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I could not help but notice how much Khalid Sheikh Mohammed spoke and presented himself
as just another eager engineer…entrepreneur； with his degree from North Carolina
Agricultural and Technical State University； pitching his ideas to Osama bin Laden；
who comes off as just another wealthy venture capitalist。 But Mohammed； alas； was
looking for adventure capital。 As the 9/11 Commission Report put it； 〃No one
exemplifies the model of the terrorist entrepreneur more clearly than Khalid Sheikh
Mohammed （KSM）； the principal architect of the 9/11 attacks。 。 。 Highly educated and
equally comfortable in a government office or a terrorist safe house； KSM applied
his imagination； technical aptitude and managerial skills to hatching and planning
an extraordinary array of terrorist schemes。 These ideas included conventional car
bombing； political assassination； aircraft bombing； hijacking； reservoir poisoning；
and； ultimately； the use of aircraft as missiles guided by suicide operatives 。 。 。
KSM presents himself as an entrepreneur seeking venture capital and people 。 。 。 Bin
Laden summoned KSM to Kandahar in March or April 1999 to tell him that al…Qaeda would
support his proposal。 The plot was now referred to within al…Qaeda as the 'planes
operation。'〃
From his corporate headquarters in Afghanistan； bin Laden proved to be a very deft
supply chain manager。 He assembled a virtual company just for this project…exactly
like any global conglomerate would do in the flat world…finding just the right
specialist for each task。 He outsourced the overall design and blueprint for 9/11
to KSM and overall financial management to KSM's nephew； Ali Abdul Aziz Ali； who
coordinated the dispersal of funds to the hijackers through wire transfers；
cash； traveler's checks； and credit and debit cards from overseas bank accounts。 Bin
Laden recruited from the al…Qaeda roster just the right muscle guys from Asir Province；
in Saudi Arabia； just the right pilots from Europe； just the right team leader from
Hamburg； and just the right support staff from Pakistan。 He outsourced the pilot
training to flight schools in America。 Bin Laden； who knew he needed only to 〃lease〃
the Boeing 757s； 767s； A32Os； and possibly 747s for his operation； raised the
necessary capital for training pilots on all these differentaircraft from a syndicate
of pro…al…Qaeda Islamic charities and other Muslim adventure capitalists ready to
fund anti…American operations。 In the case of 9/11； the total budget was around
400；000。 Once the team was assembled； bin Laden focused on his own core
competency…overall leadership and ideological inspiration of his suicide supply
chain； with assistance from his deputies Mohammed Atef and Ayman Zawahiri。
You can get the full flavor of the bin Laden supply chain； and what an aggressive
adopter of new technology al…Qaeda was； by reading just one entry from the December
2001 U。S。 District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia's official indictment
of Zacarias Moussaoui； the so…called nineteenth hijacker from 9/11。 It reported the
following： 〃In or about June 1999； in an interview with an Arabic…language television
station； Osama bin Laden issued a 。。。 threat indicating that all American males should
be killed。〃 It then points out that throughout the year 2000； all of the hijackers；
including Moussaoui； began either attending or inquiring about flight school courses
in America： 〃On or about September 29； 2000； Zacarias Moussaoui contacted Airman
Flight School in Norman； Oklahoma； using an e…mail account he set up on September
6 with an Internet service provider in Malaysia。 In or about October 2000； Zacarias
Moussaoui received letters from Infocus Tech； a Malaysian company； stating that
Moussaoui was appointed Infocus Tech's marketing consultant in the United States；
the United Kingdom and Europe； and that he would receive； among other things； an
allowance of 2；500 per month 。 。 。 On or about December 11； 2000； Mohammed Atta
purchased flight deck videos for the Boeing 767 Model 300ER and the Airbus A320 Model
200 from the Ohio Pilot Store 。。。 In or about June 2001； in Norman； Oklahoma； Zacarias
Moussaoui made inquiries
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about starting a cropdusting company 。 。 。 On or about August 16； 2001； Zacarias
Moussaoui； possessed； among other things： two knives； a pair of binoculars； flight
manuals for the Boeing 747 Model 400； a flight simulator computer program； fighting
gloves and shin guards； a piece of paper referring to a handheld Global Positioning
System receiver and a camcorder； software that could be used to review pilot
procedures for the Boeing 747 Model 400； letters indicating that Moussaoui is a
marketing consultant inthe United States for Infocus Tech； a computer disk containing
information related to the aerial application of pesticides； and a hand…held aviation
radio。〃
A devout Mormon； who grew up in Latin America where his father was a UPI correspondent；
David Neeleman； by contrast； is one of those classic American entrepreneurs and a
man of enormous integrity。 He never went to college； but he has started two successful
airlines； Morris Air and JetBlue； and played an important role in shaping a third；
Southwest。 He is the godfather of ticketless air travel； now known as e…ticketing。
〃I am a total optimist。 I think my father is an optimist；〃 he said to me； trying to
explain where his innovative genes came from。 〃I grew up in a very happy home 。 。 。
JetBlue was created in my own mind before it was created on paper。〃 Using his
optimistic imagination and his ability also to quickly adopt all the latest technology
because he had no legacy system to worry about； Neeleman started a highly profitable
airline； creating jobs； low…cost travel； a unique onboard； satellite…supported
entertainment system； and one of the most people…friendly places to work you can
imagine。 He also started a catastrophe relief fund in his company to help employee
families who are faced with a sudden death or catastrophic illness of a loved one。
Neeleman donates 1 of his salary for every 1 any employee puts in the fund。 〃I think
it is important that people give a little；〃 said Neeleman。 〃I believe that there are
irrevocable laws of heaven that when you serve others you get this little buzz。〃 In
2003； Neeleman； already a wealthy man from his JetBlue stock； donated about 120；000
of his 200；000 salary to the JetBlue employee catastrophe fund。
In the waiting room outside his New York City office； there is a color photo of a
JetBlue Airbus flying over the World Trade Center。 Neeleman
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was in his office on 9/11 and watched the Twin Towers burn； while his own JetBlue
airliners were circling JFK in a holding pattern。 When I explained to him the
comparison/contrast I was going to make between him and bin Laden； he was both
uncomfortable and curious。 As I closed up my computer and prepared to leave following
our interview； he said he had one question for me： 〃Do you think Osama actually
believes there is a God up there who is happy with what he is doing？〃
I told him I just didn't know。 What I do