59. Sheikh Mohammed placed individuals like Bin al-Shibh and al-Hawsawi into the category of communication and finance, and commented that these individuals were largely responsible for facilitating communication and for financing operatives selected for an attack.
60. Sheikh Mohammed stated that Mustafa Ahmed al-Hawsawi was his point of contact in the UAE while Sheikh Mohammed was planning the 9/11 attacks.
61. All of Sheikh Mohammed's knowledge about the pilots came through Bin al-Shibh or al-Hawsawi who were the main contacts for the operatives while they were in the U.S.. Sheikh Mohammed had no specific knowledge of where Atta, al-Shehhi, and Jarrah went for their pilot training. The only location discussed before the pilots' journey to the U.S. was Florida, when, as a group, Sheikh Mohammed and the pilots looked at information on schools there. But Sheikh Mohammed said their discussion was minimal and the pilots were to conduct thorough research once they returned to Germany.
Notification of the Date for the 9/11 Attacks
62. Sheikh Mohammed stated that he learned of the impending date of the hijackings via courier, as opposed to telephone or e-mail. Zakariya Essabar, an associate of Bin al-Shibh in Germany, arrived in Afghanistan in late
