Who Is Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Mastermind Behind the 9/11 Attacks?

Photo : AFP

Washington: Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the mastermind behind the September 11, 2001, hijackings, which stand as the deadliest attacks on US soil, has devoted his life to orchestrating plots against the West. Known within extremist circles as "mukhtar" (the chosen one) or "the brain," but mocked as "KFC" for his love of fried chicken, Mohammed, also referred to as "KSM," was captured in Pakistan in March 2003.

Regarded as one of Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden's most trusted and intelligent lieutenants, Mohammed's capture led to three years in secret CIA prisons before his transfer in 2006 to the US naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Nearly 20 years later, the Pentagon announced on Wednesday that Mohammed and two of his accomplices had reached a deal with prosecutors, which will reportedly spare them from a death penalty trial.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, around 60 years old and a trained engineer, played a role in numerous major plots against the United States, where he attended university and earned an engineering degree. His most notorious operation, the 9/11 attacks, resulted in nearly 3,000 deaths after hijacked planes crashed into New York’s Twin Towers and the Pentagon in Washington, with another plane going down in a Pennsylvania field.

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In addition to the 9/11 attacks, Mohammed claims to have been involved in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, which killed six people, and to have personally beheaded US journalist Daniel Pearl in 2002.

Born in the mid-1960s to a Pakistani family residing in Kuwait, Mohammed's roots trace back to Baluchistan, a turbulent Pakistani region bordering Afghanistan. His path towards violent jihad began at 16 when he joined the Muslim Brotherhood, an anti-Zionist activist group. In 1983, he moved to the United States for his studies, staying with a small group of Arabs from Kuwait. According to biographer Richard Miniter, Mohammed's negative experiences in the US, including a brief jail stint over unpaid bills, likely fueled his terrorist ambitions.

In 1987, Mohammed traveled to Afghanistan, joining the mujahedeen in their fight against the Soviet invasion. His time in Afghanistan lasted until 1992, after which he moved to Bosnia and Herzegovina to join Muslim fighters against the Serbs, as detailed in the 9/11 Commission report.

Mohammed first gained notoriety with a failed 1995 plot, Operation Bojinka, which aimed to blow up US airliners over the Pacific. Prior to this, he had helped finance the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, orchestrated by his nephew Ramzi Youssef, which killed six and injured over 1,000.

In the late 1980s, Mohammed fought alongside Bin Laden in Afghanistan, but their close relationship developed a decade later. By then, Mohammed was orchestrating what would become the September 11, 2001, attacks. "Bin Laden realized that this difficult little man was absolutely essential for turning AQ into the kind of organization he wanted," said Miniter.

Mohammed's involvement in Al-Qaeda extended to nearly every major plot until his arrest. However, experts caution that it is improbable for one individual to have been central to all these plans. "He's obviously a smart guy, but he's not a genius... He didn't do the impossible," remarked Terry McDermott, co-author of "The Hunt for KSM."

Much of what is known about Mohammed comes from interrogation transcripts released by the Pentagon. During his years in US custody, Mohammed was waterboarded 183 times, a technique condemned as torture by rights groups. This treatment contributed to prolonged delays in his trial due to ongoing legal challenges.

In his reported confessions, Mohammed described himself as the "military operational commander" for all Al-Qaeda foreign operations, stating, "I'm not making myself a hero." At a 2008 hearing in Guantanamo, his first public appearance since his capture, he declared, "I'm looking to be a martyr for a long time."

Now, as Mohammed and his accomplices prepare to avoid the death penalty, his legacy as a key figure in Al-Qaeda's history and his role in the 9/11 attacks remain etched in the annals of global terrorism.

Aug. 2, 2024 10:39 a.m. 537

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