Terror Mastermind Used Hotmail

Alleged sleeper agent Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri's guilty plea indicates the relatively low-tech world of Al Qaeda terror plotting post-September 11. The plea document shows how in 2001, Al Qaeda embraced simple strategies like computer search engines, pre-paid calling cards, and public phones to plot attacks. Alleged Al Qaeda mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed used a free Hotmail account—HOR70@hotmail.com—to communicate with other terror operatives. The plea states that al-Marri, who was held for five years as an “enemy combatant” without charges, researched cyanide gas on the Internet, and used software to cover his tracks. He also marked locations of major dams, tunnels and waterways in a U.S. almanac, and prosecutors say Al Qaeda was planning to attack those sites with cyanide gas.