Page:Substitution for the Testimony of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.pdf/41

 82. Although no specific targets had been identified, among those considered were the Sears Tower, the White House and the foreign embassy in Washington.

83. Sheikh Mohammed said he asked Hambali to find a Malaysian or Indonesian pilot to participate in a second wave of attacks inside the U.S. along with Moussaoui and [faruq al-Tunisi]. Sheikh Mohammed, Abu Hafs, and Bin Laden agreed that finding non-Arab passport holders was a priority because it would be difficult for Middle Eastern passport holders to operate in the U.S. after 9/11. Al Qaeda wanted the second wave operatives to carry French, Canadian, Malaysian, or Indonesian passports instead of Middle Eastern passports. Hambali never provided such a candidate.

84. While the 9/11 operation evolved into an East Coast attack, Bin Laden himself advised that a second wave attack should focus on the West, believing that security might be more lax there. It was for this initiative that Hambali had provided an initial installment of $20,000 (U.S.) in late 1999 or early 2000 to recruit pilots for future operations, although Hambali was not told what these pilots would be targeting.

85. Sheikh Mohammed reiterated that Atta had some latitude in selecting the 9/11 targets. He said a comparable leader of the second wave attack may Page 41 of 58