WASHINGTON, 1 October — Saeed Salimin Baker Bashat, brother of Omar Baker Bashat, who is accused of financing three suspected hijackers — Nawaf Al-Hazmi, Khaled Al-Mihdar and Hani Hanjour — who allegedly attacked the Pentagon, has refuted allegations that Omar had any links to terrorist organizations.
The FBI is questioning Omar Bashat on suspicion of his involvement with the hijackers, as he stayed with them in the same apartment in a San Diego neighborhood between September and December last year.
“This is a fabricated allegation against my brother,” Saeed said, referring to the accusation that Omar financed the hijackers.
“He cannot be a source of finance for a terrorist organization because he was dependent on the money he received from his family to meet his daily expenses,” Saeed told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper. He said he had transferred $660 to Omar last February at his request.
Omar went to the United States to learn English and he was trying to get a green card with the support of an American lawyer. According to Saeed, Omar also worked at a gas station and repaired the computers of his Arab friends to make some money.
He said Omar spoke to him on Sept. 14.
“He told me he was OK and consulted me about whether he should continue in the United States or leave for Yemen, due to the growing attacks against Arabs and Muslims following the Sept. 11 attacks,” he pointed out.
Omar had plans to marry an Arab woman who has US citizenship.
Saeed Bashat, who is a Saudi citizen of Yemeni origin, emphasized that Omar, who has not yet received Saudi citizenship, had no relation with any political, racist or extremist organizations. Omar was born in Riyadh in 1973 and gained most of his education in the Saudi capital.
“He performs compulsory prayers and fasting like any other Muslim. He is not an extremist. He has little knowledge of politics. In fact, he was afraid of talking politics and getting into trouble.”
Omar visited only two countries — Jordan for his university studies, and the United States to learn English.
Asked why Omar stayed with the suspected hijackers, Saeed said it was customary among Arab and Muslims in the West to share rooms with others to save money.
“Americans in Saudi Arabia, Europeans in the US, Moroccans in France and Turks in Germany do the same thing. It is quite natural. My brother was living with one other person. We don’t know him but we heard that he was a nice man,” he said.
