Zakariya Essabar
Encyclopedia
Zakariya Essabar (born April 13, 1977) is, according to the governments of the United States
, Germany
, and other countries, a member of al-Qaeda
and an associate of many of the organizers of the September 11 attacks.
, Essabar moved to Germany
in 1997, and studied medical technology in college in Hamburg
in 1998. Through the Muslim
religious community there he met Ramzi bin al-Shibh and other members of the Hamburg cell
. Essabar quickly became more religious while in Germany. He lived for some time at the Hamburg cell apartment.
where he learned combat skills and passport alteration. Ramzi bin al-Shibh later said that Essabar delivered the cryptic message from Khalid Shaikh Mohammed
, indicating the date that the September 11 attacks would be carried out, although bin al-Shibh's claim is in doubt. Essabar may not have known the significance of the date, but he did relay the message. The truth of bin al-Shibh's claims is in doubt, due to "inconsistent statements". Despite a German
arrest warrant
issued a month after the attacks, Essabar remains at large.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and other countries, a member of al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
and an associate of many of the organizers of the September 11 attacks.
History
Born on April 13, 1977 in MoroccoMorocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, Essabar moved to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in 1997, and studied medical technology in college in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
in 1998. Through the Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
religious community there he met Ramzi bin al-Shibh and other members of the Hamburg cell
Hamburg cell
The Hamburg cell was, according to U.S. and German intelligence agencies, a group of radical Islamists based in Hamburg, Germany that included students who eventually came to be key operatives in the 9/11 attacks...
. Essabar quickly became more religious while in Germany. He lived for some time at the Hamburg cell apartment.
al-Qaeda and 9/11
After being radicalized in 1999, Essabar trained in AfghanistanAfghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
where he learned combat skills and passport alteration. Ramzi bin al-Shibh later said that Essabar delivered the cryptic message from Khalid Shaikh Mohammed
Khalid Shaikh Mohammed
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is a Kuwait-born militant in U.S. custody in Guantánamo Bay for alleged acts of terrorism, including mass murder of civilians....
, indicating the date that the September 11 attacks would be carried out, although bin al-Shibh's claim is in doubt. Essabar may not have known the significance of the date, but he did relay the message. The truth of bin al-Shibh's claims is in doubt, due to "inconsistent statements". Despite a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
arrest warrant
Arrest warrant
An arrest warrant is a warrant issued by and on behalf of the state, which authorizes the arrest and detention of an individual.-Canada:Arrest warrants are issued by a judge or justice of the peace under the Criminal Code of Canada....
issued a month after the attacks, Essabar remains at large.