Nawaf al-Hazmi

Nawaf al-Hazmi, born on August ninth, nineteen seventy-six, was a Saudi national who became infamously known as one of the hijackers involved in the September eleventh attacks. He was part of a group that took control of American Airlines Flight seventy-seven, which was tragically crashed into the Pentagon, resulting in the loss of one hundred eighty-nine lives.

Al-Hazmi's journey into extremism began in nineteen ninety-five when he and his close friend, Khalid al-Mihdhar, left Saudi Arabia to join the fight for Muslims in the Bosnian War. Following this, he traveled to Afghanistan to align himself with the Taliban against the Afghan Northern Alliance, returning to Saudi Arabia in early nineteen ninety-nine. By this time, he had already established connections with al-Qaeda and was selected by Osama bin Laden for a significant terrorist operation targeting the United States.

In January two thousand, al-Hazmi arrived in Los Angeles, California, with al-Mihdhar, where they settled in San Diego. During their time there, they attended a local mosque led by Anwar al-Awlaki and attempted to take flying lessons. However, their limited English proficiency hindered their progress, raising suspicions among their flight instructor. Al-Mihdhar departed for Yemen in June two thousand, leaving al-Hazmi in California until he reunited with Hani Hanjour in December of that year.

By April two thousand one, al-Hazmi had moved to Falls Church, Virginia, where he began to meet with other hijackers, including Mohamed Atta, the ringleader of the attacks. Despite being on a CIA watchlist of suspected terrorists, al-Hazmi managed to evade capture until after the attacks. The day before September eleventh, he checked into a hotel in Herndon, Virginia, with al-Mihdhar and Hanjour, setting the stage for the tragic events that would unfold the following day.