Who Was The 20th Hijacker?

By Sora Song

Federal investigators suspected Zacarias Moussaoui of plotting terrorism even before Sept. 11. He was arrested in August on immigration charges after he attracted attention in Minnesota by offering thousands of dollars in cash for lessons on how to maneuver a plane in the air--but not how to land. Since his arrest, many observers have said Moussaoui was to have been the 20th member of the Sept. 11 hijackers.

But several ranking investigators have told TIME they do not believe Moussaoui was part of the group. Not so much as an ATM receipt connects him to the hijackers, and he was inquiring about lessons well after the others had finished theirs. These same officials wonder if he may have been part of another radical cell. They now suspect that the 20th hijacker was meant to be RAMZI BINALSHIBH, 29, a Yemeni who once shared an apartment with ringleader Mohamed Atta. On Sept. 21, Germany issued a warrant for Binalshibh, naming him as an accomplice in the attacks. U.S. investigators believe Binalshibh tried to enter the U.S. to take his place among the hijackers but was denied a visa for unknown reasons. He won't be coming back soon; he left Germany just before Sept. 11, possibly for Pakistan.

--Reported by Elaine Shannon/Washington

With reporting by Elaine Shannon/Washington