20th hijacker
20th hijacker | |
|---|---|
| Known for | Potential extra terrorist linked to the September 11 attacks in 2001 |
The term 20th hijacker denotes a potential extra terrorist linked to the September 11 attacks in 2001 who, for reasons not publicly disclosed, did not take part in the actual hijackings but was reportedly involved in the planning stages. The finalized operation consisted of 19 hijackers: three aircraft were commandeered by five individuals each, while the fourth, United Airlines Flight 93, was overtaken by four hijackers before crashing in Pennsylvania as a result of passenger intervention.
Suspects
- Ramzi bin al-Shibh was purportedly meant to serve as a hijacker-pilot on American Airlines Flight 77, but he was repeatedly refused a visa to enter the United States. His intended involvement preceded that of Hani Hanjour.
- Zacarias Moussaoui, a French national of Moroccan descent, is frequently referred to as the 20th hijacker. Seen as a possible substitute for Ziad Jarrah, plans involving Moussaoui were never completed due to concerns about his dependability. Arrested approximately one month prior to the attacks, he pleaded guilty in 2005 to assisting the hijackers and is currently serving a life sentence.
- Mohammed al-Qahtani, a citizen of Saudi Arabia, is another figure considered for the role of the 20th hijacker. He is believed to have been sent to replace Moussaoui following his detention but was denied entry into the U.S. by an immigration officer at Orlando International Airport in August 2001. Later captured in Afghanistan, al-Qahtani was detained at Guantanamo Bay. His interrogation methods have been characterized as torture.
- Fawaz al-Nashimi proclaimed himself the 20th hijacker in an al-Qaeda video obtained by U.S. intelligence agencies. The U.S. government dismissed this claim as propaganda. Also identified as Turki bin Fuheid al-Muteiry, he took part in a 2004 assault on Saudi oil installations and died during a confrontation with Saudi security forces.
Other individuals associated as possible candidates include:
- Saeed al-Ghamdi (distinct from the hijacker on Flight 93)
- Tawfiq bin Attash
- Ali Abdul Aziz Ali
- Mushabib al-Hamlan
- Abderraouf Jdey
- Zakariya Essabar
- Khalid Saeed Ahmad al-Zahrani
- Ali Abd al-Rahman al-Faqasi al-Ghamdi
- Saeed al-Baluchi
- Qutaybah al-Najdi
- Zuhair al-Thubaiti
- Saud al-Rashi
- Khalid al-Mihdhar, whose exclusion from the mission was suggested by alleged planner Khalid Sheikh Mohammed but vetoed by Osama bin Laden.
In popular culture
The Saudi author Abdullah Thabit wrote the 2006 bestseller Terrorist Number 20, which draws on his youth spent as a religious extremist. The narrative was partly inspired by Ahmed al-Nami, one of the 9/11 hijackers and a fellow resident of Abha. After publishing the book, Thabit moved with his family from Abha to Jeddah due to threats against his life.
See also
- USS Cole bombing mastermind – Various persons were accused of masterminding the USS Cole bombing.