Hijackers in the September 11 attacks
| Company type | Terrorist operatives |
|---|---|
| Industry | Terrorism |
| Founded | January 2000 |
Area served | United States |
Key people | Mohamed Atta (overall coordinator) |
| Products | Coordinated hijackings of four aircraft on September 11, 2001 |
The September 11 attacks involved 19 hijackers connected to al-Qaeda, a militant group headquartered in Afghanistan. These individuals originated from four nations: 15 hailed from Saudi Arabia, two from the United Arab Emirates, one from Egypt, and one from Lebanon. The hijackers were divided into four distinct teams, each led by a pilot-trained member responsible for seizing control of the aircraft, supported by three or four "muscle hijackers" whose role was to overpower pilots, passengers, and crew. Each team was assigned to a separate flight. The overall coordinator was Mohamed Atta.
The initial hijackers entered the United States in January 2000: Khalid al-Mihdhar and Nawaf al-Hazmi, who established themselves in San Diego County, California. Subsequently, three pilot hijackers affiliated with the Hamburg cell—Mohamed Atta, Marwan al-Shehhi, and Ziad Jarrah—underwent flight instruction at Huffman Aviation flight-training school in Venice, Florida during mid-2000. The fourth pilot, Hani Hanjour, who was not part of the Hamburg cell, arrived in San Diego in December 2000. The remaining "muscle hijackers" entered the country throughout early to mid-2001.
Selection
Khalid al-Mihdhar and Nawaf al-Hazmi were seasoned jihadists with the confidence of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
The pilots mainly came from the Hamburg cell (Mohamed Atta, Marwan al-Shehhi, and Ziad Jarrah). After receiving training in Afghanistan, they were chosen due to their familiarity with Western culture and language proficiency, which improved operational security and increased the likelihood of success. Mohamed Atta took charge of coordinating and executing plans starting January 2000. Another pilot candidate, Ramzi bin al-Shibh, was selected but failed to secure a U.S. visa; he was replaced by Saudi national Hani Hanjour.
Initially considered as potential pilots, Al-Mihdhar and al-Hazmi encountered difficulties during early flight training in San Diego and were reassigned as "muscle" hijackers tasked with subduing passengers and crew members. Alongside them, 13 additional muscle hijackers—mostly Saudi nationals except for Fayez Banihammad from the United Arab Emirates—were selected during late 2000 or early 2001.
FBI investigations following the attacks revealed that most muscle hijackers were unaware of the mission’s suicidal intent, unlike the pilots who prepared wills and exhibited other signs of commitment. According to a 2001 audio statement by Osama Bin Laden, muscle hijackers were only informed about the true nature of their mission on the day of the attacks and had no prior contact with pilot hijackers.
Hijackers
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American Airlines Flight 11: North Tower, One World Trade Center
Hijackers: Mohamed Atta (Egyptian), Abdulaziz al-Omari (Saudi Arabian), Wail al-Shehri (Saudi Arabian), Waleed al-Shehri (Saudi Arabian), Satam al-Suqami (Saudi Arabian).
During the hijacking, two flight attendants managed to communicate with American Airlines. Betty Ong reported that the five hijackers were seated in first class at seats 2A, 2B, 9A, 9C, and 9B. Another flight attendant, Amy Sweeney, contacted Logan Airport personnel in Boston, describing the hijackers as being of Middle Eastern descent. By cross-referencing the seat numbers with ticket and credit card details, staff identified Mohamed Atta.
Over air traffic control channels, Mohamed Atta’s voice was transmitted, delivering announcements believed to be directed at the passengers:
United Airlines Flight 175: South Tower, Two World Trade Center
Hijackers: Marwan al-Shehhi (Emirati), Fayez Banihammad (Emirati), Mohand al-Shehri (Saudi Arabian), Hamza al-Ghamdi (Saudi Arabian), Ahmed al-Ghamdi (Saudi Arabian).
A United Airlines mechanic received information from a flight attendant who indicated that the pilots had been killed and the aircraft was under hijacker control.
American Airlines Flight 77: Pentagon
Hijackers: Hani Hanjour (Saudi Arabian), Khalid al-Mihdhar (Saudi Arabian), Majed Moqed (Saudi Arabian), Nawaf al-Hazmi (Saudi Arabian), Salem al-Hazmi (Saudi Arabian).
Hanjour and Moqed acquired first-class tickets for Flight 77 by paying $1,842.25 in cash at a travel agency located in New Jersey.
Flight attendant Renee May contacted her mother in Las Vegas to report that six hijackers had taken control and were relocating passengers toward the back of the plane. Unlike other flights, there were no recorded incidents of stabbings or bomb threats aboard. The 9/11 Commission Report indicates that instead of being killed, the pilots might have been moved to the rear of the cabin. One hijacker, presumably Hanjour, made a hijacking announcement via the intercom system. Passenger Barbara Olson called her husband, then Solicitor General of the United States Theodore Olson, informing him that the hijackers were armed with knives and box cutters.
Two of the hijackers, Khalid al-Mihdhar and Nawaf al-Hazmi, had been on the FBI’s watch list prior to the attacks. They traveled to Los Angeles in January 2000 and received flight training in San Diego, reportedly with assistance from Omar al-Bayoumi and Saudi officials Fahad al-Thumairy and Mussaed Ahmed al-Jarrah.
United Airlines Flight 93: Shanksville, Pennsylvania
Hijackers: Ziad Jarrah (Lebanese), Ahmed al-Haznawi (Saudi Arabian), Ahmed al-Nami (Saudi Arabian), Saeed al-Ghamdi (Saudi Arabian).
Passenger Jeremy Glick characterized the hijackers as Middle Eastern in appearance, wearing red headbands and armed with knives.
Communications from Jarrah intended for passengers were inadvertently transmitted over air traffic control channels:
Jarrah’s voice was also captured on the cockpit voice recorder. DNA evidence from his girlfriend matched remains discovered in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
Prior to the attacks
Before the events unfolded, FBI agent Robert Wright, Jr. criticized the Bureau for reportedly neglecting to investigate suspected extremists residing within the United States. Wright was a member of Chicago’s counter-terrorism task force and participated in project Vulgar Betrayal, which was associated with Yasin al-Qadi.
As reported by James Bamford, the NSA intercepted communications involving al-Mihdhar and al-Hazmi in 1999 but, due to internal disputes with the CIA, relayed only limited details—merely first names—to that agency.
Bamford also notes that by January 2000, the CIA's Alec Station, responsible for tracking bin Laden, was aware that al-Mihdhar intended to travel to New York. FBI agent Doug Miller attempted to notify the FBI through a communication (CIR), but his CIA superior, Tom Wilshire, refused authorization. Miller’s colleague Mark Rossini also did not receive approval.
Al-Mihdhar and al-Hazmi reportedly lodged with Abdussattar Shaikh, an FBI informant who did not report them due to their unremarkable behavior. The CIA station in Bangkok informed Alec Station that al-Hazmi had relocated to Los Angeles; however, this information never reached FBI headquarters.
On August 23, 2001, less than three weeks before the attacks, the Mossad provided U.S. officials with a list of 19 suspected terrorists living in America, including Mohamed Atta, Marwan al-Shehhi, Khalid al-Mihdhar, and Nawaf al-Hazmi. It is uncertain whether this list comprised all hijackers or if its length was coincidental; only these four names have been publicly disclosed.
The attacks
Immediately after the attacks commenced, the Federal Bureau of Investigation initiated operation PENTTBOM, marking the largest investigation in FBI history. The perpetrators were identified within 72 hours, aided by their minimal attempts to conceal identities on flight manifests and credit card records. They were among a small number of non-U.S. citizens and almost exclusively passengers with Arabic names on their flights, enabling investigators to use data such as birth dates, residences, visa statuses, and pilot licenses to identify them. On September 14, three days post-attacks, the FBI revealed the identities of 19 hijackers and by September 27 had released photographs along with details on their nationalities and aliases. Fifteen hailed from Saudi Arabia, two from the United Arab Emirates, while one each came from Lebanon and Egypt.
Satam al-Suqami’s passport was reportedly found near the World Trade Center site shortly before its collapse. Passports belonging to Ziad Jarrah and Saeed al-Ghamdi were recovered at the United Airlines Flight 93 crash location in Pennsylvania. Abdulaziz al-Omari’s passport was discovered in luggage that failed to board American Airlines Flight 11.
According to the 9/11 Commission Report, a total of 26 al-Qaeda operatives sought entry into the U.S. for a suicide mission; ultimately, 19 hijackers took part: five on three flights and four on a fourth flight. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano confirmed in 2009 that none entered via Canada.
Nawaf al-Hazmi and Hani Hanjour attended the Dar al-Hijrah Islamic Center in Virginia where Imam Anwar al-Awlaki preached during early 2001. FBI interviews indicated Awlaki had met al-Hazmi several times while both resided in San Diego; at that time al-Hazmi lived with al-Mihdhar. Numerous hijackers maintained close connections, frequently attending school or sharing residences prior to the attacks.
Recovery of the Hijackers' Remains
Following the events of September 11, remains belonging to victims and hijackers were retrieved from the World Trade Center site, the Pentagon, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
In Manhattan, two hijacker remains, believed to be from Flight 11, were discovered within the Memorial Park and subsequently transferred to the FBI as part of the evidence collection. The other hijackers from Flights 11 and 175 have not been identified and are interred alongside other unidentified remains at the memorial site.
By October 2, 2001, the five hijackers aboard Flight 77 were identified through a process of elimination, and their remains were delivered to the FBI.
Regarding Flight 93, DNA analysis matched Ziad Jarrah’s remains with samples obtained from his girlfriend, confirming his identity before handing over the remains to the FBI. The remaining hijacker remains from Flight 93 were also identified by elimination and transferred to federal authorities.
Possible Cases of Mistaken Identity
In the immediate aftermath of the attacks and prior to the FBI’s release of all hijacker photographs, there were reports alleging that some individuals named as hijackers were actually alive and victims of identity theft.
See also
References
External links
- , September 27, 2001.