Man Accused of Perjury in Terror Probe

A San Diego college student detained as a material witness after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks was charged Friday with lying to a federal grand jury when he denied knowing one of the suspected hijackers who helped seize the airliner that crashed into the Pentagon.

Jordanian immigrant Osama Awadallah is described by authorities in court papers as an associate of hijacker Nawaf Alhazmi, who lived off and on for about a year in the San Diego area. Awadallah told grand jurors that he knew Alhazmi but denied knowing fellow hijacker Khalid Almihdhar, who lived with Alhazmi last year in San Diego.

Also on Friday, the wife of another Alhazmi associate was called to testify before a federal grand jury in San Diego, according to sources familiar with the inquiry.

San Diego has become a key focus of the international investigation, with several hundred FBI agents crisscrossing the area’s Islamic community to retrace the movements of Alhazmi, Almihdhar and Hani Hanjour. Authorities believe Hanjour piloted the American Airlines jet that struck the Pentagon.

Awadallah, 21, who is studying computer science at Grossmont Community College, was charged with giving two false answers to the grand jury Oct. 10 when he was asked a series of questions about Almihdhar.

U.S. Atty. Mary Jo White said the criminal complaint is intended to put others on notice that authorities conducting the terrorism investigation will not tolerate perjury. Last week, a federal grand jury in Phoenix indicted an Arizona resident on charges of lying to investigators about his relationship with Hanjour, who took flight training in Arizona.

“Anyone who assists terrorists through lies and deception will be vigorously prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” White said Friday.

At his court hearing in Manhattan, Awadallah wore blue prison clothing as he sat quietly alongside defense lawyer Jesse Berman, who denied the charges.

“He has nothing to do with the events of Sept. 11,” Berman told Magistrate Judge Gabriel W. Gorenstein.

Awadallah was ordered held without bail for a hearing Nov. 2 after Gorenstein ruled there was probable cause for the charges and that the college student posed a flight risk.

During the hearing, Assistant U.S. Atty. Robin L. Baker said that when federal agents searched Awadallah’s car in San Diego, a “razor blade attached to a handle” was found, which raised suspicions because the Sept. 11 hijackers attacked passengers and flight crews with box cutters.

Awadallah told investigators he used the blade to cut carpeting, Baker said.

Baker also told the court that Awadallah’s phone number was discovered on a piece of paper in the glove compartment of a car left by one of the suspected hijackers in the parking lot of a Washington airport.

According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, Alhazmi and Almihdhar were frequently seen together last year at several San Diego locations, including a gas station where Awadallah, who lives in La Mesa, Calif., was employed. Alhazmi worked at the same Texaco station in La Mesa, according to attorney Randy Hamud, who has also represented Awadallah.

Hamud has said it was reasonable for Awadallah’s phone number to be in the car at the airport since he had worked with Alhazmi at the gas station.

In his testimony before the grand jury Oct. 10, Awadallah acknowledged that he knew Alhazmi and saw him about 40 times from about April 2000 to January, the court papers say. He told the grand jury that when he first met Alhazmi and on other occasions, Alhazmi was with another man. Awadallah said he was did not know the man’s name.

Questioned about Almihdhar and shown his photograph, Awadallah told the grand jury that day that he did not know Almihdhar or anyone named Khalid, the court papers allege.

Awadallah also was shown a notebook, which he said was his college exam booklet. He testified that all the writing in the booklet was his.

One page contained a paragraph that discussed “Nawaf” and other people Awadallah had met, including a “Khalid,” according to the court papers. Awadallah denied writing that statement.

Brought back to testify before the grand jury Oct. 15, Awadallah acknowledged writing the paragraph, the court papers say. The college student was shown several photographs, including one of Almihdhar, during his second appearance.

At that point, Awadallah said he recognized one of the photos as the man who was always with Alhazmi in San Diego. Asked the name of that man, Awadallah replied, “I think Khalid,” according to the prosecution affidavit. But that photo was not of Almihdhar, the court papers say.

Since Sept. 11, several hundred people across the country have been detained for questioning about the terrorist attacks.

Four San Diego residents have been detained as material witnesses. A college student, Mohdar Abdallah, was arrested--after being sent to New York for questioning--on charges of lying on an application for political asylum.

A second man, Omer Bakarbashat, is suspected by federal investigators of providing financial assistance to Alhazmi and Almihdhar. He also remains in custody.

A third witness, Grossmont student Yazeed Al Salmi, was released last week after testifying before the grand jury in New York. Al Salmi had lived at a Lemon Grove, Calif., boarding house last year at the same time as Alhazmi for about six weeks.

Al Salmi’s wife, Jacqueline Lee Fisher, was summoned Friday to testify before a grand jury in San Diego, sources said. Walking out of the federal courthouse in San Diego Friday afternoon, she declined any comment.

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Times staff writer Robert J. Lopez contributed to this report.