Overview

Khalid al Mihdhar was one of the “muscle hijackers” on board American Airlines Flight 77, flown into the Pentagon as the third of the four 9/11 plane hijackings.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 3-5, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. As a muscle hijacker, Mihdhar helped to storm the cockpit and keep passengers under control so that the hijacker-pilot could take control of the plane.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 227, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf.

Khalid al Mihdhar was born in 1965 in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, to a prominent family related to the Qurayshis, a Meccan tribe that traces its lineage back to the Islamic Prophet Muhammad. Little is known about Mihdhar’s childhood and teenage years. According to some reports, Mihdhar completed a rudimentary education in Mecca and became an active Islamist before travelling to fight Afghanistan the early 1990s.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 155, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf.

In 1995, Mihdhar left Saudi Arabia to participate in the Bosnian jihad and joined Kateebat al-Mujahidin, an al-Qaeda battalion led by Alija Izetbegovic.Gordon N. Bardos, “The Balkans: Militant Islamism’s New Front,” Jerusalem Post, August 20, 2012, http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Op-Ed-Contributors/The-Balkans-Militant-Islamisms-new-front. The unit’s former members included an array of infamous terrorists, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (KSM) and Rashim al-Nashiri, a participant in the 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies in Dar es Saalam and Nairobi.Gordon N. Bardos, “The Balkans: Militant Islamism’s New Front,” Jerusalem Post, August 20, 2012, http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Op-Ed-Contributors/The-Balkans-Militant-Islamisms-new-front. Even before he officially joined al-Qaeda, Mihdhar reportedly harbored ambitions to target Saudi Arabia and the royal family.Ginny Hill, Yemen Endures: Civil War, Saudi Adventurism, and the Future of Arabia, Oxford University Press, August 1, 2017 (Oxford, United Kingdom): 121. In 1997, Khalid and his lifelong friend Nawaf al Hazmi were accused of helping to smuggle weapons into Saudi Arabia in preparation for a planned terrorism campaign.Anthony Summers and Robbyn Swan, “The Kingdom and the Towers,” Vanity Fair, June 30, 2011, http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2011/08/9-11-2011-201108.

In early 1998, Khalid travelled to Afghanistan pledged bay’ah (binding oath of loyalty) to Osama bin Laden and formally joined al-Qaeda.George J. Tenet, “DCI Testimony Before the Joint Inquiry into Terrorist Attacks Against the United States,” Central Intelligence Agency, June 18, 2002, https://www.cia.gov/news-information/speeches-testimony/2002/dci_testimony_06182002.html. After bin Laden approved KSM’s plans for the 9/11 operation, he personally chose Mihdhar to be one of the suicide attackers.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 155, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. Mihdhar was believed to have been so eager to commit an attack against the United States that he had already secured his U.S. visa before he was officially recruited to the plot.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 155, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf.

In the fall of 1999, Mihdhar, Hazmi, and two other al-Qaeda operatives participated in an elite al-Qaeda training course at the Mes Aynak camp in Afghanistan.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 88, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. The course focused on physical fitness, firearms, close quarters combat, shooting from a motorcycle, and night operations.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 88, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. Upon completing advanced training, Mihdhar remained in Afghanistan while the three other trainees went to Karachi, Pakistan.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 88, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. In April 1999, Mihdhar and Hazmi received their visas from the U.S. Consulate in Jeddah.George J. Tenet, “DCI Testimony Before the Joint Inquiry into Terrorist Attacks Against the United States,” Central Intelligence Agency, June 18, 2002, https://www.cia.gov/news-information/speeches-testimony/2002/dci_testimony_06182002.html.

On January 5, 2000, Mihdhar left Yemen where he was visiting his family for an al-Qaeda meeting in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 88, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. Mihdhar, Hazmi, and two other al-Qaeda operatives stayed under the protection of Hambali, then the leader of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI).National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 88, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. Mihdhar and the other attendees at the meeting discussed plans for 9/11 and the USS Cole bombing.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 88, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. Mihdhar and Hazmi arrived in Los Angeles on January 15, 2000, after spending a few days in Bangkok.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 88, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf.

Little is known about Hazmi’s and Mihdhar’s first days in the United States. What is known is that the future 9/11 hijackers stayed in Los Angeles for roughly two weeks in mid-January 2000 before moving to San Diego.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 216, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. During KSM’s C.I.A. interrogation, he claimed that Hamzi and Mihdhar tried to enroll in three English-language schools in Los Angeles.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 216, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf.

KSM foresaw that Mihdhar and Hazmi would have a difficult time maintaining a low profile in the United States. Neither al-Qaeda operative spoke English well, nor had they spent any time in the United States.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 216, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. As such, KSM instructed the pair to seek assistance from Muslims at local mosques by posing as newly arrived Saudi students.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 216, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. While in southern California, the pair may have received assistance from attendees of the King Fahd Mosque.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 216, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. On February 1, 2000, the two met and befriended a man named Omar al-Bayoumi at a halal food restaurant on Venice Boulevard in Culver City, only a few blocks away from the King Fahd mosque.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 216, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. Hazmi and Mihdhar, posing as Saudi exchange students, told Bayoumi that they were having a hard time living and studying in the United States.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 217-218, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. Bayoumi offered to help the pair settle in San Diego.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 217-218, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf.

By February 4, 2000, Hazmi and Mihdhar travelled to San Diego from Los Angeles and sought out Bayoumi, who helped them find an apartment, co-sign their lease at the Clairemont Parkwood Apartments, and open up a bank account.Maureen Cavanaugh and Megan Burke, “Retracing the Story: 9/11 Hijackers in San Diego,” KPBS, September 6, 2011, http://www.kpbs.org/news/2011/sep/06/retracing-story-911-hijackers-san-diego/. However, Hazmi soon began to suspect that Bayoumi might be a Saudi spy, so the pair filed a 30-day notice of intention to vacate the apartment only a week after moving in.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 219, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. On May 10, the two al-Qaeda operatives decided to rent a room in the residence of an FBI informant whom they had met at a mosque in San Diego.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 220, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. The FBI informant knew that the future 9/11 hijackers were devout Muslims but did not suspect that they held extremist views or were linked to any terrorist groups.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 220-221, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf.

While residing in San Diego in early 2000, Hazmi and Midhar did not reportedly stand out. The two did not attempt to conceal their identities, using the same names contained in their travel documents when they rented an apartment, obtained drivers’ licenses, opened bank accounts, took out credit cards, purchased a used car, and obtained a local phone service that included al-Hazmi’s listing in the local telephone directory.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 221, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. Posing as new foreign students wishing to learn English, the two reached out to members of the local Muslim community for help.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 220, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. In May of 2000, Hazmi and Mihdhar started flight lessons, but they had to abandon their classes due to poor English-language and technical skills.George J. Tenet, “DCI Testimony Before the Joint Inquiry into Terrorist Attacks Against the United States,” Central Intelligence Agency, June 18, 2002, https://www.cia.gov/news-information/speeches-testimony/2002/dci_testimony_06182002.html. Hazmi and Mihdhar attended the Ribat al-Islami mosque in La Mesa, California, where they met extremist preacher Anwar al-Awlaki.J.M. Berger, “Anwar al-Awlaki’s Links to the September 11 Hijackers,” Atlantic, September 9, 2011, https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/09/anwar-al-awlakis-links-to-the-september-11-hijackers/244796/. Hazmi referred to Awlaki as a “great man” and apparently considered Awlaki his spiritual leader.J.M. Berger, “Anwar al-Awlaki’s Links to the September 11 Hijackers,” Atlantic, September 9, 2011, https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/09/anwar-al-awlakis-links-to-the-september-11-hijackers/244796/.

On June 9, 2000, Mihdhar left Nawaf al-Hazmi and returned to Yemen, staying with his family for roughly a month before returning to Afghanistan at KSM’s request.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 218, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. According to KSM, Mihdhar had felt the need to leave the United States in part because he wanted to see his newborn child and anticipated that he would be able to reenter the country without any issues.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 237, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. By late 2000, Mihdhar had returned to Mecca, where he lived with a cousin. Mihdhar stayed there until February 2001, when he went home to visit his family in Yemen one last time before returning to Afghanistan.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 237, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. In June 2001, Mihdhar left Afghanistan and returned to Mecca, where he lived with his cousin for another month before returning to the United States.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 237, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf.

On July 4, 2001, Mihdhar left Saudi Arabia to return to the United States, arriving at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York before traveling to live with Hazmi and several other 9/11 hijackers in Patterson, New Jersey.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 237, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. In early September 2001, Mihdhar and the other hijackers targeting American Airlines Flight 77 travelled from New Jersey to Laurel, Maryland, staying in a local motel and working out at the gym in preparation for the attacks.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 252, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. On the final night before the attack, the team stayed at a hotel in Herndon, Virginia, near Washington Dulles airport.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 253, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf.

On the morning of September 11, Hazmi and his team travelled to Washington Dulles International Airport.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 3, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. Mihdhar and fellow hijacker Majed Moqed arrived first, checking into American Airlines ticket counter for Flight 77 before being flagged for extra security.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 3, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. At 7:18 am, Mihgdhar and Moqed passed through the security checkpoint and proceeded through the metal detectors. While Mihdhar set off the first metal detector, he managed to pass through the second one without incident.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 3, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. By 7:50 am, Mihdhar and Majed Moqed had made it to their coach seats in 12A and 12B.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 3, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf.

At 9:37 a.m., American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon at approximately 530 miles per hour, instantly killing everyone on board and an unknown number of people in the building.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 10, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. The 9/11 attacks—including attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the thwarted attack headed for the White House or Capitol—left nearly 3,000 people dead in the single deadliest attack in U.S. history.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 7, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf.