Osama bin Laden’s Hand-picked Hijacker Was Almost Fired from 9/11 Plot
Summary
Khalid al-Mihdhar was one of the 9/11 hijackers chosen by Osama bin Laden. Despite signs of suspicious activity and intelligence from the CIA, U.S. officials repeatedly missed detecting him, allowing him to enter and leave the United States multiple times before the attacks.Key Facts
- Khalid al-Mihdhar was personally selected by Osama bin Laden as a pilot for the 9/11 hijacking plot.
- Al-Mihdhar struggled in U.S. flight schools and left the country in mid-2000, which almost led to him being removed from the plot.
- The CIA tracked al-Mihdhar’s movements abroad, including a trip to Malaysia where he met with other al-Qaeda members.
- Despite having information about al-Mihdhar’s terrorist links, U.S. intelligence and immigration officials failed to place him on a watch list.
- Al-Mihdhar reentered the U.S. in 2001 using a different Saudi passport with irregularities, but was not stopped by immigration.
- He settled in San Diego along with other hijackers, attended flight schools briefly, and became involved with the local Arab community.
- U.S. agencies such as the CIA, FBI, and State Department missed multiple chances to detect and stop al-Mihdhar before 9/11.
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