Nawaf al-Hazmi

Nawaf al-Hamzi (b. August 9, 1976) was a hijacker on American Airlines Flight 77, which crashed into the Pentagon.

Background

Al-Hamzi was born on August 9, 1976 in Mecca in Saudi Arabia.^[1] Al-Hamzi, along with Khalid al-Mihdhar, had previous mujahadeen experience -- both traveled together with a group in 1995 to fight in Bosnia.^[1] He left for Afghanistan in 1998, and trained at Al Farooq camp in Kandahar.^[2] Al Hamzi had also traveled to Afghanistan numerous times. Hamzi may also have experienced fighting in Chechnya. His brother was police chief in Jizan.

In Spring 1999, when Osama bin Laden committed to the "planes" operation, Hazmi was among the first group of participants selected for the plot and sent to the United States along with Khalid al-Mihdhar for pilot training. Hazmi was so eager to participate in "jihad" operations in the United States, that he had already obtained a U.S. visa. Hazmi had obtained a new passport on March 21, 1999,^[3] and then obtained a B-1/B-2 (tourist/business) multiple-entry visa on April 3, which was issued in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.^[4] He listed the Sheraton Hotel in Los Angeles as his destination.^[5]

Once selected, both were sent to the Mes Aynak training camp in Afghanistan for elite training. Then, in late 1999, he went to Karachi in Pakistan to see Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who instructed them on western culture and travel. On his way to Karachi Hazmi stayed at a guest house in Quetta. Mihdhar did not go with Hazmi to Karachi, but two Yemenis slated to participate in a South Asia component of the plot accompanied Hazmi. The training in Karachi lasted one or two weeks, during which KSM taught basic English words and phrases, showed them how to read phone books, interpret airline schedules, use the Internet, use code words in communications, make travel reservations, rent an apartment, and other such things. The training also involved using flight simulator computer games, viewing movies that featured hijackings, and reading flight schedules to determine which flights would be in the air at the same time in different parts of the world.^[1]

In mid-January 2000, Hazmi and Mihdhar arrived in San Diego, after traveling to Malaysia for a meeting. In spring 2000, Hazmi and Mihdhar took flying lessons in San Diego, California, but both spoke little English, did not do well with flying lessons, and eventually served as "muscle" hijackers.^[1]

Timeline

2000

January

• January: Hamzi and Mihdhar travel to Malaysia.^[6]
• January 15 - Mihdhar and Hamzi arrived in Los Angeles, on a flight from Bangkok. They were both admitted as tourists for a six-month stay.^[3]
• January 15 - Following a meeting in the beginning of January with known OBL associate, al-Mihdhar and Nawaf al-Hazmi depart for the United States from Bangkok on United Airlines Flight 002, traveling through Hong Kong to Los Angeles International Aiport. Mihdar came to the United States on a B-2 visitor visa.

February

• February 5 - Hazmi and Mihdar rent apartment #150 at Parkwood Apartments in San Diego. Prior to renting the apartment, they stayed with an acquaintance who lived in the same apartment complex.

March

• March 20 - A call is made from his telephone number to Mihdar's father-in-law.

April

• April 2 - Nawaf al-Hazmi’s visa expired, but that expiration had no bearing on his legal status in the United States. Any visitor who enters the country with a valid visa may remain through the length of stay granted by an immigration inspector upon arrival.^[3]
• April 4 - Receives introductory flight instruction from the National Air College located at 3760 Glenn Curtis Road in San Diego. Mihdhar purchased the introductory flight lesson for Nawaf al-Hazmi.
• April 5 - Obtains a California MVA photo ID, listing his Parkwood Apartments address. The phone number listed by Mihdhar was in Nawaf al-Hazmi's name. Hazmi also obtains an ID on the same day.
• April 5 - Hamzi acquired a California driver’s license.^[3]
• April 12 - Mihdhar purchase language instruction at Language Instruction Centrum for Nawaf al-Hazmi.
• April 19 - Nawaf al-Hazmi and Mihdhar both obtain a California Driver's License.

May

• May 4 - Purchases $329 worth of equipment at Sorbi Flying Club in San Diego.
• May 5 - Mihdhar received flight training at Sorbi Flying Club in San Diego, with Nawaf receiving training at the same time. Mihdhar flew the aircraft from Montgomery Field to Brown Field for over 42 minutes.
• May 8 - Mihdhar purchase flying lessons for himself and al-Hazmi.
• May 10 - Mihdhar and Hazmi take training flights together from the Sorbi Flying Club between Montgomery Field and Brown Field in San Diego. Nawaf al-Hazmi flew for 30 minutes and Mihdhar flew for 36 minutes.
• May 30 - Hazmi opens a Bank of America checking account.
• May 31 - Hazmi and Mihdhar move from Parkwood Apartments to 8451 Mount Vernon Avenue in San Diego.
• May 31 - Hazmi and Mihdhar leave the apartment at Parkwood Apartments.
• May 31 - $4,800 deposited into Hazmi's Bank of America checking account, source likely from Mihdhar's bank account.

June

• June 2 - Mihdhar transfers ownership of 1998 Toyota Corolla to Nawaf al-Hazmi.
• June 5 - Bank of America checking account transaction for $1000 payable to Nawaf Alhazmi
• June 9 - Two ATM transaction withdrawals for Bank of America checking account from Lemon Grove, California.
• June 21 - Two ATM withdrawals of $280 and $20 from Bank of America checking account, and a check for the amount $99.13.
• June 22 - Bank of America checking account check #102 for $62 payable to TFS.
• June 24 - Hazmi withdraws $20 from Bank of America account
• June 26 - Cash withdrawal from bank account
• June 28 - Withdraws $20 from Bank of America account
• June 29 - Uses Bank of America debit card for a $5 purchase at Best Produce, La Mesa, California

July

• July 7 - Bank of America checking account, three ATM withdrawals totaling $140
• July 7 - Refund due to Hazmi and Mihdhar from Parkwood Apartments
• July 10 - Bank of America checking account ATM withdrawal of $20 from Lemon Grove, California
• July 11 - Cash withdrawal
• July 12 - Hazmi filed to extend his stay in the United States, which was due to expire on July 14.^[3]
• July 21 - Cash withdrawal
• July 28 - $198 payment to South Coast Auto Insurance in San Diego

August

• August 14 - Debit card purchase at Best Produce in La Mesa, California
• August 17 - Debit card purchase at Aoo Auto Repair/Transmission
• August 19 - Hazmi may have been in vehicle owned by ___ that was queried (NCIC) by US Customs Service Inspection at 6:27 pm.
• August 21 - AAA Auto Repair
• August 21 - Cash withdrawal
• August 24 - Debit card purchase of $19.37 from Mervyn's
• August 29 - Debit card purchase from Mervyn's

September

• September 5 - Cash withdrawal
• September 5 - Cashed $1,900 in American Express travelers checks, which were purchased on July 16, 2000 at Al-Rajhi Banking and Investment Corp in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
• September 7 - Debit card purchase of $14 at Circuit City in La Mesa
• September 11 - Deposited $3,000 from a cashiers check into his checking account
• September 20 - Obtained a car insurance policy from Farmer's Group Insurance for the 1988 Toyota Corolla
• September 28 - Pays parking ticket, for a violation issued on August 29

October

• October 10 - ATM withdrawal in Lemon Grove
• October 15 - Two ATM withdrawals in Lemon Grove
• October 16 - ATM withdrawal in Lemon Grove
• October 18 - ATM withdrawal in Lemon Grove
• October 19 - Cash withdrawal

November

• November 5 - Debit card purchase from Papa John's Pizza in San Diego
• November 7 - ATM withdrawal in Lemon Grove
• November 13 - ATM withdrawal in Lemon Grove
• November 14 - Debit card purchase at Old Navy in San Diego
• November 15 - Cash withdrawal in Lemon Grove
• November 16 - ATM withdrawal in Lemon Grove
• November 20 - Debit card purchase from Manila Seafood Oriental Market in National City, California
• November 21 - ATM withdrawal in Lemon Grove
• November 27 - Debit card purchase at Best Produce in La Mesa
• November 29 - Purchase at Best Produce

December

• December 2 - ATM withdrawal in Lemon Grove
• December 4 - Debit card purchase at Wal-Mart in San Diego
• December 10 - Hazmi seen leaving his residence at 8451 Mount Vernon Avenue, San Diego in Toyota Corolla
• December 11 - Cash withdrawal in San Diego
• December 12 - Hani Hanjour and Hazmi completed a rental agreement for apartment at Indian Springs Village
• December 12 - Hanjour and Hazmi reside at 2221 West Farmdale, #10, Mesa, Arizona with two others from December 12 to January 9, 2001
• December 13 - Debit card purchase in Phoenix, Arizona
• December 24 - ATM withdrawal in Tempe, Arizona
• December 27 - Check payment to Indian Springs Village

2001

January

• January 2 - Cash withdrawal
• January 2 - Purchase at Fry's Food Store

June

• June 18. The INS belatedly approved Nawaf al Hazmi’s extension of stay to January 15, 2001. Technically, the application was late, since the INS received it in July 2000, after his length of stay had expired; they therefore should not have adjudicated it. However, even with this late adjudication Hazmi was still an overstay as of January 16, 2001. Hazmi never knew that his extension had been approved—the notice was returned as “undeliverable” on March 25, 2002.^[3]
• June 25 - Nawaf al-Hazmi obtained a Florida driver’s license. The Hazmi brothers’ identifications were found in the rubble at the Pentagon and appeared genuine upon examination.^[3]
• July 10 - Mihdhar, Nawaf al Hazmi, and Omari acquired USA identification cards.^[3] The address used "161 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY" is for the Ramada Inn Eastside.

September

• September 7 - Salem and Nawaf al Hazmi, along with Moqed, requested that their Virginia identification cards be reissued.^[3]
• September 11 - Hazmi and the other hijackers checked out of the Marriott Residence Inn in Herndon, Virginia at 6:22 a.m. They had a taxi called for them to take them to the airport.

Nawaf al-Hazmi's 1988 blue Toyota Corolla was found on September 12 in Dulles International Airport's hourly parking lot. Inside the vehicle, authorities found a map of Washington, D.C., a cashier's check made out to a Phoenix flight school, drawings of a Boeing 757 cockpit, a box-cutter, and other items.^[7]

Also after the attacks, two vinyl bags were found at the Ayah Islamic Center in Laurel, Maryland. One of the bags contained two Jeppesen pilot logbooks with the names "Khalid al-Mihdhar" and "Nawaf" printed in the books. The books indicated flight training taken in San Diego, including flights in May 2000 at Montgomery Field and Brown Field. A receipt, dated May 4, 2000, was also found for purchase by Mihdhar of two aviation headsets, one Jeppesen aviation chart kit, one Jeppesen log book, and one San Diego Terminal area chart.

Shortly before 9/11, Nawaf al-Hazmi sent a package to Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates. The package was intercepted by the Virginia State Police. A check card in the name Khalid al-Mihdhar was found inside, along with a note from Hazmi to his wife/girlfriend expressing his love and including some money for her benefit.

Mistaken identity

After the 9/11 attacks, an individual named Al-Badr Al Hazmi, who worked at a hospital at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. He was held as a material witness for nearly two weeks in New York, but was then released.^[8] Upon his release, U.S. Attorney Mary Jo White issued a statement saying he "was not and is not a subject of this investigation."^[7]

References