Page "Ramzi bin al-Shibh" Paragraph 7

Original plans for the 9 / 11 attacks called for bin al-Shibh to be one of the hijacker pilots, along with three other members of the Hamburg cell, including Mohamed Atta, Marwan al-Shehhi, and Ziad Jarrah.

From Hamburg, bin al-Shibh applied to take flight training in the United States.

At that time, he also applied to Aviation Language Services, which provides language training for student pilots.

Bin al-Shibh applied for an entry visa to the United States, four times, and was refused each time.

He made visa applications in Germany on May 17, 2000, and again in June, on September 16, and October 25, 2000.

According to the 9 / 11 Commission, this refusal of a visa was motivated by general concern by U. S. officials that people from Yemen would illegally overstay their visit and seek work in the United States.

His friend, Zakariyah Essabar, was also denied visas.

After he failed to enter the United States, bin al-Shibh took on more of a " coordinator " role in the plot, and a link between Atta in the United States and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in Afghanistan.