Nov 20, 2002 11:00 pm US/Pacific
(KCBS) More than a year after the Sept. 11 attacks, questions still hang in the air as to who the men were who carried out the vicious plot to kill thousands of people? CBS 2's Suzanne Rico had a jailhouse interview with the friend of a terrorist.

Special Assignment: "Friend of a Terrorist" aired November 20, 2002 at 11 p.m.

"The first moment, I didn't, I didn't really realize what was going on," says Modhar Abdoulah. "It was like I thought it was kind of movie or something."

On Sept. 11, Abdoulah says he watched in horror with the rest of America as the Twin Towers came crashing down.

"And there was no such indication they would do something like that at all," he says.

Abdoulah claims that horror turned to disbelief when he recognized two of the terrorists.

"I prayed with them. I shared a lot of good settings with them."

Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Midhar died when they slammed American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon. Their death opened a new chapter in Abdoulah's life -- behind bars.

"They were both committed Muslims. They did have great high opinions of Jihad."

A native of Yemen, Abdoulah moved to Canada in 1998. He later entered the U.S. illegally and lied on his immigration application -- saying he was a Somali citizen seeking asylum.

"I was looking towards America as a better place to live in," Abdoulah says.

He says his American dream began at the Southridge apartments in San Diego. Just down the street was a mosque where he prayed with other Muslims and met friends, including two men who would change his life forever.

"Those people were very regular and ordinary persons -- very committed to their beliefs and their faith. Used to pray five times a day," Abdoulah says.

But a government affidavit alleges that Abdoulah helped the pair -- that he told them how to get fake social security cards and driver's licenses. That he met al-Midhar at Los Angeles International Airport at least once, and that he even called flight schools to get information on flying lessons.

"There is an exaggeration in their ... accusation," Abdoulah says. "I did call a flight school once for Nawaf al-Hazmi. A flight school did not accept him because of his visa condition, and that's about it.

But that's not it, says the FBI, and agents arrested him just 10 days after the attacks. Since then, Abdoulah's been in jail, facing deportation.

Suzanne Rico: "Are you angry?"

Abdoulah: "Yes. I'm angry now at them and at the government. The government had had a great role in destroying and ruining my reputation and my future.

What a prick!

Yeah, he came here looking for the perfect country in which to foister his satanic views of Islam!

Eric The(BeatHisAzz,ThenSendItHome!)Hun[>]:)]

Too bad, sooo sad.

Why are we paying his room and board?

Send him back to bagdad on a rocket.

Umm, yeah, poor guy, evil government...

[whacko]

He is an illegal alien, who aided and abetted two of the hijackers involved in an act of war against the United States, and [red][u][b]He[/b][/u][/red] is mad?

Well...[:(!]

He ought to be mad at himself.  He was breaking the law, and that's what he's in jail for.

Or a missile, Great Idea!
MM419

Tie his ass to a JDAM & send him to downtown Baghdad postage due.