Ramzi Yousef

Ramzi Ahmed Yousef or Ramzi Mohammed Yousef (also transliterated as Ramzi Yusuf, Ramzi Youssef) (Arabic: ???? ???? ), birth name possibly Abdul Basit Karim,(Arabic: ??? ?????? ???? ). He is believed to have been one of the masterminds behind the first World Trade Center attack and a number of other terrorist attacks.

After the attack

In the summer of 1993, he allegedly took up a contract initiated by members of Sipah-e-Sahaba to assassinate the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto. The plot failed when Yousef and Abdul Hakim Murad were interrupted by police outside Bhutto?s residence as they planted the bomb. At this point Yousef decided to abort the bombing, however as they attempted to recover it the device blew up, injuring Yousef who was rushed to the hospital by Murad.

Related Topics:
Benazir Bhutto - Abdul Hakim Murad

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In 1994 Yousef reportedly travelled to South-East Asia and attempted to bomb the Israeli embassy in Bangkok with a device similar to the one he used in New York. En route to delivering the device the truck carrying the bomb collided with a motorcyclist, causing either Yousef or a co-conspirator to flee immediately, leaving the bomb behind.

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Yousef is believed to have returned to Pakistan, and soon began plotting to fulfill part of his unsuccessful Bojinka plot. Using the same design as the bombs intended for Bojinka, Yousef planned to conceal the devices inside toy cars and plant them on United and Northwest flights out of Bangkok.

Related Topics:
Pakistan - Bojinka - United - Northwest - Bangkok

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To carry out the attack he recruited Istaique Parker, a South African Muslim living in Pakistan. Parker flew to Bangkok with Yousef where they built the devices. Parker got cold feet at the last minute and could not check-in the luggage containing the bombs.

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After returning to Pakistan, Parker became aware of the $2 million bounty being offered by the US government for the capture of Yousef. Shortly later Parker contacted the United States Embassy in Islamabad and became an informant.

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