, mini introduction." Sun Country 727 The Boeing 727 was, for a very long time, the most popular jet-liner in the world. ... December 29 is the 363rd day of the year (364th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 2 days remaining. ... December 30 is the 364th day of the year (365th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 1 day remaining. ... Opa-locka is a city located in Miami-Dade County, Florida. ...

Shortly afterwards, Atta left for Germany. He then travelled to Spain, before going back to the United States.

Zacarias Moussaoui entered the United States in February 2001. Ramzi Binalshibh, who was in Germany, wired him $14,000. Binalshibh also wired money to Marwan al-Shehhi and a soon-to-be hijacker named Fayez Banihammad. Moussaoui mugshot Zacarias Moussaoui (born May 30, 1968) is a French terrorist of Moroccan descent involved in the conspiracy that resulted in the September 11, 2001 attacks. ... February is the second month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey 2001 2001 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ramzi Binalshibh (Arabic: رمزي بن الشيبة; also transliterated as Ramzi bin al-Shibh, Ramzi bin al-Shaibah, and several other ways; born 1973), is a citizen of Yemen and according to the United States, Germany, and several other countries, a key al-Qaida member who helped in planning the September... Al-Shehhi, here in a rare undated photograph Marwan al-Shehhi (Arabic: مروان الشحي, also transliterated Alshehhi) (May 9, 1978 - September 11, 2001) was named by the FBI as the suicide pilot aboard United Airlines flight 175 that crashed into the second World Trade Center tower on September 11, 2001. ... This photograph of Fayez Banihammad was released by the FBI in the days following the attack. ...

Al-Mihdhar returned to the U.S. on July 4, 2001. By that time, twelve Saudi men and a man from the United Arab Emirates arrived in the East Coast. It is unknown how they were recruited. Many of the Saudis may have been chosen because it was very easy for Saudi citizens to get visas to the United States. July 4 is the 185th day of the year (186th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 180 days remaining. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey 2001 2001 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... An entry visa valid in all Schengen treaty countries A visa (short for the Latin carta visa, lit. ...

On July 8, 2001, Atta took his second trip to Spain, leaving from Miami to Madrid. He had already left for Spain another time since he first came to the U.S. Al-Shehhi also took two of his own trips across the Atlantic Ocean. Atta then rented a silver Hyundai and took an 8-hour drive to Tarragona. Ramzi Binalshibh was also in Spain at the time, staying at the Hotel Monica in Cambrils. Atta stayed at a hotel in Tarragona, which was fifteen minutes away. Atta spent 11 days in Spain. The following day, Binalshibh checked out without breakfast and vanished along with Atta. It is unknown why they came to Spain. They most likely came for a third party. Various theories include an operational commander or a courier relaying the final instructions of the plot. The meeting may have concerned Zacarias Moussaoui, a French Moroccan that spent time in Afghanistan and Chechnya and was supposedly on his way to the United States to fill the vacuum that Binalshibh left when he was denied a visa. Plans to include him in the plot were never finalized, as the leadership of the group questioned his competency. The meeting that Atta and Binalshibh possibly attended may have taken place at a safehouse. Binalshibh returned to Hamburg on July 20. On July 29, and August 2, Zacarias Moussaoui placed several calls to a telephone number in Düsseldorf. On July 30 and July 31 in Hamburg, Binalshibh received 15,000 dollars from the alleged paymaster in the United Arab Emirates. He wired 14,000 of the dollars to Moussaoui on August 1 and August 3. July 8 is the 189th day of the year (190th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 176 days remaining. ... This article is about the city in Florida. ... Plaza de Cibeles (Cibeles square) and the Palacio de Comunicaciones (Communications Palace) Coat of arms. ... The Hyundai Group (pronounced: Hyun-dae, meaning modern in Korean), founded by Chung Ju-yung in 1947 as a construction company, was once South Koreas biggest conglomerate (chaebol). ... A picture from the air Tarragona Ampitheatre Tarragona is a city located in the south of Catalonia, Spain, by the Mediterranean Sea. ... Ramzi Binalshibh (Arabic: رمزي بن الشيبة; also transliterated as Ramzi bin al-Shibh, Ramzi bin al-Shaibah, and several other ways; born 1973), is a citizen of Yemen and according to the United States, Germany, and several other countries, a key al-Qaida member who helped in planning the September... Cambrils de Mar is a costal town in Tarragona province of Catalonia, Spain. ... A picture from the air Tarragona Ampitheatre Tarragona is a city located in the south of Catalonia, Spain, by the Mediterranean Sea. ... Moussaoui mugshot Zacarias Moussaoui (born May 30, 1968) is a French terrorist of Moroccan descent involved in the conspiracy that resulted in the September 11, 2001 attacks. ... The Chechen Republic (Chechen: Нохчийн Республика/Noxçiyn [Nokhchiyn] Respublika, Russian: Чеченская Республика), informal Chechnya (Chechen: Нохчичьо/Noxçiyçö/Nokhchiyno, Russian: Чечня), Ichkeria, Chechnia or Chechenia, is currently a constituent republic of the Russian Federation. ... July 20 is the 201st day (202nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 164 days remaining. ... July 29 is the 210th day (211th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 155 days remaining. ... August 2 is the 214th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (215th in leap years), with 151 days remaining. ... Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. ... July 30 is the 211th day (212th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 154 days remaining. ... July 31 is the 212th day (213th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 153 days remaining, as the final day of July. ... August 1st is the 213th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (214th in leap years), with 152 days remaining. ... August 3 is the 215th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (216th in leap years), with 150 days remaining. ...

Soon after Atta returned to the U.S., he set up a meeting in Las Vegas. Again, it is unknown why he set up the meeting. Al-Hazmi and Hanjour were living in an apartment in Paterson, New Jersey, close to where Atta bought a ticket for his second Spain trip. This article is about the city of Las Vegas in Nevada. ... The skyline of Paterson, New Jersey, showing the canyon of the Passaic River in the foreground. ...

On August 1, Hani Hanjour left the Paterson apartment. August 1st is the 213th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (214th in leap years), with 152 days remaining. ... This photograph of Hani Hanjour was released by the FBI in the days following the attack. ...

On August 2, 2001, Salem al-Hazmi, Abdulaziz al-Omari, Majed Moqed, and two to four other of the hijackers visited the office in Arlington County, Virginia to get IDs and drivers' licenses in the same manner as how Mohammed Belfas got them. They paid other men to sign for them on the paperwork. They used the IDs to make it simpler to purchase boarding tickets for airplanes. August 2 is the 214th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (215th in leap years), with 151 days remaining. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey 2001 2001 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This photograph of Salem al-Hazmi was released by the FBI in the days following the attack. ... This photograph of Abdulaziz al-Omari was released by the FBI in the days following the attack. ... This photograph of Majed Moqed was released by the FBI in the days following the attack. ... Location in the state of Virginia Formed 9 July 1846 Seat Arlington Area  - Total  - Water 41. ...

Final Preparations

The report by the September 11 commission stated that Osama bin Laden aggressively pushed the September 11 plan as it formed, even when some of his closest aides were advising him to cancel the plans. Osama bin Laden envisioned an increase in recruiting and fundraising after the attacks would happen.

Hani Hanjour and Majed Moqed were photographed using an ATM in Maryland on August 5. This photograph of Majed Moqed was released by the FBI in the days following the attack. ... State nickname: Old Line State; Free State Other U.S. States Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Governor Robert L. Ehrlich Official languages English Area 32,160 km² (42nd)  - Land 25,338 km²  - Water 6,968 km² (21%) Population (2000)  - Population 5,296,486 (19th)  - Density 165 /km² (5th) Admission into... August 5 is the 217th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (218th in leap years), with 148 days remaining. ...

One week after he was given the money, Moussaoui came to Minnesota from Oklahoma. He paid $6,300 in cash to the Pan Am International Flight Academy on August 10. He was arrested for immigration violations on August 17. Some investigators think that this sparked the move to the attacks. State nickname: North Star State Other U.S. States Capital Saint Paul Largest city Minneapolis Governor Tim Pawlenty (R) Official languages None Area 225,365 km² (12th)  - Land 206,375 km²  - Water 18,990 km² (8. ... Oklahoma is a South Central state of the United States (with strong southern, western and midwestern influences) and its U.S. postal abbreviation is OK; others abbreviate the states name Okla. ... Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) was the United States principal international airline from the 1930s until its collapse in 1991, and was credited with many innovations that shaped the international airline industry. ... August 10 is the 222nd day of the year (223rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... August 17 is the 229th day of the year (230th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ...

About three weeks prior to the attacks, the targets were assigned to four teams. The United States Capitol was called "The Faculty of Law". The Pentagon was dubbed "The Faculty of Fine Arts". Atta codenamed the World Trade Center as "The Faculty of Town Planning." United States Capitol The Capitol when first occupied by Congress, 1800. ... A pre-9/11 view of The Pentagon, looking east with the Potomac River and Washington Monument in the distance. ... The twin towers, photographed from the west The World Trade Center in New York City was a complex of seven buildings leased by Larry Silverstein from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey around a central plaza, near the south end of Manhattan in the downtown financial district. ...

A conspirator named Abu Abdul Rahman sent a "love message" on an Internet chat room to his "German girlfriend", who was really Ramzi Binalshibh. The message said... The first semester commences in three weeks. Two high schools and two universities. ... This summer will surely be hot ...19 [the eventual number of hijackers] certificates for private education and four exams. Regards to the professor. Goodbye. A heart, a symbol of love Love has many meanings in English, from something that gives a little pleasure (I loved that meal) to something one would die for (patriotism, pairbonding). ... A chat room is an online forum where people can chat online (talk by broadcasting messages to people on the same forum in real time). ... Ramzi Binalshibh (Arabic: رمزي بن الشيبة; also transliterated as Ramzi bin al-Shibh, Ramzi bin al-Shaibah, and several other ways; born 1973), is a citizen of Yemen and according to the United States, Germany, and several other countries, a key al-Qaida member who helped in planning the September...

Between August 25 and August 28, the hijackers had bought their tickets. Some September 11 hijackers bought their reservations over the Internet on sites such as Travelocity, and some bought them in person at the airport. August 25 is the 237th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (238th in leap years), with 128 days remaining. ... August 28 is the 240th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (241st in leap years), with 125 days remaining. ... Travelocity is an online travel agency operated by Travelocity. ...

Two of the United Airlines Flight 175 hijackers paid $4,500 for each of their tickets. Three of the other hijackers on that flight paid $1,600 and $1,760 for their tickets. Atta booked seat Seat 8D. Waleed al-Shehri and Wail al-Shehri, who sat in seats 2B and 2A, used the same Hollywood post-office-box address to buy their tickets. Satam al-Suqami would pay in cash and sit in seat 10B. Abdulaziz al-Omari also was planned to be on this flight. United Airlines Boeing 777 taking off at Schiphol, Amsterdam. ... United Airlines Flight 175 was a morning flight that regularly flew from Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts, to LAX in Los Angeles, California (Boston-Los Angeles route). ... The United States dollar, or American dollar, is the official currency of the United States. ... This photograph of Waleed al-Shehri was released by the FBI in the days following the attack. ... This photograph of Wail al-Shehri was captured by an ATM just days before the 9/11 attack. ... This photograph of Satam al-Suqami was released by the FBI in the days following the attack. ... This photograph of Abdulaziz al-Omari was released by the FBI in the days following the attack. ...

On August 28, Mohammed Atta bought his ticket with his VISA card at the American Airlines website by using addresses in Coral Springs, Florida and Hollywood, Florida. He established an AAdvantage frequent flyer miles account for this on August 25. August 28 is the 240th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (241st in leap years), with 125 days remaining. ... Visa is a brand of credit card and debit card operated by the Visa International Service Association of San Francisco, California, USA, an economic joint venture of 21,000 financial institutions that issue and market Visa products. ... American Airlines Boeing 757 American Airlines and American Eagle aircraft at San Juan Note: For the arenas named after this company, see American Airlines Arena (Miami, Florida), or American Airlines Center (Dallas, Texas). ... Coral Springs, officially chartered July 10, 1963, is a city located in Broward County, Florida. ... Hollywood is a city located in Broward County, Florida. ... August 25 is the 237th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (238th in leap years), with 128 days remaining. ...

According to Ramzi Binalshibh, on August 29, Mohammed Atta notified Binalshibh after Moussaoui's capture in an early morning coded telephone message, "A mate of mine bothered me with this puzzle and I was hoping you would help me solve it. Two sticks, a dash and a cake with a stick down. What is it?" Ramzi Binalshibh (Arabic: رمزي بن الشيبة; also transliterated as Ramzi bin al-Shibh, Ramzi bin al-Shaibah, and several other ways; born 1973), is a citizen of Yemen and according to the United States, Germany, and several other countries, a key al-Qaida member who helped in planning the September... August 29 is the 241st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (242nd in leap years), with 124 days remaining. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

"Did you wake me up to tell me this puzzle?" Ramzi Binalshibh replied. Atta meant that the attacks would be on September 11; he chose when the attack would happen. The date that the attacks would occur on was uncertain until the phone call happened. A report by the September 11 Commission stated that Atta chose the date "so that the United States Congress would be in session." A puzzle is a problem or enigma presented as entertainment; that is written down, acted out, etc. ... Ramzi Binalshibh (Arabic: رمزي بن الشيبة; also transliterated as Ramzi bin al-Shibh, Ramzi bin al-Shaibah, and several other ways; born 1973), is a citizen of Yemen and according to the United States, Germany, and several other countries, a key al-Qaida member who helped in planning the September... The Commissions seal The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, also known as the 9/11 Commission, was set up in late 2002 to prepare a full and complete account of the circumstances surrounding the September 11, 2001 attacks including preparedness for and the immediate response...

Salem al-Hazmi, Majed Moqed, and three other hijackers worked out at a Greenbelt, Maryland Gold's Gym from September 2 to September 6. The men were purchasing air tickets around that time. This photograph of Salem al-Hazmi was released by the FBI in the days following the attack. ... This photograph of Majed Moqed was released by the FBI in the days following the attack. ... Location in Prince Georges County, Maryland Founded  -Incorporated 1937 {{{incorporated}}}  County Prince Georges County Mayor Judith F. Davis Area  - Total  - Water 15. ... September 2 is the 245th day of the year (246th in leap years). ... September 6 is the 249th day of the year (250th in leap years). ...

US investigators say that Atta sent a package to Mustafa Ahmed, the alleged al-Qaida paymaster on September 4. Mustafa Ahmed was in the United Arab Emirates at the time. Mustafa Muhammad Ahmad, is the presumed alias of a terrorist operative who is believed to have provided funds to Mohammed Atta, the suspected hijack ringleader in the September 11, 2001 attacks. ... September 4 is the 247th day of the year (248th in leap years). ...

Said Bahaji left Germany and flew to Karachi via Istanbul on September 4. German police found that two other men on the flight stayed with Bahaji at the Embassy Hotel in Karachi. The men had false identification papers. Zakariya Essabar disappeared around the same time. Investigators think that he may have been one of the passengers on the plane. September 4 is the 247th day of the year (248th in leap years). ...

Ramzi Binalshibh returned to Spain on September 5, flying from Düsseldorf. Investigators say that he stayed at his private home in the Madrid area, and he never used his return ticket. He instead headed for Afghanistan. September 5 is the 248th day of the year (249th in leap years). ... Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. ...

Around this time, the FBI had been unable to access Moussaoui's computer. Agents were notified by the CIA at this time that they needed to look for Khalid al-Mihdhar and Nawaf al-Hazmi. It was far too late by then. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is a Federal police force which is the principal investigative arm of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). ... The CIA Seal The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is one of the American foreign intelligence agencies, responsible for obtaining and analyzing information about foreign governments, corporations, and individuals, and reporting such information to the various branches of the U.S. Government. ... This photograph of Khalid al-Midhar was released by the FBI in the days following the attack. ... This photograph of Nawaf al-Hazmi was released by the FBI in the days following the attack. ...

Ziad Jarrah wrote a letter to his girlfriend and sent it to her on September 10. He wrote "I have done what I had to do" and "You should be very proud, it is an honor, and you will see the result, and everyone will be happy." as well as "Hold on to what you have until we meet each other again." The letter was bounced back to the U.S., as Jarrah made an error in writing the address. Ziad Samir Jarrah (May 11, 1975 - September 11, 2001) (Arabic: زياد سمير جراح), was named by the FBI as one of the hijackers of United Airlines Flight 93 as part of the September 11, 2001 attacks. ...

Mohammed Atta spent September 10 with Abdulaziz al-Omari in South Portland, Maine and Scarborough, Maine. Atta called Khalid Sheik Mohammed that day. Intelligence officials think that Mohammed gave him a coded signal to proceed. September 10 is the 253rd day of the year (254th in leap years). ... This photograph of Abdulaziz al-Omari was released by the FBI in the days following the attack. ... South Portland is a city located in Cumberland County, Maine. ... Scarborough is a town in Cumberland County on the southern coast of Maine. ... Khalid Shaikh Mohammed (Arabic: خالد شيخ محمد; also transliterated as Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Khalid Shaikh Mohammad, and other ways) (March 1, 1964 or April 14, 1965 – present) was an important figure in Osama bin Ladens al-Qaeda organization, where he masterminded numerous plans and came to head the group... All times in New York Time (EDT or UTC - 4). ...

War Games Paralleled Attacks

On the morning of September 11th, multiple United States government agencies were participating in a series of preplanned simultaneous war game exercises that simulated various threats to America's national security. One exercise, entitled Global Guardian, simulated a nuclear strike and practiced the United States' response/retaliation procedures to such an event. Another exercise, sponsored by the Joint Chiefs and conducted by NORAD, the FAA, and all HQ NORAD levels of command, was entitled Vigilant Guardian, which was a wide range multi-command post exercise that confused the FAA and military officials who were responsible for defending America's skies. And according to Richard Myers, the Acting Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS), the US military was conducting another war game during the attacks entitled operation Vigilant Warrior -- a JCS live-fly training exercise -- that also acted to slow fighter response. In addition, another war game entitled Northern Vigilance injected simulated radar signals onto FAA and military radar screens, while yet another exercise simulated a plane crashing into a building. September 11 is the 254th day of the year (255th in leap years). ... The government of the United States, established by the United States Constitution, is a federal republic of 50 states, a few territories and some protectorates. ... The Joint Chiefs of Staff is a panel comprising the highest-ranking members of each major branch of the armed services in any particular country. ... The NORAD shield. ... FAA may refer to: Federal Aviation Administration in the United States Fleet Air Arm in the UK Royal Navy Fuerza Aérea Argentina in Argentina This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Wikiquote has a collection of quotations by or about: United States Wikinews has news related to this article: United States United States government CIA World Factbook Entry for United States House. ... General Richard B. Myers General Richard Bowman Myers (born March 1, 1942) of the United States Air Force is the current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. ... The Joint Chiefs of Staff is a panel comprising the highest-ranking members of each major branch of the armed services in any particular country. ... The armed forces of the United States of America consist of the United States Army United States Navy United States Air Force United States Marine Corps United States Coast Guard Note: The United States Coast Guard has both military and law enforcement functions. ...

Standard Procedure

When a private or commercial aircraft moves significantly off its flight plan, it is a US legal requirement that fighter planes be sent up to investigate. Between September 2000 and June 2001, the US military effectively launched fighter aircraft -- able to be airborne within eight minutes[25] -- on 67 occasions in order to intercept suspicious flights.[26] The armed forces of the United States of America consist of the United States Army United States Navy United States Air Force United States Marine Corps United States Coast Guard Note: The United States Coast Guard has both military and law enforcement functions. ...

On 9/11, the first hijacking was confirmed by 8:20am; the second, by 8:42am; and the third was known of no later than 8:50am. The first plane struck the WTC at 8:46am followed by the second plane at 9:03am; yet not a single fighter plane was scrambled to investigate from Andrews Air Force Base, located 10 miles from Washington DC, until after the third plane had hit the Pentagon at 9:38am.[27] 9-11 can refer to: The September 11, 2001 attacks A collection of interviews of Noam Chomsky by a variety of European publications and individual interviewers during the month after the September 11, 2001 attacks September 11 (month-day date notation) 9 November (day-month date notation) The North American... This article is about the World Trade Center complex in New York City; see this article for the many other buildings around the world that have also been called world trade centers. The twin towers, photographed from the west The World Trade Center in New York City was a complex... Andrews Air Force Base (ICAO code KADR) is a United States Air Force base near Washington, DC, the home base of Air Force One and SAM FOX. // Location The base is a few miles southeast of Washington, in Prince Georges County, Maryland. ... In geometry, a pentagon is any five-sided polygon. ...

On the day after 9/11, Commander in Chief of the Russian Air Force, General Anatoly Kornukov, stated "Generally it is impossible to carry out an act of terror on the scenario which was used in the USA yesterday…As soon as something like that happens here, I am reported about that right away and in a minute we are all up."[28]

As 9/11 was unfolding, FAA Administrator Jane Garvey reported 11 aircraft off course or out of communications;[29] and by the end of the day, 21 aircraft had been identified as tracks of interest.[30] With only 20 fighters available[31] -- many of which were participating in a wide range of war games -- NORAD was unable to identify or engage the actual hijackings until it was too late. 9-11 can refer to: The September 11, 2001 attacks A collection of interviews of Noam Chomsky by a variety of European publications and individual interviewers during the month after the September 11, 2001 attacks September 11 (month-day date notation) 9 November (day-month date notation) The North American... NORAD is short for: North American Aerospace Defense Command Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

War Games

Global Guardian is an annual command-level exercise sponsored by the US Strategic Command in cooperation with Space Command and the North American Aerospace Defense Command. The primary purpose of the exercise is to test and validate nuclear command and control and execution procedures. Exercise objectives include live communications and the participation of all elements potentially assigned to USSTRATCOM in wartime, including USSTRATCOM's Mobile Consolidated Command Center (MCCC), USSTRATCOM's Airborne Command Post (ABNCP), and external participation from national-level and other unified commands.[32] On 9/11, US bombers, missile crews and submarines around the country and off U.S. shores were following orders from StratCom's command bunker as the Global Guardian exercise began its second scheduled week. When the terrorists struck America, the exercise was in full swing and U.S. bombers were sitting gassed up on the ground, armed with nuclear weapons.[33] The exercise linked with other exercise activities sponsored by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Unified Commands,[34] including Vigilant Guardian[35] and Amalgam Warrior.[36] Global Guardian is an annual training exercise sponsored by the United States Strategic Command in conjunction with Space Command and NORAD. Its main purpose is to test the militarys command and control procedures in the event of nuclear warfare. ... The NORAD shield. ... The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is the highest ranking military officer of the United States military, and the principal military advisor to the President of the United States. ...

Vigilant Guardian was a nationwide, CINCNORAD-sponsored, CJCS/CDS-approved, system-wide Command Post Exercise (CPX) involving HQ NORAD, NORAD regions and sectors and their supporting units.[37] It was coordinated between multiple radar sites across the United States and Canada and one element involved a simulated attack coming from across the North Pole.(NJ.com)[38] September 11th 2001 was day-two of the Vigilant Guardian exercise, and simulated an imaginary crisis occurring at North American Air defense outposts nationwide.[39] FAA and military officials reported trouble decerning the war game operations from the actual attacks. After being notified of the first hijacking, General Larry Arnold originally thought it was part of the exercise,[40] [41] as did NEADS Commander Col. Robert K. Marr Jr.[42] and his deputy Lt. Col. Dawne Deskins, who said "everybody" at NEADS first thought the attacks were part of Vigilant Guardian.[43] In addition to Global Guardian and Amalgam Warrior, Vigilant Guardian is also conducted in conjunction with Crown Vigilance -- an Air Combat Command/Langley Air Force Base exercise -- as well as a USCINCSPACE-sponsored exercise entitled Apollo Guardian. [44] The details of Vigilant Guardian remain classified and the 9/11 Commission's failure to thoroughly report on the exercise or even mention any of the other war games would suggest the same is true for all other training operations being conducted on that morning. NORAD is short for: North American Aerospace Defense Command Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... NORAD is short for: North American Aerospace Defense Command Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... A North Pole is the northernmost point on any planet. ... FAA may refer to: Federal Aviation Administration in the United States Fleet Air Arm in the UK Royal Navy Fuerza Aérea Argentina in Argentina This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, also known as the 9/11 Commission, was set up in late 2002 to prepare a full and complete account of the circumstances surrounding the September 11, 2001 attacks including preparedness for and the immediate response to the attacks. ...

However it is known that another war game being conducted at the same time of the attacks was entitled Amalgam/Vigilant[45] Warrior,[46] which as of 1996, is an exercise held once every fall, that deals with tracking unknown aircraft which have incorrectly filed their flight plans or wandered off course, and then escalates to terrorist aircraft attacks and large-scale bomber strike missions. It is a CINCNORAD-sponsored, CJCS- approved and -funded, large-scale live-fly exercise, performed in real-time, and normally involving two or more NORAD regions.[47] Over 40 minutes after the WTC had been hit and over an hour after the first plane was confirmed hijacked, when asked about fighter response, acting CJCS Richard Myers replied: "Not a pretty picture…We're in the middle of Vigilant Warrior, a NORAD exercise, but … Otis has launched two birds towards New York."[48] The first jets to defend New York City on September 11th -- the 158th Fighter Wing of the Vermont Air National Guard, also known as the Green Mountain Boys -- were a regular participant in the Amalgam/Vigilant Warrior exercise, and a group that -- under regular circumstances -- was kept on alert 24 hours a day and was required to have its aircraft airborne within five minutes after receiving the call to scramble.[49] NORAD is short for: North American Aerospace Defense Command Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... This article is about the World Trade Center complex in New York City; see this article for the many other buildings around the world that have also been called world trade centers. The twin towers, photographed from the west The World Trade Center in New York City was a complex... General Richard B. Myers General Richard Bowman Myers (born March 1, 1942) of the United States Air Force is the current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. ... NORAD is short for: North American Aerospace Defense Command Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Midtown Manhattan, looking north from the Empire State Building, 2005 New York City (officially named the City of New York) is the most populous city in the United States, and is at the center of international finance, politics, music, and culture. ... September 11 is the 254th day of the year (255th in leap years). ... Shield of the United States Air National Guard In the US military, the Air National Guard (ANG), as part of the National Guard, is the organized militia of a particular US state and is a reserve component of the US Air Force (USAF), too. ...

Also being conducted on 9/11 was operation Northern Vigilance, a war game that inserted false blips onto FAA and military radar screens and drew fighters away from the North East Air Defense Sector (NEADS) -- where all four hijackings had occurred.[50][51] 9-11 can refer to: The September 11, 2001 attacks A collection of interviews of Noam Chomsky by a variety of European publications and individual interviewers during the month after the September 11, 2001 attacks September 11 (month-day date notation) 9 November (day-month date notation) The North American... FAA may refer to: Federal Aviation Administration in the United States Fleet Air Arm in the UK Royal Navy Fuerza Aérea Argentina in Argentina This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Such NORAD exercises practiced coordination between NORAD headquarters, its subordinate regions and sectors, and the National Command Authority,[52] which, in President Bush's absence, would've been Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.[53] Prior to 9/11, NORAD had planned multiple war game scenarios involving hijacked planes being flown into American symbols, including the World Trade Center. One exercise planned in July of 2001 and ran sometime before or possibly even on 9/11, involved military aircraft mocking the behavior of hijacked airliners;[54] and coincidently, as the 9/11 attacks were taking place, the CIA and the National Reconnaissance Office were actually participating in an exercise that simulated a plane crashing into a building.[55] The 9/11 Commission neglected to investigate or report on this subject, therefore it is presently unknown what relation, if any, these exercises had to Global Guardian, Vigilant Guardian, Vigilant Warrior, or Northern Vigilance, or how any of the war games might have affected the military's response to the real attacks. NORAD is short for: North American Aerospace Defense Command Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... NORAD is short for: North American Aerospace Defense Command Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The term National Command Authority (NCA) is used in U.S. military and government circles to refer to the ultimate lawful source of military orders. ... George W. Bush Signature (2005) George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the current President of the United States. ... Richard Bruce Cheney (born January 30, 1941), widely known as Dick Cheney, is an American politician and businessman affiliated with the U.S. Republican Party. ... Donald Rumsfeld Donald Henry Rumsfeld (born July 9, 1932) has been the Secretary of Defense of the United States since January 20, 2001, under President George W. Bush. ... 9-11 can refer to: The September 11, 2001 attacks A collection of interviews of Noam Chomsky by a variety of European publications and individual interviewers during the month after the September 11, 2001 attacks September 11 (month-day date notation) 9 November (day-month date notation) The North American... NORAD is short for: North American Aerospace Defense Command Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The twin towers, photographed from the west The World Trade Center in New York City was a complex of seven buildings leased by Larry Silverstein from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey around a central plaza, near the south end of Manhattan in the downtown financial district. ... 9-11 can refer to: The September 11, 2001 attacks A collection of interviews of Noam Chomsky by a variety of European publications and individual interviewers during the month after the September 11, 2001 attacks September 11 (month-day date notation) 9 November (day-month date notation) The North American... 9-11 can refer to: The September 11, 2001 attacks A collection of interviews of Noam Chomsky by a variety of European publications and individual interviewers during the month after the September 11, 2001 attacks September 11 (month-day date notation) 9 November (day-month date notation) The North American... The CIA Seal The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is one of the American foreign intelligence agencies, responsible for obtaining and analyzing information about foreign governments, corporations, and individuals, and reporting such information to the various branches of the U.S. Government. ... The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) is a department of the United States Department of Defense (DoD) which designs, builds and operates the reconnaissance satellites of the United States government. ... The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, also known as the 9/11 Commission, was set up in late 2002 to prepare a full and complete account of the circumstances surrounding the September 11, 2001 attacks including preparedness for and the immediate response to the attacks. ...

External Links

• http://www.latimes.com/news/specials/911/la-na-plot-1sep01.story
• http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/in_depth/world/2001/war_on_terror/investigation_on_terror/people_4.stm
• http://www.twincities.com/mld/kentucky/news/politics/4020169.htm
• http://www.amanaonline.com/Articles/art_122.htm
• http://www.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/meast/09/12/alqaeda.911.claim/index.html
• http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A45853-2004Jun16.html
• The Final 9/11 Commission Report
• Suspected hijack bankroller freed by India in '99 - CNN
• Sept. 11's Smoking Gun: The Many Faces of Saeed Sheikh - Center for Cooperative Research
• 'Our Friends the Pakistanis' - The Wall Street Journal
• India wants terror spotlight on Kashmir - CNN
• A Cloak But No Dagger - The Washignton Post
• Chapter 5, Final Report - 9/11 Commission
• Crossing the RubiconChapter 19