The five detainees

November 14, 2009|Associated Press

▸ Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who admitted to interrogators that he was the mastermind of the attacks. Born in Pakistan, he allegedly proposed the concept to Osama bin Laden as early as 1996, obtained funding, oversaw the operation, and trained the hijackers in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

▸ Waleed bin Attash, a Yemeni better known as Khallad, allegedly ran an Al Qaeda training camp in Afghanistan, where two of the 19 hijackers were trained, and is believed to have been bin Laden’s bodyguard. Authorities say bin Laden selected him as a hijacker, but he was detained in Yemen in early 2001.

▸ Ramzi Binalshibh, a Yemeni, allegedly helped find flight schools for the hijackers, helped them enter the United States, and assisted with financing the operation. He allegedly was selected to be a hijacker and made a “martyr video’’ in preparation for the operation, but he was unable to get a US visa.

▸ Ali Abd al-Aziz Ali, also known as Ammar Al-Baluchi, allegedly helped nine of the hijackers travel to the United States and sent them $120,000 for expenses and flight training.

▸Mustafa Ahmad al-Hawsawi, a Saudi, allegedly helped the hijackers with money, clothing, traveler’s checks, and credit cards.