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 knew the operation involved the U.S. from his interaction with Hazmi and Mihdhar, but Khallad did not know the final step of using the planes as missiles.

108. French passports and visas were desirable among mujahideen because the passports were from a Western country and gave a mujahid credibility when he traveled.

109. Sheikh Mohammed said that operationally it was not smart to share with others your tactics or intended targets: When four people know the details of an operation, it is dangerous; when two people know, it is good; when just one person knows, it is better. Sheikh Mohammed gave as an example, the obvious operational benefit of Moussaoui['s] ignorance concerning the ultimate target of, or others potentially involved in, his mission.

110. Sheikh Mohammed commented on the importance of the oath of allegiance (Bavat) in al Qaeda. According to Sheikh Mohammed, bayat was patterned after the oath of allegiance that Muslim tribal leaders owed to the prophet Muhammad and the early Islamic caliphs. Al Qaeda was the first jihadist group to use this concept as mechanism for maintaining organizational Page 52 of 58