June 12, 2001: 9/11 Hijacker Obtains US Visa, despite Lying on Application

Saeed Algahdmi, in a video apparently made in the spring of 2001. [Source: As-Sahab]9/11 hijacker Saeed Alghamdi obtains a US visa from the American consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The application is made through the Visa Express program (see May 2001), using a passport issued two days earlier.
Lies on Application - He lies on his application form, claiming that he has never before applied for a US visa, when in fact he obtained one the previous year (see September 4, 2000). Fellow hijackers Khalid Almihdhar and Ahmed Alnami make similar false statements on their visa applications around this time (see April 23, 2001 and June 13, 2001), although Alnami corrects his application. The information about his previous visa is available at the consulate, but is not accessed, as consular workers do not usually examine previous visa issuances, only refusals. The 9/11 Commission will speculate that he lied on purpose to conceal the previous application. [9/11 Commission, 8/21/2004, pp. 24 ]
Fraudulent Features - The Commission will also suggest that one or more of Alghamdi’s passports may contain fraudulent features, but will claim that this is not certain as Alghamdi’s passport was not recovered after 9/11. [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 563-4; 9/11 Commission, 8/21/2004, pp. 42 ] This is an error by the Commission, as Alghamdi’s passport will actually be found after 9/11 and the Commission will be aware of this (see Shortly After September 11, 2001).
Same Consular Official - At least 11 of the 15 visas issued to the hijackers in Jeddah are issued by the same consular officer, but it is unclear whether Alghamdi’s visa is issued by that officer or another one (see Before September 3, 2000). [9/11 Commission, 8/21/2004, pp. 33 ]
KSM's Travel Agent - The travel agency used for the Visa Express application is Minhal Travel, which will also later be used by 9/11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed to obtain a US visa (see July 23, 2001). [9/11 Commission, 8/21/2004, pp. 24, 29 ]