Marwan al-Shehhi

Marwan al-Shehhi
Name	Marwan al-Shehhi
Birth date	9 May 1978
Birth place	Ras al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates
Death date	11 September 2001 (aged 23)
Death place	New York City, New York, U.S.
Death cause	Plane crash (September 11 attacks)
Known for	Hijacker-pilot of United Airlines Flight 175
Nationality	Emirati

Marwan al-Shehhi was an Emirati terrorist and one of the principal hijacker-pilots in the September 11 attacks. He was the pilot who crashed United Airlines Flight 175 into the South Tower of the World Trade Center. A member of the Hamburg cell, he was closely associated with the plot's ringleader, Mohamed Atta, and trained at flight schools in the United States under the direction of al-Qaeda.

Early Life

Marwan al-Shehhi was born on 9 May 1978 in Ras al-Khaimah, one of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates. His father was a muezzin at a local mosque, and the family was of modest means. He attended local schools in the UAE and was described as a quiet and religious teenager. In 1996, after completing secondary education, he received a scholarship from the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces to study in Germany.

Education and Travel

In 1996, al-Shehhi moved to Bonn, Germany, to begin studies in German at the University of Bonn. He later transferred to the Technical University of Hamburg-Harburg to study shipbuilding engineering. It was in Hamburg where he became deeply involved with the radical al-Quds Mosque and met future co-conspirators, including Mohamed Atta and Ziad Jarrah, forming the core of the Hamburg cell. During this period, he traveled to Afghanistan, where he reportedly received training at al-Qaeda camps and pledged allegiance to Osama bin Laden.

Involvement in the 9/11 Attacks

Selected by al-Qaeda leadership for the "planes operation", al-Shehhi arrived in the United States in late May 2000. He and Mohamed Atta soon began flight training in Venice, Florida, at the Huffman Aviation flight school. Financed by wires from Mustafa al-Hawsawi in the UAE, he obtained his private pilot license and later his commercial pilot license. In the months leading up to the attacks, he participated in final planning meetings, conducted cross-country surveillance flights, and assisted in recruiting the muscle hijackers.

Hijacking of United Airlines Flight 175

On the morning of 11 September 2001, al-Shehhi boarded United Airlines Flight 175 at Logan International Airport in Boston. The Boeing 767 was bound for Los Angeles. Shortly after takeoff, he and his team of four accomplices, including Fayez Banihammad, violently took control of the aircraft. Al-Shehhi assumed the controls and deliberately flew the plane into the South Tower of the World Trade Center at 9:03 a.m. The impact and subsequent fire caused the tower to collapse less than an hour later.

Death

Marwan al-Shehhi died instantly upon the impact of United Airlines Flight 175 with the South Tower of the World Trade Center. His remains were later identified through DNA analysis by the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner. The crash killed all 65 people on board the aircraft and hundreds more inside the tower, contributing to the nearly 3,000 total fatalities of the September 11 attacks.

Investigation and Aftermath

The investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the 9/11 Commission quickly identified al-Shehhi as one of the hijacker-pilots. His connections to the Hamburg cell, Mohamed Atta, and the financial network of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed were thoroughly documented. The attacks led to the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan and a global War on Terror. In the United Arab Emirates, his involvement caused significant shock and led to increased cooperation with international counter-terrorism efforts through bodies like the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Category:September 11 hijackers Category:Emirati terrorists Category:1978 births Category:2001 deaths