KHALID SHEIKH MOHAMMED
9/11 MASTERMIND

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, also known as KSM, is a Pakistani terrorist and former Head of Propaganda for al-Qaeda. He is a mechanical engineer and has been involved in numerous terrorist plots, including the 9/11 attacks. Mohammed has been described as a “mastermind” and “architect” of the 9/11 attacks, which resulted in the deaths of nearly 3,000 people.

Early Life and Education

Mohammed was born in either Balochistan, Pakistan, or Kuwait, and moved to the United States in 1983 to attend university. He studied engineering and later attended a flight school in Florida. He was known to be involved with the Muslim Brotherhood and other extremist groups from a young age.

Terrorist Activities

Mohammed’s involvement in terrorism began in the 1990s, when he worked with his nephew Ramzi Yousef on the Bojinka plot, a plan to destroy 12 commercial airliners flying between the US, East Asia, and Southeast Asia. He later joined al-Qaeda and played a key role in planning the 9/11 attacks, selecting targets, and arranging travel for the hijackers.

Capture and Interrogation

Mohammed was arrested on March 1, 2003, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, and was subsequently detained at Guantanamo Bay. He was subjected to waterboarding and other forms of interrogation, during which he made confessions about his involvement in terrorist activities.

Plea Deal

In August 2024, Mohammed and two co-conspirators reached a plea deal with prosecutors, agreeing to participate in a process to provide information about their roles and reasons for conducting the 9/11 attacks. The deal does not include the death penalty, and Mohammed will essentially serve life in prison.