Newsgroup: it.politica.internazionale
Titolo: 9/11 Personaggi

1993-1999: Alhazmi and Almihdhar Fight for al-Qaeda
Nawaf Alhazmi (left), and Khalid Almihdhar (right). [Source: FBI]
Of all the 9/11 hijackers, Nawaf Alhazmi and Khalid Almihdhar have the
longest records of involvement with al-Qaeda.
CIA Director Tenet calls them al-Qaeda veterans. According to the CIA,
Alhazmi first travels to Afghanistan in 1993 as a teenager.
In 1995, he travels with Almihdhar to Bosnia and fights against the Serbs.
 Almihdhar makes his first visit to Afghanistan training camps in 1996,
and then fights in Chechnya in 1997.
Both swear loyalty to bin Laden around 1998.
Alhazmi fights in Afghanistan against the Northern Alliance with his
brother, Salem Alhazmi.
 He fights in Chechnya, probably in 1998.
He returns to Saudi Arabia in early 1999 and shares information about the
1998 US embassy bombings.
 [Observer, 10/23/2001; ABC News, 2/9/2002; Los Angeles Times, 10/1/2002; US
Congress, 8/24/2003

Spring 1996-December 23, 2000: United Arab Emirates Army Sends Alshehhi to
Germany
Marwan Alshehhi, a United Arab Emirates (UAE) national, volunteered for the
UAE army shortly after leaving high school (presumably in late 1995, based
on his age).
After going through basic training, in the spring of 1996 he is granted a
college scholarship to Germany, paid for by the UAE army.
Alshehhi is to learn German, then study marine engineering.
The scholarship is accompanied by a monthly stipend of around $2,200.
Alshehhi will continue to receive this stipend even after he drops out of
school in Germany and begins attending flight school in the US.
The stipend comes to an end in December 2000. [9/11 Commission, 9/21/2004 ;
McDermott, 2005]
People and organizations involved: United Arab Emirates, Marwan Alshehhi
1998-2000: Atta and Alshehhi Are Seen Living in Philippines Hijackers
Mohamed Atta and Marwan Alshehhi live periodically in the town of Mabalacat,
Philippines.
They stay in the Woodland Resort hotel and apparently learn to fly planes at
a nearby flight school.
Although Philippine and US investigators have not been able to confirm their
presence in Mabalacat, locals are certain they saw them frequently partying,
drinking alcohol, sleeping with local women, and consorting with many other,
Unknown Arabs (most of whom disappear shortly before 9/11).
For instance, according to a former waitress at the hotel, Alshehhi throws a
party in December 1999 with six or seven Arab friends: "They rented the open
area by the swimming pool for 1,000 pesos. They drank Johnnie Walker Black
Label whiskey... They came in big vehicles, and they had a lot of money.
They all had girlfriends."
Several employees recall Atta staying at the hotel during the summer of
1999, acting unfriendly and cheap.
One hotel employee claims that most of the guests were Arab, and many took
flying lessons at the nearby school.
These witnesses claim the two used aliases, but the other Arabs referred to
Atta as "Mohamed."
[International Herald Tribune, 11/5/2001; Manila Times, 11/2/2001;
Associated Press, 10/28/2001]
Apparently, other hijackers and 9/11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed visit
the Philippines during this time.
However, according to the official version of events, Atta and Alshehhi are
in Hamburg, Germany, during this time. Atta is still working on his thesis,
which he completes in late 1999. [Australian Broadcasting Corporation,
12/12/2001]
People and organizations involved: Mohamed Atta, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed,
Marwan Alshehhi