interviewed many times by the FBI and once by us--has provided various accounts of how he first met them. See
also FBI electronic communication, Penttbom investigation, Oct. 3, 2001. On Mihdhar's travels, see Interview (Apr.
23, 2004); FBI report, "Summary of Penttbom Investigation," Feb. 29, 2004 (classified version), p. 46. On Hazmi's
departure, see FBI report,"San Diego Brief to 9/11 Commission," June 26, 2003, p. 18.
Airport on September 11. On the wire transfer, see FBI report of investigation, interview, Sept. 17, 2001.After 9/11,
the mosque administrator came forward because he feared he had unwittingly aided the hijackers. He recalled Hazmi
and Mihdhar arriving at the mosque on their own and describing themselves as clerks employed by the Saudi Ara-
bian government.The two said they needed help finding a school where they could study English, which neither
spoke well enough, in the administrator's opinion, to permit them to become pilots. The administrator also sus-
pected that Mihdhar might have been an intelligence agent of the Saudi government.After first declining Hazmi's
request for a loan, the administrator agreed to permit him to use the administrator's bank account to receive the
$5,000 wire transfer. Claiming to have been suspicious of the entire transaction, the administrator distanced him-
self from Hazmi and Mihdhar, but not before they had received the assistance they needed. Ibid.We have no evi-
dence contradicting the administrator's account.
tance, see Richard L. Lambert prepared statement, June 26, 2003, p. 7; FBI electronic communication,"Jay Steven
Barlow," Sept. 24, 2002. On April 12, 2000, Hazmi registered for a one-month class in conversational English. FBI
report,"Hijackers Timeline," Nov. 14, 2003 (Apr. 12, 2000, entry, citing Bank of America records).
interviewed unless he was released from custody.The U.S. Department of Justice declined to obtain an order of use
immunity so that Abdullah's testimony could be compelled. See Commission letter to Daniel Levin, DOJ, Dec. 31,
2003; DOJ letter, Daniel Levin to the Commission, Jan. 5, 2004. On Abdullah's deportation, see FBI electronic com-
munication, Abdullah investigation, July 1, 2004. Abdullah appears to be at liberty in Yemen, although he claims
Yemeni authorities are watching him. H. G. Reza, "Deported Friend of Terrorists in Report," Los Angeles Times,
June 17, 2004, p. A31.
tion, interview of Omar Bakarbashat, Sept. 17, 2001; FBI electronic communication, Penttbom investigation, Apr.
11, 2002. Another associate of Hazmi and Mihdhar allegedly referred to them after the September 11 attacks as
"more than heroes." FBI letterhead memorandum,"Diah Thabet," Oct. 25, 2002.
tigation, the FBI learned that Aulaqi knew individuals from the Holy Land Foundation and others involved in rais-
ing money for the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas. Sources alleged that Aulaqi had other extremist connections.
FBI electronic communication, background searches, Feb. 3, 2000; FBI report of investigation, interview, Sept. 24,
2001; FBI electronic communication, interview, Oct. 8, 2002. None of this information was considered strong
enough to support a criminal prosecution. For evidence of possible early contacts between Hazmi/Mihdhar and
Aulaqi, see Steve O. interview (Nov. 17, 2003), noting that four calls took place between Aulaqi's phone and Bay-
oumi's phone on February 4, 2000, the day Bayoumi helped Hazmi and Mihdhar find an apartment and perhaps
lent them his phone.
of the mosque and, on one occasion, leaving the room just after Aulaqi, at the conclusion of a meeting. FBI reports
of investigation, interviews of Samir Abdoun, Oct. 28, 2001; May 15, 2002; FBI report of investigation, interview
of Anwar Aulaqi, Sept. 25, 2001; FBI electronic communication, Penttbom investigation, Sept. 15, 2002.
35. Aulaqi took a position at the Dar al Hijra mosque in early 2001. By the time we sought to interview him
in Yemen, working with U.S. agencies and the Yemeni government, as well as other governments that might have
knowledge of his whereabouts.Those attempts were unsuccessful.
view of Omar Bakarbashat, Sept. 17, 2001; FBI report of investigation, interview of Ramez Noaman, Oct. 1, 2001.
On April 4, 2000, Hazmi took his first flying lesson, a one-hour introductory session at the National Air College
in San Diego. Exactly one month later, Hazmi and Mihdhar purchased flight equipment from an instructor at the