Cast of Characters

THE FEDS       

Patrick Fitzgerald
Assistant U.S. Attorney, Southern District New York (SDNY). Chief of Organized Crime & Terrorism Unit, SDNY. Later became U.S. Attorney in Chicago and special prosecutor in the CIA leak probe. Met al Qaeda spy Ali Mohamed in 1997. Called him “the most dangerous man I have ever met.” Told FBI agents “We cannot let this man out on the street,” but allowed Mohamed to remain free until a month after the 1998 African Embassy bombings of which Ali Mohammed was a principal planner. Later cut a deal with Mohamed to avoid the death sentence, but never called him to testify in U.S. vs. bin Laden, 2001 Embassy bombing trial which he prosecuted.

Andrew C. McCarthy

Assistant U.S. Attorney. With Patrick Fitzgerald, co-prosecuted Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman and eleven others in the “Day of Terror” trial. Met with Ali Mohamed in California prior to the trial at a time when defense lawyers were trying to locate the al Qaeda spy to testify about his role as an FBI informant.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jamie Gorelick   
Deputy Attorney General under Pres. Clinton. Author of the “wall memo.”    Supported 1995 extradition from the U.S. of bin Laden’s brother in law. Later became one of the ten 9/11 Commissioners.

Jack Cloonan
Special Agent, bin Laden squad, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Assigned in 1996 to build a file on Ali Mohamed but failed to recognize him as an al Qaeda spy. Debriefed Mohamed after his arrest in 1998.

Dan Coleman
Special Agent, bin Laden squad, FBI  Assigned to Alec Station, the  dedicated bin  Laden unit at the CIA.

Frank Pellegrino
Special Agent, FBI Debriefed Abdul Hakim  Murad. Later worked in the bin Laden squad (I-49) in the FBI’s New York Office.

Dietrich Snell
Assistant U.S. Attorney, SDNY Co-prosecuted Ramzi Yousef, Abdul Hakim Murad, and Wali Khan in the Bojinka trial. Later became senior counsel to the 9/11 Commission.

Mary Jo White
U.S. Attorney, SDNY, 1993-2002

Louis Freeh
Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation,        1993-2001.  Former Special  Agent, New  York Office, FBI.  Former Assistant U.S. Attorney, SDNY.

Nancy Floyd
Special Agent, FBI Foreign Counter-intelligence Division, FBI’s New  York Office. Recruited Egyptian asset Emad Salem.

John Anticev
Special Agent, FBI’s New York Office  Member, FBI-NYPD Joint Terrorism Task  Force (JTTF). Control agent for Salem,  1991-92.

Lou Napoli 
NYPD detective, Member, JTTF. Failed to follow Salem’s advice and track Abouhalima in the  months before 1993 WTC bombing.

Emad Salem 
Ex-Egyptian intelligence officer recruited   by SA Nancy Floyd. FBI asset. Infiltrated the blind  Sheikh’s cell in 1991-   92.

Jamal al-Fadl  
Former assistant to Osama bin Laden in  Sudan. Became a U.S. witness in 1996 and  gave Feds the roadmap to al Qaeda.

Neal Herman
Head of the JTTF in the FBI’s New York   Office (NYO) in the fall 1992, before the WTC bombing. Led hunt for Ramzi Yousef post bombing.

Carson Dunbar
Assistant Special Agent in Charge (ASAC) FBI’s NYO. Mistrusted  Salem and Floyd; caused Salem’s  withdrawal from the cell in 1992.

Brian Parr
Agent, United States Secret Service Debriefed Yousef during rendition to the U.S. from Pakistan in 1995.

Thomas Donlon
Special Agent, FBI. Conducted airborne interrogation in which Yousef admitted his role in the 1993 WTC bombing

Bradley Garrett
Special Agent, FBI. In Islamabad day of Yousef’s captured. Arrived late at guesthouse from which KSM escaped, but took credit for Yousef takedown.

Harry Samit
Special Agent, FBI, Minneapolis Begged FBI to approve FISA warrant on Zacarias Moussaoui; 2001. Later accused FBI of “criminal negligence” at   Zacarias Moussaoui trial

David Frasca
Head of FBI’s Radical Fundamentalist Unit. Failed to act on the Phoenix memo in July 2001 and rejected Samit’s FISA request before 9/11.

Michael Rolince
Chief of counterintel, FBI DC. Told NSC officials Ali Mohamed’s tour with Dr. al-Zawahiri in ’95 was “covered.” Failed to read Samit’s FISA request.

Ken Williams
Special Agent, FBI. Issued July 2001 “Phoenix memo” urging flight schools watch. Accused by FBI asset Harry Ellen of sending memo years too late.

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AL QAEDA      

Osama bin Laden
Saudi billionaire, leader of al Qaeda  Morphed the Egyptian Islamic Jihad (EIJ) and the Mujahadeen funding network (MAK) into al Qaeda in 1988. Used Ali Mohamed to train his personal bodyguard and to move him with his entourage from Afghanistan to Sudan in 1991. Personally selected ground zero point for 1998 African Embassy bomb using Ali Mohamed’s 1993 surveillance photos.

Ali Mohamed   
Ex-EgyptianArmy Major Infiltrated CIA and the Green Berets. Became FBI informant, while serving as al Qaeda’s top U.S. spy and bin Laden’s security chief. Undetected by the Bureau for six years prior to his arrest.

Ayman al-Zawahiri
Egyptian surgeon and deputy leader of Al Qaeda. Leader of EIJ, jailed for Sadat assassination.  Sent Mohamed to U.S. in 1985 as an EIJ spy.

Omar Abdel Rahman
Muslim cleric, the so-called “blind Sheikh” Led the radical Islamic Group Religious leader who inspired both attacks on World Trade Center

Mohamed Atef
Former Egyptian police officer. Military commander, al Qaeda. His daughter married bin Laden’s son.

Khalid Dahab  
Protégé of Ali Mohamed in California Helped recruit ten U.S. sleepers. Sentenced to death in 1999 during Egyptian terror trial in which Ali Mohamed was also condemned.

Wadih El-Hage
Chief secretary to Osama bin Laden in Khartoum. Became a key operative in the Kenyan Embassy bombing cell.

Mohammed Khalifa
Brother-in-law of Osama bin Laden. Captured by INS in 1994 but extradited to Jordan with full support of Dep. A.G. Jamie Gorelick.

Ramzi Yousef  
Chief al Qaeda bomb maker. Planted first WTC bomb. Designed planes-as-missiles plot that led to 9/11 executed by his uncle KSM. Passed al Qaeda related intelligence to Mafia informant Greg Scarpa, Jr., in 1996 while in Federal jail in Lower Manhattan. Intel included the location of KSM then in Doha, Qatar prepping the “planes operation” executed on 9/11.

Khalid Shaikh Mohammed  KSM.
Yousef’s uncle After Ramzi’s capture in 1995 carried out Yousef’s “planes-as-missiles” plot on September 11th, 2001.

Abdul Hakim Murad 
Cohort of Ramzi Yousef. Trained as pilot in four U.S. flight schools. Confessed planes-as-missiles plot to Philippines police in 1995. Predicted to FBI that Yousef would strike WTC again.

Wali Khan Amin Shah
Fourth member of Yousef/KSM Manila cell behind plot to kill Pope, Bojinka plot, and Ramzi Yousef’s planes-as-missiles operation in 1995. Beloved by bin Laden.

El Sayyid Nosair
Egyptian EIJ member, follower of Omar Abdel Rahman. Trained by Ali Mohamed.  Murdered Rabbi Meier Kahane in 1990 in New York City. First al Qaeda blood spilled on U.S. soil.

Mahmoud Abouhalima
New York cell member, known as “The Red” Trained by Ali Mohamed. Convicted in WTC bombing plot. Intended getaway  driver for Nosair.

Mohammed Salameh 
Partner of Abouhalima. Trained by Ali Mohamed. Monitored by FBI at shooting range in 1989. Eluded FBI in months prior to 1993 bombing.          Drove getaway car for Yousef after WTC bombing.

Nidal Ayyad
Kuwaiti national, graduated from Rutgers University, New Jersey. Trained by Ali Mohamed. Convicted of abetting Yousef in 1993 WTC bombing.

Ibrahim El-Gabrowny
Egyptian cousin of El Sayyid Nosair Raised $20,000 from bin Laden for Nosair’s legal bills in Kahane murder case.

Mohammed Atta
Egyptian terrorist. Succeeded Abdul Hakim Murad, Yousef’s original lead pilot, in 9/11 plot.

Khalid Al-Midhar  
“Muscle hijackers” Present at 2000 9/11 summit in Kuala Lumpur.

Nawaf al-Hazmi
Lived openly in San Diego in home rented to them by FBI informant  Abdussattar Shaykh.

Ihab Ali aka Nawawi
U.S. citizen, Florida resident & “Sleeper” recruited by Ali Mohamed. Trained at Oklahoma flight school associated with 9/11 hijackers. Co-piloted bin Laden’s plane in 1994.

Khallad bin Atash
Leader of al Qaeda plot to bomb U.S.S. Cole in October 2000. Monitored ten months earlier by CIA at 9/11 planning meeting in January 2000.

Riduan Isamuddin
Fundraiser for al Qaeda. Also known as “Hambali.” On board of Malaysian front company funding Yousef/KSM Manila cell. Present at 9/11 planning session. Key figure in 2002 Bali bombings.