The mastermind behind the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks was Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (KSM). He was the key operational planner who conceived the idea of using hijacked airplanes to attack major U.S. targets, including the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed presented the plan to Osama bin Laden, who approved and provided financial and logistical support. Bin Laden led the overall plot and selected participants, such as Mohamed Atta, the lead hijacker. KSM was responsible for organizing the plot from A to Z, including selecting targets and arranging travel for the hijackers
. Osama bin Laden was the founder and leader of al-Qaeda, the terrorist organization that carried out the attacks. He provided strategic direction, funding, and ideological motivation for the attacks, declaring war on the United States and framing the attacks within a broader jihadist agenda
. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was captured in 2003 and has been held at Guantanamo Bay. He confessed to masterminding the 9/11 attacks and other terrorist plots
. In recent years, he has been involved in legal proceedings related to the attacks
. In summary:
- Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was the principal architect and operational mastermind of 9/11.
- Osama bin Laden was the leader who approved, funded, and supported the plot as head of al-Qaeda.
Both played critical roles in the planning and execution of the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people and changed global security policies
