Walid bin Attash

Walid bin Attash
Born	1978 Yemen
Occupation(s)	Alleged terrorist, al-Qaeda operative
Known for	Alleged involvement in 9/11 attacks planning, USS Cole bombing, East Africa Embassy bombings

Walid Muhammad Salih bin Mubarak bin Attash (; born in 1978) is a Yemeni national detained at the United States' Guantanamo Bay detention camp on allegations related to terrorism. He is believed to have played a significant role in the initial planning phases of the 9/11 attacks. According to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, he is described as a "descendant of a terrorist lineage." U.S. prosecutors claim he contributed to the preparation of the 1998 East Africa Embassy bombings and the 2000 USS Cole bombing. Additionally, he served as a bodyguard for Osama bin Laden, earning the nickname "errand boy." Official charges accuse him of selecting and assisting in training several hijackers involved in the September 11 attacks. On July 31, 2024, Attash consented to a guilty plea to avoid capital punishment; however, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin revoked this plea agreement two days afterward.

Life

Originating from a well-known Saudi family connected to Osama bin Laden, Attash had multiple siblings engaged in the conflicts of 1990s in Afghanistan. Due to his father's extremist beliefs, his family was expelled from Yemen and he was raised in Saudi Arabia.

He pursued studies at the University of Islamic Studies located in Karachi, Pakistan.

In 1997, during combat against the Northern Alliance, Attash lost his right leg and subsequently used a metal prosthetic limb, which earned him nicknames such as "Father of the Leg" and Silver. The death of his brother in that same battle motivated Attash to join al-Qaeda.

By 1999, he was assigned the responsibility of procuring explosives for an assault targeting the USS The Sullivans, as part of the planned 2000 millennium attack plots.

Operating under the alias Khallad in late 1999, Attash reached out to Khalid al-Mihdhar regarding the forthcoming Kuala Lumpur al-Qaeda Summit. In January 2000, he traveled to Malaysia supposedly for obtaining a new prosthetic leg and participated in the summit. Malaysian officials notified the CIA when Attash traveled to Bangkok alongside al-Mihdhar and Nawaf al-Hazmi. The FBI intercepted a phone call referencing $5,000 given to Attash for his prosthesis; subsequent interrogations revealed an additional $36,000 was provided for other activities.

By October 2000, Attash had been identified as the principal architect behind the USS Cole bombing in Aden, Yemen.

On September 11, 2002, his younger brother, then 17-year-old Hassan bin Attash, was apprehended by Pakistani forces during a raid on the Tariq Road House. He was subsequently handed over to American authorities and held at The Dark Prison.

Alleged involvement in the 9/11 attacks

In early 1999, Osama bin Laden appointed four operatives—Walid bin Attash, Nawaf al-Hazmi, Khalid al-Mihdhar, and Abu Bara al-Yemeni—to act as suicide attackers targeting American aircraft. Bin Laden instructed Bin Attash to secure a U.S. visa to undergo pilot training for the so-called "Planes Operation." When al-Mihdhar was denied a visa in April 1999 and returned to Afghanistan, Bin Attash led a 45-day close combat training session at an al Qaeda camp. Both al-Hazmi and al-Mihdhar participated in this training and were subsequently chosen to serve as "muscle" hijackers during the 9/11 attacks.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (KSM) divided the plot into two segments: one involving assaults within the United States and another focusing on hijackings of U.S.-registered airlines over Southeast Asia aimed at bombings. Bin Attash acknowledged plans to seize control of several Southeast Asian airlines. In December 1999, KSM provided Bin Attash with instruction in Karachi covering English language skills, airline timetables, travel logistics, hijacking tactics, flight simulation, and surveillance techniques. Later that month, Bin Attash carried out reconnaissance missions on flights to Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, and Hong Kong while carrying a razor blade to test airport security measures and collected intelligence on passengers of U.S. carriers across all cabin classes. On January 1, 2000, during a Bangkok-to-Hong Kong flight on an American airline, Bin Attash concealed the razor within his toiletry kit to evaluate security protocols and observed that first-class seats offered limited visibility into the cockpit.

In Kuala Lumpur, Bin Attash met with al-Hazmi and al-Mihdhar to coordinate details regarding flight surveillance for the "Planes Operation," including security procedures and smuggling razor blades aboard aircraft. Although he was aware of their participation in a U.S.-based plot, he denied knowing specific operational details. Upon returning to Karachi, Bin Attash compiled a report and briefed KSM along with al-Qaeda military leader Mohammed Atef on weaknesses in airline security. Due to difficulties in coordination, Bin Laden called off the Southeast Asia component of the plan in spring 2000. In December of that year, Bin Attash provided future hijacker Hani Hanjour with an email address for contacting al-Hazmi in the United States.

Capture and tribunal

On April 29, 2003, Attash was apprehended alongside Ali Abdul Aziz Ali in Karachi. Following his capture, he was detained at The Dark Prison, while his brother was transferred to Guantanamo Bay detention camp sometime around 2003 or 2004. During severe interrogation sessions, Attash admitted to having connections with Abderraouf Jdey. Despite having only one leg, he endured stress positions after his prosthetic limb was removed, resulting in significant physical hardship.

On September 6, 2006, Attash was moved to Guantanamo Bay together with thirteen other "high-value detainees" who had previously been held in secret CIA facilities. He was later recognized as a victim in Poland due to allegations of torture inflicted at a CIA black site located on Polish territory.

Combatant Status Review Tribunal

After being moved from secret detention sites, Attash participated in Combatant Status Review Tribunals (CSRTs) established to determine whether detainees qualified as "enemy combatant" following the 2004 Supreme Court decisions that questioned the legality of Guantanamo detentions.

A Summary of Evidence document listed multiple accusations: that Mohammad Rashed Daoud al-Owhali claimed Attash directed him to prepare for suicide attacks targeting U.S. embassies in East Africa; that Attash received close-quarters combat training at the Lowgar training camp and attended a speech by Osama bin Laden; that he utilized a counterfeit Yemeni merchant registration card connected to the USS Cole bombing; and that an associate confessed to supporting the bombing based on correspondence from Attash.

Officials identified an al-Qaeda cell named "Father of the Leg", believed to refer to Attash due to his amputated limb. Additional proof included phone contacts matching senior al-Qaeda figures, his university identification discovered in a suspected al-Qaeda safehouse in Karachi, and notebooks documenting payments to al-Qaeda members. An anonymous informant reported seeing him at the al Farouq training camp.

Attash appeared before his Tribunal on March 12, 2007. Approximately one week later, he reportedly admitted involvement in planning both the Cole and embassy bombings, including procuring explosives and recruiting attackers. He stated he was alongside bin Laden in Kandahar during the Cole attack and present in Karachi during the embassy bombings with the operation’s chief planner. The Department of Defense subsequently published a transcript quoting his statements:

His Personal Representative observed that while Attash acknowledged many charges, he denied owning a phone and admitted to forging the Yemeni registration card himself.

Military trial

On August 9, 2007, the U.S. Department of Defense designated all fourteen "high-value detainees" transferred from CIA black sites to Guantanamo as "enemy combatants," enabling them to be prosecuted before military commissions at Guantanamo. This designation followed earlier court decisions that limited military commissions to "illegal" enemy combatants; however, the DoD chose not to apply this restriction.

Several defendants—including Bin Attash, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, and Ammar al Baluchi—opted for self-representation and requested access to laptops and internet connectivity for defense preparation. In October 2008, Judge Ralph Kohlmann approved laptop use but denied internet access.

On December 8, 2008, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed declared plans for a joint guilty plea, contingent upon mental competency evaluations for co-defendants Hawsawi and bin al-Shibh.

By May 2010, it was reported that Bin Attash and four other Yemenis—among them Ramzi bin al-Shibh and Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri—were scheduled to face charges during summer 2010. On May 31, 2011, the DoD refiled capital charges against Bin Attash and four alleged co-conspirators related to the September 11 attacks. The accusations included conspiracy; murder violating laws of war; assaults on civilians and civilian structures; inflicting serious bodily harm; property destruction; aircraft hijacking; and terrorism offenses.

As of December 2022, proceedings remain in pretrial status following extensive delays. Reports from late 2022 indicated that the Biden administration was exploring plea agreements with Bin Attash and others. On July 31, 2024, Bin Attash consented to plead guilty in exchange for avoiding capital punishment; nonetheless, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin rescinded this plea agreement two days later.

External links

• Recent Findings on Detainees in Covert CIA Facilities in Poland and Romania Andy Worthington