Marwan al Shehhi: The Emirati Sidekick To A Nightmare

Born in the United Arab Emirates, Marwan al-Shehhi's young life was met with mystery and unacknowledgement from his neighbors and residents in the city of Ras Al Khaimah, where he lived. After graduating high school, he travelled to Bonn, Germany, where he studied English there from his teacher, Gabriele Bock, who recalled him as "someone who seemed to be struggling to have plans to the future while studying there". It was after 1997, that al-Shehhi then relocated to Hamburg, where he would attend Al Quds Mosque, known for its militant activism against the United States and Israel. It is also where he would meet Mohammed Atta. From here, all under the attentive eyes of the German Intelligence LFV, as well as the CIA, that the slow radicalization process began.

In May 29th 2000, al-Shehhi was the first alleged 9/11 hijacker to enter the United States. Upon Atta's arrival in the next short weeks in June, they begin taking flying lessons in NYC and Florida. Israeli intelligence, posing as art students, as well as a Defense Intelligence Agency operation, codenamed "Able Danger' would identify both Atta and al-Shehhi as Al Qaeda militants with contacts to other Al Qaeda operatives abroad. It is alleged that on September 11th 2001, al-Shehhi would help to hijack United Airlines flight 175 and deliberately crash the plane into the South Tower of the World Trade Center. Most of those who came into contact with al-Shehhi just could not believe that this shy, friendly and comedic persona could carry out such a vile act. So who really was Marwan al-Shehhi?