Mohammed al-Qahtani: Is War on Terror Over?

Mohammed al-Qahtani was repatriated to Saudi Arabia earlier this week after spending over two decades in American custody at the Guantanamo Bay naval base in Cuba. Though never charged in connection with al-Qaeda’s suicide-hijacking attacks that killed nearly 3,000 Americans on September 11, 2001, Qahtani is believed to have been the absent “20th hijacker.”

Like 15 of the 19 hijackers who did carry out the 9/11 atrocities, Qahtani is a Saudi national. On August 4, 2001, he attempted to enter the U.S. in Orlando, Fla., where he had arrived on a flight from London. Qahtani had no return ticket and no hotel reservation, but Mohamed Atta, one of the 9/11 ringleaders, was there to meet him.

Mohammed al-Qahtani was repatriated to Saudi Arabia earlier this week after spending over two decades in American custody at the Guantanamo Bay naval base in Cuba. Though never charged in connection with al-Qaeda’s suicide-hijacking attacks that killed nearly 3,000 Americans on September 11, 2001, Qahtani is believed to have been the absent “20th hijacker.”

Like 15 of the 19 hijackers who did carry out the 9/11 atrocities, Qahtani is a Saudi national. On August 4, 2001, he attempted to enter the U.S. in Orlando, Fla., where he had arrived on a flight from London. Qahtani had no return ticket and no hotel reservation, but Mohamed Atta, one of the 9/11 ringleaders, was there to meet him.

About the Author

Andrew C. McCarthy

Andrew C. McCarthy is a senior fellow at National Review Institute, an NR contributing editor, and author of Ball of Collusion: The Plot to Rig an Election and Destroy a Presidency.