report, interrogation of Ali Abdul Aziz Ali, Feb. 11, 2004. On Jarrah, see German BKA report, investigative sum-
mary re Jarrah, July 18, 2002. Following his sudden decision to study aircraft engineering in Hamburg, Jarrah had
expressed interest in becoming a pilot around the end of 1998, well before he traveled to Afghanistan. According
to Senguen, Jarrah told her about friends of his who had interrupted their studies to join the Germany army so
that they could become pilots. Jarrah's pre-Afghanistan interest in aviation also is confirmed by a January 22, 1999,
email recovered after the September 11, 2001, attacks, in which Jarrah told a friend from Beirut that he might "come
next year and . . . have something to tell about airplanes." Ibid. On Binalshibh, see Intelligence report, interroga-
tion of Binalshibh, Sept. 24, 2002.
2001 arrest, the FBI discovered among his possessions a fax copy of an advertisement for U.S. flight schools.Accord-
ing to Binalshibh, notes in the margin of the advertisement were written by Atta. Intelligence report, interrogation
of Binalshibh, Dec. 19, 2002.
significance was known.
Binalshibh, July 4, 2002. Atta had twice explored the possibility of obtaining a U.S. green card shortly before his
November 1999 trip to Afghanistan. FBI report, "Summary of Penttbom Investigation," Feb. 29, 2004, p. 8. Both
Binalshibh and Jarrah listed the same person as a point of contact in the United States, an Indonesian national who
had previously lived in Hamburg. Although this individual knew some members of the Hamburg cell, including
Mohamed Atta and Razmi Binalshibh, there is no indication that any of the hijackers actually contacted him while
they were in the United States. See German BKA report, investigative summary re Jarrah, July 18, 2002. Binalshibh
had applied for a visa years earlier along with Fuad Bazarah, a co-worker in Yemen whose father contacted the U.S.
embassy on Binalshibh's behalf. Bazarah obtained a visa application and moved to Los Angeles, but Binalshibh's
application was denied. Bazarah would later live in Los Angeles with Ramez Noaman, an individual who knew
Nawaf al Hazmi in San Diego. FBI electronic communication,"Penttbom," Oct. 23, 2001.
of Abu Zubaydah, see, e.g., Intelligence report, biographical information on Abu Zubayda, Feb. 25, 2002.Al Qaeda
also relied on outside travel facilitators, including fraudulent document vendors, corrupt officials, travel agencies,
and smugglers, to help move operatives around the world by obtaining fraudulent documents, arranging visas (real
or fake), making airline reservations, etc. See CIA analytic report,"Clandestine Travel Facilitators: Key Enablers of
Terrorism," Dec. 31, 2002; CIA analytic report, Al Qaeda travel issues, Jan. 2004.
including ones in counterfeiting and seal removal. Intelligence report, interrogation of al Qaeda associates,Apr. 11,
2002.Atta reportedly learned alteration techniques in Afghanistan, cleaning Ramzi Binalshibh's passport of its Pak-
istani visa and travel cachets. CIA analytic report, Al Qaeda travel issues, Jan. 2004, p. 1.
110. Intelligence report, interrogation of KSM, July 25, 2003.A small amount of the plot's backing came from
through December 23, 2000. Binalshibh apparently used some of this money to wire just over $10,000 to Shehhi
in the United States and pay some of his own plot-related expenses. Adam Drucker interview (Jan. 12, 2004); FBI
Report,"Summary of Penttbom Investigation," Feb. 29, 2004, pp. 2022.
(Mar. 2, 2004).
members in the United States, helped the U.S. government revise its understanding of Bin Ladin's wealth. Rick
Newcomb interview (Feb. 4, 2004);William Wechsler interview (Jan. 7, 2004).
Meeting Regarding UBL Finances," Feb. 27, 2000; DOS cable, Riyadh 000475, "The Saudi Binladin Group:
Builders to the King," Feb. 16, 1999;Treasury memo, Office of Foreign Asset Control to DOS, Draft Cable on Meet-