Suspected 9/11 recruiter Mohammed Haydar Zammar captured in Syria

The 9/11 Commission Report branded the German an "outspoken, flamboyant Islamist" who "relished any opportunity to extol the virtues of violent jihad."</s>The Hamilton Coalition To Stop The War is pleased to announce that it will demonstrate in Toronto against the April 13 Syria missile attacks on the part of the USA, UK, and France. The Coalition regards those attacks as outrageous and reckless acts of war, illegal under international law.

Having lost their proxy war for regime change in Syria, the three rogue states are becoming more reckless and desperate. Their missile strikes were intended to pre-empt an investigation by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) that might exonerate the Syrian Arab Republic from the charge of using chemical weapons in the city of Douma. The Syria missile attacks came a mere six hours after the OPCW announced it was deploying its fact-finding mission to Syria.

And the USA, UK, and France don’t seem to care that they run the risk of provoking Russia, Iran, and China into a wider Mideast war or even into a third world war because of the Syria missile attacks.

Shamefully, the Trudeau government joined the western chorus—without a shred of proof—condemning the Syrian government for using chemical weapons and wholeheartedly endorsing the missile attacks.

At our demonstration this Sunday, we will demand:

 1. The Canadian government accept the will of the Syrian people to determine their own future without foreign interference, in accordance with the UN Charter, and formally withdraw from the US military coalition in Syria and Iraq;

2. The Canadian government end its illegal economic sanctions on Syria that punish ordinary Syrians by driving up the price of essentials and by blocking the flow of remittances to Syria. These brutal economic sanctions have turned millions of Syrians into refugees;

3. The Canadian government cut off its funding—believed to have been $12 million so far—to the White Helmets organization, which is the propaganda arm of Al Qaeda in Syria and which is the group which staged the phony chemical incident in Douma;

4. The Canadian government re-establish normal diplomatic relations with the government in Damascus and commit funding to the reconstruction of that once-beautiful country which our government has helped to lay waste;

5. The US government end both its support for terrorist mercenaries in Syria and its occupation of the eastern third of Syria, east of Euphrates River, and get out of Syria now!

The demonstration will take place on Sunday, April 22, from 2 to 4 pm across from the US Consulate, 360 University Avenue, Toronto. Other sponsoring organizations include the Canadian Peace Congress and the Toronto Association for Peace and Solidarity.

For further info, please contact Ken at 905-383-7693 or kenstone@cogeco.ca</s>And now for yet more confirmation that the jihadist insurgents operating in Syria which the media has for the past six years labeled "moderate" are the same al-Qaeda terrorists that perpetrated the 9/11 attacks, and in some instances this is literally the case.

Kurdish forces currently fighting Turkish-backed FSA groups in northern Syria have captured a well-known al-Qaeda member and German national of Syrian origin who had once been tracked and detained by the CIA - Mohammed Haydar Zammar.

According to Middle East Eye, citing the AFP, Zammar has long been known to Western as well as Syrian authorities for his direct links to key al-Qaeda planners of 9/11:

A Syrian-born German national accused of helping to plan the September 11, 2001 attacks has been detained by Kurdish forces in Syria, a senior Kurdish commander told AFP on Wednesday. "Mohammed Haydar Zammar has been arrested by Kurdish security forces in northern Syria and is now being interrogated," the top official said, without providing further details.

Zammar spent years in Syrian prison after the CIA captured him in Morocco and transferred him to Damascus as part of the CIA's "extraordinary rendition" program, however, in the midst of the war he was released by the Assad government as part of a general amnesty for political prisoners deal which at the time was demanded by the Syrian opposition and international human rights groups (though some prisoners broke free when insurgent groups took over government towns early in the war).

Naturally, it appears that Zammar promptly resumed his life as an al-Qaeda terrorist, but instead of setting his sights on Western targets, he joined the battle against the secular Ba'athist government in Damascus.

Zammar, who is in his mid-fifties, has been accused of recruiting some of the September 11 hijackers. He was detained in Morocco in December 2001 in an operation involving CIA agents, and was handed over to the Syrian authorities two weeks later. A Syrian court sentenced Zammar to 12 years in prison in 2007 for belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood, a charge that at the time could have resulted in the death penalty. He was an influential cleric in Germany who helped arrange Mohammed Atta's - the head hijacker of the 9/11 attacks - travel to Afghanistan for al-Qaeda training, according to the Washington Post. German officials said that Zammar frequently spoke to Atta and visited him at home while they both lived in Hamburg. The 9/11 Commission Report, which studied why and how the 2001 World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks occurred, said Zammar “relished any opportunity to extol the virtues of violent jihad”.

Counter-terrorism analyst Thomas Joscelyn has indicated that Zammar may have been one of ISIS emir Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's top lieutenants, enlisted to establish an Islamic State branch in the Sinai. Also according Joscelyn, Zammar was known to have personally recruited suicide pilots for the September 11 attacks.

Multiple reports indicate the Pentagon is currently investigating but has yet to confirm Zammar's identity, who is presumably being held by US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northern Syria.

Syrian Kurds have long accused the invading Turkish military of utilizing ISIS fighters in its annexation Syria's Afrin canton. Pro-Turkish forces have lately pushed further into surrounding Kurdish areas after President Erdogan initiated operation 'Olive Branch' in January of this year.

Kurdish media sources say Turkey has covertly sent some of the now defunct Islamic State's most notorious commanders to lead FSA forces in an ethnic cleansing campaign against Syrian Kurds, among them the Chechen jihadist leader Muslim al-Shishani.

It is entirely possible and even likely that Zammar himself was engaged in such a Turkish state-sponsored operation against Syrian Kurdish forces, though details are still developing.</s>A Kurdish military commander based in Syria's north has announced that his forces arrested Mohammed Haydar Zammar, a Syrian-born German national accused of being involved in the planning of the September 11, attacks in 2001.

"Mohammed Haydar Zammar has been arrested by Kurdish security forces and is now being interrogated in northern Syria," the Kurdish Peoples' Protection Units (YPG) commander, who wishes to remain unnamed, said on Thursday.

He was previously questioned by German police following the September 11 attacks, in which at least 3,000 people were killed.

Two planes deliberately crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, and a third hit the Pentagon in Washington, DC. The fourth plane crashed into a field in Pennsylvania.

Zammar, who has been accused of recruiting some of the plane hijackers, left for Morocco later in 2011 before being arrested in the North African country as part of an operation involving CIA agents. He was then handed over to the Syrian authorities.

US authorities suspect that Zammar recruited Mohammed Atta, an Egyptian national who was one of the pilots involved in the 9/11 attacks, since both used to reside in Germany's Hamburg.

The Washington Post had quoted US sources as saying that Syrian authorities had arrested Zammar during the early years of the Syrian war, now in its eighth year, but he was later released in 2014.

The Pentagon said it was looking into Zammar's capture, but had nothing to confirm at this time.</s>Suspected 9/11 recruiter for Al Qaeda captured in Syria, Pentagon says

Anti-ISIS forces in Syria have detained a Syrian-born German man suspected of recruiting some of the 9/11 hijackers to Al Qaeda, the Pentagon said Thursday.

Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) captured the detainee, identified as Mohammed Haydar Zammar, more than a month ago, Pentagon spokesman Eric Pahon said.

Zammar, who is his mid-fifties, was apprehended in northern Syria and was being interrogated, a senior Kurdish commander told Agence France-Presse on Wednesday. Zammar’s fate remained unclear. The SDF is a predominantly Kurdish network of fighters.

The jihadist is known for allegedly helping plan the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the U.S., including recruiting some of the hijackers to the terror group. As the Pentagon noted, the official 9/11 Commission Report described him as an “outspoken, flamboyant Islamist” who extolled “the virtues of violent jihad.” – READ MORE</s>Kurdish forces in Syria have detained a man who is believed to be a Syrian-born German jihadist suspected of recruiting some of the 9/11 hijackers to al-Qaeda, a senior Kurdish commander said.

The detainee, identified as Mohammed Haydar Zammar, who is his mid-fifties, was apprehended in northern Syria and was being interrogated, the commander told Agence France-Presse on Wednesday. His fate remained unclear.

The jihadist is best known for allegedly helping plan the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the U.S., the report said, including recruiting some of the hijackers to the terror group.

Zammar fled Germany after the attacks and relocated to Morocco, where he was soon arrested in an operation involving CIA agents.

He was later handed to Syrian authorities who, in 2007, sentenced him to 12 years in prison for being a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, according to German state broadcaster Deutsche Welle.

He was released from prison after the Syrian civil war broke out in the region and most hardline jihadists and Islamists were released. Zammar, among many others, is believed to have joined the Islamic State group.

The Kurdish official didn’t say if Zammar has been actively engaged in fighting for the terror group in Syria.

The Pentagon hasn’t yet confirmed the suspect’s capture, but reportedly said it was looking into it.</s>The Pentagon has confirmed that Mohammed Haydar Zammar, who is said to have links with the 9/11 New York attacks, was captured in Syria by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). It is not known if Zammar was in Syria fighting for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

A commander of the SDF said that Zammar was in custody and was being interrogated. The Pentagon also spoke on the matter and said that it was working closely with SDF and was trying to obtain more details.

"We can confirm that Mohammad Haydar Zammar, a Syrian-born German national, was captured more than a month ago by SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces) partners as part of their ongoing operations to defeat ISIS inside Syria," Reuters quoted Pentagon spokesman Eric Pahon as saying.

He also said that Zammar's arrest was "a strong reminder of the threat posed by ISIS and its network of foreign terrorist fighters."
• Zammar was reportedly born in Syria, but is a German national and once lived in Hamburg.
• He is said to be in his mid-fifties.
• According to the 9/11 commission report, he was "a well-known figure in the Muslim community (and to German and U.S. intelligence agencies by the late 1990s)."
• The report also describes him as an "outspoken, flamboyant Islamist."
• He has also fought in Afghanistan and "relished any opportunity to extol the virtues of violent jihad."
• Zammar is known to have recruited some of the 9/11 acttackers, including hijacker Mohammed Atta. He then convinced the recruits to travel to Afghanistan and attend an al-Qaeda training camp.
• After the 9/11 attacks, Zammar reportedly took credit for convincing the recruits to hijack a plane to attack the World Trade Centre in Lower Manhattan.
• The German authorities then investigated Zammar and he was detained in Morocco December 2001. He was then handed over to the Syrian Intelligence Agents and was sentenced to 12 years in prison 2007.
• However, he walked free 2013 during a prisoner exchange between the Syria government and Ahrar al-Sham, a rebel group, reported the BBC.
• His activities since then aren't known yet.

The September 11, 2001 attacks involved four coordinated terrorist attacks by the Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda in New York City. Four passenger airlines, operated by American Airlines and United Airlines were crashed into the North and South towers, killing about 3,000 people and injuring more than 6,000.</s>Anti-ISIS forces in Syria have detained a Syrian-born German man suspected of recruiting some of the 9/11 hijackers to Al Qaeda, the Pentagon said Thursday.

Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) captured the detainee, identified as Mohammed Haydar Zammar, more than a month ago, Pentagon spokesman Eric Pahon said.

Zammar, who is his mid-fifties, was apprehended in northern Syria and was being interrogated, a senior Kurdish commander told Agence France-Presse on Wednesday. Zammar’s fate remained unclear. The SDF is a predominantly Kurdish network of fighters.

The jihadist is known for allegedly helping plan the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the U.S., including recruiting some of the hijackers to the terror group. As the Pentagon noted, the official 9/11 Commission Report described him as an “outspoken, flamboyant Islamist” who extolled “the virtues of violent jihad.”

Zammar fled Germany after the attacks and relocated to Morocco, where he soon was arrested in an operation involving CIA agents.

He later was handed to Syrian authorities who, in 2007, sentenced him to 12 years in prison for being a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, according to German state broadcaster Deutsche Welle.

He was released from prison after the Syrian civil war broke out in the region and most hardline jihadists and Islamists were released. Zammar, among many others, was believed to have joined the Islamic State terror group.

The Kurdish official didn’t say if Zammar has been actively engaged in fighting for the terror group in Syria.</s>U.S.-backed forces in Syria have a militant linked to the September 11 terrorist attacks in their custody, according to the Pentagon.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance of militias in Syria, captured Mohammed Haydar Zammar a month ago, the Pentagon said Thursday, according to Reuters.

“We can confirm that Mohammad Haydar Zammar, a Syrian-born German national, was captured more than a month ago by SDF partners as part of their ongoing operations to defeat ISIS inside Syria,” said Eric Pahon, a Pentagon spokesman, using an acronym for the Islamic State.

“We are working with our SDF partners to obtain additional details,” he added.

Zammar is suspected to have inspired and recruited some of the hijackers responsible for the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the U.S., including ringleader Mohammed Atta.

The 9/11 Commission report, a Congressional account on the attacks, called Zammar an “outspoken, flamboyant Islamist” who extolled “the virtues of violent jihad,” Reuters reported.

Zammar was reportedly detained in Morocco in December 2001. He was then transferred to Syria, where he was convicted of being a member of the Muslim Brotherhood. He was released from prison in 2014 as part of prisoner exchange between rebel forces and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the Washington reported at the time.

According to U.S. officials, hundreds of foreign fighters and thousands of Syrian ISIS militants remain in SDF custody.</s>A Syrian-born German citizen, who is alleged to have helped plan the attacks on September 11, 2001, has been arrested by Kurdish forces in Syria, according to a senior Kurdish commander.

"Mohammed Haydar Zammar has been arrested by Kurdish security forces in northern Syria and is now being interrogated," the top official told reporters on Wednesday.

Zammar is believed to have been an al-Qaida recruiter and close associate of members of the Hamburg terror cell of Islamic extremists thought to have been important operatives in the 9/11 attacks in the United States.

Shortly after the attacks in 2001, Zammar left Hamburg for Morocco, where he was kidnapped by the CIA and handed over to the Syrian authorities. After the September 11 attacks, the United States had started a secret program to kidnap and interrogate terror suspects abroad.

In 2007, a Syrian court sentenced him to 12 years in prison for being a member of the Muslim Brotherhood.

After the Syrian war broke out, he is believed to have been released and to have joined the "Islamic State." The Kurdish commander who spoke to the AFP news agency on Wednesday declined to say if Zammar had been actively fighting as a member of an extremist group in Syria.

Read more: US mulls military support in Syria from Arab allies

In 2001, the German Federal Prosecutor's Office had initiated proceedings again Zammar for supporting a terrorist organization. But by 2008, the treatment of the German-Syrian had become the subject of a German parliamentary inquiry, after it was alleged that the German authorities did too little to protect a citizen from arbitrariness and torture.

The then German foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, strongly denied allegations that the German government had accepted Zammar's kidnapping by the US secret service CIA.

The Pentagon has said it has received nothing to confirm Zammar's capture but is looking into it.

Read more: Turkey arrests German man for trying to join Kurdish militia in Syria

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Mohammed Haydar Zammar, a recruiter for the September 11 attacks, is arrested in Syria.