KSMs Transatlantic Shoe Bomb Plot

www.nefafoundation.org

Report #11 in a NEFA series, Target: America A NEFA analysis of the Richard Reid/Sajid Badat Shoe Bomb Plot September 2007

Mastermind Senior Al-Qaida Official

During a March 2007 hearing at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (KSM) admitted, I was responsible for the Shoe Bomber Operation to down two American airplanes.1 KSMs confession confirmed information released by the Director of National Intelligence in September 2006. In announcing the transfer of 14 high value terrorist detainees from CIA black sites to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the DNI revealed the role played by KSMs nephew Ammar al-Balucchi: In late 2001 in Afghanistan, KSM directed Ammar to be the communications intermediary between al-Qaida and shoe bombers Richard Reid and Saajid Badat.2 (In addition to assisting the shoe bomb plot, Ammar played an important role in the 9/11 plot by transferring money to US-based operatives and acting as a travel facilitator to hijackers transiting the UAE3)

KSM Enlisted Another 9/11 Plotter to Assist the Plot

British-Based Plotter Richard Reid

In October 2002, British citizen Richard Reid (a.k.a. Abdul-Raheem) pled guilty in a Massachusetts federal court to eight charges, including placing an explosive device on an aircraft and attempted murder.4 In January 2003, Reid was sentenced to life in prison and ordered to pay a $2 million fine.5

Reids Target - American Airlines Flight 63 from Paris to Miami

A government court filing summarizes Reids attempt to destroy a U.S.-bound commercial airliner:

Verbatim Transcript of Combatant Status Review Tribunal Hearing for ISN 10024, U.S. Department of Defense, Revised as of March 15, 2007, http://www.nefafoundation.org/miscellaneous/Barot/DOD_KSM.pdf. 2 Biographies of High Value Terrorist Detainees Transferred to the US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Biography of Ali Abd al-Aziz Ali (a.k.a. Ammar al-Baluchi), Office of the Director of National Intelligence, September 16, 2006, http://nefafoundation.org/web/miscellaneous/shoebomb/dni_bio.pdf. 3 Biographies of High Value Terrorist Detainees Transferred to the US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Biography of Ali Abd al-Aziz Ali (a.k.a. Ammar al-Baluchi), Office of the Director of National Intelligence, September 16, 2006, http://nefafoundation.org/web/miscellaneous/shoebomb/dni_bio.pdf. 4 U.S. v. Reid, (D.C. MA.), 02-CR-10013-WGY, Judgment in a Criminal Case, Filed January 31, 2003 and Reid Pleads Guilty, CNN, October 4, 2002. 5 U.S. v. Reid, (D.C. MA.), 02-CR-10013-WGY, Judgment in a Criminal Case, Filed January 31, 2003.

KSMs Transatlantic Shoe Bomb Plot

On December 22nd, [2001], the defendant boarded American Airlines Flight 63 in Paris FranceThe flight was nearly full, with 184 passengers and 14 crew membersThe defendant was seated in Seat 29J on Flight 63, a window seat aft of the wing of the aircraftBetween two and onehalf to three hours outside of Paris, the man in Seat 29H left his seat to use the restroom.6 Continuing in their account of the sequence of events, federal prosecutors stated: At that time, the defendant removed his ankle-high hiking shoes. Each shoe contained a sophisticated explosive device of substantially identical design. The sole of the shoes consisted of waffle-patterned cushioning cells, many of which had been packed with a quantity of plastic highexplosive. [The] detonating cord, containing a small quantity of highexplosive and designed to propagate the explosion-induced shock waveto ensure complete detonation, was laced through the shoes cushioning cells filed with plastic explosive. An improvised detonator was fashioned from a paper tube filled with a quantity of non-commercial explosive. A safety fuse containing black power ran from the detonator and was accessible through the inner sole of the shoe.7 Next, Reid took his right shoe and pulled the free end of the safety fuse through the inner sole and out of the shoe. He then attempted to ignite the safety fuse through the use of matches he had brought onto the aircraft. He lit approximately six matches in an effort to ignite the safety fuse, melting the end of the safety fuse in the process. However, he was not able to ignite the black powder in the safety fuse before he was restrained8 by passengers and crew members.9 A different government court filing notes that an FBI analysis determined that the devices in Reids shoes were functioning explosive devices capable of exploding if the safety fuse had been properly ignited. 10 The devices were made of TATP, PETN, and

U.S. v. Reid, (D.C. MA.), 02-CR-10013-WGY, Governments State of Relevant Facts Provided at Defendants October 4, 2002 Rule 11 Hearing. 7 U.S. v. Reid, (D.C. MA.), 02-CR-10013-WGY, Governments State of Relevant Facts Provided at Defendants October 4, 2002 Rule 11 Hearing. 8 Reid was restrained in his seat by means of belts, seat-belt extenders and flexicuffs. See: U.S. v. Reid, (D.C. MA.), 02-CR-10013-WGY, Governments State of Relevant Facts Provided at Defendants October 4, 2002 Rule 11 Hearing. Note: Cathy Booth Thomas, 11 Lives: The Flight Attendants, Time, September 1, 2002 provides an extensive account of the struggle to subdue Reid. 9 U.S. v. Reid, (D.C. MA.), 02-CR-10013-WGY, Governments Statement of Relevant Facts Provided at Defendants October 4, 2002 Rule 11 Hearing. 10 U.S. v. Reid, (D.C. MA.), 02-CR-10013-WGY, Governments Sentencing Memorandum, Filed January 17, 2003.

www.nefafoundation.org info@nefafoundation.org

KSMs Transatlantic Shoe Bomb Plot

other components.11 Moreover, the FBI assessed that if either device had been placed near or against the interior wall of the aircraft at Seat 29Jthe resulting explosion would have breached the outside skin of the aircraft.12

British-Based Plotter Sajid Badat

In April 2005, Sajid Badat, a British Al-Qaida operative, was sentenced to 13 years in prison in England13 after pleading guilty in February 2005 to conspiracy to destroy, damage or endanger an aircraft.14 According to U.S. court documents, Badat admitted that he was asked to conduct a shoe bombing like Reid.15 Badat has also been indicted in Massachusetts federal court on a number of charges, including conspiracy to destroy an aircraft and conspiracy to commit homicide.16 Federal prosecutors asserted he conspired with Reid to detonate homemade bombs hidden in shoes on American aircraft in 2001.17

Badats Target An Unidentified U.S.-Bound Commercial Airliner

According to British prosecutor Richard Horwell, Reid and Badat left Pakistan within days of each other and planned to participate in corresponding and simultaneous attacks on passenger aircraft flights from Europe to America. He added, if they had succeeded, the loss of life would have been considerable...18

Badat Abandoned the Plot

Unlike Reid, Badat lost his nerve and withdrew from the plot at the last moment, telling police he wanted to get away from danger and introduce some calm in his life.19 Email exchanges between Badat and his handlers, cited in British court proceedings, reveal his handlers anxiety about his commitment as they inquired, What else is wrong and whats up? Shortly before Badat was to launch his attack, Badat emailed those contacts to inform them that he was having big problems and was

British National Indicted for Conspiring with Shoe Bomber Richard Reid, Department of Justice Press Release, October 4, 2004, http://nefafoundation.org/web/miscellaneous/shoebomb/U.S._v_Badat_DOJPRIndictment.pdf and Republic of France v. Rama, Magistrates Court of Paris, File number 0413839059, Judgment, Filed June 16, 2005. 12 U.S. v. Reid, (D.C. MA.), 02-CR-10013-WGY, Governments Sentencing Memorandum, Filed January 17, 2003. 13 U.K. Shoe-Bomb Conspirator Sentenced to 13 Years, Associated Press, April 22, 2005. 14 Guilty Plea in Shoe Bombing Case, CNN, February 28, 2005. 15 U.S. v. Badat, (D.C. MA.), 04-10223-GAO, Superseding Indictment, Filed October 4, 2004. 16 U.S. v. Badat, (D.C. MA.), 04-10223-GAO, Superseding Indictment, Filed October 4, 2004. 17 British National Indicted for Conspiring with Shoe Bomber Richard Reid, Department of Justice Press Release, October 4, 2004, http://nefafoundation.org/web/miscellaneous/shoebomb/U.S._v_Badat_DOJPRIndictment.pdf. Note: Additionally, the U.S. State Department designated Badat a Foreign Terrorist on December 19, 2005. See: Terrorist Designation of Sajid Badat, State Department Press Release, December 19, 2005, http://nefafoundation.org/web/miscellaneous/shoebomb/statedept_badat.pdf. 18 Would-Be Suicide Bomber Gets 13 Years, The Guardian, April 22, 2005. 19 Gloucester Shoebomber Jailed for 13 Years, Times Online, April 22, 2005.

11

www.nefafoundation.org info@nefafoundation.org

KSMs Transatlantic Shoe Bomb Plot

having trouble playing any sport whatsoever. He added, you will have to tell Van Damme that he could be on his own.20 During court proceedings, British prosecutor Richard Horwell provided further detail on Badats withdrawal from the plot, stating: He had booked a ticket to fly from Manchester to Amsterdam in preparation for an onward flight to the United States on which the explosive device would be initiated. But he did not take that flight. We accept by then he had withdrawn from the conspiracyThe device he brought with him to the UK was kept at his home. He had separated the fuse and the detonator from the plastic explosive.21 When sentencing Badat to 13 years in prison, a British judge commented that Badat had had a genuine change of heart and that turning away from crime in circumstances such as these constitutes a powerful mitigating factor.22

Procuring the Shoe Bombs

Badats U.S indictment asserts that Badat procured his shoe bomb in Afghanistan.23 When pointing authorities to the shoe bomb in his house at the time of his November 27, 2003 arrest, Badat reportedly said, I did not know how to dispose ofAn Arab gave me these things in Afghanistan.24 Badats U.S. indictment leaves Reids procurement of his shoe bomb shrouded in mystery, declaring that he received it at a time unknown.25 A French court document reports that Reid claimed to have found the information required to make the explosives on the Internet, to have bought the ingredients in Amsterdam for 1,500 dollars, to have set up the device and placed it in the soles of his shoes. Then, he stated, he had the shoe stitched up by a professional and wore them uneventfully for one month." 26 However, French authorities believe that Reid did not have the necessary technical knowledge for designing the device and that the explosive device integrated into the shoes was assembled in this country. 27

Reid and Badats Shoe Bombs were Essentially Identical

When charging Badat, the U.S. Department of Justice noted the shoe bombs obtained by Badat were substantially similar to the shoe bombs obtained by Reid.28 In British court, Richard Horwell echoed this conclusion, stating they were essentially identical in chemical composition.29

Gloucester Shoebomber Jailed for 13 Years, Times Online, April 22, 2005. Terror Suspect Admits Plane Plot, BBC, February 28, 2005. 22 Shoebomb Plotter Given 13 Years, BBC, April 22, 2005. 23 U.S. v. Badat, (D.C. MA.), 04-10223-GAO, Superseding Indictment, Filed October 4, 2004. 24 Gloucester Shoebomber Jailed for 13 Years, Times Online, April 22, 2005. 25 U.S. v. Badat, (D.C. MA.), 04-10223-GAO, Superseding Indictment, Filed October 4, 2004. 26 Republic of France v. Rama, Magistrates Court of Paris, File number 0413839059, Judgment, Filed June 16, 2005. 27 Republic of France v. Rama, Magistrates Court of Paris, File number 0413839059, Judgment, Filed June 16, 2005. 28 U.S. v. Badat, (D.C. MA.), 04-10223-GAO, Superseding Indictment, Filed October 4, 2004. 29 Gloucester Shoebomber Jailed for 13 Years, Times Online, April 22, 2005.
21

20

www.nefafoundation.org info@nefafoundation.org

KSMs Transatlantic Shoe Bomb Plot

Badat and Reid Attended Al-Qaida Training Camps

During court proceedings, British prosecutors revealed that Badat received training in both Afghanistan and Pakistan;30 he reportedly attended both the Khalden and Daruntag camps in Afghanistan.31 Similarly, Reid attended an Al-Qaida training camp (Khalden) in Afghanistan,32 where he allegedly was trained by Al-Qaida master bomb maker Midhat Mursi (a.k.a. Abu Khabab al-Masri).33 Reid reportedly trained alongside convicted terrorists Ahmed Ressam and Zacarias Moussaoui.34 (Labeling Moussaoui and Reid close associates, U.S. prosecutors noted that in his last will, Reid named Abu Khalid Sawahiri (Moussaoui) as the beneficiary of his belongings upon his passing.35) Additionally, a French court document asserts that Reid took part in combat on the frontlines in support of the Taliban between April 1999 and March 2001.36 time.37 British prosecutors believe Reid and Badat were in Afghanistan at the same

Reid Scouted Airport Security

On July 12, 2001, Reid flew into Tel Aviv, Israel on El Al Airlines. In the following weeks, Reid traveled within Israel and also visited Egypt, Turkey, and Pakistan. The U.S. governments sentencing memorandum in Reids case states, During his trip, Reid focused on El Al security at the airports and aboard his flight. He later claimed that the idea of placing explosives in his shoes came from his observations of El Al security, and the fact that security personnel did not check the insides of his shoes.38 In a report on his travels, later found on Al-Qaida number two Ayman alZawahiris computer in Afghanistan, Reid documented ten questions El Al security asked him, including, why do you want to go to Israel?. 39 El Al spokesman Nachman Klieman reported that the red light went off immediately because of the way he answered questions.40

Guilty Plea in Shoe Bombing Case, CNN, February 28, 2005. Mark Honigsbaum and Vikram Dodd, From Gloucester to Afghanistan: The Making of a Shoe Bomber, The Guardian, March 5, 2005. 32 Sources: Reid is al Qaeda Operative, CNN, December 6, 2003. 33 Habibullah Khan and Brian Ross, U.S. Strike Killed Al Qaeda Bomb Maker, ABC News, January 18, 2006. 34 Sources: Reid is al Qaeda Operative, CNN, December 6, 2003. 35 U.S. v. Moussaoui, (E.D. VA.), CR-No-01-455A, Stipulation Regarding Richard Reid, Filed April 20, 2006. 36 Republic of France v. Rama, Magistrates Court of Paris, File number 0413839059, Judgment, Filed June 16, 2005. 37 Gloucester Shoebomber Jailed for 13 Years, Times Online, April 22, 2005. 38 U.S. v. Reid, (D.C. MA.), 02-CR-10013-WGY, Governments Sentencing Memorandum, Filed January 17, 2003. 39 Alan Cullison and Andrew Higgins, Account of Spy Trip on Kabul PC Matches Travels of Richard Reid, The Wall Street Journal, January 16, 2002. 40 Dan Bilefsky, John Carreyrou, David Pringle, Jonathan Karp, For Reid, a Tortured Path to Flight 63, The Wall Street Journal, January 10, 2002.
31

30

www.nefafoundation.org info@nefafoundation.org

KSMs Transatlantic Shoe Bomb Plot

When Reid was finally allowed to board the plan to Tel Aviv, he was seated close to an armed air marshal,41 and, according to Kleiman, remained under scrutiny the whole way.42 Documenting the scene on the plane, Reids report established that generally flight attendants are security and there are [security] people sitting among the passengers.43

A Support Structure Aided Reid in France

According to a French court document, when Reid was questioned by the FBI following his arrest, he was not able to explain how, since he did not have any funds, he had been able to purchase the [explosive] substances and to pay for his travels.44 French prosecutors assessed that this suggests that hebenefited from technical and financial support, particularly from the place where he had embarked, namely France.45 (Reid traveled to Paris on December 16, 2001.) In June 2005, Franco-Moroccan Hassan el-Cheguer, Franco-Algerian Hakim Mokhfi, and Mustapha Ghulam Rama, a dual British-Pakistani citizen,46 were convicted in France for belonging to a criminal association in relation to a terrorist enterprise.47 Rama received a five year prison sentence, while the other men were given four year terms.48 The men were linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistani terrorist group.49 Also in June 2005, Tunisian Kamel Lakhram was convicted of being in France illegally and sentenced to three months in jail.50 French prosecutors charged that Rama, the owner of a halal butcher shop, served as a compass on French territory for Reid while he was in Paris.51 Rama was the president of Chemin Droit,52 which French intelligence believes was the French representative for the Pakistani terrorist group Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT). Moreover, Ramas butcher shop was long known as being a place of proselytizing in favor of Jihad in Kashmir; in fact, Rama helped el-Cheguer and Mokhfi attend a LeT camp in Pakistan.

Alan Cullison and Andrew Higgins, Account of Spy Trip on Kabul PC Matches Travels of Richard Reid, The Wall Street Journal, January 16, 2002. 42 Dan Bilefsky, John Carreyrou, David Pringle, Jonathan Karp, For Reid, a Tortured Path to Flight 63, The Wall Street Journal, January 10, 2002. 43 Alan Cullison and Andrew Higgins, Account of Spy Trip on Kabul PC Matches Travels of Richard Reid, The Wall Street Journal, January 16, 2002. 44 Republic of France v. Rama, Magistrates Court of Paris, File number 0413839059, Judgment, Filed June 16, 2005. 45 Republic of France v. Rama, Magistrates Court of Paris, File number 0413839059, Judgment, Filed June 16, 2005. 46 French Police Investigate Shoe Bomber Richard Reids Connections, Le Figaro, April 9, 2005. 47 France Jails Shoe-Bomber Contact, BBC, June 16, 2005 48 3 Sentenced in France for Kashmir Terrorism Links, Associated Press, June 17, 2005. 49 3 Sentenced in France for Kashmir Terrorism Links, Associated Press, June 17, 2005. 50 3 Sentenced in France for Kashmir Terrorism Links, Associated Press, June 17, 2005. 51 John Tagliabue, France: Prison for Man Linked to Shoe Bomber, The New York Times, June 17, 2005. 52 Notably, the purchase of the organizations headquarters was partially financed by AlHaramain, a Saudi-based NGO that the U.S. government has labeled a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. See: Republic of France v. Rama, Magistrates Court of Paris, File number 0413839059, Judgment, Filed June 16, 2005.

41

www.nefafoundation.org info@nefafoundation.org

KSMs Transatlantic Shoe Bomb Plot

And an analysis of documents seized from Rama revealed Rama possessed the telephone numbers of multiple terrorists. 53 When questioned by authorities, Rama acknowledged meeting with Reid but claimed el-Cheguer and Mokhfi had introduced them.54 The prosecuting attorney noted that El-Cheguer thought Rama reported them in order to cover up for someone more important who put him in touch with Richard Reid.55 In court, British prosecutor Richard Whittam revealed that Reid and Badat shared a Belgian phone card in Amsterdam in September 2001.56 Then, as documented in U.S. court filings, on or about November 20, 2001, Badat and Reid traveled to Pakistan57 While in Karachi, Pakistan, they stayed on the same street, though in different hotels.58 And, according to the Department of Justice, in December 2001 Badat and Reid communicated directly and indirectly throughelectronic mail accounts to coordinate their activities with respect to detonating their shoe bombs to be used to attack American interests59

Communications Between Reid and Badat

Reid and Badat Procured Clean Passports

The Badat indictment charges that Badat went to the British Embassy in Brussels on September 11, 2001 and applied for a new passport, falsely claiming to have lost his60 Then, on December 5, 2001, Reid utilized the same tactic at the British Embassy in Brussels to secure another passport.61 He used this new passport to board American Airlines Flight 63.62 Earlier in the summer, on July 6th, Reid had procured a new passport from the British consulate in Amsterdam, telling a consulate official, I was drunk and washed my passport.63

Republic of France v. Rama, Magistrates Court of Paris, File number 0413839059, Judgment, Filed June 16, 2005. 54 Republic of France v. Rama, Magistrates Court of Paris, File number 0413839059, Judgment, Filed June 16, 2005. 55 French Police Investigate Shoe Bomber Richard Reids Connections, Le Figaro, April 9, 2005. 56 Guilty Plea in Shoe Bombing Case, CNN, February 28, 2005 and Gloucester Shoebomber Jailed for 13 Years, Times Online, April 22, 2005. 57 U.S. v. Badat, (D.C. MA.), 04-10223-GAO, Superseding Indictment, Filed October 4, 2004. 58 Gloucester Shoebomber Jailed for 13 Years, Times Online, April 22, 2005. 59 U.S. v. Badat, (D.C. MA.), 04-10223-GAO, Superseding Indictment, Filed October 4, 2004. 60 U.S. v. Badat, (D.C. MA.), 04-10223-GAO, Superseding Indictment, Filed October 4, 2004. 61 U.S. v. Badat, (D.C. MA.), 04-10223-GAO, Superseding Indictment, Filed October 4, 2004. Note: Reid failed to obtain a new passport from the British consulate in Karachi on November 30, 2001. See: Republic of France v. Rama, Magistrates Court of Paris, File number 0413839059, Judgment, Filed June 16, 2005. 62 British National Indicted for Conspiring with Shoe Bomber Richard Reid, Department of Justice Press Release, October 4, 2004, http://nefafoundation.org/web/miscellaneous/shoebomb/U.S._v_Badat_DOJPRIndictment.pdf. 63 Alan Cullison and Andrew Higgins, Account of Spy Trip on Kabul PC Matches Travels of Richard Reid, The Wall Street Journal, January 16, 2002.

53

www.nefafoundation.org info@nefafoundation.org

KSMs Transatlantic Shoe Bomb Plot

Additional Information Reids Failed Attempt to Board American Airlines Flight 63 on December 21, 2001
The day prior to his unsuccessful attempt to bring down American Airlines Flight 63, Reid had attempted to board the same flight at Charles de Gaulle Airport. However, according to federal prosecutors, extra searches and questioning prompted by the suspicions of security personnel delayed Reid and caused him to miss his flight.64 When Reids possessions were searched, airport security found a walkman and cassette with recordings of the Koran, as well as anti-Israeli messages. Reid also had a copy of Time magazine titled Islam in Europe and an issue of Newsweek with a picture of Usama Bin Laden. When probed about the purpose of his trip, he told authorities he intended to visit an aunt in Antigua. 65 Further, French court documents reveal that the thirteen witnesses interviewed regarding this inspection procedure policemen, security agents and agents of American Airlines indicated that they had been troubled, indeed perplexed, by the personality and the behavior of Richard Reid, described as filthy, very unkempt, emotionless and not attempting to find out why he was being subjected to an inspection. He did not appear at all anxious66 Nonetheless, background checks reportedly returned nothing suspicious, and, after a pat down search, Reid was allowed to board an American Airlines flight the next day.67

Additional Information Reids Motivations: I am at War with Your Country

As established by U.S. court filings, the day before Reids first attempt to bomb American Flight 63, Reid authored three emails and moved them to drafts folder in his Yahoo account. In a letter to his mother, Reid wrote: what i am doing is part of the ongoing war between islaam and disbeliefi didnt do this act out of ignorance nor did i do just because i want to die, but rather i see it as a duty upon me to help remove the oppressive american forces from the muslim landswe do not have other means to fight themwe are ready to die defending the true islaam rather to just sit back and allow the american government to dictate to us what

U.S. v. Reid, (D.C. MA.), 02-CR-10013-WGY, Governments Sentencing Memorandum, Filed January 17, 2003. 65 Republic of France v. Rama, Magistrates Court of Paris, File number 0413839059, Judgment, Filed June 16, 2005. 66 Republic of France v. Rama, Magistrates Court of Paris, File number 0413839059, Judgment, Filed June 16, 2005. 67 Dan Bilefsky, John Carreyrou, David Pringle, Jonathan Karp, For Reid, a Tortured Path to Flight 63, The Wall Street Journal, January 10, 2002.

64

www.nefafoundation.org info@nefafoundation.org

KSMs Transatlantic Shoe Bomb Plot

we should believe and how we should behavethis is a war between islaam and democracy68 In interviews with FBI agents following his arrest, Reid provided additional insights into his motivation, as he declared that the United States should not be involved in Muslim affairs such as supporting Israel. He added, America is the problem, without America there would be no Israel. He also told the FBI that he switched his target from Israel to America after America began bombing the Taliban69 During his sentencing hearing, Reid unleashed a tirade in which he shed even more light on the factors driving his actions: I further admit my allegiance to Osama bin Laden, to Islam, and to the religion of Allah. With regards to what you said about killing innocent people, I will say one thing. Your government has killed 2 million children in Iraq. If you want to think about something, against 2 million, I don't see no comparison.70 He continued, Your government has sponsored the rape and torture of Muslims in the prisons of Egypt and Turkey and Syria and Jordan with their money and with their weapons. I don't know, see what I done as being equal to rape and to torture, or to the deaths of the two million children in Iraq.71 Reid added, I think I ought not apologize for my actions. I am at war with your country. I'm at war with them not for personal reasons but because they have murdered more than, so many children and they have oppressed my religion and they have oppressed people for no reason except that they say we believe in Allah. 72 By blowing up Flight 63, Reid believed that Allah would reward him in heaven.73 Notably, Badat wrote a letter to his parents in which he said, I have a sincere desire to sell my soul to Allah in return for paradise.74

Additional Information Reids Desire to Damage the U.S. Economy

In an interview with FBI agents, Reid admitted he targeted commercial aviation especially during the holiday season because he sought to cause the American public to lose confidence in airline security and stop traveling, leading to a substantial loss of revenue which would in turn hurt the American economy.75 In its targeting strategy, Al-Qaida has continually sought to strike targets of economic significance, in large part due to Usama Bin Ladens belief that his efforts in
68

U.S. v. Reid, (D.C. MA.), 02-CR-10013-WGY, Governments Sentencing Memorandum, Filed January 17, 2003. 69 U.S. v. Reid, (D.C. MA.), 02-CR-10013-WGY, Governments Sentencing Memorandum, Filed January 17, 2003. 70 Reid: I Am at War with Your Country, CNN, January 31, 2003. 71 Reid: I Am at War with Your Country, CNN, January 31, 2003. 72 Reid: I Am at War with Your Country, CNN, January 31, 2003. 73 U.S. v. Reid, (D.C. MA.), 02-CR-10013-WGY, Governments Sentencing Memorandum, Filed January 17, 2003. 74 Gloucester Shoebomber Jailed for 13 Years, Times Online, April 22, 2005. 75 U.S. v. Reid, (D.C. MA.), 02-CR-10013-WGY, Governments Sentencing Memorandum, Filed January 17, 2003.

www.nefafoundation.org info@nefafoundation.org

KSMs Transatlantic Shoe Bomb Plot

Afghanistan in the 1980s bankrupted the Soviet Union and led to the collapse of the Russian Empire. In remarks broadcast in November 2004, Bin Laden said, We, alongside the mujahedeen, bled Russia for 10 years until it went bankrupt and was forced to withdraw in defeat.76 In publicly released statements, Bin Laden has also stressed his policy of bleeding America to the point of bankruptcy.77 And an excerpt from the Al-Qaida publication Sawt al-Jihad states: If the enemy has used his economy to rule the world and hire collaborators, then we need to strike this economy with harsh attacks to bring it down on the heads of its owners. If the enemy has built his economy on the basis of open markets and free trade by getting the monies of investors, then we have to prove to these investors that the enemy's land is not safe for them, that his economy is not capable of guarding their monies, so they would abandon him to suffer alone the fall of his economy.78 It was New Yorks role as the heart of the U.S. economy that captivated KSM when planning 9/11. The 9/11 Commission declares, KSM reasoned he could best influence U.S. policy by targeting the countrys economy. KSM and [1993 World Trade Center bomber Ramzi] Yousef reportedly brainstormed together about what drove the U.S. economy. New York, which KSM considered the economic capital of the United States, therefore became the primary target.79 (KSMs aborted second wave of hijackings allegedly targeted the Library Tower in California;80 according to a section of KSMs interrogation cited in the media, California provided such an appealing target because it was Americas richest state.81) Following the 9/11 attacks, Bin Laden remarked that the hijackers had struckthe U.S. economy in the heart and inflictedmore than a trillion dollars in losses on U.S. markets. In the same speech, he added, If their economy is destroyed, they will be busy with their own affairs rather than enslaving the weak peoples. It is very important to concentrate on hitting the U.S. economy through all possible means.82

Transcript of Usama Bin Laden Tape, November 2, 2004. Transcript of Usama Bin Laden Tape, November 2, 2004. 78 Akhu Man Ta`a Allah, What Else is There to Say About September 11, Sawt al-Jihad, Volume 26. 79 The 9/11 Commission Report, p. 153. 80 Press Briefing on the West Coast Terrorist Plot by Frances Fragos Townsend, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, White House Press Release, February 9, 2006, http://www.nefafoundation.org/miscellaneous/WestCoast/Townsend_02-09-2006.pdf. 81 Paul Martin, Chicago, L.A. Towers Were Next Targets, The Washington Times, March 30, 2004. 82 Full Text of Usama bin Ladin Recorded Statement Aired by Al-Jazirah TV 27 Dec, FBIS, Document ID: GMP20011227000257.
77

76

www.nefafoundation.org info@nefafoundation.org

10

KSMs Transatlantic Shoe Bomb Plot

Significantly, in Reids will, Reid described the World Trade Center as a legitimate target being the main financial center for the US from which it supports itself and israel.83

Additional Information Reids Prior Incarceration/Conversion to Islam

According to the British Home Office, Reid was incarcerated twice at Feltham Young Offenders Institution in West London, once in 1992 and again in 1994.84 At Feltham, with encouragement from his father (who is also a convert) and under the tutelage of radical imam Abdul Ghani Qureshi, Reid converted to Islam.85

Additional Information Reid Cased Targets in Israel/Egypt

While in Israeli86 and Egypt in July 2001, Reid scouted possible bombing missions, according to U.S. court documents. 87 During his ten day stay in Israel, Reid traveled to Tel Aviv, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Haifa, and a kibbutz in Tiberias.88

A U.S. government court filing states that Reid reported to an associate in Afghanistan that the reception area of the Tel Aviv train station would be a particularly good bombing target, especially on a Saturday night, because it could be entered without being searched and contained at least 100 people at the arrival time of any given train.89 The Tel Aviv station was especially appealing, according to an Al-Qaida report on Reids trip, because it was full of military personnel following the Jewish sabbath. The same Al-Qaida report points out that security guards at the Haifa station often were too busy to search each passenger. Buses were also attractive targets because Reid boarded with his bag more than once and was not subject to searches.90 Reids report notes that an operative potentially could bring explosives from Bethlehem to Jerusalem because his bag was not searched when he produced his British passport. The report adds, it appears that brothers with European passports are able to move about in Israel with greater freedom and can be treated as Israelis.91 While in Jerusalem, Reid assessed the vulnerability of the Wailing Wall: It is clear that security

83

U.S. v. Reid, (D.C. MA.), 02-CR-10013-WGY, Governments Sentencing Memorandum, Filed January 17, 2003. 84 Timeline: The Shoe Bomber Case, CNN, January 7, 2002. 85 Paul Harris, Nick Paton Walsh and Burhan Wazir, The Making of a Human Timebomb, The Observer, December 30, 2001. 86 According to Matthew Levitt, former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Reid was hosted by Nabil Awqil, who trained in an Al-Qaida camp in Afghanistan and had links with Hamas. See: Matthew Levitt, Hamas: Politics, Charity, and Terrorism in the Service of Jihad, Yale University Press, New Haven, CT, 2006. 87 U.S. v. Reid, (D.C. MA.), 02-CR-10013-WGY, Governments Sentencing Memorandum, Filed January 17, 2003. 88 Alan Cullison and Andrew Higgins, Account of Spy Trip on Kabul PC Matches Travels of Richard Reid, The Wall Street Journal, January 16, 2002. 89 U.S. v. Reid, (D.C. MA.), 02-CR-10013-WGY, Governments Sentencing Memorandum, Filed January 17, 2003. 90 Alan Cullison and Andrew Higgins, Account of Spy Trip on Kabul PC Matches Travels of Richard Reid, The Wall Street Journal, January 16, 2002. 91 Alan Cullison and Andrew Higgins, Account of Spy Trip on Kabul PC Matches Travels of Richard Reid, The Wall Street Journal, January 16, 2002.

www.nefafoundation.org info@nefafoundation.org

11

KSMs Transatlantic Shoe Bomb Plot

at the Wailing Wall is as strong as one would expect, especially as a response to the insult against the Al-Aqsa mosque by the Jews.92 Reids trip to Egypt was less fertile as the report bemoans the fact that there is not a lot of information from this trip and a [new] tripis absolutely necessary. Nonetheless, the report highlights the feasibility of bombing a bus before Ismailia, where there is a wooded area and there is a side road that is covered by trees.93 In order to mask his true intentions, Reid insertedphotographs of the beach and such. And in Amsterdam, which served as Reids jumping off point for Tel Aviv, Reid went to great lengths to hide his fundamentalist beliefs. The report about Reids trip states that at the hotel he would take empty alcohol bottles from the street and put them into trash containers in his room. He also put cigarette butts, gathered from other hotel rooms, in his ashtray.94 As noted previously, the report on Reids scouting mission was discovered on Ayman al-Zawahiris computer in Afghanistan following the U.S. invasion.95 British prosecutors noted that both Badat and Reid had links with Nizar Trabelsi,96 a former professional soccer player who is serving 10 years in prison for planning to bomb a U.S. military base in Belgium.97

Additional Information Badat/Reids Link to a Convicted Belgian Terrorist

When living in England, Reid was in contact with Abu Qatada,98 whom the British Home Department asserts is a leading spiritual advisor with extensive links to, and influence over, extreme Islamists in the UK and overseas. The British Special Immigration Appeal Commission reports that since at least 1995 Abu Qatada has given encouragement to the commission, preparation and instigation of terrorism overseas by providing spiritual and religious advice to a number of extreme Islamists prepared to carry out terrorist attacks.These groups and networks include the Al Qaeda network, the Armed Islamic Group (GIA), the Salafist Group for Call and Combat

Additional Information Reids Links to Two Influential Extremist British Clerics

Alan Cullison and Andrew Higgins, Account of Spy Trip on Kabul PC Matches Travels of Richard Reid, The Wall Street Journal, January 16, 2002. 93 Alan Cullison and Andrew Higgins, Account of Spy Trip on Kabul PC Matches Travels of Richard Reid, The Wall Street Journal, January 16, 2002. 94 Alan Cullison and Andrew Higgins, Account of Spy Trip on Kabul PC Matches Travels of Richard Reid, The Wall Street Journal, January 16, 2002. 95 U.S. v. Reid, (D.C. MA.), 02-CR-10013-WGY, Governments Sentencing Memorandum, Filed January 17, 2003 and Alan Cullison, Inside Al-Qaedas Hard Drive, The Atlantic Monthly, September 2004. 96 Guilty Plea in Shoe Bombing Case, CNN, February 28, 2005 and Gloucester Shoebomber Jailed for 13 Years, Times Online, April 22, 2005. 97 Terror Verdict for Soccer Pro, CBS News, September 30, 2003. 98 Republic of France v. Rama, Magistrates Court of Paris, File number 0413839059, Judgment, Filed June 16, 2005.

92

www.nefafoundation.org info@nefafoundation.org

12

KSMs Transatlantic Shoe Bomb Plot

(GSPC), and the Egyptian Islamic Jihad (EIJ). The British government is currently attempting to deport Abu Qatada.99 In London, Reid was also influenced by Mustafa Kamel Mustafa (a.k.a. Abu Hamza), who preached at the Finsbury Park mosque.100 In February 2006, Abu Hamza was sentenced to seven years in a British prison after he was convicted of six counts of soliciting to murder in a series of hate-filled sermons.101 Abu Hamza has also been indicted in New York for providing material support to Al-Qaida and the Taliban, taking part in a kidnapping operation in Yemen in 1998, and attempting to establish a terrorist training camp in Oregon.102

Appendix

The explosives found at Badats apartment and Badats British passport:103

Richard Reids shoe bomb: 104

Special Immigration Appeal Commission, Omar Othman (aka Abu Qatada) and Secretary of State for the Home Department, Judgment, Filed February 26, 2007. 100 Josh Meyer, Sebastian Rotella, Marjorie Miller, Shoe-Bomb Suspect Linked to al Qaeda, The Los Angeles Times, December 27, 2001. 101 Abu Hamza Jailed for Seven Years, Metropolitan Police Service Press Release, February 8, 2006. 102 U.S. v. Mustafa, (S.D. N.Y.), 04-CR-356, Indictment, Filed April 19, 2004. 103 Sue Clough, British Muslim Planned Second Shoe Bombing, The Telegraph, March 1, 2005. 104 ABC News.

99

www.nefafoundation.org info@nefafoundation.org

13

KSMs Transatlantic Shoe Bomb Plot

In August 2006, TSA official Kip Hawley held a press conference at Reagan Airport in Washington D.C. in which he displayed a newly declassified X-ray image of explosives hidden in shoes (see below). He remarked, This is a slide or several images showing a mockup of the Richard Reid shoe bomb with simulated explosives, which look the same as real explosives on an X-ray. He added, We decided to de-classify them because of intense interest on the part of the public on whether or not we can find shoe bombs with our X-ray equipment at the checkpoint. Youll be able to satisfy yourselves with the fact that we can.105

Remarks by Assistant Secretary for TSA Kip Hawley on X-ray Shoe Screening, Transportation Security Administration Press Release, August 15, 2006, http://nefafoundation.org/web/miscellaneous/shoebomb/kiphawley.pdf. Note: See also http://nefafoundation.org/web/miscellaneous/shoebomb/x-ray_shoes.jpg.

105

www.nefafoundation.org info@nefafoundation.org

14