Origins & Early Life

Zacarias Moussaoui (Arabic: زكريا موسوي, Zakariyyā Mūsawī; born 30 May 1968) is a French terrorist who was a member of the al-Qaeda militant organization. He likely planned to participate in the September 11 attacks (9/11) in 2001, in which 19 members of al-Qaeda hijacked four American airliners in an attempt to crash them into U.S. landmarks. Many of the hijackers went to flight schools in the U.S.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

in the lead-up to the attacks. In August 2001, while Moussaoui attended one in Minnesota, he aroused suspicion and was arrested by the FBI for violating immigration laws. In December, he was indicted by a federal grand jury on six felony charges relating to the attacks. Prosecutors alleged Moussaoui was going to be al-Qaeda's "20th hijacker", after Ramzi bin al-Shibh and Zakariya Essabar were denied visas to enter the US. Legal analysts viewed his trial as a barometer of America's ability to give a fair hearing to terrorism suspects after 9/11.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Moussaoui argued he was not involved in the attacks, but instead had been planning a similar attack of his own. Some al-Qaeda members reportedly corroborated his defense, but prosecutors believed it had no merit. In May 2006, Moussaoui was sentenced...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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