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Atta, Mohamed (1968–2001)———57

Hope. Hundreds of Somalis and 18 U.S. Army members Risen, James. “The Terror Network: Bombs Have Killed 3
were killed in the attacks in Mogadishu in 1993. Aaeda Leaders U.S. Now Believes.” New York Times,
After being expelled from Sudan in 1996, Atef, bin December 13, 2001, A1.
Laden, and al-Zawahiri returned to Afghanistan. All U.S. District Court Southern District of New York. United
States v. Usama bin Laden et al. Indictment S(10) 98
three were later indicted in the United States for
Cr. 1023 (LBS).
involvement in the 1998 bombings of two U.S.
Weiser, Benjamin. “Saudi Is Indicted in Bomb Attacks on
embassies in East Africa, in which 224 people were
U.S. Embassies.” New York Times, November 5, 1998, A1.
killed and thousands wounded. According to the
indictment, Atef was a major strategic commander in
the attacks. He met with other Al Qaeda members ATF. See BUREAU OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO
to plan the bombings and kept in touch with them by
cellular phone. AND FIREARMS.
On August 7, coordinated truck bombs went off
within minutes of each other at U.S. embassies in
Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, cities
separated by more than 400 miles. Four men with ties Atlanta Centennial Park Bombing. See
to Al Qaeda were convicted in 2001 for various roles CENTENNIAL PARK BOMBING.
in the embassy bombings.
Shortly after the embassy bombings, the United
States declared that bin Laden and Al Qaeda opera-
tives were responsible. Atef handled media affairs ATTA, MOHAMED (1968–2001)
for Al Qaeda after the U.S. accusations, speaking
by telephone and exchanging faxes with Western
Mohamed Atta was one of the men who hijacked
journalists.
American Airlines Flight 11 and crashed it into the
In January 2001, Atef’s daughter married bin
north tower of New York City’s World Trade Center
Laden’s son in Afghanistan, bringing the two men
on September 11, 2001, in the first in a series of
even closer. When the U.S. forces first began bombing
attacks that left approximately 3,000 people dead,
Afghanistan, Atef appeared in a videotaped response
including the 19 hijackers. Information about Atta is
next to bin Laden and al-Zawahiri. At about six feet
somewhat sketchy, but he is believed to have been one
six inches, Atef was unmistakable. In November
the ringleaders, if not the primary leader, of the
2001, U.S. officials announced that Atef had been
September 11 attacks.
killed in bomb attacks outside of Kabul. Their finding
Atta was born in 1968 to a relatively well-to-do
was partly based on overheard conversations between
family in Egypt. He grew up in Cairo, where his
members of the Taliban. In the ruins of Atef’s bombed
father was a lawyer. His family was Muslim but not
house, U.S. forces found many Al Qaeda documents,
especially conservative; his sisters attended college
videos, and other materials.
and worked. Atta studied architecture and engineer-
See also AL QAEDA; AYMAN AL-ZAWAHIRI; OSAMA BIN ing at Cairo University, receiving his degree in
LADEN; EAST AFRICAN EMBASSY BOMBINGS; SEPTEMBER 11
1990.
ATTACKS
After graduating, Atta obtained a job, but his
father felt that Atta’s career would be helped if he
Further Reading studied abroad. In 1992, Atta, who spoke German
and English as well as Arabic, moved to Hamburg,
Bergen, Peter L. Holy War, Inc: Inside the Secret World of
Germany, where he enrolled at Technical Univer-
Osama bin Laden. New York: Free Press, 2001.
sity to study urban planning. Atta became increas-
Federal Bureau of Investigation. “Most Wanted Terrorists.”
ingly radical in his embrace of Islam while living
http://www.fbi.gov/mostwant/terrorists/fugitives.htm,
in Hamburg. In 1998, he disappeared from Ham-
October 2001.
Reeve, Simon. The New Jackals: Ramzi Yousef, Osama burg for several months; he is thought to have trav-
bin Laden, and the Future of Terrorism. Boston: North- eled to Afghanistan during this time and formed
eastern University Press, 1999. links with Al Qaeda. He returned to Hamburg and