Waleed al-Shehri
Waleed Mohammed al-Shehri | |
|---|---|
| Born | 20 December 1978 ʿAsir Province, Saudi Arabia |
| Died | 11 September 2001 (aged 22) |
| Occupation | Terrorist hijacker |
| Known for | Participation in the September 11 attacks |
Waleed Mohammed al-Shehri (; born 20 December 1978 – died 11 September 2001) was a Saudi national who participated as a terrorist hijacker in the September 11 attacks of 2001. He was one of the five individuals who commandeered American Airlines Flight 11, which was deliberately crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center.
Originating from Saudi Arabia, al-Shehri initially pursued education before accompanying his brother, who suffered from mental health issues, to Medina. Subsequently, both brothers, including Wail al-Shehri, engaged in the Chechen–Russian conflict, supporting Islamist insurgents. They were later redirected to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, where they were recruited for the September 11 operation. Following their selection, the siblings relocated to a safehouse in Pakistan and then proceeded to the United Arab Emirates, initiating their entry into the United States.
Al-Shehri entered the U.S. on a tourist visa in April 2001. On September 11, he, alongside his brother and other hijackers, took control of American Airlines Flight 11, piloted by Mohamed Atta, which was intentionally flown into the North Tower in a suicide mission.
Early life and education
Born on 20 December 1978 in ʿAsir Province, Saudi Arabia, al-Shehri grew up in an impoverished area near Yemen’s border. He aimed to become an educator like his older brother Wail. His family adhered strictly to Wahhabism, a conservative Islamic doctrine that prohibited music and interaction with non-mahram women until marriage arranged by family. The household had no access to satellite television or internet services.
2000
Waleed al-Shehri discontinued his studies to accompany his brother, who sought treatment from a religious healer in Medina due to psychological difficulties.
They both arrived at Afghanistan’s Al Farouq training camp, where they encountered Ahmed al-Nami and Saeed al-Ghamdi. Prior to this, in spring 2000, the four men committed themselves to jihad during a ceremony led by Wail al-Shehri under the nom de guerre Abu Mossaeb al-Janubi.
Subsequently, Waleed worked alongside Saeed al-Ghamdi providing security at Kandahar International Airport. After being chosen for the operation, he underwent further training with fellow hijackers at the al-Matar facility under Abu Turab al-Urduni’s supervision.
In late 2000, both brothers returned to Saudi Arabia to obtain new passports and U.S. visas, which they successfully acquired on 3 and 24 October respectively.
Local sources reported their disappearance from Khamis Mushayt in southern Saudi Arabia by December.
The 9/11 Commission believes that around mid-November, Wail and Waleed al-Shehri along with Ahmed al-Nami—who had recently secured U.S. visas—traveled from Saudi Arabia through Beirut and Iran to avoid passport stamps en route to Afghanistan. A passenger linked to a senior Hezbollah figure reportedly shared this flight, possibly coincidentally.
2001
After completing their training, Waleed al-Shehri relocated to a safehouse in Karachi, Pakistan before moving on to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). From there, the so-called muscle hijackers entered the United States between April and June 2001. Al-Shehri is believed to have arrived around 23 April. There are conflicting reports placing him either at Mohamed Atta’s Hamburg apartment between 1998 and 2001 or with Zacarias Moussaoui in London.
Ramzi bin al-Shibh indicated that Osama bin Laden sent instructions to al-Shehri during spring 2001 expressing preference for an attack targeting the White House rather than the Capitol building.
On 4 May, al-Shehri obtained a Florida driver’s license and applied for a duplicate one the following day. Five other suspected hijackers also acquired duplicate Florida licenses in 2001, potentially allowing multiple uses of identical identities. On 19 May, he and Satam al-Suqami flew from Fort Lauderdale to Freeport in the Bahamas; although they had reservations there, entry was denied due to visa issues and they returned immediately. The Commission suggested this trip was likely intended to renew al-Suqami’s expiring U.S. immigration status.
Around June 2001, al-Shehri was among nine hijackers who opened accounts at SunTrust bank depositing cash funds. While residing in Boynton Beach, Florida, neighbors observed his keen interest in the Florida Marlins baseball team.
On 16 July, Wail and Waleed stayed at a hotel in Salou, Spain—a location also visited by Mohamed Atta. On 30 July, Waleed traveled alone from Fort Lauderdale to Boston then onward to San Francisco for one night before returning via Las Vegas.
In August, reports indicate that the brothers accessed Internet facilities at Delray Beach Public Library; they were accompanied by a third individual believed to be Marwan al-Shehhi and may have researched crop dusting techniques.
On 5 September, Wail and Waleed flew Delta Air Lines Flight 2462 from Fort Lauderdale to Boston. They checked into room 432 at Park Inn Hotel in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Abdulaziz al-Omari might also have stayed there prior to departing with Mohamed Atta for Portland, Maine on 10 September. When leaving the hotel, it is possible that the brothers left behind instructions related to piloting a transcontinental aircraft.
11 September attacks
On the morning of 11 September 2001, Waleed al-Shehri, his brother Wail al-Shehri, and Satam al-Suqami arrived at Logan Airport at 06:45, parking their rental Ford Focus in the airport lot. During check-in, Wail and Waleed al-Shehri, together with Satam al-Suqami, were flagged by the Computer Assisted Passenger Prescreening System (CAPPS), which led to additional screening of their checked luggage. It is important to note that CAPPS only targeted baggage; thus, no extra security measures were applied to the passengers themselves.
By 7:40 a.m., all five hijackers had boarded Flight 11, which was scheduled to take off at 7:45 a.m. The al-Shehri brothers occupied first-class seats 2A and 2B side by side. The plane departed from runway 4R at Logan International Airport at 7:59 a.m., following a delay of 14 minutes. The hijacking commenced around 08:14 when the pilot ceased communication with air traffic control. It is believed that the brothers stabbed two flight attendants during the takeover. At 08:46:40, Mohamed Atta deliberately crashed Flight 11 into the North Tower (Tower 1) of the World Trade Center. This collision trapped an estimated 1,344 individuals above the impact site. After burning for approximately 102 minutes, the North Tower collapsed at 10:28.
Reports following the 9/11 attacks
On 23 September 2001, BBC News published a report claiming that al-Shehri was "alive and well" in Casablanca, Morocco, having spoken to various media outlets. However, this report was later revised due to mistaken identity issues and concerns about fueling conspiracy theories. By 5 October 2001, BBC had listed Waleed as one of the suspected hijackers identified by the FBI as responsible for the attacks.
Initially, a Saudi newspaper editor incorrectly identified Waleed and Wail as sons of Ahmed Alshehri, a senior Saudi diplomat stationed in Bombay, India. Ahmed Alshehri denied this relationship on 16 September 2001. Wail stated that he attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, but had been confused with the hijacker; he utilized his aviation training to work for a Moroccan airline. Saudi authorities corroborated his account and suggested that his identity had been stolen.
The brothers’ actual father was Muhammad Ali al-Shehri, who was identified before 17 September 2001 and reported not having heard from his sons for ten months prior to the attacks. This was confirmed by an ABC News article in March 2002 and an August 2002 Dateline NBC segment; their third brother Salah accepted that Waleed and Wail were deceased and remarked that they had been "brainwashed."
Furthermore, the pilot residing in Casablanca was determined to be Walid al-Shri—not Waleed M. al-Shehri—and much of the BBC’s information regarding "living" hijackers was found inaccurate according to these sources. In September 2007, a video featuring his final will was released to commemorate the sixth anniversary of the attacks.