FBI Vault Investigation May 2002

D E U51 '_-KT : :l§* E : [I5 W; A ALL 11»-I1;w1=_:r» 1'1FIE f1.' !¥1 T1'.. :::I?1?:'1 l .FiFiTF"r' .EI1-1 T_TI'~ sxzk rm QLLALSEIFIED BY R EAS OI -I I1 5:13I]QAT_IIfI'I P5I'~'I_." IUILT,-"LEE '11 F ""' I FT ERE HHCJEHJ CJTHERUITISE lLS.DcparuncnlufJus ce 4'51, - ,, .___ ob; Q wgg b6 -4; Federal Bureau of lnvcstigationIb"/C " " b7D .A Washington, D. C. 20535~00OI May 5, 2001 .b2 b6 >40 RAYBD MOHAMMEID ABDULLAH, INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM FULL INVESTIGATION OFFICE OF INVESTIGATIVE SUMMARY BASIS FOR - USAMA BIN LADEN/AL-QAEDR AUTHORIZED: 10/O8/2001 ORIGIN: Phoenix, .b7C Ib7D NONUSPER! Arizona PREPARED: May 5, 2002 INVESTIGATION: De 'y%:%i=; SRET O This document contains neither recommendations not concluSlOI92S ' of and 15 t REQ 3 1q loaned to your a g enc ;y1 and M35 ¢Qncencs are not to ' of the the FBI. Ir. is the Property be dl-St7.'J.bLl outside ;8d your agency. 000000078 FBI O Q s7Kw.~ AL-QAEDA U! declared and AL QAEDA, under the the of every duty wherever Muslim to for its fatwas matters!. kill BIN LADEN, "occupation of religiously in which it Americans, civilian or possible. The name AL QAEDA, originated from U! reportedly of USAMA leadership holy war on the United States and has issued a total of three on civil or religious has declared holy lands" sanctioned opinions military, or "the Base," term used to the dates back to 1988 refer to one of USAMA BIN LADEN'S UBL! guesthouses, where the Mujahidin that came to fight in Afghanistan were required to register. These registration records later provided with extensive contacts to Islamist fighters around the world. AL QAEDA includes, in addition to the warriors present at UsAMA BIN LADEN S camps, a loose network of terrorist cells throughout the world. The most outstanding of AL QAEDA features are financial resources, wealth and financial U! USAMA high wealthy, its international BIN profile, outreach from USAMA derived mainly dealings. LADEN was raised family in Saudi of Yemeni origins. his radicalization dates back to his Saudi Arabia, where he was linked to Brotherhood. Later, his involvement the Soviet occupation played a major university vast the Arabia of a in The beginning studies members in and BIN LADEN'S personal the Afghan in of Jeddah, Muslim struggle against role in shaping his ideology. During this experience, he found a sense of purpose and became deeply religious. USAMA BIN LADEN also made contacts with Islamic fighters from around the world and participated in a victorious struggle against a secular superpower. The combination of USAMA BIN LADEN'S wealth, radical him a connection to,-and Islamic militants, serious threat U! Afghanistan, in command over experienced, and his fervent anti-U.S. to U.S. national These countries. Some of these trainees undetected among U! militants local AL-QAEDA have and make security. AL QAEDA operates approximately 12 which it has reportedly trained militants. motivated, orientation allegedly training camps in as many as 5,000 created may be "sleeper" cells in agents, 50 who live populations. members are familiar with modern - communications and have been reported to use encrypted e mail, cellular phones, satellite communications, and training manuals on CD~ROMs. The group emphasizes the symbolic value of targets when 2 SECRET REQ 3 1q 000000079 .F b6 SEC T making its selection, e.g., military barracks, U.S. embassies, USS Cole, U! The many recent bombin Feb g ruary b7C World Trade Center, etc. . U.S. State Department currently terrorist attacks, 19 93!, the links AL QAEDA to among them the World Trade Center ' November attacks in Riyadh 1995! and Dhahran June 1996!, Saudi Arabia; the assassination attempt Egyptian President Mubarak in Ethiopia June 1995!; the on near simultaneous bombings Kenya of the U.S. embassies in Nairobi, and .Dar es Salaam, Tanzania August1998!; and the bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen November 2000!. U! AL-QAEDA may have members. AL QAEDA serves as for aworldwide network that Islamic extremist several hundred afocal point or includes, among groups such of AL-GAMA'AT AL ISLAMIYYA, the as Egyptian to several thousand umbrella organization others, many Sunni Islamic Jihad, Islamic Movement some members of Uzbekistan, and the HARAKAT UL-MUJAHIDIN. AL-QAEDA has a worldwide reach, has cells in anumber of countries, and is reinforced by its ties to Sunni extremist networks. USAMA BIN LADEN and his key lieutenants reside in Afghanistan, and the there. " group maintains INVESTIGATION TO terrorist training camps DATE RAYED Z MOI-1AMI¢@D ABDQLLAH i uLmM I espi ac at e wa ue to le a student eact t t e e at his visa application in October, T997, to attend a university in theUnitEf:f%iiii::::j Iduring his third interview with the FBI, when asked if he u5ed_5ny names stated that thename[:;:::::;:] iis histruehis fullname name. isHe nown i in ¬he Middle East. eshortened ta! he when came TQ_LQ§_QQi1§Q_ aimedhe that L1L§ official documentation since arriving in the United States.[;;;::::::] ilnvestigationthatL;:::;;;:]uses determined this y used the name fact name on that the on acom act disc ;not [::::::¬:]did Koran his interviews. he is FBI knows that he featured_on singi volunteer this and non- also uses ve name to oicial the FBI sfrom ename the during any of S¬?§§T 3 REQ 3 ]_q booooooso O I S ii b6 we Tb7D intermedia:§92named 09/15/2001 Jon provide to the >I I contacted FBI with information concerning that attacked the Pentagon on 09/11/2001. .Cultural ic Center located tends the s1 cooperate with IC the FBI HEN1 ANJOUR, 1 C was through an one of the hijackers in Tempe, Arizona interviewed ece the FBI. that he at wanted to fully 74 X 7% $4 September 11, §BL concerning the into the After the 2001, the crash of Pentagon at terrorist incidents following information AMERICAN AIRLINES approximately 9:39 which took place on has been confirmed FLIGHT 77, which crashed a.m., on September 11, 2001 40 REQ 3-lq 000000081 s !Q OnSeptember 2001, 11, AMERICAN AIRLINES 77, FLIGHT a International Airport IAD! at Boeing 757 a rcraft, departed Dulles 8:20 AM en route to Los Angeles with 6 crew members on with the board. aircraft was unauthorized turn lost. At made and to the 9:39 AM, side of 58 passengers At 8:50 AM, the at 8:54 AM, the south. Shortly Flight 77 the Pentagon, and last routine thereafter, an radar contact deliberately crashed Alexandria, radio contact aircraft began was into the southwest Virginia. Y iby five Investigation to date has determined that Flight 77 Middle Eastern males. The hijackers have been was hijacked identified as 12B, Coach KHALID AL MIHDHAR, date of Section!; NAWAF AL HAZMI, date Seat SE, Seat 1B, First Class!; First Class!; 1981 Seat 5F, First 1977 Seat 12A, Coach HANNI HANJOUR, SALEM AL-HAZMI, Class; and birth May of birth date of date of MAJED MOQED, 16, 1975 August 6, birth August birth February date of 30, 1972 2, _ birth June 18, Section!. " T§ L The five Flight 77 hijackers were in the United States on visas and passports from Saudi Arabia. HANJOUR is the earliest known entry into the United States. He entered the United States on October 3, 1991, from Saudi Arabia to attend the English a Second Language ESL! program.at the University of Arizona. Believed to have returned home to Saudi Arabia at the beginning of 1992, HANJOUR re-entered the United States in April 1996 and in Florida for one month. HANJOUR then moved to California, records indicate August 1996. he attended ELS Language HANJOUR began School in flight training Sierra Aeronautical Academy Airline Oakland. HANJOUR continued flight at the end of September 1996 when at Cockpit Seat 1976 Resource Management resided where Oakland until in September 1996 at Training Center, also located lessons after he moved to Arizona he attended one month of training CRM! as in Scottsdale, Arizona. He in then returned to Saudi Arabia for one year. HANJOUR returned to the United States in November 1997 and again resided in Florida for approximately one month. He moved back to Arizona in December 1997 and resumed flight training Arizona Aviation there until in Mesa, his departure MIHDHAR, N aknown entered the 2000, and Diego, both HANJOUR then began training March 3, United States 1998, and in April at continued 1999. ~:§8! Overaspan of threedays inthe Spring of 1999, ALWAF AL HAZMI, Saudi Arabia. with at CRM. Arizona, on from the Following USAMA BIN and SALEM AL HAZMI obtained ameeting,in the beginning LADEN associate, United States settled in the San AL MIHDHAR and AL~HAZMI undertook at Los AL MIHDHAR and Angeles, California, Diego area. NAWAF ' flight instruction. visas in Jeddah, of January 2000 NAWAF AL-HAZMI on January while residing In April 15, in San 2000, NAWAF 5 REQ 3-lq ooooooosz I 92'_, -./ AL-HAZMI participated Air College in San AL MIHDHAR, received Club in San Diego in aone hour introductory lesson at National Diego and then, along with instruction on two occasions at Sorbi Flying during May 2000. té!Q§ AL MIHDHAR departed the United States in June 2000. NAWAF AL~ AZ I stayed in the San Diego area until December 2000, at which time he moved to Arizona with HANJOUR who had just returned to the United States. HANJOUR resumed his flight instruction at Arizona Aviation, after which he continued training at Pan Am International Flight Training Center, also known as Jet Tech International, in Phoenix, Arizona. In March their Arizona Virginia area 2001, NAWAF AL HAZMI and HANJOUR vacated residence and subsequently appeared in April 2001. in the Northern ,:54 On May 2, 2001, MOQED entered thetraveling United States at rnational Airport, Washington, D.C., from Dubai, Dulles Int U.A.E., with arrived in AHMED'ALGHAMDI Flight 175!. NAWAF AL HAZMI and HANJOUR New Jersey during this time and leased an apartment in Patterson. On June 29, 2001, SALEM AL HAZMI arrived States at John F. Kennedy International Dubai, U.A.E., along with ABDULAZIZ AL HAZMI also proceeded to United States were located New Jersey. hijackers as well as from AL- After AL-MIHDHAR'sreturn to the Ef five hijackers has revealed with those In the of the United New York, ll!. SALEM at JFK, New York, on July 4, 2001, in the same area of New Jersey. This documented instance that all of each other. Investigation in the Airport JFK!, OMARI Flight all five is the hijackers first were in close proximity association between other hijackers these flights. weeks immediately preceding September 11, 2001, the hijackers of Flight 77 stayed in various motels in the area of Laurel, Maryland, and utilized computers to gain Internet access at the local Kinko's. During this time period, numerous documented interactions occurred in the areas of Laurel and College Park, Maryland, during this time period among the Flight 77 hijackers and the hijackers of the other flights. ZIAD JARRAH Flight 93! was observed with the Flight 77 hijackers on occasion and also had registered at some of the same Flight 77 hijackers. Another hijackers occurred on August 13-14, HANJOUR traveled ATTA Flight to Las The purchase their Vegas, Nevada, 11!. arrangements for August 8, 2001. On hotels in the Laurel area as the notable interaction between the 2001, when NAWAF AL-HAZMI and at the same time as MUHAMMAD Flight 77 the September August 8, tickets through hijackers commenced their travel ll, 2001, flight within afew days of 2001, AL-MIHDHAR and MOQED attempted to American Airlines website but were s§§§§m 6 Rgg 3-1q 000000083 106 b7 C unsuccessful because the address they gave could not be verified the airlines. AL~MIHDHAR and MOQED ultimately purchased their tickets with cash on counter at September 5, 2001, at the American Baltimore washington International 2001, NAWAP AL HAZMI and through the web site Travelocity.com -of NAWAF M. AL-HAZMI. On August purchase his Services, Totowa, the cost for the of the ticket exceeded ticket with cash. ihii Throughout purchased using 31, 2001, ticket with a VISA New Jersey. Airlines Airport. On SALEM AL HAZMI debit card After the by August 27, their tickets aVisa debit card HANJOUR attempted in name to at Advanced Travel card was rejected because the card's credit limit, HANJOUR paid his stay in New Jersey and Maryland, HANJOUR continued to attend flight training at various locations. The lengthy and extensive flight training obtained by HANJOUR throughout his years in the United States makes it reasonable believe that HANJOUR was Class section. he became the pilot of Flight seated in Seat 1B, the first The other hijackers were to 77 on September 11th. row aisle seat of the First seated inapairs further back in the airplane. Subsequent examination of FAA radar plots and the flight data recorder indicate that approximately thirty four minutes after take~off, the aircraft made a 180 degree turn from its westward flight Washington, D.C. make a path near Portsmouth, Ohio, The aircraft then executed final descending air speed in later recovered that it was rendered v34 400 knots. crash site the Pentagon The flight but sustained at an estimated cockpit recorder such severe was damage unusable. At 9:39 AM., AA Flight 77 deliberately crashed into the southwest side addition to hijackers, 189 their lives. approach into excess of at the to return toward a 360 degree turn to of the Pentagon, Alexandria, the 53 passengers, 6 Pentagon employees, Virginia. In flight crew both civilian members, and 5 and military, i lost %§Q_ OnSeptember 12, 2001, a1988 Toyota Corolla registered to NAWAF AL-HAZMI was found in subsequent search of this vehicle revealed items associated with the hijackers, including -handwritten in Arabic. luggage belonging . Airlines Flight 93 Translation prepare for into the This letter to ATTA Flight in Stoney was identical to those ll! and at the crash site Creek Township, Pennsylvania. j of these letters revealed the hijackings. specific religious found in I of United guidance to CS1 Following the crash of AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 77 Pentagon, investigation determined significant ties between the actual perpetrators of the crash describedabove! and[:::::::::] ss T 7. REQ 3-lq aparking lot at IAD. A many documents and other a three page letter 000000084 bl if.--. --' ~-I ibvc 2 b6 b7D s%=; Set out below are aseries individuals, in of documente particular HANI 'nk betwe n these HANJOUR ' §%&!On November 1997[::::::::]arrived l5, Newark, in New Jersey, via NTINENTAL AIRLINES ELS LANGUAGE CENTERS in intended destination. On November Atlanta, Georgia, of 3740 FLIGHT 51, Melbourne, Florida, via LUFTHANSA Corey Rd., Val Maria, 16, 1997, FLIGHT 444, Florida. and the aforementioned was listed as his HANI HANJOUR with arrived in alisted destination y ABDULLAH, during aninterview withthe FBIon O9/15/2001, advised Orlando, Florida, who introduced that in November 1997_he and was picked up him to HANI HANJOUR. that ALHAZMI had According to ABDULLAH,uHANJOUR told been afriend met BANDAR ALHAZMI at ELS, pilot- did HAZMI. Investigation I INAWAF of ABDULLAH s and was is continuin ABDULLAH! arrived at the airport ABDULLAH had ABDULLAH by BANDAR previously from Saudi that in ALHAZMI, stated Arabia. he HANJOUR! also interested had in becoming a not know anyone named NAWAF ALin an effort to determine if AL HAZMI I 7 ma 7Q ,5; 7k , o s§é'.r 3 REQ 3-1q 000000085 OD kb2 5§k<E'1 11711 ! In I997,December, MQ according to estion ' HANJOUR to the FBI, at HANI HANJOUR's sugg traveled to flight school. Arizona to -¢Q look for aplace to reside, Upon 'v' n p I b6 id"/c Istatement a H n and began to take flight instruction at CRM FLIGHT SCHOOL. 15¢ In late December, 1997J Arizona resided with instruction at HANJOURI the CRM In FLIGHT SCHOOL. and addition, be During December, [:::::::::::]HANJOUR secured flight instruction an 1997 at CRM from va instructors. & sedOn December 23, 1997, HANJOUR, a1990 Hyundai Excel AZ License Plate ALHAZMI purch which has listinq their registered owners address at the of HANJOUR aorementioned Apparently for 1998, HANJOUI1 and began flight school o atend in the for flight training. cost reasons aviation training Phoenix Metropolitan in early calendar year '_ leftFLIGHT can SCHOOL at ARIZONA AVIATION, aseparate rea. -Various Arizona aviation records show payments made[::::::f::::]to ARIZONA AVIATION b$E::D?;iff:ijproximately temberto April 1998, according to .statements the- Se FBI,i::;:;:::]moved to Math,Computer and N classes. istated that durind this time Michigan to atten HENRY period, he telephone on was in contact with 2-3 occasions. COLLEG , a ing English, HANJOUR via ¬§ atIn September, aing 1998,L::;:;:::]moved backArizona, to from ARIZONA AVIATIO , pilot instruction and re-enrolled II FOR Y Additionally, during named Lpaid this time period an indiv' for ARIZONA AVIATION fliqhotrainin A I53 S74? 9 REQ 3 1q 000000086 136 0» A0 _1 Ib7C 1;"/n >< I: WI I I II I: III b2 b6 >< i ib7C 1b7D 2 d Z> ll II [repeated 3 times] I II I a entered the §Q I Unlte States to attend MESA COMMUNITY Investigation in th O Ia Saudi Arabian national who 1997 on an F-1 student! visa urlng arch COLLEGE located ll/2001 terrorist in Mesa, Arizona. attacks developed information thattf:::f::¬fcalled several close friends to his days aft r h at acks and told them that he had apartment several been taken flight lessons.E::i:?:::itold his friends,who are all Saudi Arabian nationals, that they would probably that he had been taking flight be interviewed by the FBI. One lessons and of these a/Q 10" REQ 3-1q 000000087 jb 1 I102 136 :b7C .1071.! HANJOUR. The others individuals remembers[::::::::]stating that he trai could w'th HANK that with ua had he trained not remember stating specifically HANJOUR. Each of indivi these old the FBI that they were"shocked" to learn that[::::::::]had beentaking flight lessons. H}KlBF::::::::]was interviewed byH th F hi association with HANI 9/l8/2001 concerning Itwas HANJOUR. latter determined that denied knowing did fact know in HANJOUR. On O9/20/200l was in ic e ya Federal Grand Jury in the District of Arizona or rov' ing false statements to the FBI. Hewas subsequently arrested.[fi::if:]is currently awaiting trial. has beendetained since his arrest. V» g192 OnlO{29/2001 FBIPhoenix executed a search warrant I esi .d ence. Financial documents durin located thissearch demonstrated a financial relationship betweed mmmmmmm and the AL RAJHI BANKING AND corporation, as previously financial conduit utilized by $3; In CORPORATION. This as a to the relationship between[::::::::::] one flight appeare a flight INVESTMENT mentioned, has been identified UBL/AL-QAEDA. simula or ime instructor of told nd did all the FBI that it scheduled of the taliing with flight eswhenever he and rom gwere training together.Tff::iE a sc Fren i:iT, as Africa and flight instructor, 0 - e FBI simulator training to providing him with any asked h'm l that ~ to provi e d fl ig h t at SA him and ON located inPhenix, Arizona during une 200lj that he wanted[;:;i]nOt to tell_anyone about] receivinq training. [::::]state at he.[:fffT th t thatit was"weird" that! would make such a request [repeated 3 times] admitted to knowing HANI H J ut denied trainin at-SAWYBR during June 2001. FBI Phoenix d t believe that[§:::]is being truthful concerning HANI HANJOUR. E:f:jjwas arrested by FBI Phoenix and charged with various counts was I of ocial deported !%§ direction Security from of the EBJ fraud. He United States has been during tried and convicted April 2002. and V enix believes that it was highly probable that were engaged in flight trainingat the UBL/AL-OAEDA. j ll we 3-lq oooooooee f"92 lg 0 J. ,n/ 92_=- .b 6 Ib7C .153 Q Numerous interviews have disclosed that t regular meéatgng anapartmentTempe, in Arizona, where "iii;and various other associates meet individuals attending usage of the apartment. detail subsequently. to discuss these meetings matters of contribute funds This information will be interes to secure discussed in the more X .415]! IUSAMA BIN LADEIN, and AL-om-30A investigations. 92< §>®T 12 REQ 3-lq 000000089 OO bl . -1 b"/C SE T 51 3v is-> FBI interviews conducted at sawrsa AVIATION,can AIR attended b3£if?ff;¬fiijANI HANJOUR the other individuals and TRAINING, ION, discussed aove, Several individuals and other lSC osed that they interviewed in Phoenix area were not flight schools gOOd pilot students. tthey knew something was wrong with the manner whichEiiiiii:ijaHANJOUR in training. In others and conducted extensive flight simulator hindsight these instructors wish they had called the FBI to report their suspicions. FBI Phoenix believes that the purpose for these individuals extensive use of the flight simulator was to gain the necessary knowledge to manually control an aircraft the terrorists, after they aircraft into the intended in flight. seized control This would of the be necessary aircraft, to for fly the targets. ' 9%13* ' REQ 3..1q QOQQOQOQQ " bl '2 W, 2; .b2 b6 ,b7C Ib7D 8% X ,= :E: J§ is the sub ect of a separate FBI student at ERAU at Presco%?T_iYTEEEET[;;;;;; interviewed b investigation the FBI at Phoenix. with SOUBRA ormer roommate on April 17, 2000 was arrested and in Pakistan onMarch 28,2002 withsenior AL-QAEDA lieutenant[:::::::] [:::::::::]Investigation has determined tha mmmm m vuas I¬C¬lVl g training l the use of I t ol on cogceggjnqi is devices to conduct continuina. bombings. 322 EA %?§§F l4 REQ 3-lq 000000091 0 .. 0,___.- b2 b6 bvc SECRET b7D Pentagon on September ll, 2001. Phoenix believes it above described] possible that the .1151 K L3 X advised the FBI on September I5, ZUU1 that Mecca, Saudi his mother Arabia. He and taEher s business was located in made no family business Nally's The town/village of Iraqi border. interests in Ar'Ar or Yemen. A review of Rand Mc New International Atlas reflects that the Saudi Arabian Ar'Ar is located in Northern Saudi Arabia near the This is acouple of hundred miles away from Mecca. ;§£t commen is referen e0 during several how to fly the interviews tudies Ipilot training.ti:if2fZffiff:fif:jthe FBI that he is in the Unite FBI that it is dream" to 1it from to refer§ Pthat this is E.eads "there to nothing coufa suqgest that States to his life here United HANJOUR and NAWAF AL HAZMI, 77A AA 77! two of szcanw the person he and States! " Ithe United with HANI the terrorists that attacked learn long is no use in studvind if it 92 Phoenix believes that States by AL QAEDA Iassociation Airlines flight mention of on the Pentagon board American on September 16 REQ 3-lq 000000093 5 ,Q DECLASEIFIED BY QM EQEUQ AUC hrc E3 2%~28Q§ R-W. oVs~2s-zoom TAMbZ IE 4b jig F1E[!EEF§l92L.i3lJFiE5lJ CJF lIl92 E§511I3I¥T1 JFI Precedence: ROUTINE To: uto nterterrorism Date: O5/25/2002 Attn: Attn: Investigative Services Attn London Islamabad IO Attn SS Attn AB, TDY} I~49/JTTF Contact: SA RF/U UC IOIQU II De UC l IDS Leg ALA SSA SSA case-in #: Title; USAMA MAJOR b7D Attn New York From: Bagram UBL/U UC IO 265A~NY~259391¥EEE Pending! x Xi55A~NY 28035O Pending! ~9M~NY 262835 Pending! BIN LADEN CASE #161 PENTTBGMB WAJOR CASE #182 I 3 av 1 Ea: Counterterrorism From: Bagram Re: 2_e5A-my-259391,L AB, TDY! 05/25/2002 LEAD s!: Set Leaé 1: COUNTERTERRORISM AT WASHIQGTGN, U! Read set Lead and DC clear 2: Adm! INVESTIGATIVE SERVIQES AT WASHINGTQN, DC U! Readénd clear. Set Lead 3: Adm! LQNDON AT LONDON, U! Read Set Lead ENGLANQ~ -ww_-_,~ and clear. 4: ISLAMABAD AT ISLAMABAD. {U} Read PAKISTAN and clear. Q6 6 REQ 3 1a VQQQG00471 I"-In D1.11*.92]iea1:ien Fees axe ehage-,1 for Deleted Page Page [repeated 6 times] Tetal Deleted Page sj ~ - Interxnatuzan Sheet! s1