Figures Of Infamy And Espionage Codexery

Mohamed Atta

Egyptian engineer who led the September 11 attacks as a hijacker-pilot.

Last updated

He was born on September 1, 1968, in Kafr el-Sheikh, Egypt.[1]

Key facts and history

Atta's father, a lawyer educated in civil law and sharia, forbade young Atta to fraternize with neighborhood children.[1][2] He excelled in school and enrolled at Cairo University in 1985, graduating with an architecture degree in 1990.[2][3] Atta grew more religiously fanatical after coming to Hamburg in 1992, frequenting the al-Quds Mosque.[4][5] Atta arrived in the United States on June 3, 2000, flying from Prague to Newark.[6]

He enrolled at Huffman Aviation in Venice, Florida, on July 6, 2000, and earned his private pilot certificate in September.[6][7] Following his employment at the Urban Development Center in Cairo, Atta began a German-language program at the Goethe-Institut in 1992 after his father insisted he pursue graduate studies abroad.[8][9]

What the cited sources add

Loan officer Johnelle Bryant told ABC News that Atta visited her between the third week of April and the third week of May 2000, seeking a loan to buy a crop-dusting plane.[10][11] He asked about security at the World Trade Center and mentioned al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden, saying bin Laden "would someday be known as the world's greatest leader"[11] The 9/11 Commission Report states that Atta traveled to the Czech Republic by bus on June 2, then flew from Prague to Newark the next day, believing it would contribute to operational security.[12] According to Johnelle Bryant, Atta sought financing for a twin-engine, six-passenger aircraft and planned to remove the seats.[10][13]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Mohamed Atta" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Personal Stories – Who Were They? § Mohamed Atta", PBS (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Mohamed Atta" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: McDermott 2005, p. 9–11; "Transcript: A Mission to Die For", Four Corners / ABC (Australia), 12 November 2001 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Mohamed Atta" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "The Day That Changed America", Newsweek, December 31, 2001 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Mohamed Atta" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Buncombe, "Childhood clues to what makes a killer", The Independent, 12 October 2001 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Mohamed Atta" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: McDermott 2005, p. 9–11 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Mohamed Atta" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Federal Bureau of Investigation, "Hijackers' Timeline", 9/11 Myths, February 4, 2008; Federal Bureau of Investigation, "Hijackers' Timeline", 9/11 Myths, February 4, 2008; 9/11 Commission, "9/11 Commission Report", National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, June 2004; Federal Bureau of Investigation, "Hijackers' Timeline", 9/11 Myths, February 4, 2008 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Mohamed Atta" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Federal Bureau of Investigation, "Hijackers' Timeline", 9/11 Myths, February 4, 2008 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  8. Wikipedia, "Mohamed Atta" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Federal Bureau of Investigation, "Hijackers' Timeline", 9/11 Myths, February 4, 2008; "The Day That Changed America", Newsweek, December 31, 2001; Adams, Paul, "In Egypt, some see war on terror as a war on Islam", Globe and Mail, September 4, 2002 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  9. Wikipedia, "Mohamed Atta" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Fouda Fielding 2003, p. 78 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  10. "Transcript of Johnelle Bryant Interview", ABC News, 6 June 2002. facts only, no text reused. abcnews.go.com
  11. "Twin towers hijacker 'sought US loan'", BBC News, 7 June 2002. facts only, no text reused. news.bbc.co.uk
  12. 9/11 Commission, "9/11 Commission Report", National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, June 2004. facts only, no text reused. 9-11commission.gov
  13. "Hijacker tried to get U.S. loan to buy plane", The Seattle Times, 7 June 2002. facts only, no text reused. archive.seattletimes.com

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Mohamed Atta (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

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Test yourself

Three questions drawn from this entry’s sources. Pick an answer to check it.

1. In what year was Mohamed Atta born?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is 1968.

2. In what year did Mohamed Atta die?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is 2001.

3. In which place was Mohamed Atta born?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is Kafr El Sheikh, Egypt.

Answers checked against the source article

Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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