September 3-5, 2001: Operatives Connected to 9/11 Meet in Karachi

Several al-Qaeda operatives connected to the 9/11 plot appear to have a meeting in Karachi, possibly to finalize details related to the plot. Some of the operatives arrive from Germany, via Istanbul, by plane (see September 3-5, 2001). They include Said Bahaji, an associate of the hijackers, Afghan brothers Mohammad Sarwar Joia and Patrick Joia, an Algerian named Mohammed Belfatmi who also just arrived from Istanbul and is said to have a role in arranging a meeting in Spain between lead hijacker and Mohamed Atta and Ramzi bin al-Shibh (see July 8-19, 2001), and men known as Abdellah Hosayni and Ammar Moul. However, these last two may be traveling under false identities and it will later be reported that they are really Ismail Ben Mrabete and Ahmed Taleb, who an informer says later attended the same al-Qaeda training camp as Bahaji. Hosanyi is suspected by German investigators of having a “major role” in preparations for 9/11. A Pakistani newspaper will say that, “It was, in all probability, a meeting to tie up loose ends before the countdown to the attack.” Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and Hambali are in Karachi at this time, although it is unclear whether they meet with Bahaji and the others (see Early September 2001). The Joia brothers, who are apparently under surveillance by German police around this time, return to Istanbul on October 5 and 16. In Germany in late October, Patrick Joia will even talk to a reporter and admit recently traveling to Pakistan. [Fortune, 10/30/2001; CNN, 10/31/2001; Chicago Tribune, 2/25/2003; Pioneer, 8/7/2003] What happens to the Joia brothers after this time is unclear.