Question:

The US government conspiracy indictment against Al-Qaeda members cites over twenty overt acts undertaken by Mohamed Atta, including his joining a gym, opening a bank account and buying a utility tool with a knife blade. Which act of Atta’s does the government omit in this indictment?

Answer:

The indictment omits Atta’s meeting with Khalil Ibrahim Samir al-Ani, in Prague on April 8, 2001— just 2 weeks before most of the hijacking crews boarded flights from Jedda to the US. Atta had gone to considerable lengths, and expense, to attend this
Prague meeting. He flew to Prague from Virginia Beach, VA the day before.

Al-Ani was Iraqi consul, 2nd secretary of the Iraq Embassy and an officer of the Iraq Intelligence Service (expelled from the Czech Republic 2 weeks later). The meeting did not take place at the embassy, which the Iraqis could have been expected to be under surveillance. Instead, it took place at a discreet hotel. (But Unknown to either Al-Ani or Atta, Czech counterintelligence (BIS) had it under observation. So the meeting, despite precautions, was noted by the BIS who considered it suspicious enough to track and identify Atta.

One day after the meeting, Atta returned to Virginia Beach, Florida. Within two weeks after the meeting, the contingent of 13 hijackers flew to the USA.