In late January 2000, 9/11 hujackers Khalid Al-Mihdhar and Nawaf Al-Hazmi both traveled to Los Angeles and then moved to San Diego, where they associated with a former subject of an FBI investigation and also lived with a long-time FBI asset. 19 days prior to September 11, 2001, the CIA notifies the FBI to add Khalid al-Midhar and Nawaf al-Hazmi to the terrorist watchlist. This was all covered by then FBI Director Robert Mueller.
From: A Review of the FBI’s Handling of Intelligence Information Related to the September 11 Attacks
Special Report
(November 2004), Released Publicly June 2006
Office of the Inspector General, Justice.gov:“While in San Diego, September 11 Hijackers: Khalid Al-Mihdhar and Nawaf Al-Hazmi associated with Omar al-Bayoumi, a person whom the FBI had previously investigated, and they also lived with an active, FBI informational asset.“
- In early January 2000, Mihdhar traveled to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where he met with other al Qaeda operatives. Intelligence information developed by the CIA in early 2000 revealed that Mihdhar was a suspected al Qaeda operative, he traveled to Malaysia to meet with other al Qaeda operatives, and he had a multiple-entry U.S. visa. The CIA also discovered in March 2000 that Hazmi had traveled to Los Angeles in January 2000.
- In late January 2000, Mihdhar and Hazmi both traveled to Los Angeles and then moved to San Diego, where they associated with a former subject of an FBI investigation and also lived with a long-time FBI asset.156
- In late December 2000 and early January 2001, a reliable joint FBI/CIA source provided information related to the FBI’s ongoing investigation of the attack on the U.S.S. Cole.157 The source’s information linked Hazmi and Mihdhar with the purported mastermind of the Cole attack.
- In the summer of 2001, the CIA and the FBI had various interactions regarding the FBI’s investigation of the Cole attack. These interactions touched on the participants in the January 2000 Malaysia meetings and information developed by the CIA about the Malaysia meetings.
- In August 2001, the FBI learned that Mihdhar had entered the United States on July 4 and began searching for him in early September 2001. It also learned that the purported mastermind of the Cole attack had met with Mihdhar and Hazmi in the Malaysia meetings. The FBI did not locate him before the September 11 attacks.
Michael Loyman