According to
American counter-terrorism
Counterterrorism (also spelled counter-terrorism), also known as anti-terrorism, incorporates the practices, military tactics, techniques, and strategies that Government, governments, law enforcement, business, and Intelligence agency, intellig ...
analysts the Al-Matar complex was an
Afghan training camp run by
al Qaeda
Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military targets in various countr ...
.
[
]
In 1999,
Mohammed Atef
Mohammed Atef ( ar, محمد عاطف, ; born Sobhi Mohammed Abu Sitta Al-Gohary, also known as Abu Hafs al-Masri) was the military chief of al-Qaeda, and was considered one of Osama bin Laden's two deputies, the other being Ayman Al Zawahiri, ...
met repeatedly with Bin Laden and
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (sometimes also spelled Shaikh; also known by at least 50 pseudonyms; born March 1, 1964 or April 14, 1965) is a Pakistani Islamist militant held by the United States at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp under terrorism-r ...
at the Al-Matar complex to discuss possible targets for the
9/11 attacks.
National Commission on Terrorist Attacks
The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, also known as the 9/11 Commission, was set up on November 27, 2002, "to prepare a full and complete account of the circumstances surrounding the September 11 attacks", includin ...
, 9/11 Commission
The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, also known as the 9/11 Commission, was set up on November 27, 2002, "to prepare a full and complete account of the circumstances surrounding the September 11 attacks", includin ...
, p. 155
According to testimony offered at the trial of
Zacarias Moussaoui
Zacarias Moussaoui (Arabic language, Arabic: زكريا موسوي, '; born May 30, 1968) is a French member of al-Qaeda who pleaded guilty in U.S. federal court to conspiring to kill citizens of the United States as part of the September 11 att ...
,
Abu Turab al-Urduni Abu Turab al-Urduni () was a Jordanian jihadist. He was the son-in-law of Ayman al-Zawahiri,9/11 Commission9/11 Report: Notes to Chapter 7. August 2004 who has been described by the United States government as one of five individuals who were aware ...
—the son-in-law of
Ayman al-Zawahiri
Ayman Mohammed Rabie al-Zawahiri (June 19, 1951 – July 31, 2022) was an Egyptian-born terrorist and physician who served as the second emir of al-Qaeda from June 16, 2011, until his death.
Al-Zawahiri graduated from Cairo University wit ...
—provided training to the "muscle" hijackers at the al-Matar complex.
He was alleged to have provided training in how to disarm
air marshals, in physical fitness and in basic English phrases. He also alleged to have provided them in training in truck bombings, in blowing up buildings, and in hijacking trains.
Mohammed Zarnuki's
Summary of Evidence memo asserted:
[
:
Faiz Mohammed Ahmed Al Kandari faced the allegation:][
]
:
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Matar
Al-Qaeda facilities
Buildings and structures in Afghanistan