KHALID SHAYKH MUHAMMAD: PREEMINENT SOURCE ON AL-QA'IDA

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06253417
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 12
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2022
• Document Release Date: August 30, 2018
• Case Number: F-2017-02530
• Publication Date: July 13, 2004

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NO.077. --P.5
Khalid Shaykh Muhammad:
Preeminent Source On
Al-Qa`ida (WPM
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140FORNIVNIR
Key Flndinp (111)
lOtalid Shaykb Muhammad: Preeminent
Source On Al-Qekla (SAW%
Since Ms March 2003 capture, Khalld Shayidt Muhammad (KSM), the
driving fora behind the 11 September attacks as Well as several
subsequent plots against US and Western targets worldwide, has
become one of the US Government's key sources onlal-Wida. As a
detainee, he has provided reports that have shed light on
al-Qeida's strategic doctrine, plots and probable targets, key operatives,
and the likely methods for attacks in the US homeland, leading to the
disruption of several plots against the United Stela.
� Information from KSM has not only dramatically expanded our universe
of knowledge an al-Qa'ida's plots but has provided leads that assisted
directly in the capture oft teremists. including Jena& Islamiya
leader Hambali and the "other shoe bomber, kid Rada (Sifter)
KM steadfastly maintains that his overriding priority was to strike
the United States but says that immediately after 11 September he
realized that a Dillow-cm attack in the United States would be difficult
because of new security measures. As a result. IOM's plots against the
US homeland from late 2001 were opportunistic and limited, 'erupting a
Plot to fry hdacked plane into the tallest building on the US West Coast
and a plan to send al-Qa'ida operative and US citizen Jose Padilla to set off
bombs in high-rise apartment broldings in a US city. (wCJJJ
� CIA assesses that KiklYI has revealed at least the broad =dines of the
set of terrorist attacks upon which he and his lieutenants focused
from about 1999 until his detention four years later. We judge that
10SM has been generally accurate because his informadon tends to
be consistent, and much of it has rated by fellow
detainees and other reporting.
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we auras that ICSM still fit
withh---o�Iding significant ' on plots around the world� ,
Mei le the United Slates�i I (b)(1)
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� UM continues to provide fresh information; in recent debriefink he
has identified two photographs of 11�Qa4ida operative Ina al-Hindi�who
may be involvod in the preelection plot�and provided anal ' on how
al-Qteida might conduct attacks in the US homeland LW (b)(3)
it
210/1111
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bland Simi& Muhammad:
Preeminent Sottree On Al-Qa'ide
What /GSM Has Todd Us (SMIC5
tCksffd Shaykh
Muhammad OCID1), the
driving force behind the
11 September attacks as
wen as several
salmennent Plats Winn
US and Western target;
worldwide, has become,
since his capture in
Murat 2003, a key
intelliptue source for
the US Government an
el..12asidatu plots and
personalities. Deigiedlop since his detention have
yielded reports that bac shed light on the
plots, capabilities, the identity and location of
al-CM'ida operatives, and affiliated tearmist
organizations and networks. He his provided
information en al�Qatida's mate* Oxtrine,
probable target', the impact of striking each target
set, and Mtedy method& of Intake inside the United
States.
� KSM has also tumid= in considerable detail the
traits and profiles that al-Qetela sought in Western
opantives after the 11 September attach, Including
individuals holding US stame, possessing authentic
Western travel documents, and bangle:War with
thc�Weat
� In addition, KSM has given us lag= into bow
el-Qatida might conduct surveillance of potectig
target, in the United States, how it might select
tritets, and the method of ecanumication used
NO. 077�P.8 �
� between operatives and planners.
41/1__O
It will take yens to determine deflisitivelY tilts
plots in which K.SM was involved and of which he
was ware but our Weave debriefings of various
Kw lieutenants since early 2003 sungeg that he has
divulged at least dui broad outlines of his network's
most significant pints against the United States and
elsevinge in his rule as al-Qatida's chief of
operate= outside Afghanistan:
� Striking the (Abed State:. Devito KSM's
amertion that a poet-11 Septmnber amok in the
United States would be difficult because of more
Mtge= security manures, he has admitted to
Waren a plat in lam 2001 to use lash I:gamin
U0 operatives to mutts hijacked airliner hito the
tallest bulWing on the US West Coast From late
2001 until early 2003, KS31 also cemented several
low-level plots, including an early 2002 plan to
send sl-Qa`ida opaesfvc end US citizen Tose
Padilla to set off born= I bigh-rise spa:treat
buildings in an unspecified malor US city and an
early 2003 plot to employ a =twat of
Pakistanis�including Lyman Pads and bland
Kluin�es brag pm stanays, nitro= seeks, and
the Brooklyn Bridge in New York. KSM has also
spoken 8510331h about operative Was al-Tam,
Smiting that al-Qackla had tasked al-Tayyar to
case specific targets in New York City in 2001.
� Assert ts Arta ESTOP. the Afkkile East Dining
2000-2001, ICSM plotted snub against US and
other targets in Southeast Asia using al-Qalida and
II operatives, but after the 11 September =mks he
claSsthdbolesplyregnrdeditoperativnasa
resource for his plate aping tag= In Europe end
This assessment was prepared by the DC Counterterrorist Censer's
Comments end quotes 117C welcome and may tb� rlifeet tots Chif4
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Using OM 'ht Implicate
Safest in CORN Plotdng
WM*
Reporting from Kild
has greatly advanced our
iutderstmding of al-Whia's
anthrax prtgram
In *pante to questions about al-Qa' Ides
efforts to acquire RIAD, ICBM revealed in had
met throe individuals involved in alCasida's
Mognon to produce anthrax. He appeen to
have catouletedincerteefly. that we had 1101
itatiaL SEWN Sim that one of the
Suen-rYagid Sufitit-ohad been in halo
our* tbr semerel months before tad's sant
fOr unrelated tett* activity.
Wade Wont** provided
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Capons andtharalpte Mew of UN! cipture,
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..1111Washia; Entitles
4432titegili PrOded 10' Xaffi
captcris CMS's nviS Principal
Knes thigmentary reporting on al-Qastdis
WNW Program! coupled with reporting front
detainees captured as a result of his reporting,
opened important new ludo to al-Qa'ides
blot "
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� --140.077P . 9
the United States. KIM took a robust role in
directing and eralatittg operations during 2002 and
oariy 2003, inchuting flatting the Heathrow Plot,
providing money to Hambali for unorist plots in
East Add and aneouraging Cub against US
target. in Saudi Arabia' Ho has also revealed
details oft. el-Claliela bombing of the !Verbs
magas= in Tunisia in April 2002 and his totem
this aback.
� ahr.CRRN ittacka Reporting ttoto invent sources,
incbulitig from KM himselt Indicates that art
2001, he was involved with al-Qtida's arts to
product *Su and typhoid He claimed the:
fellow myJsbidin sought his help in acquiring
chemical sad/or biological spate Su use In *am
but that ma mated& wete not entitle!e to him.
Other reporting suggests, =mover, that none of
Olitegoperstives�ireloding Jose Padilla, the so-
called "dirty beenbar�bad succeeded in producing
. biological, or radiological weapons as of
March 2003.
� Historical Plots. KW hu been ono of the primary
sountea on underatanding how the 11 SR:tante
eases a conceived, planned, and examted.
Vildle RSM wu the meager of the II September
plot, he alai= to lack knowledge of teeny aspects
of the attack's planing and mocution becalm Elin
Ladin and his deceased deputy Muhammad 'Adf
played a key role Is the telattion of operatives, and
R&= Bin al-Shibh, not UM, was in direct contact
with the 11 September hijackers once they were in
the United States. KIM also has provided a tkir
amount of detail on the 1944-035 "Ekdinkst"
plot�fammlaned along with his nephew Rattui
)Yount�in which they conspired to endode in
midair a do rs Mit airliners over the Pacific
Ocean. GO
L
' Ss act admit* to a role in the bombing by 11
eperadves Of niselt.-1331.1 in Bali hi October 201n;
liesabali elms that be financed these bombings tam
Matting provided by KM fbr Sacks in general in
Southeast Asia.
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SHOFteth
KSIK's Rolodex A Boon Par Operations (iieler
KSM's decade-long cuter us terrorist, during
which he met with a broad range of ['limit
extremists ten around du world, ha made him a
key source of infermation on amorous al-Qs'ida
operatives and other rmgalsidin. He has provided
Intelligence that has led directly to the capture of
operative, or Seabed out out understanding of the
utivities of imparted detainees, which in turn
assisted in the debriefings of these individuals.
� Most recently, for exempla, KAM provided a
crities1 boost to efforts to locate elusive al-Qtrida
operadve bats alaindi�wbo may be involved In
al-Qa`ida's maned effort to snack the United
States beton the Praddential election�by
identifYing two of his photographs. (IF *Pr
biformation that KSM
provided to us on Majid Khan in
the spring of 2003 was the crucial
fmst Usk in the chain that led us to
the capture of prominent ii leader
and akepagda asatiate Ilaraball
in August 2003 and more than a
&mon Southeast Aden operatives
alined for sacks 'pint die US
homeland. KSM told us about Khan's role in
delivering $50,000 in December 2001 to operatives
associated with Hambali.
� In an ample of how infronnation from one
detainee can be used in debriefing another detaktee
in natilding-block" proms. Klan�wim had
been detained in Pakistan in early 2003--was
confronted with KSM's infeanatien about the
money and aakisawladgad that he delivered the
money to an operate monad "Zubstir." Klian also
provided Zubair's physical description and contact
number, Based on that infunution. Zubair was
captured in Tune 2003.
� During debriefings, lobar' revealed that he worked
directly for Hambali and Provided fratmonten
information
en--r. le�
We used the
ftnatienZultmir provided try Zubsir to
saert Heaths&
� Next. KSM�whett explicidy queried on the
fram�identified Hambali's brother, 'AM al-Hadi,
us prospective 0200ella to Thrbta Although
we were previously aware of 'AM al-Hadi, KSM's
allegation of his importance prioritized and
expedited his capta lafixmation from multiple
&minces, including TOM, narrowed down 'AM
al-Badra location, and he was captured in Karachi
in September 2003.
� Bringing the story fidi dui; 'Abd al-Hadi
identified sod! of 31 topastives�attuie of than
pilots�whaat limnball bad sent to Kenichi for
possible al-Qatida operations. When conflated
with WI brother's revelations, Banta admitted
that he was grooming members of the cell for US
opined:xi�at the behest of KSM�probably an
part of KSM's plates fry hijackedManes into the
on the US Wet Coast
Leeds KMprovided in November 2003 led directly
to the arrest of Salid Batt In the WC; KSM had
volunteered the wristatoe of Bulat�whom he knew
as Ina algskistanr�ea the �radio who was
slated to launch a ainmItrineowi shoe-bomb attack
with Richard Reid in December 2001.
� Using the intelligence from KSM an BMA
debrief:au queried Ammar al-Baluchi, who
provided additional information about the UK
openaive.
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Jgc
PHIFORNh110�
KSW. Infonnettion Bums Credible .. � Pieter
KSM has manned little of the information he has
provided, and th bulk of his reporting�such as on
the Re ow plot and operativir targeted fur
missions against the United Banos atm
11 September�hi been consistant wit or
corroborated by fomenting torn other
e gluey ern his upturn ICSM meta* vas
willing to divolge limited information on the
Heathrow plot bum= key Heathrow plotter Rani
Bin al-St had been detained that six months
earlier. Neyerthelen HSI withheld details shout
the evolution of the operation unth confronted with
rePerling lkom two eta opastives ksowledgeshle
concerning the plot�Bhallad Bin 'Atinsh and
IBM's nephew Ammar alaalnehi-LeAto were
caught two mulls after KM .
� R514 alio provided much mere meal& iniketwolon
an al-Qs'ida's operational activities with JI and the
identhise dB operatives only after be was
oottikooted by detelied questions derived from the
detninfings of IT loader and al-Qteicia eamciate
Heuthsli, who was detained in Ammon Mt
40ffir
�mo .077�P.11
Hew KM Compares With Other High�Vehte
Datainam Qh9NPr
at and *Bow senior dettrizme krn 11-`Abidin Ahn
Zubsydah we the teighteet "alms" among the high.
vane detainees OWN, =puling by It the other
high-wine detainees in mums of quad* and quality
of infra:Menu Mittman= Together they account
finv�after =
ei reilarfing PC
as of lone 2004. Intense
the tool= at their reporting, KW and Abu
bave been _KOS
� Agee= tier afalCleida MVOs, such ea:am
GM's nephew Ammar, BBB Cole plotter
Ithallad Bin itiesah, and Meader Mamba, have
also been wry nadat as solutes, but none of Stem
have the breadth and depth of information of ICBM
and Abu thabsydsb. BUMP,
... But limbs* fitEll Retsina Important
Intennstion tataar
\we asses this KW nth te withholding
information, each an
� Mewed Plots. UM degas that abgeida haa
Ste active omnivore or sleeper alb into
United Sues, claiming Mann= dad items it
die US zip codes in his notebook, and durfing the
aristenne of 'Mk Adams� vibe Abu Zobaydah
butts sand as. deepover opaative tar Kni
sinus the eniy 1990s, He also sap thst he woe
raver in direct cone& with individuals in the
United States, and be has provided only ininimal
infonutian about his Unto ocreatta in the
United there whiles stodut hero \
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� Plats In Me Arctiden Patintila and South Asia
KSM has slated that he noted detailed knowledge
of plot* in Saudi Anbia because be delegated
deobionmaking authority to eon leaden there, but
not loan after his capture, he Was able to Pentide
detailed lilt of 'the leaden and members of four
cells in the Kingdom. Likewise, despite living in
Pakten from late 2001 until Ina ape" KSM has
provided only limited ittnemattion on Poland
militants who, since 11 Septemlnr, have
ineressingly whined from prontoting local nuns
to focusing on bitting US and other Weems targets
In Pakistan and the Paitin Gat
� PIS In Ear:Africa ICSM has tommesed general
knowledge of planning by al-Qa`itla opeadve Fend
bduhartunati (a.k.a. Hum) to stage snacks against
US or Israeli targets in either Kenya or Tanzania.
His ateremeats about worldng before his detention
to slip explosives to Hann suggests, however, that
he very (Sly knows more shout ilerun't plotting
than his lining on. In one a movided
new intermadon on operational dimwit= he bad
with Roam only afro being presaged with a
eantwed operational proposal written by Hann
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�
Appendix: Biography of Mudd
BMA& Muhammad (KSM) (U)
Khalid Shaykit Muhammad (KSM) was born on
24 April 1965; hie dither, a cleric who died la
1969, moved to Kuwait along with other Baluchi
relatives from Iran in the 1950s end early 1960s,
whim large numbers of migrants traveled to the
Guff fusion from won the Muslim World to like
advantage of the oil boom. la a bow*
autobiographical statement made ter his capture
ICBM cored that he had � rebellious wreak from
childhood; he claimed that in grade taboo', he and
his nephew, World Trade Canter bather gams
Vomit tore down the Kuwaiti flag from their
school. He also stated that he joined the Muslim
Brodtedtood as a teenager as an expression of his
Mice *gam the secular world he saw around
� In addition to Renzi Yount another /no
relative& of KSM are ter:arks, the son notable
of whom we nephew 'Ali 'Abd alaziz 'Ali
(AWAtimatAIL key facilinbufirdm
Icsm's limited and negative nwertenas la the
United Stetes�which included a briefiell may
because of uopaidlAs�almon certainly helped
propel him on his path. to become a terrorist. KSM
stated in his *blouse autobiography that, tittle
amandics North Carolina Ma Slab UniveraitY, he
foamed on his studios and usechand primarily
with Wow lalamist student, ten the Middle But
NO.077 �P.13�
Photo of lei Own the cute
waiding to Ns oaupO.
eSOVO9
SIEWIETRICOCORN
He stated that his contacts with Americans, while
minima, confirmed bit view that the United States
was a debauched and racist country.
� Alter graduatinTh from MT in 1986 with a
degree in mechanical audneerYg. KSM said
that he traveled to Afghanistan to participate in
the Isbdalg against the Soviet Army them. He
stated that most of his time in Afghanistan
during this period veasor7Aort wort
Sat other mujahidin.
KSM also has identifusd the terrorist activities of
his nephew Rawl Young along with his eager at
the US Ocrvenuncrir a support of Direct ea playing
a pivotal role is his decision to eon in terrorism
;Oast the United Sestet In 1992, KSM ewe he
provided about 81,000 to help Rind Young's
bombing of the World Trade Center, adding that
he wit impressed by the we with which his
nephew, was able to operate in the United States.
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He then joined Tousef in the Philippines in 1994
to plan the "Illojinka" plot�the simultaneous
bombings of a dace US-flagged commercial
airliners ova the Pacific.
� After the Sojinka plot was distupted and Vase
was aught in early 1995,1(5)4 escaped but was
aubsequattly indicted in the United States for his
role hi the plot and want into hiding.
� Yam lama detained associate repotted that
KSM showed hhn a photograph of Tomer in
handed% and said. "This is the man I am
fighting and dying for." The associate further
� noted that ICS34 pledged In Sod a free his
nephew from US custody.41/
While preparing the Bejinka plot, Yousef and
ICSAit also discussed th idea of using planes as
missiles to galls targets in the United Stake,
including the White Hoon and the Central
Intelligence Agency. KSSI sail dittoIn 1996, he
expended the idea of using planes as missiles tiy
conceiving oft plot of hijacking ten *linen to
strike simultaneously targets on both mast" of the
United States Of
XSMtavelS to Afghanistan in the mid.1990e to
gain the support of Usaitaa Sin La sad thereby
hopefully obtain the regulates necasary to realize
the openuion. The al-Qa'ida landau Era
damned but changed his mind In late 1999 and
provided ICSbit �octave' and flsoding tars
scaled-down version of his hijacking operetta
This phaming culminated in the 11 September
attacks.
� Before September 2001,1(SM was neither a
famed member of al-Qatida non member of iti
leadership council, but in addition to managing
the 11 Septenbc operation. he headed
7
M0.077-9.14
Prete 0103M torn 2002,
Orabibly harp* I fora tales
PuiPort, (SWF)
SECILIMMSOPORN
el-I/slides Media Crakee and oversaw
effects during 2000-2001 to work with East
Asian haat Islamist opentives to launch
tarmac cads In Southeast Asia againstus and
Israeli target
� KM hag stated that he intentionally did not
swear Well (*pledge of loyalty) to Bin Leal
until Ott September 2001 so that he could have
ignored a decision by the al-Qalda leadership to
clittcleAternbet attacks.
Alla late 2001. the calm of the Tallban regime.
the dispersal of al-Wick's lesdenkip, sad the
presage associated with emanating the
11 Septemba stacks combined to propel KIM
Into the role of operations Mief for al-Qatlida
around the world.
� KSM dated that he had plaited � second wave
oflijacking amtcks even before September 2001
b4 .H0( his aim from the United States to the
United Kingdom because of the United Rum'
post-11 Septezaber security Pun= and the
BIS& OOMMIS'S strong support for
Washington's global war an tarot.
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_sacifter
Vialahif/Mir
� In addition to attempting to prepare this so-called
"Heathrow Pier�hi which he planned to have
multiple stteraft attack Heathrow Attpott and
other tergets In the United ICingclom--KSM also
launched a number of plot' whist the United
States.
NO. kw �P . 15 �
� Although he was responsible for operational
plotting. KSM stated that during most of 2002,
he spent considerable time managing the
movement and housing of operatives and their
familka from Afghanistan to Pakistan and then
�awed& to the Middle East. �llatelaci
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