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112-804: The 1993 World Trade Center bombing was a terrorist attack carried out by Al-Qaeda against the United States on February 26, 1993, when a van bomb detonated below the North Tower of the World Trade Center complex in Manhattan , New York City. The 1,336 lb (606 kg) urea nitrate – hydrogen gas enhanced device was intended to make the North Tower collapse onto the South Tower , taking down both skyscrapers and killing tens of thousands of people. While it failed to do so, it killed six people, including

224-581: A Judeo-Christian alliance (led by the United States ) is waging a war against Islam and conspiring to destroy Islam . Al-Qaeda also opposes man-made laws , and seek to implement sharīʿah (Islamic law) in Muslim countries. Al-Qaeda fighters characteristically deploy tactics such as suicide attacks ( Inghimasi and Istishhadi operations) involving simultaneous bombing of several targets in battle-zones. Al-Qaeda's Iraq branch , which later morphed into

336-563: A Ryder " loss prevention analyst". Earlier, the FBI had traced the Ford Econoline van that had been used in the World Trade Center bombing by its vehicle identification number . In 1994, Salameh was sentenced to 240 years in prison. In 1999, his sentence was reduced to 116 years and 11 months. In 2021, one of his convictions was overturned, cutting his sentence by another 30 years. He

448-538: A Ryder van rented from DIB Leasing in Jersey City. Investigators determined that the vehicle had been rented by Mohammed A. Salameh , one of Yousef's co-conspirators. Salameh had reported the van stolen, and when he returned on March 4, 1993, to get his deposit back, authorities arrested him. Salameh's arrest led police to the apartment of Abdul Rahman Yasin at 40 Pamrapo Avenue in Jersey City, New Jersey , which Yasin

560-688: A Yemeni politician and founding member of Alkarama , who was listed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) by the US Treasury in 2013. The US authorities claimed that Humayqani exploited his role in Alkarama to fundraise on behalf of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). A prominent figure in AQAP, Nuaimi was also reported to have facilitated the flow of funding to AQAP affiliates based in Yemen. Nuaimi

672-643: A transformer explosion; agents and bomb technicians from the ATF , FBI , and the NYPD quickly responded to the scene. Agents quickly determined that the magnitude of the explosion was far beyond that of a transformer explosion. The FBI Laboratory Division technician, David Williams, who took charge of the crime scene, claimed to know prior to scientific testing the nature and size of the bomb which other lab specialists such as Stephen Burmeister and Frederic Whitehurst contradicted and later challenged with embarrassing consequences for

784-628: A "vanguard" for jihad . When Saddam Hussein invaded and occupied Kuwait in 1990, bin Laden offered to support Saudi Arabia by sending his Mujahideen fighters. His offer was rebuffed by the Saudi government, which instead sought the aid of the United States . The stationing of U.S. troops in the Arabian Peninsula prompted bin Laden to declare a jihad against both the rulers of Saudi Arabia – whom he denounced as murtadd (apostates) – and against

896-423: A Qatar-sponsored campaign "as one of the preferred conduits for donations intended for the group". In the disagreement over whether al-Qaeda's objectives are religious or political, Mark Sedgwick describes al-Qaeda's strategy as political in the immediate term but with ultimate aims that are religious. On March 11, 2005, Al-Quds Al-Arabi published extracts from Saif al-Adel 's document "Al Qaeda's Strategy to

1008-628: A Qatari citizen and a human-rights activist who founded the Swiss-based non-governmental organization (NGO) Alkarama . On December 18, 2013, the US Treasury designated Nuaimi as a terrorist for his activities supporting al-Qaeda. The US Treasury has said Nuaimi "has facilitated significant financial support to al-Qaeda in Iraq, and served as an interlocutor between al-Qaeda in Iraq and Qatar-based donors". Nuaimi

1120-466: A background in Egypt and the Arabian Peninsula, it has since attracted fighters from other Arab groups, including North Africans , Jordanians , Palestinians , and Iraqis . In the decade following the 9/11 attacks, Muslims from non-Arab backgrounds, such as Pakistanis , Afghans , Turks , Kurds , and European converts to Islam , have also joined the organization. Many Western analysts do not believe that

1232-517: A bomb had exploded in the basement. The bomb instantly cut off the World Trade Center's main electrical power line, knocking out the emergency lighting system. The bomb caused smoke to rise to the 93rd floor of both towers, including through the stairwells (which were not pressurized), and smoke went up the damaged elevators in both towers. With thick smoke filling the stairwells, evacuation was difficult for building occupants and led to many smoke inhalation injuries. Hundreds were trapped in elevators in

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1344-515: A bomb set by terrorists exploded below this site. This horrible act of violence killed innocent people, injured thousands, and made victims of us all." The fountain was destroyed with the rest of the World Trade Center during the September 11 attacks . A recovered fragment of the fountain marked "John D", from the name of John DiGiovanni, was later incorporated into a temporary memorial designed by Port Authority architect Jacqueline Hanley, and erected on

1456-599: A defense attorney who defended al-Fadl said: There were selective portions of al-Fadl's testimony that I believe was false, to help support the picture that he helped the Americans join together. I think he lied in a number of specific testimony about a unified image of what this organization was. It made al-Qaeda the new Mafia or the new Communists. It made them identifiable as a group and therefore made it easier to prosecute any person associated with al-Qaeda for any acts or statements made by bin Laden. The number of individuals in

1568-660: A five-judge panel of the Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan to throw out the decision, describing the jury's verdict as "bizarre". On April 29, 2008, a New York State Appeals Court unanimously upheld the jury's verdict. Under New York law, a defendant who is more than 50 percent at fault can be held fully financially liable. On September 22, 2011, the New York Court of Appeals , in

1680-454: A forged Swedish passport, though it had been altered and thus raised suspicions among INS officials at John F. Kennedy International Airport . When officials put Ajaj through secondary inspection, they discovered bomb-making instructions and other materials in his luggage, and arrested him. The name Abu Barra , an alias of Mohammed Jamal Khalifa , appeared in the manuals. Yousef entered on a false Iraqi passport claiming political asylum , and

1792-493: A four to three ruling, excluded the Port Authority from claims of negligence related to the 1993 bombing. It has been argued that the problem with the apportionment of responsibility in the case is not the jury's verdict, but rather New York's tort -reform-produced state apportionment law. Traditionally, courts do not compare intentional and negligent fault. The Restatement Third of Torts: Apportionment of Liability recommends

1904-411: A military base to train the young men to fight against the vicious, arrogant, brutal, terrorizing Soviet empire   ... So this place was called 'The Base' ['Al-Qa'idah'], as in a training base, so this name grew and became. We aren't separated from this nation. We are the children of a nation, and we are an inseparable part of it, and from those public demonstrations which spread from the far east, from

2016-580: A pregnant woman, and caused over a thousand injuries. About 50,000 people were evacuated from the buildings that day. The attack was planned by a group of al-Qaeda terrorists including Ramzi Yousef ; Mahmud Abouhalima ; Mohammad A. Salameh ; Nidal Ayyad ; Abdul Rahman Yasin ; and Ahmed Ajaj . In March 1994, four men were convicted of carrying out the bombing: Abouhalima, Ajaj, Ayyad, and Salameh. The charges included conspiracy, explosive destruction of property, and interstate transportation of explosives. In November 1997, two more were convicted: Ramzi Yousef,

2128-423: A prisoner, and not a guest, in Iraq." Mylroie denied that this was proof of Saddam's non-involvement, claiming that "one common purpose of such meetings was to develop cover stories for whatever Iraq sought to conceal." In the wake of the bombing and the chaotic evacuation which followed, the World Trade Center and many of the firms inside of it revamped emergency procedures, particularly with regard to evacuation of

2240-609: A report from the United Nations, based on member state intelligence, concluded that de facto leadership of al-Qaeda had passed to Saif al-Adel , who was operating out of Iran. Adel, a former Egyptian army officer, became a military instructor in al-Qaeda camps in the 1990s and was known for his involvement in the Battle of Mogadishu. The report stated that al-Adel's leadership could not officially be declared by al-Qaeda because of "political sensitivities" of Afghan government in acknowledging

2352-833: A rule to prevent juries from having to make comparisons like the terrorist–Port Authority comparison in this case. However, if a jurisdiction does compare these intentional and negligent torts, courts' second-best position is to do what the NYS Appeals Court did—to uphold all jury apportionments, even those that assign greater, or perhaps far greater, responsibility to negligent than intentional parties. Al-Qaeda Other groups: Former groups: Non-state allies: Formerly: Non-state opponents: Al-Qaeda ( / æ l ˈ k aɪ ( ə ) d ə / ; Arabic : القاعدة , romanized :  al-Qāʿidah , lit.   'the Base';, IPA: [alˈqaː.ʕi.da] )

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2464-617: A senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies , writes: "The most knowledgeable analysts and investigators at the CIA and at the FBI believe that their work conclusively disproves Mylroie's claims." In March 2008, the Pentagon released its study of some 600,000 documents captured in Iraq after the 2003 invasion (see 2008 Pentagon Report ). The study "found no 'smoking gun' (i.e., direct connection) between Saddam's Iraq and al Qaeda." Among

2576-462: A serious concern." Among the first pieces of evidence regarding Saudi Arabia's support for al-Qaeda was the so-called " Golden Chain ", a list of early al-Qaeda funders seized during a 2002 raid in Sarajevo by Bosnian police. The hand-written list was validated by al-Qaeda defector Jamal al-Fadl, and included the names of both donors and beneficiaries. Osama bin-Laden's name appeared seven times among

2688-469: Is a pan-Islamist militant organization led by Sunni jihadists who self-identify as a vanguard spearheading a global Islamist revolution to unite the Muslim world under a supra-national Islamic caliphate . Its membership is mostly composed of Arabs but also includes people from other ethnic groups. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian, economic and military targets of the U.S. and its allies; such as

2800-493: Is a conglomerate of expert committees, each in supervision of distinct tasks and objectives. Its membership is mostly composed of Egyptian Islamist leaders who participated in the anti-communist Afghan Jihad . Assisting them are hundreds of Islamic field operatives and commanders, based in various regions of the Muslim World . The central leadership assumes control of the doctrinal approach and overall propaganda campaign; while

2912-489: Is a way of working   ... but this has the hallmark of that approach   ... Al-Qaeda clearly has the ability to provide training   ... to provide expertise   ... and I think that is what has occurred here." On August 13, 2005, The Independent newspaper, reported that the July   7 bombers had acted independently of an al-Qaeda mastermind. Nasser al-Bahri, who was Osama bin Laden's bodyguard for four years in

3024-568: Is assigned BOP number 34338-054. Salameh was initially sent to ADX Florence , where he was repeatedly force-fed after hunger strikes. He was later transferred to USP Big Sandy , then FCI Terre Haute . Salameh is scheduled for release on May 23, 2067. An article in the Jerusalem Post quoted from the mid-August 2010 issue of Playboy that El Sayyid Nosair , who had been acquitted of the murder of Meir Kahane , later still claimed that he had two partners with him: He (Mr. Nosair) added that on

3136-499: Is not about the al-Qa'idah Organization. We are the children of an Islamic Nation, with Prophet Muhammad as its leader, our Lord is one   ... and all the true believers [mu'mineen] are brothers. So the situation isn't like the West portrays it, that there is an 'organization' with a specific name (such as 'al-Qa'idah') and so on. That particular name is very old. It was born without any intention from us. Brother Abu Ubaida   ... created

3248-527: Is similar to the plan described in al-Qaeda's Strategy to the year 2020. These phases include: According to the seven-phase strategy, the war is projected to last less than two years. Mohammed A. Salameh Salameh was born in the West Bank , which him and his family soon fled in 1967 when the Six-Day War occurred. He entered the United States on a six-month tourist visa in 1988 but then overstayed. He

3360-611: The 9/11 Commission Report . Qataris provided support to al-Qaeda through the country's largest NGO, the Qatar Charity . Al-Qaeda defector al-Fadl, who was a former member of Qatar Charity, testified in court that Abdullah Mohammed Yusef, who served as Qatar Charity's director, was affiliated to al-Qaeda and simultaneously to the National Islamic Front , a political group that gave al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden harbor in Sudan in

3472-610: The 1998 US embassy bombings , the USS Cole bombing , and the September 11 attacks . The organization was founded in a series of meetings held in Peshawar during 1988, attended by Abdullah Azzam , Osama bin Laden , Muhammad Atef , Ayman al-Zawahiri and other veterans of the Soviet–Afghan War . Building upon the networks of Maktab al-Khidamat , the founding members decided to create an organization named " Al-Qaeda " to serve as

1993 World Trade Center bombing - Misplaced Pages Continue

3584-525: The FBI Laboratory . In the days after the bombing, investigators surveyed the damage and looked for clues. About 300 FBI agents were deployed under the codename TRADEBOM. While combing through the rubble in the underground parking area, a bomb technician located some internal component fragments from the vehicle that delivered the bomb. A vehicle identification number (VIN), found on a piece from an axle, gave investigators crucial information that led them to

3696-526: The Hart-Rudman Commission in January 2001, the 9/11 attacks went largely unforeseen by U.S. intelligence and law-enforcement agencies. While victims' family members and injured survivors of the 2001 terrorist attack received compensation from the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund , no such compensation was given to those affected by the 1993 bombing. Some of the victims (which included families of

3808-501: The Islamic State of Iraq after 2006, was responsible for numerous sectarian attacks against Shias during its Iraqi insurgency . Al-Qaeda ideologues envision the violent removal of all foreign and secularist influences in Muslim countries , which it denounces as corrupt deviations. Following the death of bin Laden in 2011, al-Qaeda vowed to avenge his killing. The group was then led by Egyptian Ayman al-Zawahiri until he too

3920-536: The U.S. Naval War College , with the claims rejected by others. CNN reporter Peter Bergen has called her a "crackpot" who claimed that "Saddam was not only behind the '93 Trade Center attack, but also every anti-American terrorist incident of the past decade, from the bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania to the leveling of the federal building in Oklahoma City bombing to September 11 itself." Daniel Benjamin,

4032-514: The UN Security Council 's Sanctions List in 2008 on charges of providing financial and material support to al-Qaeda senior leadership. Subayi allegedly moved al-Qaeda recruits to South Asia-based training camps. He also financially supported Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, a Pakistani national and senior al-Qaeda officer who is believed to be the mastermind behind the September 11 attack according to

4144-626: The US embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania , which killed 224 people. The U.S. retaliated by launching Operation Infinite Reach , against al-Qaeda targets in Afghanistan and Sudan. In 2001, al-Qaeda carried out the September 11 attacks , resulting in nearly 3,000 deaths , long-term health consequences of nearby residents , damage to global economic markets , the triggering of drastic geo-political changes as well as generating profound cultural influence across

4256-429: The war on terror , al-Qaeda's leadership has become isolated. As a result, the leadership has become decentralized, and the organization has become regionalized into several al-Qaeda groups. The group was initially dominated by Egyptians and Saudis , with some participation from Yemenis and Kuwaitis . Over time, it has evolved into a more international terrorist organization. While its core group originally shared

4368-689: The .357 caliber revolver used by Nosair in the Kahane shooting. In the initial court case in NYS Criminal Court, Nosair was acquitted of murder but convicted of gun charges (in a related and follow-up case in Federal Court, he was convicted). Dozens of Arabic bomb-making manuals and documents related to terrorist plots were found in Nosair's New Jersey apartment, with manuals from Army Special Warfare Center at Fort Bragg, North Carolina , secret memos linked to

4480-409: The 1993 attack had the FBI recorded a bomb that used urea nitrate . Moreover, FBI agent Frederic Whitehurst was strongly critical of the procedures used to determine that the bomb contained urea nitrate; according to his testimony, he urinated in a vial, dried the urine and gave a sample of it to the analysts, who still concluded that the substance handed to them was urea nitrate. The Ryder van used in

4592-406: The 1993 bombing, was ended soon after. Since the September 11 attacks , the 1993 bombing is sometimes described as "forgotten" and "unknown." Although the 1993 bombing made the World Trade Center a publicly known terrorist target, with the possibility of another attack suspected as early as 1995 by FBI Special Agent John O'Neill , as well as by former Senators Gary Hart and Warren Rudman of

1993 World Trade Center bombing - Misplaced Pages Continue

4704-492: The 2001 trial of bin Laden and the four men accused of the 1998 US embassy bombings in East Africa. Curtis wrote: The reality was that bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri had become the focus of a loose association of disillusioned Islamist militants who were attracted by the new strategy. But there was no organization. These were militants who mostly planned their own operations and looked to bin Laden for funding and assistance. He

4816-524: The 2004 BBC documentary The Power of Nightmares , al-Qaeda was so weakly linked together that it was hard to say it existed apart from bin Laden and a small clique of close associates. The lack of any significant numbers of convicted al-Qaeda members, despite a large number of arrests on terrorism charges, was cited by the documentary as a reason to doubt whether a widespread entity that met the description of al-Qaeda existed. al-Qaeda's commanders, as well as its sleeping agents, are hiding in different parts of

4928-540: The FBI investigation, noted "The one glaring connection that can't be overlooked is Yasin. We pursued that on every level, traced him to a relative and a location, and we made overtures to get him back." However, Herman says that Yasin's presence in Baghdad does not mean Iraq sponsored the attack: "We looked at that rather extensively. There were no ties to the Iraqi government." CNN terrorism reporter Peter L. Bergen writes, "In sum, by

5040-507: The Joint Chiefs of Staff, and 1,440 rounds of ammunition. (Lance 2004 26) According to the transcript of his trial, Yousef hoped that his explosion would topple Tower 1 which would fall into Tower 2, killing the occupants of both buildings, which he estimated to be about 250,000 people in revenge for U.S. support for Israel against Palestine. According to journalist Steve Coll , Yousef mailed letters to various New York newspapers just before

5152-487: The Liberty Street side of the site following the September 11 attacks. The memorial was visible across a fence barrier but was not open to the public. The rest of the fountain was never recovered, and any of its remains were removed from Ground Zero along with the rest of the rubble. At the 9/11 Memorial , which opened on the tenth anniversary of the 2001 attacks, the people who died in the 1993 bombing are memorialized at

5264-621: The Middle East, Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe and Russia alike. In fact, from Northwest Africa to South Asia, al-Qaeda had more than two dozen "franchise-based" allies. The number of al-Qaeda militants was set at 20,000 in Syria alone, and they had 4,000 members in Yemen and about 7,000 in Somalia. The war was not over. In 2001, al-Qaeda had around 20 functioning cells and 70,000 insurgents spread over sixty nations. According to latest estimates,

5376-510: The North Pool, on Panel N-73. The recovered fragment of the memorial fountain is on display among other artifacts related to the bombing inside the museum's historical exhibition. The Postcards memorial in Staten Island contains the name of Stephen Knapp, the sole person from that borough who died in the bombing. Though the cause of the blast was not immediately known, with some suspecting

5488-521: The North Tower remained closed until April 1, 1993. The cost to repair both buildings was estimated at $ 250 million, according to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum . The Vista International Hotel at 3 World Trade Center remained closed until November 1, 1994, after extensive repairs and renovations that amounted to $ 65 million. The concourse level was reopened on March 27, 1993, while

5600-605: The Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), DSS arrested Ramzi Yousef. After his arrest, Ramzi Yousef is alleged to have said to investigators "this is only the beginning." In October 2001 in a PBS interview, former CIA Director James Woolsey claimed that Ramzi Yousef worked for Iraqi intelligence. He suggested the grand jury investigation turned up evidence pointing to Iraq that the Justice Department "brushed aside." But Neil Herman, who headed

5712-547: The Philippines to Indonesia, to Malaysia, to India, to Pakistan, reaching Mauritania   ... and so we discuss the conscience of this nation." As of 2010 however, Bruce Hoffman saw al-Qaeda as a cohesive network that was strongly led from the Pakistani tribal areas. Al-Qaeda has the following direct affiliates: The following are presently believed to be indirect affiliates of al-Qaeda: Al-Qaeda's former affiliates include

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5824-527: The U.S. coalition invasion, Operation Iraqi Freedom , in 2003. The capture of Salameh and Yasin led authorities to Ramzi Yousef 's apartment, where they found bomb-making materials and a business card from Mohammed Jamal Khalifa . Khalifa was arrested on December 14, 1994, and was deported to Jordan by the INS on May 5, 1995. He was acquitted by a Jordanian court and lived as a free man in Saudi Arabia until he

5936-547: The US. From 1992, al-Qaeda established its headquarters in Sudan until it was expelled in 1996. It then shifted its base to the Taliban -ruled Afghanistan and later expanded to other parts of the world, primarily in the Middle East and South Asia . In 1996 and 1998, bin Laden issued two fatāwā that demanded the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Saudi Arabia. In 1998, al-Qaeda conducted

6048-492: The WTC. He ordered chemicals from his hospital room when he had been injured in a car crash – one of three accidents caused by Salameh in late 1992 and early in 1993. El Sayyid Nosair , one of the blind sheikh's men, was arrested in 1991 for the murder of Rabbi Meir Kahane . According to prosecutors, "the Red" Mahmud Abouhalima , also convicted in the bombing, told Wadih el Hage to buy

6160-449: The West and have received rudimentary combat training. Other analysts have described al-Qaeda's rank and file as being "predominantly Arab" in its first years of operation, but that the organization also includes "other peoples" as of 2007 . It has been estimated that 62 percent of al-Qaeda members have a university education. In 2011 and the following year, the Americans successfully settled accounts with Osama bin Laden, Anwar al-Awlaki,

6272-593: The Year 2020". Abdel Bari Atwan summarizes this strategy as comprising five stages to rid the Ummah from all forms of oppression: Atwan noted that, while the plan is unrealistic, "it is sobering to consider that this virtually describes the downfall of the Soviet Union ." According to Fouad Hussein , a Jordanian journalist and author who has spent time in prison with Al-Zarqawi, al-Qaeda's strategy consists of seven phases and

6384-489: The attack, in which he claimed he belonged to "Liberation Army, Fifth Battalion". These letters made three demands: an end to all US aid to Israel , an end to US diplomatic relations with Israel, and a pledge by the United States to end interference "with any of the Middle East countries' interior affairs." He stated that the attack on the World Trade Center would be merely the first of such attacks if his demands were not met. Yousef did not make any religious justification for

6496-595: The beneficiaries, while 20 Saudi and Gulf-based businessmen and politicians were listed among the donors. Notable donors included Adel Batterjee, and Wael Hamza Julaidan . Batterjee was designated as a terror financier by the US Department of the Treasury in 2004, and Julaidan is recognized as one of al-Qaeda's founders. Documents seized during the 2002 Bosnia raid showed that al-Qaeda widely exploited charities to channel financial and material support to its operatives across

6608-506: The blast. A report from the US Fire Administration states that "Among the scores of people who fled to the roofs of the towers, 28 with medical problems were airlifted by New York City police helicopters". It is known that 15 people received traumatic injuries from the blast and 20 complained of cardiac problems. One firefighter was hospitalized, while 87 others, 35 police officers, and an EMS worker were also injured in dealing with

6720-417: The bomb exploded in the underground garage, generating an estimated pressure of 150,000 pounds per square inch (1,000,000 kPa). The bomb opened a 100-foot-wide (30 m) hole through four sublevels of concrete. The detonation velocity of this bomb was about 15,000 feet per second (10,000 mph; 4.6 km/s). Initial news reports indicated a main transformer might have blown before it became clear that

6832-417: The bombing had 295 cubic feet (8.4 m) of space, which would hold up to 2,000 pounds (910 kg) of explosives. However, the van was not filled to capacity. Yousef used four 20-foot-long (6.1 m) fuses , all covered in surgical tubing. Yasin calculated that the fuse would trigger the bomb in twelve minutes after he had used a cigarette lighter to light the fuse. Yousef wanted the smoke to remain in

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6944-477: The bombing, Salem alleged that an unnamed FBI supervisor declined to move forward on a plan that would have used a "phony powder" to fool the conspirators into believing that they were working with genuine explosives. Ramzi Yousef spent time at an al-Qaeda training camp in Afghanistan , before beginning in 1991 to plan a bombing attack within the United States . Yousef's uncle Khalid Sheikh Mohammed , who later

7056-444: The bombing. When asked about his religious views, he was evasive. On Friday, February 26, 1993, Ramzi Yousef and a Jordanian friend, Eyad Ismoil , drove a yellow Ford Econoline Ryder van into Lower Manhattan , and pulled into the public parking garage beneath the World Trade Center around noon. They parked on the underground B-2 level. Yousef ignited the 20-foot (6.1 m) fuse, and fled. Twelve minutes later, at 12:18 p.m.,

7168-514: The case, stated that there was "no forensic evidence indicating the presence of sodium cyanide at the bomb site." Furthermore, Yousef is said only to have considered adding cyanide to the bomb, and to have regretted not doing so in Peter Lance 's book 1000 Years for Revenge . Six people were killed: At the time of the bombing, Smith was checking time sheets in her office on the B-2 level; Kirkpatrick, Knapp and Macko were eating lunch together in an employees' break room next to Smith's office; Mercado

7280-440: The characteristics of from 200 to 300 pounds of a plastic explosive called Semtex ". According to an article published in 1997, Semtex was only used as a detonating charge in the bomb but it is unknown how the terrorists would have obtained Semtex (which is not a "homemade" explosive, unlike other supposed components of the bomb). According to the FBI, Yousef was assisted by Iraqi bomb maker Abdul Rahman Yasin , who helped assemble

7392-405: The complex 1,310-pound (590 kg) bomb, which was made of a urea nitrate main charge with aluminum , magnesium and ferric oxide particles surrounding the explosive. The charge used nitroglycerine , ammonium nitrate dynamite, smokeless powder and fuse as booster explosives. Three tanks of bottled hydrogen were also placed in a circular configuration around the main charge, to enhance

7504-445: The course of the trial, it was revealed that the FBI had an informant , a former Egyptian army officer named Emad Salem . Salem claimed FBI involvement in building of the bomb. He secretly recorded hundreds of hours of telephone conversations with his FBI handlers. Federal authorities denied Salem's view of events and the New York Times concluded that the tapes "do not make clear the extent to which Federal authorities knew that there

7616-430: The death of Al-Zawahiri as well as due to "theological and operational" challenges posed by the location of al-Adel in Iran . Most of al-Qaeda's top leaders and operational directors were veterans who fought against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in the 1980s. Osama bin Laden and his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, were the leaders who were considered the operational commanders of the organization. Nevertheless, al-Qaeda

7728-400: The documents released by the Pentagon was a captured audio file of Saddam Hussein speculating that the 1993 attack on the World Trade Center had been carried out by Israel or American intelligence, or perhaps a Saudi or Egyptian faction. Saddam said that he did not trust the bomber Yasin, who was in Iraqi custody, because his testimony was too "organized." The Pentagon study found that Yasin "was

7840-406: The early 1990s. It was alleged that in 1993 Osama bin Laden was using Middle East based Sunni charities to channel financial support to al-Qaeda operatives overseas. The same documents also report Bin Laden's complaint that the failed assassination attempt of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak had compromised the ability of al-Qaeda to exploit charities to support its operatives to the extent it

7952-423: The explosion damaged receiving areas, air-conditioning system, storage, and parking spots used by the restaurant complex. As a result, the restaurant was forced to shut down. As the Port Authority decided to hire Joseph Baum , the restaurant's original designer, to renovate the space at a cost of $ 25 million reopening was delayed until June 26, 1996. Cellar in the Sky reopened after Labor Day of that same year. In

8064-402: The fireball and afterburn of the solid metal particles. The use of compressed gas cylinders in this type of attack closely resembles the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing 10 years earlier. Both of these attacks used compressed gas cylinders to create fuel-air and thermobaric bombs that release more energy than conventional high explosives. According to testimony in the bomb trial, only once before

8176-551: The fires and other aftermath. Also as a result of the loss of power, most of New York City's radio and television stations (save for one, WCBS-TV (channel 2)) lost their over-the-air broadcast signal for almost a week, with television stations only being able to broadcast via cable and satellite via a microwave hookup between the stations and three of the New York area's largest cable companies, Cablevision , Comcast , and Time Warner Cable . Telephone service for much of Lower Manhattan

8288-467: The following: Osama bin Laden served as the emir of al-Qaeda from the organization's founding in 1988 until his assassination by US forces on May 1, 2011. Atiyah Abd al-Rahman was alleged to be second in command prior to his death on August 22, 2011. Bin Laden was advised by a Shura Council , which consists of senior al-Qaeda members. The group was estimated to consist of 20–30 people. Ayman al-Zawahiri had been al-Qaeda's deputy emir and assumed

8400-522: The global jihadist movement is driven at every level by al-Qaeda's leadership. However, bin Laden held considerable ideological influence over revolutionary Islamist movements across the world. Experts argue that al-Qaeda has fragmented into a number of disparate regional movements, and that these groups bear little connection with one another. This view mirrors the account given by Osama bin Laden in his October 2001 interview with Tayseer Allouni : "this matter isn't about any specific person and   ...

8512-817: The globe. Notably, this activity exploited the International Islamic Relief Organization (IIRO) and the Muslim World League (MWL). The IIRO had ties with al-Qaeda associates worldwide, including al-Qaeda's deputy Ayman al Zawahiri. Zawahiri's brother worked for the IIRO in Albania and had actively recruited on behalf of al-Qaeda. The MWL was openly identified by al-Qaeda's leader as one of the three charities al-Qaeda primarily relied upon for funding sources. Several Qatari citizens have been accused of funding al-Qaeda. This includes Abd Al-Rahman al-Nuaimi ,

8624-450: The group who have undergone proper military training, and are capable of commanding insurgent forces, is largely unknown. Documents captured in the raid on bin Laden's compound in 2011 show that the core al-Qaeda membership in 2002 was 170. In 2006, it was estimated that al-Qaeda had several thousand commanders embedded in 40 countries. As of 2009 , it was believed that no more than 200–300 members were still active commanders. According to

8736-602: The interview. He was not located during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. In March 1994, Salameh, Nidal Ayyad, Mahmud Abouhalima and Ahmad Ajaj were each convicted in the World Trade Center bombing. In May 1994, they were sentenced to 240 years in prison. In the years since, they have received several sentencing reductions, which could allow them to walk free in their 90s or 100s. The South Tower did not reopen for tenants until March 18, 1993 (the World Trade Center Observation Deck reopened on April 17, 1993) while

8848-464: The killed victims) of the 1993 World Trade Center bombings sued the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for damages. A decision was handed down in 2005, assigning liability for the bombings to the Port Authority. The decision declared that the agency was 68 percent responsible for the bombing, and the terrorists bore only 32 percent of the responsibility. In January 2008, the Port Authority asked

8960-677: The mid-'90s, the Joint Terrorism Task Force in New York, the F.B.I., the U.S. Attorney's office in the Southern District of New York, the C.I.A., the N.S.C., and the State Department had all found no evidence implicating the Iraqi government in the first Trade Center attack." Claims of direct Iraqi involvement come from Dr. Laurie Mylroie of the American Enterprise Institute and former associate professor of

9072-584: The number of active-duty soldiers under its command and allied militias have risen to approximately 250,000 by 2018. Al-Qaeda usually does not disburse funds for attacks, and very rarely makes wire transfers. In the 1990s, financing came partly from the personal wealth of Osama bin Laden. Other sources of income included the heroin trade and donations from supporters in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and other Islamic Gulf states . A 2009 leaked diplomatic cable stated that "terrorist funding emanating from Saudi Arabia remains

9184-473: The organization and details of its structure were provided in the testimony of Jamal al-Fadl , who said he was a founding member of the group and a former employee of bin Laden. Questions about the reliability of al-Fadl's testimony have been raised by a number of sources because of his history of dishonesty, and because he was delivering it as part of a plea bargain agreement after being convicted of conspiring to attack US military establishments. Sam Schmidt,

9296-648: The organization's chief propagandist, and Abu Yahya al-Libi's deputy commander. The optimistic voices were already saying it was over for al-Qaeda. Nevertheless, it was around this time that the Arab Spring greeted the region, the turmoil of which came great to al-Qaeda's regional forces. Seven years later, Ayman al-Zawahiri became arguably the number one leader in the organization, implementing his strategy with systematic consistency. Tens of thousands loyal to al-Qaeda and related organizations were able to challenge local and regional stability and ruthlessly attack their enemies in

9408-513: The organizer behind the bombings, and Eyad Ismoil , who drove the van carrying the bomb. Emad Salem , an FBI informant and a key witness in the trial of Ramzi Yousef , Abdul Hakim Murad , and Wali Khan Amin Shah , stated that the bomb itself was built under supervision from the FBI . During his time as an FBI informant, Salem recorded hours of telephone conversations with his FBI handlers. In tapes made after

9520-536: The parking garage reopened on September 1, 1993, for some government employee's vehicles. Commercial tenants' employees were not allowed until spring 1994. Also, new security measures were introduced including identification tags for approved cars and drivers, surveillance cameras and a barrier rising out of the roadway to stop rogue vehicles. Even though the Windows on the World at the North Tower's 107th floor wasn't damaged,

9632-450: The regional commanders were empowered with independence in military strategy and political maneuvering. This novel hierarchy made it possible for the organisation to launch wide-range offensives. When asked in 2005 about the possibility of al-Qaeda's connection to the July 7, 2005 London bombings , Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair said: "Al-Qaeda is not an organization. Al-Qaeda

9744-459: The role of emir following bin Laden's death. Al-Zawahiri replaced Saif al-Adel , who had served as interim commander. On June 5, 2012, Pakistani intelligence officials announced that al-Rahman's alleged successor as second in command, Abu Yahya al-Libi , had been killed in Pakistan. Nasir al-Wuhayshi was alleged to have become al-Qaeda's overall second in command and general manager in 2013. He

9856-408: The run-up to 9/11 wrote in his memoir a highly detailed description of how the group functioned at that time. Al-Bahri described al-Qaeda's formal administrative structure and vast arsenal. However, the author Adam Curtis argued that the idea of al-Qaeda as a formal organization is primarily an American invention. Curtis contended the name "Al-Qaeda" was first brought to the attention of the public in

9968-403: The same time, mid-level organizations were given autonomy, but they had to consult with top management before large-scale attacks and assassinations. Top management included the shura council as well as committees on military operations, finance, and information sharing. Through the information committees of al-Qaeda, Zawahiri placed special emphasis on communicating with his groups. However, after

10080-413: The tower, smothering people inside, killing them slowly. There was a popular belief at the time that there was cyanide in the bomb, which was reinforced by Judge Duffy's statement at sentencing, "You had sodium cyanide around, and I'm sure it was in the bomb." However, while the bomb's true composition was not able to be ascertained from the crime scene, Robert Blitzer, a senior FBI official who worked on

10192-478: The towers when the power was cut, including a group of 17 kindergartners on their way down from the South Tower observation deck, who were trapped between the 35th and 36th floors for five hours. Six people were killed: five Port Authority employees, one of whom was pregnant, and a businessman whose car was in the parking garage. Additionally, over 1,000 people were injured, most during the evacuation that followed

10304-399: The towers. The New York Port Authority was to govern as the main security for the World Trade Center buildings. All packages were scanned at various checkpoints then sent up to the proper addressee. These policies played a role in evacuating the building during the September 11 attacks , which destroyed the towers. Free access to the roofs, which had enabled evacuation by police helicopter in

10416-656: The world . The U.S. launched the war on Terror in response and invaded Afghanistan to depose the Taliban and destroy al-Qaeda. In 2003, a U.S.-led coalition invaded Iraq , overthrowing the Ba'athist regime which they falsely accused of having ties with al-Qaeda. In 2004, al-Qaeda launched its Iraqi regional branch . After pursuing him for almost a decade , the U.S. military killed bin Laden in Pakistan in May 2011. Al-Qaeda members believe that

10528-747: The world to this day. They are mainly hunted by the American and Israeli secret services. According to author Robert Cassidy, al-Qaeda maintains two separate forces which are deployed alongside insurgents in Iraq and Pakistan. The first, numbering in the tens of thousands, was "organized, trained, and equipped as insurgent combat forces" in the Soviet–Afghan war. The force was composed primarily of foreign mujahideen from Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Many of these fighters went on to fight in Bosnia and Somalia for global jihad . Another group, which numbered 10,000 in 2006, live in

10640-504: Was killed by the United States in 2022. As of 2021 , they have reportedly suffered from a deterioration of central command over its regional operations. Al-Qaeda only indirectly controls its day-to-day operations. Its philosophy calls for the centralization of decision making, while allowing for the decentralization of execution. The top leaders of al-Qaeda have defined the organization's ideology and guiding strategy, and they have also articulated simple and easy-to-receive messages. At

10752-441: Was a plan to bomb the World Trade Center, merely that they knew that a bombing of some sort was being discussed." Although the FBI received the credit, Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) special agents actually found and arrested Ramzi Ahmed Yousef , the architect of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. Special Agents Bill Miller and Jeff Riner were given a tip by an associate of Ramzi Yousef about his location. In coordination with

10864-434: Was accused of overseeing a $ 2   million monthly transfer to al-Qaeda in Iraq as part of his role as mediator between Iraq-based al-Qaeda senior officers and Qatari citizens. Nuaimi allegedly entertained relationships with Abu-Khalid al-Suri, al-Qaeda's top envoy in Syria, who processed a $ 600,000 transfer to al-Qaeda in 2013. Nuaimi is also known to be associated with Abd al-Wahhab Muhammad 'Abd al-Rahman al-Humayqani,

10976-453: Was also accused of investing funds in the charity directed by Humayqani to ultimately fund AQAP. About ten months after being sanctioned by the US Treasury, Nuaimi was also restrained from doing business in the UK. Another Qatari citizen, Kalifa Mohammed Turki Subayi, was sanctioned by the US Treasury on June 5, 2008, for his activities as a "Gulf-based Al-Qaeda financier". Subayi's name was added to

11088-419: Was also disrupted. Yousef's plan was that the North Tower would fall onto the South Tower, collapsing them both. The tower did not collapse, but the garage was severely damaged in the explosion. Had the van been parked closer to the WTC's poured concrete foundations, Yousef's plan might have succeeded. Yousef escaped to Pakistan several hours after the bombing. First reports described the explosion as "having

11200-597: Was capable of before 1995. Qatar financed al-Qaeda's enterprises through al-Qaeda's former affiliate in Syria, Jabhat al-Nusra. The funding was primarily channeled through kidnapping for ransom. The Consortium Against Terrorist Finance (CATF) reported that the Gulf country has funded al-Nusra since 2013. In 2017, Asharq Al-Awsat estimated that Qatar had disbursed $ 25   million in support of al-Nusra through kidnapping for ransom. In addition, Qatar has launched fundraising campaigns on behalf of al-Nusra. Al-Nusra acknowledged

11312-537: Was checked out of Rahway Hospital the following day and went to the garage to clean his car while Yousef remained in the hospital for four more days. With his Nova in for repairs, Salameh got Nidal Ayyad to use his corporate account with Allied Signal to rent him a new car. However, he got in a car accident again on February 16 and collided with a car. On March 4, 1993, the FBI arrested Salameh. He had just collected $ 400 after reporting his rental van had been stolen and speaking with an undercover FBI agent posing as

11424-631: Was checking in deliveries for the restaurant; and DiGiovanni was parking in the underground garage. A granite memorial fountain honoring the victims who died during the bombing was designed by Elyn Zimmerman and dedicated on May 25, 1995, on the Austin J. Tobin Plaza , directly above the site of the explosion. It contained the names of the six adults who were killed in the attack, as well as an inscription written both in English and Spanish that read: "On February 26, 1993,

11536-522: Was concurrently the leader of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) until he was killed by a US airstrike in Yemen in June 2015. Abu Khayr al-Masri , Wuhayshi's alleged successor as the deputy to Ayman al-Zawahiri, was killed by a US airstrike in Syria in February 2017. Al-Qaeda's next alleged number two leader, Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah , was killed by Israeli agents. His pseudonym was Abu Muhammad al-Masri, who

11648-419: Was considered the principal architect of the September 11 attacks , gave him advice and tips over the phone, and funded his co-conspirator Mohammed Salameh with a US$ 660 wire transfer . Yousef arrived illegally in the United States on September 1, 1992, traveling with Ahmed Ajaj from Pakistan, though both sat apart on the flight and acted as though they were traveling separately. Ajaj tried to enter using

11760-497: Was given a hearing date. Yousef set up residence in Jersey City, New Jersey , traveled around New York and New Jersey and called Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman , a controversial blind Muslim cleric, via cell phone . After being introduced to his co-conspirators by Abdel Rahman at the latter's Al-Farooq Mosque in Brooklyn , Yousef began assembling the 1,500 lb (680 kg) urea nitrate – hydrogen gas enhanced device for delivery to

11872-446: Was ineligible for any of the programs for which he had applied. Even then, he was not deported. Salameh's 1978 Chevy Nova was used to ferry the nitric acid and urea used to construct the bomb used in the past 1993 bombing. Despite failing his driving test four times, Salameh had been the driver for the group. On January 24, 1993, he jumped a curb and tore the undercarriage from his car, injuring himself and Ramzi Yousef . He

11984-413: Was killed in 2007. In 2002, it was made public that Yasin, the only person involved in the bombing who was never convicted by US authorities, was being held as a prisoner on the outskirts of Baghdad, Iraq since 1994. When journalist Lesley Stahl interviewed him there for a segment on 60 Minutes on May 23, 2002, Yasin appeared in prison pajamas and handcuffs. Yasin has not been seen or heard from since

12096-519: Was killed in November 2020 in Iran. He was involved in the 1998 bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. Al-Qaeda's network was built from scratch as a conspiratorial network which drew upon the leadership of a number of regional nodes. The organization divided itself into several committees, which include: Al-Zawahiri was killed on July 31, 2022, in a drone strike in Afghanistan. In February 2023,

12208-579: Was not operationally managed by Ayman al-Zawahiri. Several operational groups exist, which consult with the leadership in situations where attacks are in preparation. "...   Zawahiri does not claim to have direct hierarchical control over al Qaeda's vast, networked structure. Al Qaeda's core leadership seeks to centralize the organization's messaging and strategy rather than to manage the daily operations of its franchises. But formal affiliates are required to consult with al Qaeda's core leadership before carrying out large-scale attacks." Al-Qaeda central (AQC)

12320-584: Was not their commander. There is also no evidence that bin Laden used the term "al-Qaeda" to refer to the name of a group until after September 11 attacks, when he realized that this was the term the Americans had given it. During the 2001 trial, the US Department of Justice needed to show that bin Laden was the leader of a criminal organization in order to charge him in absentia under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act . The name of

12432-523: Was sharing with his mother, in the same building as Ramzi Yousef's apartment. Yasin was taken to the FBI's Newark field office in Newark, New Jersey , and was then released. The next day, he flew back to Iraq , via Amman, Jordan . Yasin was later indicted for the attack, and in 2001 he was placed on the initial list of the FBI Most Wanted Terrorists , on which he remains today. He disappeared before

12544-578: Was still in the country illegally in 1993 during the World Trade Center bombing. He applied for an immigration amnesty under a 1986 law that set up the Special Agricultural Worker program despite never having been eligible. However, he was still guaranteed work authorization until the Immigration and Naturalization Service could rule on his applications. It took the INS nearly five years to determine he

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