Landlady to 9/11 hijackers reveals their links to alleged Saudi spy
A woman who rented out homes to two al-Qaeda members speaks publicly for the first time - to the BBC.
Holly Ratchford, once a property manager in San Diego, California, still struggles to comprehend the transformation the man she once welcomed into her complex, Omar al-Bayoumi, underwent. In 1999, al-Bayoumi and his family moved into Ratchford's building, Parkwood Apartments, where they quickly became friendly neighbors. Ratchford, recalling their interactions, describes Bayoumi as "bubbly and smiling" and "very, very friendly."
However, al-Bayoumi's life took a sinister turn when he introduced Ratchford to two men who would later become infamous as the 9/11 hijackers, Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar. The allegations suggest that Bayoumi facilitated their journey to the United States, aiding them in their alleged role in the 9/11 attacks. Ratchford, who witnessed Bayoumi's support for the hijackers, has been haunted by this connection for 25 years. She maintains that she was deceived by Bayoumi from the start.
The $1 trillion (£733bn) lawsuit filed against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by several thousand families of victims and survivors of the 9/11 attacks accuses al-Bayoumi of being an alleged Saudi spy. The federal judge in the case found evidence suggesting that Bayoumi and a Saudi diplomat coordinated with the Saudi government to assist the hijackers.
Despite Saudi Arabia's denial of these allegations and Bayoumi's own claims, Ratchford's interview with the BBC reveals a different narrative, adding to the ongoing controversy surrounding the alleged Saudi spy.
Written by urgent.news from BBC World's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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