having doubts about whether the two would be able to fulfill their mission in the U.S.
38. Sheikh Mohammed acknowledged that he did instruct Bin Attash [(a.k.a. "Khallad")] to contact al-Mihdhar in Yemen to summon him back to Afghanistan following al-Mihdhar's June 2000 unauthorized departure from the U.S. Al-Mihdhar had returned to Yemen to visit his wife. Sheikh Mohammed was upset at al-Mihdhar for leaving the U.S. and was prepared to exclude al-Mihdhar from the 9/11 operation; however, Bin Laden subsequently decided to reinstate al-Mihdhar.
The Pilots and the Muscle Hijackers
39. Sheikh Mohammed said that details of the 9/11 operation were kept strictly compartmented, with knowledge of specific targets, timing, operatives, and methods of attack limited to Sheikh Mohammed, Bin Laden, Muhammad Atif, and a few senior hijackers. Many senior and low-level figures were aware that Sheikh Mohammed was preparing operatives for travel to the U.S., leading some to conclude that al Qaeda was planning a near-term attack on U.S. territory, but none were aware of the precise targets or method of attack. Sayf al-Adl was particularly interested in the hijackers'
