Al-Qaeda Releases Book Detailing How it Carried Out 9/11 Attacks

The remains of the World Trade Center stands amid the debris in New York, Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001. (AP)
The remains of the World Trade Center stands amid the debris in New York, Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001. (AP)
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Al-Qaeda Releases Book Detailing How it Carried Out 9/11 Attacks

The remains of the World Trade Center stands amid the debris in New York, Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001. (AP)
The remains of the World Trade Center stands amid the debris in New York, Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001. (AP)

The Al-Qaeda terrorist network on Sunday released a book written by a senior member including a detailed timeline leading up to the attacks on several US airliners on September 11, 2001 which left nearly 3,000 people dead in three locations.

Marking the 21st anniversary of the attacks, the book was written by Abu Muhammad al-Masri, a senior Al-Qaeda member who was reportedly killed in Iran in 2020.

In the nearly 250-page volume, he said that al-Qaeda had been preparing for an attack targeting US interests since it set foot in Afghanistan in 1996, with the goal of dragging the US into a long-term war of attrition.

The initial idea came up when an Egyptian pilot suggested flying a civilian plane carrying thousands of gallons of flammable material into “an important and symbolic American building,” according to the book shared online by al-Qaeda’s media arm, As-Sahab.

Some militants were chosen for further combat training in 1998 and then enrolled in aviation schools in different parts of the world.

Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed in Afghanistan in a targeted US airstrike more than a month ago.

Al-Zawahiri took over in 2011 after Osama bin Laden was killed by US special forces at his hideout in Pakistan.

The terrorist group has not named a new leader yet.

On September 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked four planes and crashed them into several locations in the US.

The attacks sparked the US-led military intervention in Afghanistan.



Nobel Laureate Mohammadi Says Iran Issuing Death Threats

Narges Mohammadi has been jailed repeatedly over the past 25 years - AFP
Narges Mohammadi has been jailed repeatedly over the past 25 years - AFP
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Nobel Laureate Mohammadi Says Iran Issuing Death Threats

Narges Mohammadi has been jailed repeatedly over the past 25 years - AFP
Narges Mohammadi has been jailed repeatedly over the past 25 years - AFP

Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi, who won the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize for her fight for women's and human rights in Iran, has received death threats from Tehran, the Nobel Committee said Friday.

Mohammadi, who has spent much of the past decade behind bars, was released from Tehran's Evin prison in December for a limited period on medical leave, with her legal team repeatedly warning that she could be re-arrested at any time, AFP reported.

Norwegian Nobel Committee chair Jorgen Watne Frydnes said in a statement he had received an "urgent phone call" from Mohammadi, 53, who said her life was now in danger.

"The clear message, in her own words, is that 'I have been directly and indirectly threatened with 'physical elimination' by agents of the regime'," he said.

"The threats conveyed to Ms. Mohammadi make it clear that her security is at stake, unless she commits to end all public engagement within Iran, as well as any international advocacy or media appearances in support of democracy, human rights, and freedom of expression," the statement added.

The Committee said it was "deeply concerned" about the threats against Mohammadi and "all Iranian citizens with a critical voice, and call upon the authorities to safeguard not only their lives, but also their freedom of expression."

Mohammadi has been repeatedly tried and jailed for her vocal campaigning against Iran's widespread use of capital punishment and its mandatory dress code for women.

She won the Nobel primarily for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran. Her children collected the award on her behalf as she was in prison at the time.