9/11 Test Review

Who was Meir Kahane?

A controversial rabbi and political figure who was assassinated in Manhattan in November 1990.

Who assassinated Meir Kahane?

El Sayyid Nosair.

What did investigators find when they searched El Sayyid Nosair's home?

Documents, contacts, and materials connecting him to a larger militant network.

Why was the significance of the evidence found in Nosair's home initially missed?

Investigators largely treated the assassination as an isolated crime instead of part of a wider terrorist network.

Who were the NYPD and FBI investigators who helped uncover the local network?

Louis Napoli of the NYPD and John Anticev of the FBI.

How did investigators begin uncovering the Brooklyn network?

They followed Nosair's contacts and connections to other extremists.

What role did the Al-Farooq Mosque play in the Brooklyn cell?

A small extremist circle associated with it used connections there for recruitment and promotion of violent-jihad ideology.

What early evidence connected the Brooklyn cell to Osama bin Laden?

Investigators discovered financial, organizational, and overseas connections linking members to bin Laden's network.

Who was Emad Salem?

An Egyptian immigrant recruited as an FBI informant to infiltrate the extremist cell.

Why did the FBI's first undercover operation with Emad Salem fall apart?

Disputes over trust and documentation caused Salem's initial relationship with the FBI to end.

When did the first World Trade Center bombing occur?

February 26, 1993.

What was the main objective of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing?

To cause catastrophic destruction and mass casualties at the World Trade Center.

How many people were killed in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing?

6 people.

Who was the principal bomb plotter behind the 1993 World Trade Center bombing?

Ramzi Yousef.

What was the Landmarks Plot?

A later plot to attack major New York City landmarks, bridges, and tunnels.

How did the Brooklyn-cell investigation foreshadow problems before 9/11?

It exposed failures in communication and information sharing between law-enforcement and intelligence agencies.

How did the bin Laden family become extremely wealthy?

Through a massive construction business with important Saudi government contracts.

What role did Osama bin Laden play during the Soviet-Afghan War?

He provided money, logistics, facilities, and support to fighters and developed an international network of militant contacts.

How did the Soviet-Afghan War affect bin Laden's future network?

It allowed him to establish relationships with foreign fighters and militants that later helped form his international network.

Why did Osama bin Laden turn against the Saudi royal family after Iraq invaded Kuwait?

He opposed Saudi Arabia allowing U.S. troops into the kingdom during the Gulf crisis.

Where did bin Laden relocate his operations in the early 1990s?

Sudan.

What did bin Laden build and develop while in Sudan?

Businesses, infrastructure projects, and an expanded militant network.

What was al-Qaeda's primary ideological mission?

To organize an international militant movement against governments and foreign powers it considered enemies, especially U.S. influence.

What did bin Laden declare in his 1996 fatwa?

He called for armed struggle against the United States, especially U.S. military forces in Saudi Arabia.

Who protected and hosted bin Laden after he returned to Afghanistan in 1996?

The Taliban.

What warning did bin Laden give in his 1997 CNN interview?

He indicated that people would eventually see and hear about his future actions through the media.

What major problems prevented the CIA and FBI from stopping bin Laden's network early?

Poor coordination, bureaucratic divisions, limited intelligence, and failures to share information.

What happened in the 1998 U.S. Embassy bombings?

Al-Qaeda carried out coordinated bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.

Why were the 1998 embassy bombings significant?

They demonstrated that al-Qaeda could conduct large international attacks against American targets.

What was Ramzi Yousef's goal in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing?

To cause catastrophic destruction and mass casualties at the World Trade Center.

What was the Bojinka Plot?

A 1995 conspiracy centered in the Philippines that included plans to bomb multiple U.S.-bound airliners.

Who were major figures behind the Bojinka Plot?

Ramzi Yousef and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (KSM).

How did bin Laden's 1998 fatwa expand his 1996 declaration?

It expanded the call for attacks to include Americans, including civilians, rather than focusing primarily on U.S. military forces.

What was Operation Infinite Reach?

U.S. cruise-missile strikes against targets in Afghanistan and Sudan following the 1998 U.S. Embassy bombings.

What unintended effect did Operation Infinite Reach have on bin Laden?

It helped increase his international profile and reputation among supporters.

Name a major target associated with a thwarted Millennium Plot.

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

What happened to the USS Cole in October 2000?

Al-Qaeda attackers used an explosive-laden small boat to attack the U.S. Navy destroyer in Aden, Yemen.

How many U.S. sailors were killed in the USS Cole bombing?

17.

What vulnerability did the USS Cole attack expose?

It showed that American military assets overseas could be vulnerable to relatively small terrorist attacks.

What was Alec Station?

A CIA unit dedicated to tracking Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda.

Which two future 9/11 hijackers became important in the Alec Station story?

Khalid al-Mihdhar and Nawaf al-Hazmi.

What problem occurred while intelligence agencies tracked al-Mihdhar and al-Hazmi?

Important information about them was not effectively shared between agencies.

Who was Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (KSM)?

A major al-Qaeda planner who developed the original concept that evolved into the 9/11 attacks.

What was KSM's "Planes Operation"?

A plan to hijack commercial airplanes and use the aircraft themselves as weapons against major targets.

How was KSM's Planes Operation different from earlier al-Qaeda attacks?

It used hijacked airplanes themselves as weapons instead of relying on conventional planted bombs.

What was the August 2001 Presidential Daily Brief titled?

Bin Ladin Determined to Strike in US.

Why was the "Bin Ladin Determined to Strike in US" PDB significant?

It warned President George W. Bush that bin Laden remained interested in carrying out an attack inside the United States.

Who was Ahmad Shah Massoud?

The leader of Afghanistan's anti-Taliban Northern Alliance.

When was Ahmad Shah Massoud assassinated?

September 9, 2001, two days before 9/11.

Why did al-Qaeda assassinate Ahmad Shah Massoud?

Removing a major Taliban opponent reduced the threat he posed and his potential ability to cooperate with the United States after an American response.

Who is associated with the Kahane assassination?

El Sayyid Nosair.

Who is associated with infiltrating the Brooklyn extremist cell for the FBI?

Emad Salem.

Who is associated with the 1993 World Trade Center bombing?

Ramzi Yousef.

Who hosted Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan?

The Taliban.

Who is associated with the Planes Operation?

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (KSM).

What does KSM stand for?

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.

What does Alec Station refer to?

The CIA unit created to track Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda.

What major attack occurred in 1993?

The first World Trade Center bombing.

What major al-Qaeda attacks occurred in 1998?

The U.S. Embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania.

What major al-Qaeda attack occurred in 2000?

The USS Cole bombing.

What major intelligence warning appeared in August 2001?

The PDB titled "Bin Ladin Determined to Strike in US."

What important assassination occurred two days before 9/11?

The assassination of Ahmad Shah Massoud.