9/11 mastermind planned 10 air attacks

SEPTEMBER 11 plot mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed originally envisioned an attack involving 10 hijacked planes, including one he would pilot and, after all male passengers were killed, land at an airport and make an anti-American speech, according to the commission investigating the attacks.

The report said Mohammed initially proposed hitting CIA and FBI headquarters, unidentified nuclear plants and tall buildings in California and Washington state, in addition to the World Trade Center, Pentagon and White House or Capitol.

Mohammed, who is in US custody at an undisclosed overseas location, told interrogators that, rather than crashing his hijacked plane into a target, he wanted to land and make a political statement.

He proposed killing every male passenger aboard, landing at a US airport and making a "speech denouncing US policies in the Middle East before releasing all the women and children."

That plan was rejected by Osama bin Laden, who ultimately approved a scaled-back mission involving four planes. Training for it began in 1999.

The report said Mohammed wanted more hijackers up to 26, instead of the 19 who actually participated. The commission also identified at least 10 al-Qaida operatives who were to participate but could not take part for various reasons including visa problems and suspicion by officials at airports in the United States and overseas.Far from a seamless operation, the report portrays a plot riven by internal dissent, including disagreement over whether to target the White House or the Capitol building a conflict that apparently never was resolved before the attacks.

Among other new disclosures in the commission report:

Mohamed Atta, the pilot of one of the planes that struck the World Trade Centre and leader of the 19 hijackers, never met with Iraqi agents in Prague.

Mohdar Abdullah, an illegal immigrant living in San Diego, provided assistance to two of the hijackers and later made prison claims that he had advance knowledge of the attacks.

Bin Laden wanted the fourth plane to strike the White House, but Atta believed the White House was too difficult to hit. Eventually, Atta agreed to the White House but kept the Capitol in reserve.

Atta said the hijackers planned to crash their planes to the ground if problems arose during the flights. Atta himself planned to crash his into the streets of New York if he couldn't strike the World Trade Centre.

The plot cost upwards of £300,000 and no credible evidence has emerged that anyone in the US provided financial support.