February 23-August 16, 2001: Moussaoui and 9/11 Hijackers Engage in Parallel Conduct

After entering the US, Zacarias Moussaoui engages in activities that appear to mirror those of the 9/11 hijackers. Both Moussaoui and the hijackers do the following:
Take flight training (see February 23-June 2001 and July 6-December 19, 2000);
Physically import large amounts of cash (see October 2000-February 2001 and January 15, 2000-August 2001);
Purchase knives with short blades that can be carried onto airliners (see August 16, 2001 and July 8-August 30, 2001);
Take fitness training (see August 16, 2001 and May 6-September 6, 2001);
Obtain several identification documents (see April 12-September 7, 2001 and August 1-2, 2001); and
Purchase flight deck videos from the same shop (see November 5, 2000-June 20, 2001).
In addition, Moussaoui is supported by some of the same al-Qaeda operatives as the 9/11 hijackers: Ramzi bin al-Shibh (see July 29, 2001-August 3, 2001 and June 13-September 25, 2000) and Yazid Sufaat (see September-October 2000 and January 5-8, 2000). At Moussaoui’s trial, the prosecution will cite these parallel activities in its argument that Moussaoui was connected to 9/11, rather than some follow-up plot. There is also one reported meeting between Moussaoui and two of the lead hijackers before 9/11 (see August 1, 2001), but this will not be mentioned at the trial (see March 6-May 4, 2006). [US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Alexandria Division, 3/9/2006]