Wikipedia

20th hijacker

The 20th hijacker is a possible additional terrorist in the September 11 attacks who, for unknown reasons, was unable to participate. The 20th hijacker, though not present during the actual attacks, is said to have been deeply involved in the preparations.[1] There were many variations of the 9/11 plot, with the number of terrorists fluctuating with available resources and changing circumstances. In the end, there were 19 hijackers: three of the planes were taken over by five members each and the fourth was hijacked by four people. The latter plane, United Airlines Flight 93, crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, due to the resistance from passengers before it could reach its target in Washington, D.C.

Suspects

edit

Various people associated with Al-Qaeda have either claimed or have been speculated as the possible 20th hijacker in the September 11 attacks.

Mohammed al-Qahtani during his imprisonment at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp c. 2008.

Mohammed al-Qahtani

edit

Investigators have accused Mohammed al-Qahtani, a Saudi national, of being the intended 20th hijacker, and intending to board Flight 93 as its fifth hijacker (and fourth muscle hijacker) on September 11. These allegations stem from circumstances surrounding al-Qahtani's failed attempt to enter the United States shortly before the September 11 attacks.

Having originally flown out of Dubai on August 3 2001, al-Qahtani had disembarked a Virgin Atlantic flight from London Gatwick Airport and arrived at Orlando International Airport the following day.[2] With a one-way ticket and $2,800 in cash, al-Qahtani was questioned by immigration agent José Meléndez-Pérez on suspicion of being an illegal immigrant.[2][3] Al-Qahtani had been stopped by another immigration agent before Meléndez-Pérez, but al-Qahtani could not communicate with the agent nor did he properly fill out necessary travel documents.[2][4] Meléndez-Pérez described that upon being questioned via an interpreter employed by the Department of Justice, al-Qahtani was belligerent and frequently changed his reasons for arriving to Orlando.[2] Additionally, Meléndez-Pérez said that al-Qahtani had refused to answer any questions under oath.[2][4] After the 90-minute interview, al-Qahtani was formally denied entry into the US under expedited removal and sent back to London on a connecting flight to Dubai at his own expense.[5][2][4][6] Before being deported, al-Qahtani was photographed and fingerprinted through INSPASS.[2][4] Though al-Qahtani's Saudi passport was determined to be genuine by immigration inspectors, later investigations found that it featured a fraudulent stamp associated with Al-Qaeda.[4] Al-Qahtani's luggage was not checked by inspectors.[7] Meléndez-Pérez later testified that al-Qahtani had turned to him and another inspector and said "I'll be back." in English before boarding his return flight.[2][3]

After the September 11 attacks, circumstances surrounding the incident raised suspicion among the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and its counterterrorism experts. The FBI had reportedly discovered that a phone call had been placed from the Orlando International Airport to a known phone number associated with Al-Qaeda on the day of the incident.[3] In addition, the FBI had obtained surveillance footage of the airport's parking lots and found a rental car that they identified as belonging to Mohamed Atta, the ringleader of the attacks.[3][4] Military records speculate that Atta was al-Qahtani's intended contact in the United States.[3][8] According to the FBI, Atta did not leave the airport's parking lot until it was confirmed al-Qahtani was returning to Dubai.[4]

Capture

edit

On December 15 2001, amid the Battle of Tora Bora, al-Qahtani was captured in Afghanistan by Pakistani Army and Frontier Corps forces.[8][3] Al-Qahtani was with a group of Arabs led by Ali al-Bahlul fleeing to the Pakistan border.[8] After being transferred to US custody, al-Qahtani was transferred to Joint Task Force Guantanamo on February 13, 2002 with an Interment Serial Number of 063.[8] Al-Qahtani claimed to US interrogators that he had been in Afghanistan to pursue his interest in falconry.[3][9] According to author Jane Mayer, investigators could not pinpoint al-Qahtani's identity until July 2002, when a routine fingerprint analysis matched with al-Qahtani's fingerprints taken in Orlando.[citation needed]

On March 3 2006, Time magazine published a leaked log detailing 49 days of al-Qahtani's interrogations at Guantanamo Bay detention camp from November 23 2002 to January 11 2003.[9] The log described al-Qahtani being forcibly administered intravenous fluids, drugs, and enemas, in order to keep his body functioning well enough for the interrogations to continue. The Convening Authority of the Guantanamo Military Commissions Susan J. Crawford asserted that al-Qahtani's interrogations amounted to torture.[10] Crawford's statement was the first time any official of the Bush administration had publicly described the treatment of detainees at Guantanamo as torture.[11]

On March 6 2022, al-Qahtani was airlifted from Guantanamo by the US military and flown back to Saudi Arabia to a mental health treatment facility after 20 years in American custody.[12] His release was announced by the US Department of Defense the next day.[13]

9/11 Commission's findings

edit

In the 9/11 Commission's final report, al-Qahtani is first introduced as "The operative likely intended to round out the team for [United 93]".[14] The 9/11 Commission reported that in a purported conversation between Mohamed Atta and Ramzi bin al-Shibh, the two referred to al-Qahtani as "the friend who is coming as a tourist" whom Mustafa al-Hawsawi was sending as “the last one” to “complete the group.”[14] Meléndez-Pérez believed that al-Qahtani had posed as a typical Saudi tourist seeking to visit Walt Disney World.[2]

Meléndez-Pérez's testimony in front of the 9/11 Commission was influential in their assessment of a possible 20th hijacker and al-Qahtani's importance to the attacks. After Meléndez-Pérez's testimony, Commission member Richard Ben-Veniste stated “It is entirely plausible to suggest your actions in doing your job efficiently and competently may well have contributed to saving the Capitol or the White House and all the people who were in those buildings, those monuments to democracy”.[15]

Mugshot of Moussaoui, 2006

Zacarias Moussaoui

edit

Zacarias Moussaoui, a French citizen of Moroccan origin, has widely been referred to as the 20th hijacker. French intelligence began tracking Moussaoui in 1996, after he was spotted with Islamic extremists in London.[16] Intelligence officials stated that Moussaoui had flown to Afghanistan multiple times to attend terrorist training camps and meet with Al-Qaeda officials in Kandahar and Jalalabad.[16][17] Moussaoui may have been considered as a replacement for Ziad Jarrah, who at one point threatened to withdraw from the scheme because of tensions amongst the plotters.[18] The 9/11 Commission stated that Moussaoui received money and information from the principal architect of the attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (KSM), throughout its planning stages.[14] Ultimately, Moussaoui did not play a role in the final hijacking scheme.

Moussaoui's supposed role and overall importance in the attacks has been the subject of debate and repeated contradictions. Intelligence officials and KSM both stated that Moussaoui was not intended to participate in the September 11 attacks, but rather a planned second wave of attacks.[16][19][20] An audio recording attributed to Osama bin Laden said in translation that Moussaoui "had no connection at all with 11 September... I am the one in charge of the 19 brothers and I never assigned brother Zacarias to be with them in that mission ... Since Zacarias Moussaoui was still learning to fly, he wasn't number 20 in the group, as your government claimed". The voice alleged to be bin Laden also suggested that Moussaoui's confession was "void" as it was a result of pressures applied during his incarceration.[21] Conversely, the 9/11 Commission remarked that had the FBI known about Moussaoui's connection with Al-Qaeda earlier, the US might conceivably have disrupted or derailed the 9/11 attacks altogether.[14] Moussaoui himself claimed that he was slated to hijack a separate plane during the attacks.[20]

Training and capture

edit

From February 26 to May 29 2001, Moussaoui attended flight training courses at Airman Flight School in Norman, Oklahoma, where he was described as a "below average" student.[22] Despite 57 hours of flying lessons, Moussaoui failed and left without ever having flown solo.[23] In August 2001, Moussaoui began taking flying lessons at Pan-Am International Flight Academy in Eagan, Minnesota.[24] Moussaoui had been wired thousands of dollars to fund his training, and he paid the bulk of his tuition in US$100 bills.[25][26] According to his classmates and instructor in Eagan, Moussaoui was immediately viewed with suspicion due to his aggression and unusual interest in flying wide-body aircraft such as a Boeing 747-400 despite his lack of experience.[26] School supervisors contacted the FBI, and Moussaoui was arrested and charged with an immigration violation on August 16.[1][24][26]

Trial

edit

During the trial, Moussaoui testified that he and "shoe bomber" Richard Reid were supposed to hijack a fifth plane on September 11 and crash it into the White House.[20] No direct connection between Moussaoui and Reid had ever before been alleged, and this testimony contradicted earlier testimony by Moussaoui that he had been intended for an operation after September 11. Moussaoui pleaded guilty in 2005 to collaborating with the other hijackers, and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in May 2006, making him the only person to be convicted in an American civilian court of a crime in connection with 9/11. Commentators have said that Moussaoui's preference to die as an identified 9/11 plotter rather than receive a life sentence as a member of an unrealized scheme throws doubt on his self-admitted connection to 9/11.[27] Moussaoui is currently held at the ADX Florence federal supermax prison in Colorado.[28]

Bin al-Shibh, circa 2023

Ramzi bin al-Shibh

edit

Ramzi bin al-Shibh was one of the first people to be labeled as the "20th hijacker" by US authorities.[29] Bin al-Shibh meant to take part in the attacks and may have been the intended hijacker-pilot of American Airlines Flight 77, but he was repeatedly denied a visa for entry into the US.[30][31] His role as one of the four hijacker-pilots preceded Hani Hanjour, as original plans for the 9/11 attacks called for bin al-Shibh to be one of the hijacker pilots along with Mohamed Atta, Marwan al-Shehhi, and Ziad Jarrah.[32] Unlike Hanjour, bin al-Shibh was a member of the Hamburg cell alongside the three other hijacker pilots.[33][34] After failing to gain a visa to enter the United States, bin al-Shibh served as an intermediary between Atta in the United States and KSM in Afghanistan.[35][36] The 9/11 Commission noted that Bin al-Shibdh had arranged to wire funding for the plot, including Moussaoui's tuition money.[14] Outside of his role in the September 11 atttacks, bin al-Shibdh is suspected of having been involved in the 2000 USS Cole bombing, and the 2002 Ghriba synagogue bombing in Tunisia.[37]

Capture and trial

edit

Bin al-Shibh has been in United States custody since he was captured in Karachi, Pakistan in 2002.[38] He was held by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) before being transferred to Guantanamo Bay in 2006.[39][40] While in custody, Bin al-Shibh underwent enhanced interrogation techniques.[41] Finally charged in 2008 before a military commission, he and four other accused planners of 9/11: KSM, Ammar al-Baluchi, Mustafa al-Hawsawi, and Walid bin Attash were jointly prosecuted and went to trial beginning in May 2012.[42] In 2023, a US military judge ruled him too psychologically damaged to defend himself after the torture he sustained while in the custody of the CIA and Guantanamo Bay.[38][43] In January 2026, a military judge rejected a government request to restart death-penalty proceedings against bin al-Shibh.[44]

Fawaz al-Nashimi

edit

According to the BBC, Fawaz al-Nashimi, also known as Turki bin Fuheid al-Muteiry, claimed to have been the "20th hijacker".[45] In 2006, US intelligence released an Al-Qaeda video showing al-Nashimi justifying attacks on the west. The US dismissed al-Nashimi's claims as propaganda.[45] Al-Nashimi took part in a May 29, 2004, attack on oil facilities in Khobar, Saudi Arabia.[46] He was killed in a June 2004 shootout with Saudi Arabian security forces.[46][47]

Other possible candidates

edit

According to the 9/11 Commission, other individuals who allegedly attempted, but were not able, to take part in the attacks were Walid bin Attash, Zakariya Essabar, Abu Bara al Yemeni, 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, and Saud al-Rashi.[14]

In addition, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the attack's mastermind, had wanted to remove Khalid al-Mihdhar from the operation, but he was overruled by Osama bin Laden.[48]

edit

The Saudi Arabian novelist Abdullah Thabit wrote a 2006 novel titled Terrorist Number 20 that became a bestseller. The book recalls his teenage years as a religious extremist and was inspired in part by Ahmed al-Nami, one of the 9/11 hijackers and a fellow resident of Abha who was vaguely familiar to Thabit. In April 2006, three months after the release of the book, Thabit was forced to move from Abha to Jeddah with his family after receiving death threats.[49]

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. 1 2 Sciutto, Jim (February 4, 2015). "New allegations of Saudi involvement in 9/11". CNN. Archived from the original on March 1, 2019. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Meléndez-Pérez, José E. (January 26, 2004). "Statement of Jose E. Melendez-Perez to the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon The United States". 9-11commission.gov. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Mayer, Jane (2008). The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned Into a War on American Ideals. New York: Anchor Books. ISBN 978-0307456298.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Eldridge, Thomas R.; Ginsburg, Susan; Hempel II, Walter T.; Kephart, Janice L.; Moore, Kelly (August 21, 2004). 9/11 and Terrorist Travel: Staff Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States. p. 30.
  5. ↑ Arena, Kelli; Redman, Justine; Shaughnessy, Larry (January 27, 2004). "Customs agent tells of stopping '20th hijacker'". CNN. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  6. ↑ Medina, Daniel A. (August 5, 2021). "Fate of Guantanamo detainee tests Biden's pledge to close facility | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  7. ↑ Eldridge, Thomas R.; Ginsburg, Susan; Hempel II, Walter T.; Kephart, Janice L.; Moore, Kelly (August 21, 2004). 9/11 and Terrorist Travel: Staff Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States. p. 31.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Recommendation for Continued Detention Under DoD Control (CD) for Guantanamo Detainee, ISN US9SA-000063DP (S)" (PDF). October 30, 2008.
  9. 1 2 Zagorin, Adam; Duffy, Michael (June 20, 2005). "Inside the Interrogation of Detainee 063". TIME. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  10. ↑ Woodward, Bob (January 14, 2009). "Guantanamo Detainee Was Tortured, Says Official Overseeing Military Trials". ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved May 10, 2026.
  11. ↑ Weaver, Christopher (January 14, 2009). "Bush Administration Official Calls Torture 'Torture'". ProPublica. Retrieved May 10, 2026.
  12. ↑ Rosenberg, Carol (March 7, 2022). "'20th Hijacker' Is Returned to Saudi Arabia for Mental Health Care". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 10, 2026.
  13. ↑ "US sends home suspected '20th hijacker' from Guantanamo". AP News. March 7, 2022. Retrieved May 10, 2026.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States (2004). The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 0-393-06041-1. Retrieved February 28, 2010.
  15. ↑ Lytle, Tamara (January 27, 2004). "9-11 PANEL LAUDS OIA AGENT". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  16. 1 2 3 Bonner, Raymond; Frantz, Douglas (July 28, 2002). "French Suspect Moussaoui in Post-9/11 Plot". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 10, 2026.
  17. ↑ Hertzberg, Hendrik (May 8, 2006). "Sentenced". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved May 10, 2026.
  18. ↑ Eggen, Dan (April 23, 2005). "Questions Linger on Moussaoui's Role in 9/11". www.washingtonpost.com. Retrieved May 10, 2026.
  19. ↑ "Substitution for the Testimony of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed - Wikisource, the free online library". en.wikisource.org. Retrieved May 10, 2026.
  20. 1 2 3 Hirschkorn, Phil (March 27, 2006). "CNN.com - Moussaoui: White House was my 9/11 target - Mar 27, 2006". www.cnn.com. Retrieved May 10, 2026.
  21. ↑ Bin Laden tape: Bin Laden: Moussaoui Not Linked to 9/11. Associated Press (2006-05-24)
  22. ↑ Hirschkorn, Phil (March 9, 2006). "Moussaoui was a flight school washout". www.cnn.com. Retrieved May 10, 2026.
  23. ↑ Hersh, Seymour M. (September 23, 2002). "The Twentieth Man". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved May 10, 2026.
  24. 1 2 Norton-Taylor, Richard (July 22, 2004). "British link that got low priority treatment". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved May 10, 2026.
  25. ↑ Bohn, Kevin (January 25, 2008). "Instructors seek recognition in Moussaoui case - CNN.com". edition.cnn.com. Retrieved May 10, 2026.
  26. 1 2 3 "Witnesses Call Moussaoui Suspicious - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. March 8, 2006. Retrieved May 10, 2026.
  27. ↑ Serrano, Richard A. In Court, Two 20th Hijackers Stand Up. Archived 19 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine Los Angeles Times (2006-04-03.)
  28. ↑ "U.S. Marshals Deliver Zacarias Moussaoui to ADMAX Prison". www.usmarshals.gov. Archived from the original on January 9, 2009. Retrieved May 10, 2026.
  29. ↑ McChesney, John (November 15, 2001). "20th Hijacker". NPR. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  30. ↑ Smith, Elliot Blair (September 17, 2002). "U.S. blood 'all over his hands'". USA Today. Archived from the original on July 14, 2012. Retrieved February 13, 2007.
  31. ↑ "CNN.com - Al-Jazeera offers accounts of 9/11 planning". edition.cnn.com. September 12, 2002. Retrieved May 10, 2026.
  32. ↑ McDermott, Terry (2005). Perfect Soldiers. Harper. ISBN 9780060584702.
  33. ↑ Fainaru, Steve; Ibrahim, Alia (September 10, 2002). "Mysterious Trip to Flight 77 Cockpit". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved May 10, 2026.
  34. ↑ Arena, Kelli; Koppel, Andrea; Ensor, David; Quraishi, Ash-Har (September 17, 2002). "CNN.com - Binalshibh to go to third country for questioning". edition.cnn.com. Retrieved May 10, 2026.
  35. ↑ "Al-Jazeera reporter speaks on terrorist plans". Lateline / ABC (Australia). September 30, 2002. Archived from the original on November 12, 2007. Retrieved March 25, 2007.
  36. ↑ McKay, Mary-Jayne (March 5, 2003). "The Mastermind". CBS News. Archived from the original on October 20, 2002. Retrieved March 25, 2007.
  37. ↑ "Ramzi Binalshibh: al-Qaeda suspect". September 14, 2002. Retrieved May 10, 2026.
  38. 1 2 "Trial Guide: The Sept. 11 Case at Guantánamo Bay". Archived from the original on October 22, 2025. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
  39. ↑ "Trial of suspected 9/11 mastermind resumes – DW – 09/07/2021". dw.com. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
  40. ↑ "Mosque at the centre of 'Hamburg cell' in the spotlight again". The Guardian. October 7, 2010. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
  41. ↑ "Trial Guide: The Sept. 11 Case at Guantánamo Bay". Archived from the original on October 22, 2025. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
  42. ↑ Rath, Arun (May 7, 2012). "In 9/11 Trial, A Struggle For Control". FRONTLINE | PBS | Official Site | Documentary Series. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  43. ↑ "Judge rules 9/11 defendant unfit for trial after CIA torture made him psychotic". The Guardian. September 22, 2023. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  44. ↑ Rosenberg, Carol (January 14, 2026). "Judge Rejects Effort to Return Man Accused in 9/11 Plot to Guantánamo Trial". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  45. 1 2 "'Al-Qaeda video' of 20th hijacker". BBC. June 21, 2006. Archived from the original on August 20, 2006. Retrieved June 21, 2006.
  46. 1 2 "Al Qaeda IDs A Would-Be 20th Hijacker - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. June 21, 2006. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  47. ↑ Shrader, Katherine (June 21, 2006). "al-Qaida Video Shows Alleged 20th Hijacker". Associated Press. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved June 23, 2006.
  48. ↑ Kean, Thomas; et al. (July 22, 2004). Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (PDF). US Government Printing Office. p. 237. ISBN 0-16-072304-3. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 31, 2006. Retrieved October 5, 2006.
  49. ↑ "Interview with Abdullah Thabit in Washington Post - R A Y A - agency for Arabic literature". rayaagency.org. Archived from the original on July 14, 2018. Retrieved January 9, 2012.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=20th_hijacker&oldid=1354347287"