Fayez Banihammad

Fayez Banihammad
Born	Fayez Banihammad (in Arabic: فايز بني حمد) (1977-03-19)March 19, 1977 Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates
Died	Manhattan, New York, United States

Fayez Rashid Ahmed Hassan al-Qadi Banihammad (Arabic: فايز راشد احمد حسن القاضي بني حمد‎‎, Fāyaz Rāshid Aḥmad Ḥassan al-Qāḍī Banī Ḥammad) (March 19, 1977 – September 11, 2001) was one of five hijackers aboard United Airlines Flight 175 as part of the September 11 attacks.

Born in the United Arab Emirates, Banihammad left his family to pursue relief work. Using the Visa Express program, Banihammad obtained a U.S. tourist visa.

Banihammad arrived in the United States in June 2001. On September 11, 2001, Banihammad boarded United Airlines Flight 175 and participated in the hijacking of the plane, so it could be flown into the South Tower of the World Trade Center.

Aliases

Both Banihammad and the media would often refer to him by one of his aliases, including "Fayez Ahmad", "Banihammad Fayez Abu Dhabi Banihammad", "Fayez Rashid Ahmed", "Rasid Ahmed Hassen Alqadi", "Abu Dhabi Banihammad Ahmed Fayez", and others.

Early life

Banihammad was from Khor Fakkan in the United Arab Emirates and was born to Muhammad Fayez Banihammad, a school principal. He married into the family of the Emirati singer, Hussain Al Jasmi. Banihammad typically went by the name "Ahmed".

2000

Fayez (Ahmed) told his parents, while spending time in 'Asir, that he hoped to find work with the International Islamic Relief Organization. He only contacted his parents once after that. He is believed to have visited the Philippines for three days from October 17–20, 2000.

Banihammad used the controversial program Visa Express to gain entry into the country together with Saeed al-Ghamdi. Upon later review of his application, it was noticed that he had not listed an occupation or reason for visit, and when asked where he would be living in the country, simply wrote No. However, he still received the visa.

2001

Before the pair arrived in Orlando, Florida on June 27, 2001, Banihammad had opened a bank account in the UAE to which $30,000 was deposited by unknown parties only two days before his arrival. He opened another account with SunTrust Banks in Orlando several days after his arrival, becoming one of nine hijackers to open an account with the bank.

Known as Abu Ahmed al-Imaraati during the preparations, the 9/11 Commission noted: "He appears to have played a unique role among the muscle hijackers because of his work with one of the plot's financial facilitators, Mustafa al-Hawsawi." On July 18, Banihammad gave Mustafa power-of-attorney over his Dubai bank account, and Mustafa reportedly mailed him a VISA and bank card.

Possibly a licensed pilot, a man with his name was registered as having trained at the Spartan Aeronautics School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, although the school denies that he ever attended, indicating a possible case of mistaken identity.

Attacks

Main article: United Airlines Flight 175

Fayez Banihammad purchased both his and Mohand al-Shehri's one-way first class tickets for United Airlines Flight 175 online on August 27 or 29, charging the $4464.50 to a Visa card from Mustafa al-Hawsawi, listing both of their addresses as a Mail Boxes Etc. in Delray Beach. This was not the same postal box used by Hamza and Ahmed al-Ghamdi who purchased their tickets for the same flight a day later with another Mailboxes Etc. postal box in Delray Beach, although both groups listed the same phone number.

Staying in the Milner Hotel from September 8–10, Banihammad asked a hotel clerk to fill out the registration card for the room, citing his poor English. On September 10, 2001, he shared a room with four hijackers; Mohand al-Shehri, Marwan al-Shehhi and Satam al-Suqami at the Milner Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts.

On September 11, Banihammad boarded Flight 175, he sat in seat 2A, adjacent to Shehri. About a half an hour into the flight, the plane was hijacked and subsequently flown into the south tower of the World Trade Center.

Aftermath

After the attacks it was reported by ABC News that somebody with the same name had attended the Defense Language Institute at Lackland Air Force Base - a claim that may have been born of a false address Banihammad had used.

See also

• PENTTBOM