This document is divided into three sections; the first is a fifteen point list providing detailed instructions for the last night of a martyr's life, the second gives instructions for travelling to the plane and the third from the time between boarding the plane and martyrdom. 8:24 am - Hijacker Mohammed Atta makes the first of two accidental transmissions from Flight 11 to ground control (apparently in an attempt to communicate with the plane's cabin). Statements entered at . Atta disappeared from Germany for periods of time, embarking on the hajj in 1995 but also meeting Osama bin Laden and other top al-Qaeda leaders in Afghanistan from late-1999 to early-2000. Practicing for his assignment, Ziad Jarrah took a check ride at Airborne Systems Flight School in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, on August 17. Spanish investigators have said that Marwan al-Shehhi and two others later joined the meeting. "[114] By contrast, criminal justice professor, Adam Lankford, has found evidence that indicated Atta was suicidal, and that his struggles with social isolation, depression, guilt, shame, hopelessness, and rage were extraordinarily similar to the struggles of those who commit conventional suicide and murder-suicide. . After six months, they asked him to leave.[20][21][22]. Hijackers, The - New York Magazine Evidently, he tried to deliver a message instructing the passengers and crew to stay put over the cabin's PA system, but pressed the wrong switch and thereby tipped off ATC that the flight had been hijacked. Just after 9:03 a.m., United 175 crashed into the World Trade Center's South Tower. "[105][106], Five witnesses who had worked on Able Danger and had been questioned by the Defense Department's Inspector General later told investigative journalists that their statements to the IG were distorted by investigators in the final IG's report, or the report omitted essential information that they had provided. Instead, he went to Central Office & Travel in Pompano Beach to purchase a ticket for a flight to Newark, leaving on the evening of August 7 and schedule to return in the evening on August 9. In Maine, an unanswered question remains about the events on 9/11 In the first attack at 8.46am, American Airlines Flight 11, travelling from Boston to Los Angeles and piloted by plot leader Mohamed Atta, smashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Centre in . Mr. Kraus and Mr. Pursell said that the breakdown could have happened to any pilot on any airfield, but that the response by the two men was wrong. [39], On August 1, 1995, Atta returned to Egypt for three months of study. [9][44] This was the same day that Israel, much to the outrage of Atta, attacked Lebanon in Operation Grapes of Wrath; signing the will "offering his life" was his response. In the aftermath of the attack, law enforcement agents discovered a four-page document in Mohamed Atta's baggage. According to the interrogations of KSM and Ramzi Bin al-Shibh (his interlocutor in Germany), Mohammed Atta was worried about the communications, Atta's real concern being that Jarrah might be unable to break away from his wife, that it would just be too painful in the end for him to follow through with his suicide flight. At 2:12 p.m. on August 25, Mohammed Atta logged into his Travelocity account. Mr. Pursell, meanwhile, had already gotten a cellphone call from Mr. Atta and Mr. Shehhi. [16][60] On July 6, 2000, Atta, Jarrah and Shehhi enrolled at Huffman Aviation in Venice, where they entered the Accelerated Pilot Program. . [31][32] Further, after the Egyptian government had imprisoned droves of political activists, he knew better than to trust it not to target him too, with his social and political beliefs being such as they were. The Mossad killed him. "[98], In the months following the September 11 attacks, officials at the Czech Interior Ministry asserted that Atta made a trip to Prague on April 8, 2001, to meet with an Iraqi intelligence agent named Ahmed Khalil Ibrahim Samir al-Ani. Jarrah, a Lebanese citizen, would go on to pilot United Airlines Flight 93, intended to hit the U.S. Capitol Building. 122 in Coral Springs, Florida, for $840 per month,[68] and assisted with the arrival of the muscle hijackers. He stayed there until 1998. Make an oath to die and renew your intentions. After Jarrah's team hijacked Flight 93, flight attendants and passengers started making phone calls from the back of the plane. There, Mr. Atta and Marwan al-Shehhi, another man the F.B.I. Then at 8:50pm, he checked into the Hotel Diana Cazadora in Barajas, a town near the airport. [115], Mohamed Mohamed el-Amir Awad el-Sayed Atta, Mohamed Atta's first announcement, heard by ATC at 08:23, Mohamed Atta's second announcement at 08:33, sfn error: no target: CITEREFWright2006 (. Records show 9/11 terrorists had connections to local family - WFTS In-laws characterized the father of Atta as "austere, strict, and private," and neighbors viewed the family as reclusive. Mr. Pursell described the incident at the Miami airport as a nuisance more than a serious violation, an assessment shared by many others in general aviation. They had never been pictured together before. Atta also claimed different nationalities, sometimes Egyptian and other times telling people he was from the United Arab Emirates. A voice believed to be that of al Qaeda hijack leader Mohamed Atta urged passengers to . ", The other possibility is that Atta went to Portland for a final meeting with an unknown supporter. Some, like the 9/11 plot's ringleader, Mohamed Atta, flew in from Florida, checking into a motel in Wayne for a few days and then leaving and then returning days . [23] He kept to himself to such an extent that he would often react to simple greetings with silence. [79], On August 23, Atta's driver license was revoked in absentia after he failed to show up in traffic court to answer the earlier citation for driving without a license. 5:45 AM - Mohamed Atta and Abdul Aziz al-Omari, two of the intended hijackers, pass through security at the Portland International Jetport in Maine. Atta and Shehhi then moved into a small house nearby in Nokomis where they stayed for six months. In mid-1998, Atta worked alongside Shehhi, bin al-Shibh, and Belfas, at a warehouse, packing computers in crates for shipping. The second chapter showed Atta and Ziad Jarrah reading their wills together ten days later on January 18. Records on Atta's cellphone indicated that he phoned the Moroccan embassy in Washington on January 2, just before Shehhi flew to the country. Each day a new story will be published here. Bin al-Shibh was worried that Jarrah might even abandon the plan. As the five-year anniversary of 9/11 approaches, major questions about the terrorist attacks remain unanswered. It had been overlooked that there would still be a security screen to pass in Boston because of this distinct detail of the terminal's arrangement. On November 29, 1999, Mohamed Atta boarded Turkish Airlines Flight TK1662 from Hamburg to Istanbul, where he changed to flight TK1056 to Karachi, Pakistan. In Hijacker's Bags, a Call to Planning, Prayer and Death The will was signed by el-Motassadeq and a second person at the mosque. They were on a suicide flight. In this field, we haven't yet any knowledge but we are ready to undergo an intensive training program (up to ATP and eventually higher)." On April 11, Atta and Shehhi rented an apartment at 10001 Atlantic Blvd, Apt. In this series, Newsweek maps the road to 9/11 as it happened 20 years ago, day by day. That aircraft hit the North Tower at 8:46 a.m. United Flight 175, also from Boston, hit the South Tower at 9:03 a.m. "One of the things we did at the White House was push the FBI to focus on Portland to determine whether or not there were people there that they might have met with, Cressey said. On the morning of September 11, 2001, 46 minutes into United Airlines Flight 93, a nonstop flight from Newark, New Jersey to San Francisco, four hijackers took control of the Boeing 757-222. Of the four hijacker pilots, Jarrah was the most westernized, coming from a Lebanese secular background and Christian schooling before moving to Germany for university studies. [66][67], Atta began flight training on July 6, 2000, and continued training nearly every day. [3] Immediately after returning to Germany, Atta, al-Shehhi, and Jarrah reported their passports stolen, possibly to discard travel visas to Afghanistan. Mohamed Atta accepted and was in Germany two weeks later, in July. [30], By mid-1998, Atta was no longer eligible for university housing in Centrumshaus. Bin Laden asked them to pledge loyalty and commit to suicide missions, which Atta and the other three Hamburg men all accepted. If any of the hijackers could not reach their intended targets, Atta said, they were to crash the plane. [109] The elder Mr. Atta said he had spoken with Mohamed by phone the day after on September 12, 2001. In Hamburg, Atta became involved with the al-Quds Mosque, where he met Marwan al-Shehhi, Ramzi bin al-Shibh, and Ziad Jarrah, together forming the Hamburg cell. Each day a new story will be published here. He inquired about flight training, "Dear sir, we are a small group of young men from different Arab countries. Although estimates range from 18 Mohamed Atta", "In Egypt, some see war on terror as a war on Islam", "Interview with Professor Dittmar Machule", "Four Corners Ralph Bodenstein interview", "Will Gives a Window into Suspect's Mind", "Germans Lay Out Early Qaeda Ties to 9/11 Hijackers", "Video showing Atta, bin Laden is unearthed", "Zacarias Moussauoi v. the United States (trial testimony)", "Transcript of Johnelle Bryant Interview", "Hijacker tried to get U.S. loan to buy plane", "Algerian accused in Britain of training hijackers", "Atta recibi en Tarragona joyas para que los miembros del 'comando' del 11-S se hiciesen pasar por ricos saudes", "War Without Borders The Madrid Bombing", "Search for Sept. 11 Suspect Focuses on a Visit to Spain", "Sept. 11 hijacker raised suspicions at border", Document links al Qaeda paymaster, 9/11 plotter, "NewsMine.org hijackers traced to huffman aviation.txt", "While America Slept: The True Story of 9/11", "A Mundane Itinerary on the Eve of Terror", "9/11 mystery: What was Atta doing on 9/10? American Airlines Flight 11: Mohamed Atta, Egypt (33) - Tactical leader of 9/11 plot and pilot. Atta stayed in Cairo awhile with his family after Hauth and Bodenstein flew back to Germany. Thirty minutes later, Marwan al-Shehhi hit the South Tower. 9/11 hijackers in Las Vegas: local officials recount investigation Mr. Pursell, meanwhile, said the two men never explained why they chose to fly to Miami or apologized for the costs incurred by the school. Wail al Shehri (28), Saudi Arabia - Elementary school teacher (brother of Waleed) Waleed al Shehri (22), Saudi Arabia - Student. On December 26, Atta and Shehhi needed a tow for their rented Piper Cherokee on a taxiway of Miami International Airport after the engine shut down. He believed that the drab and impersonal apartment blocks, built in the 60s and 70s, ruined the beauty of old neighborhoods and robbed their people of privacy and dignity. There are two separate concourses in Terminal B; the south concourse is mainly used by US Airways and the north one is mostly used by American Airlines. . The Egyptian Mohamed Atta arrived at the Florenc bus terminal in Prague, from Germany, on June 2, 2000. 9/11: Video shows hijackers being screened - BBC News [27][28], While in Hamburg, Atta held several positions, such as one part-time job at Plankontor, as well as another at an urban planning firm, beginning in 1992. [3][56] On his return journey, Atta left Karachi on February 24, 2000, by flight TK1057 to Istanbul where he changed to flight TK1661 to Hamburg. Bin al-Shibh would not discuss this meeting with Fouda. He mentioned Al Qaeda and said the organization "could use memberships from Americans". [97] After 9/11, there also were reports stating that Mohamed Atta had attended International Officers School at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama. A ticket staffer at Portland Airport reported becoming uneasy with the anger of Atta upon being told of the additional screening requirements in Boston, but that he did not act on his suspicions after becoming concerned that he was racially profiling Atta. Madam Speaker, I say to the Speaker and to the Members that the ghost of Mohamad Atta has attacked our Nation. Just stay quiet, and you'll be okay. We are going back to the airport. He had made no progress on his thesis. He shopped for flights from Washington Dulles International Airport to Los Angeles and from Boston to Los Angeles, all departing around 8:00 a.m. on the morning of September 11. 2) Make sure you know all aspects of the plan well, and expect the . Some say it was the makeup of Jarrah's team, that he had only three instead of four muscle men (because the 20th hijacker and his fourth was denied entry into the U.S.). 9/11: Why did pilots fail to trigger basic hijack defence procedure? [112], There are multiple, conflicting explanations for Atta's behavior and motivation. Sun 14 Oct 2001 11.31 EDT. The Mohamed Atta Files. On American Airlines Flight 11, Atta joined four other hijackers. He insisted that she write his name as ATTA, that he originally was from Egypt but had moved to Afghanistan, that he was an engineer and that his dream was to go to a flight school. [6] Atta was not heard from again for nine minutes until 8:33:59, when he was heard to say: "Nobody move, please. Theories on why 9/11 hijackers visited Las Vegas There was some confusion regarding who Mohamed Atta was, and cases of mistaken identity. On April 3, Atta and Shehhi rented a postal box in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He asked about the Pentagon and the White House. It was here that the Hamburg cell developed and acted more as a group. Who was responsible for 9/11? Identity of the September 11 hijackers [69], On June 27, Atta flew from Fort Lauderdale to Boston, Massachusetts, where he spent a day, and then continued to San Francisco for a short time, and from there to Las Vegas. Months later both he and Jarrah enrolled at flying schools in America. Another theory is that the 9/11 ringleader was concerned about a last-minute weather glitch or traffic jam in Boston. Published Nov 7, 2001. Shower. Throughout the summer, Atta met with Nawaf al-Hazmi to discuss the status of the operation on a monthly basis. On July 25, Atta dropped Ziad Jarrah off at Miami International Airport for a flight back to Germany. But more likely it is that the origination of his flight in Newark, delayed on the ground for 40 minutes, that made his flight more vulnerable. Passport of Suspected September 11 Plotter Found in Pakistan 9/11 terrorists caught testing airport security months before attacks Reconstructing the 9/11 attacks - Boston.com [16] Also in 1990, Atta's family moved into the eleventh floor of an apartment building in the Egyptian city of Giza. [37] Atta was anti-Semitic, believing that Jews controlled the world's media, financial, and political institutions from New York City. [64] Law-enforcement officials said Bryant passed a lie-detector exam. There seem to be two primary reasons for his choosing that particular day: that it fell after Labor Day when most Americans (and the George W. Bush administration) would be back at work, maximizing the impact in terms of killing people; and that it was a Tuesday when air travel was easier and the planes less full (that is, fewer hostile passengers to deal with). '', See the article in its original context from. He also began teaching classes both at Al-Quds and at a Turkish mosque near the Harburg district. [73][74] After bin al-Shibh returned to Germany on July 16, 2001, Atta had three more days in Spain. USDA loan officer Johnelle Bryant said Atta visited her office and inquired about a loan to buy a plane. Luggage that Didn't Get Put on Sept. 11 Jet Provided - Aviation Pros He was therefore treated favorably and not scrutinized. Ramzi bin al-Shibh was also there, teaching occasional classes, and became Atta's friend. FBI investigators have officially concluded that 11 of the 19 terrorists who hijacked the aircraft on 11 September did not know they were on a suicide mission, Whitehall . The 30million CSI-style probe has taken seven years. Footage shows the five hijackers who flew American Flight 77 into the Pentagon progressing through security checks at Washington's Dulles International Airport. They learned of a massive terrorist attack underway, concluding that they had to take action to down the plane: it was not being hijacked to land and for demands to be made. He mentioned Osama bin Laden and said "this man would someday be known as the world's greatest leader." Ringleader Mohammed Atta and at least four of the other 19 hijackers made six visits to Las Vegas between late May and mid-August of 2001. In this series, Newsweek maps the road to 9/11 as it happened 20 years ago, day by day. Said Bahaji, a German citizen, was a close friend of Mohammed Atta, the hijacker in control of American Airlines Flight 11 which was the first plane to strike the World Trade Center. Attackers did not know they were to die | World news | The Guardian THE LAST NIGHT. Air Traffic Controllers 'Did the Impossible' on 9/11 - ABC News You may have heard about recently. [16], Atta continued with flight training that included solo flights and simulator time. [42] He made acquaintances at al-Quds; some of whom visited him on occasion at Centrumshaus. He is now with God. The FBI also reported that "two middle-eastern men" were seen in the parking lot of a Pizza Hut, where Atta is known to have eaten that day. (Photo By U.S. Navy/Getty Images). He criticized how the newfangled skyscrapers and other modernizing projects were disrupting the fabric of communities by blocking common streets and altering the skyline. How the 9/11 hijackers lived in plain sight in New Jersey [52], German investigators said that they had evidence that Mohamed Atta trained at al-Qaeda camps in Afghanistan from late 1999 to early 2000. [57], On March 22, 2000, Atta was still in Germany when he sent an e-mail to the Academy of Lakeland in Florida. [12], When Atta was ten, his family moved to the Cairo neighborhood of Abdeen, situated near the city center. ''They were more concerned about being reimbursed for their rental car,'' he recalled. In the spring of 2000, Atta entered the United States and enrolled in an aviation school in Venice, Fla. On Sept. 10, 2001, Atta picked up another 9/11 terrorist, Abdul-Azzia Al-Omari, at the Milner Hotel in Boston. Flight school owner recalls training 9/11 hijackers - CTVNews They drove a rented Nissan to Portland, Maine, and arrived at the Comfort Inn Hotel at 5:43 p.m. At the time, Tyler Drumhiller was a top official at the CIA, responsible for all European Operations. 'Stay quiet and you'll be OK,' Atta told passengers - CNN As it turned out, the employee said, a spark plug had needed tightening and the two pilots had probably flooded the engine. . [108], Atta's father, Mohamed el-Amir Awad el-Sayed Atta, a retired lawyer in Egypt, vehemently rejected allegations his son was involved in the September 11 attacks, and instead accused the Mossad and the United States government of having a hand in framing his son. [91] The angle at which Atta crashed into the North Tower severed all means of escape from Floor 92 or higher, ensuring that no one on those floors was able to make it out alive before the building collapsed 102 minutes later at 10:28 A.M.[92], Because the flight from Portland to Boston had been delayed,[93] his bags did not make it onto Flight 11. Mohamed Atta had varied his name on documents, also using "Mehan Atta", "Mohammad El Amir", "Muhammad Atta", "Mohamed El Sayed", "Mohamed Elsayed", "Muhammad al-Amir", "Awag Al Sayyid Atta", and "Awad Al Sayad". [16] When Atta and Shehhi arrived in Florida, they initially stayed with Huffman's bookkeeper and his wife in a spare room of their house. Just stay quiet and you will be OK. We are returning to the airport." [40] Before this trip he grew out a beard, with a view to show himself as a devout Muslim and to make a political gesture thereby. [35][36] He was also angry and bitter at the elite in his native Egypt, who he believed hoarded power for themselves, as well as at the Egyptian government, that cracked down on the dissident Muslim Brotherhood.