Newly revealed documents suggest that an individual previously dismissed in investigations had prior contact with two of the 9/11 hijackers, raising questions about his potential involvement in the attacks.
Though more than two decades have passed since the tragic events of September 11, 2001, the memories remain vivid in the minds of Americans. The attacks, orchestrated by al-Qaeda operatives, involved four hijacked commercial airplanes. Two of them struck the Twin Towers in New York City, while a third hit the Pentagon. A fourth plane, headed for another target in Washington D.C., crashed in a field in Pennsylvania after passengers attempted to overpower the hijackers.
The attacks resulted in the deaths of 2,977 people, prompting widespread investigations into those involved.
A recent CBS News report has brought attention back to Omar Al-Bayoumi, a Saudi national who was initially investigated following the attacks. In 2004, the 9/11 Commission described him as an unlikely participant in extremist activities. However, new evidence retrieved from his former U.S. residence paints a different picture.
Gina Bennett, a former CIA counterterrorism analyst who served during the attacks, now believes Al-Bayoumi may have played a more significant role. Based on material she reviewed, she stated that Al-Bayoumi likely acted as a facilitator for al-Qaeda and offered critical support to two of the hijackers—support that may have prevented their early detection.
According to the FBI, Al-Bayoumi was affiliated with the Saudi intelligence service and maintained connections with two of the hijackers.
Unsealed documents from a federal court case last year—part of a lawsuit by families of 9/11 victims against Saudi Arabia—revealed video footage taken by Al-Bayoumi in Washington, D.C., in 1999. The video features surveillance-style clips of entrances and exits to the Capitol, security checkpoints, a model of the building, and nearby landmarks. He also points out the Washington Monument and notes the proximity of a nearby airport—details that former FBI supervisor Richard Lambert said could have been relevant to planning an attack.
When questioned about the footage, Saudi officials insisted it was merely a tourist video.
Further scrutiny came from a deposition in 2021, during which Al-Bayoumi acknowledged authorship of a sketch and a handwritten equation regarding the height and distance of an aircraft from Earth. Although he claimed he could not recall its purpose, experts suggested the math could be used by a pilot to calculate descent angles to strike a target on the horizon.
With the help of a translator, Al-Bayoumi said: “Maybe it was something we studied in high school. I might’ve just been trying to see if I still remembered how to solve it.”
Al-Bayoumi also admitted to meeting hijackers Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar in Los Angeles in early 2000, though he maintains it was a random encounter and that he simply assisted them in adjusting to life in the U.S.
After the attacks, Al-Bayoumi returned to Saudi Arabia. He has not been charged with any crime to date.